New Taxpayer Funded Lobbying Figures Show 30 Percent Increase

South Carolina state agencies along with counties, cities and school districts spent millions of public tax dollars lobbying the General Assembly in 2008. These taxpayer-funded lobbyists exist to fight for more government growth while thwarting accountability and transparency measures.

The Policy Council’s analysis of the most recently available State Ethics Commission lobbyist disclosure reports found that in the first half of 2008 alone:

• SC government agencies spent $1.46 million of taxpayer funds on lobbyists
• The projected yearly cost to taxpayers for all of 2008 is more than $2.9 million
• Taxpayer funded lobbying costs citizens 31 percent more than the $2.2 million spent in 2005

These figures represent just lobbying expenses of government agencies. The total cost to taxpayers is much higher. State and local governments have doled out millions of dollars in aid to private business and other organizations such as chambers of commerce. Many of these groups also employ lobbyists and use government aid to offset the cost.

Taxpayer-funded lobbying is toxic to the democratic process and presents a clear conflict of interest. It pits government agency interests against citizens’ interests. The public routinely finds its own tax dollars used against them to drown out citizen voices and put them at a distinct disadvantage.

The Legislature’s annual budget process gives state agencies and local governments ample opportunity to justify its budgetary needs, and to make the case for important projects. University presidents, state agency heads and other public entities have many qualified employees to answer questions and present information to the General Assembly without the need for lobbyists.

There were more than 60 taxpayer-funded lobbyists during the 2008 legislative session, according to the South Carolina Ethics Commission. The public can view a list of these lobbyists online, but the ethics commission forces citizens to pay for copies of detailed information. Fortunately, taxpayer-funded lobbying is a practice simple to stop. End government money flowing to lobbyists, eliminate staff lobbyists, and prohibit membership by governmental bodies in lobbying organizations.

Nothing in the foregoing should be construed as an attempt to aid or hinder passage of any legislation. Copyright 2009. South Carolina Policy Council Education Foundation, 1323 Pendleton Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29201.