sub: BAN BRIBERY NOW! PLEASE POST TO ALL YOUR FAVORITE NEWSGROUPS, FIDONET, COMPUSERVE, ETC. ==============================================
Lobbyist Gift Ban Countdown, July 12, 1994
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Supporting S.1935, the Lobbyist Gift Ban Bill
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SCUTTLEBUTT

Congress' calendar is getting really crowded with a number of bills. If a fire isn't lit under the gift ban conference committee, the bill might not get out before the recess. That could be it for this session.

The secrecy with which the House and Senate conferees are working is not a great sign. One could suspect that they plan to dump as much reform as they can. But one unofficial tip is that the House may give in to the Senate on banning gifts of travel.

Why is it that the proceedings of committees are secret in our supposedly representative government? Just asking.

EDITORIAL

It is mind boggling to think how much money is lavished on our elected representatives and their staffs to influence legislation. This is like taxation without representation, because the lobbyist's corporate client gets the representation, but the corporation passes on the lobbying cost to us.

Some would say that the two or three million dollars per year spent on gifts to Congress and their staffs are a small matter. Of course, when compared with larger issues such as health care, gifts seem so trivial. But if you wanted your Member of Congress to pay attention to you on any of these more important issues, where would you rather be meeting -- in an office, or by a fireplace with drinks in hand at a ski lodge in the Rockies?

Lobbyists know the answer. But thanks to ordinary folks' success at pushing a strong gift ban through the Senate, lobbyists are getting worried. "It's not like other issues where you see one side up there with their buttons and the other side with their buttons," said Meredith McGehee of Common Cause. "It's so publicly indefensible."

But that doesn't stop members of the world's second-oldest profession from discretely lobbying the conference committee on lobbying legislation. And you can bet they aren't doing it in the Members' offices. The implication is clear, "Enjoy this $200 meal and this $90 bottle of wine while you can, because if you support S.1935, you will be eating the table decorations." Lobbyists know that access is power and that the citizens are trying to take away some of their access. Damn right we are!!!!

The House/Senate conference committee is meeting now. Our elected representatives will dump as many of the real reforms in S.1935 as they can, so it is up to us to make sure that the strong Senate gift ban remains in the final product.

This won't be the last battle we fight against corruption, but it is our first and most successful. Let's finish what we started. Congress needs to know that we are watching and that we will never give up until they get the message. Please raise your voice now for a strong ban on lobbyist-provided gifts of food, lodging, and travel. Ban Bribery Now!

The Senate is at Washington, DC 20510. The House of Representatives is at Washington, DC 20515. All phone numbers are (202) area code.

Here is the message I am sending on post cards to the people below: "You work for me, not fat cats. Support S.1935, the strong ban on gifts to you and your staffs."

If you are in any of these districts, please help us. Call, write, or hire a skywriter, but contact your representatives.

For the rest of us, let's send our message to the following people. They are calling the shots. Any changes will be approved by them.

Main City Name Telephone ------------------------------------------------------------------- First Priority

Spokane, Washington Rep. Foley 225-2006 Placerville, east Sacramento, CA Rep. Fazio 225-5716 Macomb Co., Michigan Rep. Bonior 225-2106 Prince George Co., Maryland Rep. Hoyer 225-4131

Second Priority

(House conferees) Dallas, Texas Rep. Bryant 225-2231 Musgokee, Oklahoma Rep. Synar 225-2701 Wichita, Kansas Rep. Glickman 225-6216 Poughkeepsie, New York Rep. Fish 225-5441 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Rep. Gekas 225-4315

(Senate conferees) Michigan Sen. Levin 224-6221 Ohio Sen. Glenn 224-3353 Hawaii Sen. Akaka 224-6361 Maine Sen. Cohen 224-2523 Alaska Sen. Stevens 224-3004

St. Louis (south side), Missouri Rep. Gephardt 224-2671