I created a petition on Whitehouse.Gov and need your help

[Legendzerox]

I created a petition and if you don't mind, could you please sign it if you agree with it? I need 150 signatures before it becomes public on the website. Nothing will probably come of it, cause I'm basically petitioning to the same people who are bought lol, but if you don't mind and you agree with what I wrote on, could you sign it?

 

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/ban-lobbying/08Mk6mPv

[HeyYou]

Lobbyists are only a symptom of a larger ill. You aren't going to be able to ban them, as that will intrude on first amendment rights.

 

What needs to happen is we need to take the money out of campaigns. Limit campaign contributions to 5000.00 per individual, per year. That's it. Corporations are NOT people, and should NOT have the 'right' of free speech, nor should they be able to spend millions on a single campaign..... Overturn citizens united. That was a farce. Also, the recent supreme court decision removing limits on some campaign donations. Money does NOT equal free speech.

 

Another step would be to ban PAID lobbyists. You wanna lobby congress? Fine. You wanna get paid to do it? Nope. That is influcence peddling. Plain and simple.

[Harbringe]

Lobbyists are only a symptom of a larger ill. You aren't going to be able to ban them, as that will intrude on first amendment rights.

 

What needs to happen is we need to take the money out of campaigns. Limit campaign contributions to 5000.00 per individual, per year. That's it. Corporations are NOT people, and should NOT have the 'right' of free speech, nor should they be able to spend millions on a single campaign..... Overturn citizens united. That was a farce. Also, the recent supreme court decision removing limits on some campaign donations. Money does NOT equal free speech.

 

Another step would be to ban PAID lobbyists. You wanna lobby congress? Fine. You wanna get paid to do it? Nope. That is influcence peddling. Plain and simple.

 

All of that needs to be done but the point on influence peddling I had never thought of it that way . Seems pretty simple if your doing it for money then its influence peddling and should be treated like a crime akin to bribery. Which in actuality its turned out to be.

 

PS. I would sign your petition but am a Canadian and really it should be Americans signing it.

Edited May 19, 2014 by Harbringe

[kvnchrist]

I don't sign petitions. The last time I did I was put on a mailing list that took my months to get off.

[bben46]

Banning lobbyists isn't going to fly - it's not just mega corporations that use lobbyists ( although they do spend more on lobbying than everyone else put together) A lot of other organizations have lobbyists working for them - churches, Non profits, NRA, anti NRA groups, Pro sports, College sports, colleges, unions, trade associations that are not unions, foreign governments :pinch: ( that should really be banned) cities, state governments, almost anyone that has money and wants to influence congress. You could hire a lobbyist - or you could lobby in your own behalf. There does need to real regulation of the lobby industry, and very stiff penalties for violating the rules. #1 rule - NO member of congress or their staff can serve as a lobbyist for any organization for a minimum of 5 years after leaving congress or congressional staff. #2 No lobbyist or executive of a company that employs lobbyists may be considered for any government job for a minimum of 5 years after they leave that job. The purpose would be to stop the revolving door of lobbyists, lawmakers and regulators swapping jobs every few years.

[Harbringe]

No you cant ban lobbying , really that's just petitioning your government. But the influence peddling angle can still be applied .

 

Influence peddling is the illegal practice of using one's influence in government or connections with persons in authority to obtain favors or preferential treatment for another, usually in return for payment. Also called traffic of influence or trading in influence. In fact, influence peddling is not necessarily illegal as OECD has often used the term "undue influence peddling" to refer to illegal acts of lobbying. [1] However, influence peddling bears the stench of corruption that may de-legitimize democratic politics with the general public.

 

A couple of examples I know of .

 

Buried in the US budget of 2009 was a financial de-regulation clause sought after by Goldman Sachs that exempted certain financial transactions (banking) from the regulations that governed insider trading , they argued that because Congress was privy to the insider knowledge (banking , commerce , etc committee's) they should not be hindered , when it was pointed out that Congress is prohibited from acting on that knowledge , they lobbied those members on the committee to not only change the rules for them but members of Congress also . So something you as an ordinary citizen would go to jail for , Banks and other large financial institutions and Congress are exempt from .

 

When Facebook went public there were some regulations they needed changed and the Congressmen who could make that happen were offered preferential shares before the public offering was made available , this allowed those who bought the shares to take advantage of something known as the IPO pop . This is the price increase that always happen when a new stock offering is put on the market , so you buy beforehand then sell once you figure the stock price is beginning to plateau from its initial offering.

 

Anyway its one thing to be lobbying for clean air or voter rights or whatever , its another to be lobbying for profit by using the elected officials and apparatus of state to get that profit .

 

The rules wont change until the means by which they exact those changes that benefit themselves are removed from the equation . Money out of politics (max $1000 per candidate) and lobbying for profit has to be ended and you do that by connecting influence peddling to it.

 

Just to be clear influence peddling would mean something like this .

 

If say there is some Banking regulation that was being looked at , it would be up to Congress to seek out qualified professionals that would not have an interest or benefit of said legislation (economic theorists , mathematician ,professors , etc) not hand picked lobbyists from those who stand to profit from said legislation if directed in certain ways. If its unfair they can spend their money taking it to court just like every other American has to when they feel they have been unfairly dealt with . No more having people write rules to suit themselves and only themselves , if they do its influence peddling.

[Beriallord]

You might not be able to ban lobbyists, but you can certainly limit their monetary influence on policy.

Edited May 20, 2014 by Beriallord

[bben46]

The petition itself is lobbying.

[JimboUK]

Be careful what you wish for, a few years back the government in the UK passed a bill restricting lobbying and it has had a negative impact on charities and citizens groups while having no impact on the money men who can still get what they want via party donations and other forms of skulduggery, the unions called it "The Gagging Bill" and that's exactly what it is.

[kvnchrist]

Be careful what you wish for, a few years back the government in the UK passed a bill restricting lobbying and it has had a negative impact on charities and citizens groups while having no impact on the money men who can still get what they want via party donations and other forms of skulduggery, the unions called it "The Gagging Bill" and that's exactly what it is.

 

Yeah. The idea of eliminating corruption shouldn't be the candy bearers but those who love the candy so much they would screw everyone else over to get it.

 

Corruption is a disease of the heart, not of the pocketbook. Lobbyist can stand there all day long holding out billions in front of these politicians. What the politicians do is what effects you!