The revenge of the corporate lobbyists

Over at Also Also, blogger TJ has taken note of the corporate interests lining up to stop Portland's voter-owned elections system:

On Thursday of this week, the "clean elections" program passed by Portland City Council will be implemented. Now known somewhat euphemistically as "voter-owned," the proposal to front candidates financially if they agreed to spending ceilings and a ban on private contributions over $5 passed 4-1 in May. ...

If there is a popular uprising against reform, it's coincidentally (cough) among those who are most well practiced at manipulating the current system. Coalition or cabal--take your pick--varied individual members of the Portland Business Alliance have chosen the former high-profile lobbyist from AT&T, Laura Imeson, to organize on their behalf. I'm sure one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world never had any cause to contact the policymakers in one of the most advanced telecom cities in the world. Never. Even if all the allegedly aggrieved were actual Portland residents, it still looks like a move of self-preservation--which tells you all you need to know about whether to support campaign reform, IMO.

Head on over to Also Also and read the rest. Discuss over there.

Aug. 29, 2005 Posted in elsewhere.