Local governments say that it’s money well spent, but the $2 million paid by municipal and other local public bodies to lobbyists is little more than a transfer of tax dollars into the pockets of glorified ad-men.
The money, says the Star-Ledger, “is hidden, with no requirements that governments tell the public what their lobbyists are up to.”
Municipal officials argue that the “shrinking pot of state revenues” makes it necessary to have someone tasked with digging up and fighting for the cash, but as state comptroller Michael Boxer points out, it pushes up the cost of government at a time when we are slashing necessary services.
“It really is a race to the bottom, ultimately, because as some government entities hire a lobbyist to advocate for them, other government entities feel compelled to do so to level the playing field,” said state comptroller Matthew Boxer. “At the end of the day, the same amount of taxpayer dollars are going to be awarded — but we’ve imposed a transaction cost.”
South Brunswick, for instance, spent $36,000 last year on a lobbyist to focus on its township bus program and to fight for money to widen Route 1. That’s not a lot of cash. But, given that the township is closed one Friday a month and that it has laid off employees, I have to wonder if paying a lobbyist is really the best use of the money.
Gov. Chris Christie appears to agree. His spokesman, Michael Drewniak, told the Star-Ledger that “local governments don’t need lobbyists.”
“It’s a waste of money. Save it. Use it for something else,” Drewniak said.
The chances of that happening are slim, however, unless the governor and the state Legislature step in and address the issue. An outright ban might not pass constitutional muster — lobbyists, after all, include everyone from high-priced private firms to the State League of Municipalities and the New Jersey Sierra Club and they have a right to petition the government. At the same time, the state constitution grants the Legislature the right to regulate local operations, including placing limits on how its money is spent, which leaves open the possibility that the state could place restrictions on spending that effectively limit or eliminate the spending of public money on lobbying activities.
Or it could impose strict disclosure rules, similar to those in place for private entities.
Boxer and ELEC executive director Jeff Brindle say, at the very least, lobbyists and local governments should be forced disclose their interactions and the cost. Boxer said towns should explain why they hired lobbyists and what they got in return.
“There’s actually less oversight and transparency than there is when private dollars are at issue,” Boxer said.
What is clear — to me, at least — is that we can not afford to be spending money on the Trenton version of K Street when we do not have enough money available to maintain our local streets.
