Now we're bailing out lobbyists?

[Omaha Steve]

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/977/t/8667/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26504



Seems like there's no recession in the lobbying industry!

In the latest outrage from Washington, The New York Times reports that many of the big banks were increasing their lobbying to obtain funds from the second half of the TARP bailout even as they were receiving bailout money from the first half of the bailout program.

Commercial banks that got hundreds of billions of your tax dollars spent over $42 million on lobbying in 2008 alone!

We've got to put a stop to this. Click here to sign a petition against any more bailout money for lobbyists!

New Treasury Secretary Geithner has commendably issued new rules and limits governing contacts between Treasury Department officials and lobbyists for the banks they're supposed to regulate. But that doesn't and won't stop them from lobbying Congress, the White House or other federal agencies.

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/977/t/8667/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26504

Let's get real. The Administration can issue all the new rules it wants, but that won't get to the real heart of the issue: the pervasive influence of big money in our political process. We all know the only real, long-term solution: public funding of all federal elections. It's the only way we're going to break the grip of the lobbyists on our government and re-focus its priorities to your interests instead of special interests.

That's what You Street is all about. Go to You Street to let your representatives know how you feel about this vital issue.

Won't you help us as we build the road back to democracy?

Yours in action,

Nick at You Street

Photo by notmpres shared under Creative Commons license.

[Donnachaidh]

1. kick this up folks! K&R n/t

[mmonk]

2. Got to make sure those jobs are still available for "our" representatives

when they leave office.