California taxpayer-funded lobbying

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Taxpayer-funded lobbying is the practice of engaging in lobbying activities as a public entity. This is done by counties, cities, school districts, public facilities, and many other entities that receive taxpayer money through public funds.

This is controversial because the agenda being lobbied for are not decided by taxpayers, whose money is used for the practice. This means the outcomes of lobbying are sometimes opposed to the constituents' benefit.

During the two-year legislative session that ended December 1, 2008, records show that $58 million was spent by local governments (not including colleges, utilities, special districts or regional coalitions) to lobby state politicians.[1]

  • Half Moon Bay paid $1 million to push two bills to change the terms of its $18 million debt over a stalled housing project.
  • Los Angeles County spent $3.7 million to employ eight lobbyists and to contract separately with five lobbying firms.
  • Sacramento County spent $857,855 for lobbyists and membership dues in advocacy groups.
  • Placer County spent $780,000.
  • El Dorado County spent $224,000.
  • Yolo County spent $100,000.
  • Sacramento city spent $857,855 for lobbyists or advocacy groups.
  • Elk Grove spent $152,000
  • Roseville, $81,250.
  • Sacramento City Unified School District spent $173,885 from 2007-2008.
  • Grant Joint Union School District spent $600,000 on lobbying from 2000-2008.

Local tax money, according to an expose in Sacramento Bee in February 2009, "bankrolled a separate layer of advocacy, supplementing the work of staff or contract lobbyists by funding dozens of associations that spend millions pushing policies favorable to counties, cities, school boards, sheriff's departments or other dues-paying members."

[edit] Taxpayer-funded lobbying associations

The following is a list of California taxpayer-funded lobbying associations by type:

[edit] City and municipal

[edit] County

[edit] Regional

[edit] School

[edit] Other


[edit] References

  1. ↑ Sacramento Bee, "Local government lobbying costs soar in California", February 10, 2009
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California taxpayer-funded lobbying associations
Association of Bay Area Governments • Association of California School Administrators • Association of Low Wealth Schools • California Association of Councils of Governments • California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions • California Association of Joint Powers Authorities • California Association of Sanitation Agencies • California School Boards Association • California State Association of Counties • Cities, Counties and Schools Partnership • County Administrative Officers Association of California • County Elections Officials • County Personnel Administrators Association of California • League of California Cities • Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California • Sacramento Area Council of Governments • San Diego Association of Governments • Southern California Association of Governments
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Lists of taxpayer-funded lobbying associations
By type

National organizations
Cities • Counties • Schools • Police • Universities

By state

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming •

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