Consider that the Office of Records and Registration of the House of Representatives shows that 6,085 people registered under the current law on lobbying. Then consider that it is estimated that one in four lobbyists do not even bother to register. Then consider the following number From here.
"Uncomfortable that his estimate "was becoming truth," Mr. Thurber said he recently did a more systematic study. He took a sampling from major directories of advocacy groups to determine the number of lobbying groups as well as the number of staff members associated with each.
"I've come up with a little higher figure," he said; "91,000 lobbyists and people associated with lobbying activities in and around Washington."
Then consider that no one really knows what the number is!
Now consider, say one state, Florida for example, there were 582, 740 registered motorcycles.
Now consider the number of these registered motorcycles that can be found on any given weekend "lobbying" for Toys for tots, breast cancer, veterans, save our wildlife, you pick........................ Now consider how many of these registered motorcycles can be found lobbying for things like motorcyclists rights, safety or damn, lets just throw in FREEDOM for the hell of it. The Largest annual rights run by the largest MRO in the state pulls in , oh maybe 400+/- motorcycles from around the state, many of whom don't come to lobby but just come for the party.Then if you really want to get wonked consider the following numbers........................
Motorcycle Lobby Gears Up $240,000
NEW YORK (Associated Press) - The Motorcycle Industry Council spent $240,000 lobbying the federal government in 2007.
The group, whose members include Honda Motor Co. and Kawasaki Motorcycles, spent $140,000 lobbying Congress in the second half of last year, according to a form posted online Feb. 11 by the Senate's office of public records.
The group lobbied on legislation to preserve landscape and improve motorcycle safety awareness.
Lobbyists are required to disclose activities that could influence members of the executive and legislative branches, under a federal law enacted in 1995Compare to the TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY as of 2004:
By Daniel Lathrop
WASHINGTON, October 28, 2004 — The four former "Baby Bell" local phone companies and their rivals have spent more than $450 million
Led by Verizon Communications Inc. at more than $77 million
Combined, telecommunications companies have spent more than $398 million* lobbying since Jan. 1, 1998, making the industry among the most prolific spenders in Washington, D.C.
In addition, phone companies have contributed some $60.5 million to federal campaigns and political parties since 1998 and paid for $276,072 worth of travel for members and staff of Congress, bringing total spending to affect policy and politics to well over $450 million.
"They make huge contributions and they pay for both sides," Mark Cooper, research director of Consumer Federation of America, said in response to the Center's findings. "They hire these lobbyists and they [the lobbyists] live in the halls of the FCC."
The lobbyists hired to represent these and other telecommunications heavyweights were some of the most politically well-connected in D.C.
The top hired gun for the telephone industry, with $7.1 million in fees, was Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. (Akin Gump was also the number two lobbyist for the overall communications industry, with $9.6 million in fees.) The firm is home to such Capitol Hill veterans as former Sen. Lauch Faircloth (R-N.C.) and former Rep. Bill Paxon (R-N.Y.).
Second-place honors went to Quinn Gillespie & Associates, whose principals include current Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie and Jack Quinn, President Bill Clinton's White House counsel from late 1995 to early 1997.
Third place went to the Dutko Group, whose roster of high-profile lobbyists includes former officials from the administrations of George H.W. Bush, Clinton and President George W. Bush.
As for contributions, telephone companies prefer Republicans to Democrats. Since 1998, telecommunications companies gave 58.8 percent of contributions to Republican parties and candidates and 40.9 percent to Democrats.
The three companies that led the pack in lobbying also topped the list of campaign contributors: Verizon shelled out $10.7 million, while SBC spent $10.5 million and AT&T spent $7.8 million. (See more here)
AND CONSIDER INSURANCE LOBBYING EXPENDITURES (From here)
Election Cycle | Rank† | Total Contributions | Contributions from Individuals | Contributions from PACs | Soft Money Contributions | Donations to Democrats | Donations to Republicans | % to Dems | % to Repubs |
| 2008* | 8 | $15,861,276 | $8,178,848 | $7,682,428 | N/A | $7,761,684 | $8,090,272 | 49% | 51% |
| 2006* | 8 | $31,246,981 | $12,781,227 | $18,465,754 | N/A | $10,756,715 | $20,020,265 | 34% | 64% |
| 2004* | 9 | $36,426,377 | $20,030,658 | $16,395,719 | N/A | $11,731,229 | $24,599,390 | 32% | 68% |
| 2002 | 8 | $37,624,097 | $9,194,976 | $12,334,265 | $16,094,856 | $11,698,327 | $25,885,353 | 31% | 69% |
| 2000 | 7 | $41,673,916 | $13,317,040 | $12,413,562 | $15,943,314 | $14,145,240 | $27,379,938 | 34% | 66% |
| 1998 | 6 | $30,163,315 | $7,954,784 | $11,268,084 | $10,940,447 | $9,173,392 | $20,953,101 | 30% | 69% |
| 1996 | 6 | $33,121,912 | $10,686,320 | $11,737,683 | $10,697,909 | $10,623,642 | $22,455,820 | 32% | 68% |
| 1994 | 5 | $21,879,279 | $6,769,576 | $10,727,340 | $4,382,363 | $9,758,828 | $12,090,818 | 45% | 55% |
| 1992 | 6 | $21,750,142 | $7,395,235 | $10,653,255 | $3,701,652 | $10,040,516 | $11,669,210 | 46% | 54% |
| 1990 | 4 | $13,081,045 | $3,441,583 | $9,639,462 | N/A | $6,680,066 | $6,400,769 | 51% | 49% |
Total | 7 | $282,828,340 | $99,750,247 | $121,317,552 | $61,760,541 | $102,369,639 | $179,544,936 | 36% | 63% |
†These numbers show how the industry ranks in total campaign giving as compared to more than 80 other industries. Rankings are shown only for industries (such as the Automotive industry) -- not for widely encompassing "sectors" (such as Transportation) or more detailed "categories" (like car dealers).
*These figures do not include donations of "Levin" funds to state and local party committees. Levin funds were created by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002.
METHODOLOGY: The numbers on this page are based on contributions of $200 or more from PACs and individuals to federal candidates and from PAC, soft money and individual donors to political parties, as reported to the Federal Election Commission. While election cycles are shown in charts as 1996, 1998, 2000 etc. they actually represent two-year periods. For example, the 2002 election cycle runs from January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2002. Data for the current election cycle were released by the Federal Election Commission on Monday, January 07, 2008.
You can go here to find expenditures by industry.DID I SAY WE WERE SCREWED??????????????? Now there are some rights advocates/activists (fewer activists that advocates) that have seen the writing on the wall and have adopted the attitude that we (Bikers that give a damn about bikers) stand a better chance fighting issues in the courts on constitutional grounds.
BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How long does that take and how much does that cost????? DID I SAY WE ARE SCREWED???????????????????
There have been some encouraging rumblings though. Every once in awhile you here something about street action, increased civil disobedience, guerrilla actions and stuff. But then again, if you listen long enough you can hear anything In fact if you listen long enough that cash register sound you here will be your Rights and Freedoms being sold!Add to Technorati Favorites
