Revolving Door or Merry-Go-Round?
Your big brother is a powerful member of city council, and you're just
a deputy city clerk. There's got to be more than this! So you retire,
take your pension of $68,000, and run for state representative, with
all the support your brother and his friends can provide, adding
another $86,000 in salary and the prospect of a second government
pension. Not bad.<br>
<br>
But not enough. You set up a lobbying firm, "to help businesses engage"
with the city, and you let your partner engage with the state, since
you can't do that yourself. For an office from which to lobby city
officials, including your brother, you find a bargain: in your
brother's building, where you and he already have your constituent
offices.<br>
<br>
Who's going to use the services of a novice lobbyist? One client was a
pair of men looking to get into building homes on city-owned lots with
city financing. The deal was accepted by the city council, with the
lobbyist's brother voting. Another client was a company seeking the
wireless contract for the airport; it got it. Most of the other clients
don't appear to have gotten what they wanted, but the little brother
looked like a good opportunity to get a foot in the revolving door.<br>
<br>
The rule in this city -- not surprisingly, Chicago -- as in so many
other cities is that there is a one-year freeze on lobbying by former
officials, and no rule on lobbying by council members' immediate family
members or by state representatives.<br>
<br>
The above is based on research done in tandem by the <a href="http://www.bettergov.org/PressRelease/BGA-SunTimes-analysis-political-i…; target="”_blank”">Better
Government
Association</a> and the Chicago <i>Sun-Times</i>, which reported <a href="http://www.suntimes.com/news/watchdogs/2048163,CST-NWS-watchdogs15.arti…; target="”_blank”">the
story</a> yesterday.<br>
<br>
The BGA is calling for an end to double-dipping (two government
salaries or pensions) and to public officials lobbying other public
officials. Better recusal rules would also be nice.<br>
<br>
Robert Wechsler<br>
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics<br>
<br>
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