Lobbyists spent a lot of money during the latter half of this year’s legislative session, according to a preliminary review of expenditures reports filed with the State Ethics Commission.
The five highest-spending groups, including two public employee unions, reported spending a total of nearly $250,000 during the March-April 2010 period.
United Public Workers, the state’s second-largest public employee union, was the top spender ($54,582), followed closely by the Consumer Fireworks Safety Association, which lobbies for the fireworks industry ($53,132).
They were followed by the Hawaii State Teachers Association ($49,653), cigarette manufacturer Altria/Philip Morris ($58,358) and the nonprofit Blue Planet Foundation ($39,308).
Lobbyists are required to file three spending reports annually, covering the periods January-February, March-April, and May-December. Some other states require more frequent reports while the legislature is in session, in order to give the public a more timely understanding of how money is being used by special interests.
And, in Hawaii, lobbyists are not required to disclose what is spent lobbying the governor or executive agencies. Disclosures are generally restricted to spending to directly influence legislators.
Lobbyist expenditure reports can be viewed at the State Ethics Commission web site. Reports are posted as soon as they can be reviewed and scanned. They can also be inspected at the commission’s office in downtown Honolulu.
Altria/PM remains a top lobbyist? That’s kind of spooky to have the merchants of death out on top especially when there hasn’t been anything major in their Kuleana in the lege in years.
One has to wonder what they are investing their influence $$ in. Presumably to keep the cigarette taxes down, but anything else in the shadows? Weakening the smoke-free law through front groups? Reducing effective smoking cessation and prevention funding targeted to the groups that smoke the most like Native Hawaiians, Filipino and Korean men, or GLBT communities?
Or is it just that what looks like big bucks to us for lobbying in Hawai’i is just pennies for them and they just can’t help themselves to keep their hands on the wheels of influence?
Altria/PM may benefit from moves to divert tobacco tax spending away from anti-tobacco advertising and into the general Fund.
This has the effect of eliminating efforts to reduce tobacco use.
On a more long-term basis, it makes the State(s) into partners in the tobacco business–aligning their finanial interests with those of the tobacco companies.
The State has absolutely become a partner in the tobacco business. Since the taxes levied on tobacco are not used solely for tobacco prevention and lung cancer related programs, the State now needs people to keep smoking. I see this less as a clever Altria ploy and instead another example of the shortsightedness and lack of concern about the “big picture” of tax policy by the legislature. Its just about, “Where can we get some money without losing votes?” That seems to be the only operative question.
More money from fireworks than from teachers? What kind of a world do we live in?
I’m surprised no one’s mentioned either Kamehameha Schools’ #6 ranking or the County of Hawaii’s #8 ranking.
As asked above about Altria/Philip Morris, what is KS spending all that money on? Land use or education issues? Anyone wincing even a teeny weeny bit given the institution’s prior history of lobbying abuses?
And why is the county spending that much money? None of the other counties made this list, there is a counties association that already lobbies at the legislature, and other lobbying is done by public officials from the counties who do the work as part of their regular duties, at no additional cost.
Odd. But not surprising. Nothing surprises me anymore.
These are voluntary reports with no real uniform reporting rules. Some orgs will pro-rate the cost of staff salaries, while other orgs will list the TOTAL salaries of all staff members who MAY do lobbying (even if they don’t) just to be safe with the reporting requirements. Other groups even inflate their expenses to warn off enemies and show their potential clout to politicians.
Not so.
The disclosures are required by statute, and there are quite specific rules.
However, penalties for noncompliance are tiny and bureaucratic hurdles high.
One of the commission’s big problems is that it hasn’t been aggressive at trying to update the law to keep up with the surge in lobbying.
Perhaps that’s another indication of their internal troubles.
Yes Ian the statutes are specific, but the compliance is variable due to the lack of
of enforcements and weak (nonexistent)
penalties.
Also the filing orgs. have different agendas.
Some want to minimize their footprint while some think it’s advantageous to maximize it.
Ask Lowell Kalapa from the Tax Foundation for his famous reason why he has never filed a lobbyist report in spite of his constant presence at the Leg. and you may rethink you’re conclusion that filing reports are so absolute.
I find this list fascinating. Lets have some fun, shall we?
1) UPW – guess we know why the Halawa module that was in the budget to be closed never made it into the final budget.
2) Altria/PM is Red and John. No surprises here. They are a couple of the big boys with big money. Now you know why. I wouldnt be surprised if the Fireworks Association were their clients too. Are they?
3) I find Blue Planets substantial presence interesting. What were they following so heavily this year? Barrel Tax? What are their primary legislative interests/goals for the future?
4) Ohana Health Plan? Who was their lobbyist? Isnt that one of the providers over in Quest-Expanded Care? What part of their okoles were they covering? I remember a briefing – and then not much. Correct?
5) HMA accomplished what this session for $15K? Accomplishes what? Im serious. Please educate me because it seems that, for a bunch of doctors, they have historically not been well organized or effective, legislatively speaking.
6) HTA? Seriously? Them and the County of Hawaii. Whats with tax-funded organizations having hired lobbyists? Hire staff, people.
7) What is a ‘Better Place’?
This is fun stuff because it shows us, in some part, why decisions were ultimately made this year. We see companies on this list, we know who the lobbyists are, and we know that, indeed, they are doing their jobs. In my humble opinion, we shouldnt ding these people for doing their jobs when the system allows for it.
But I really dont like the idea of state and city agencies ‘lobbying’. Theres something fundamentally wrong with that. What do you all think?
Hey, Ian, any way you could find last years same report to compare last years big spenders to this years?
hipoli,
Red and John are on the other side of fireworks — they (through Celeste) represent fire fighters. The lobbyist for fireworks (retailers, importers, etc.) is Dick Botti /LISH.
I would imagine that Jeff Mikulina/Blue Planet spent a lot of time in Gabbard’s office since he and Mina don’t seem to be getting along lately.
Ohana Health hired Tracy Okubo to lobby for them.
That smile should have been a #8. Weird computer.
Heres what “Better Place” is. Here I was thinking it was a hospice organization!
http://www.betterplace.com/global-progress/hawaii/
Thanks, jaded. I should have known better about Celeste and the firefighters.
Jeff and Mina? Or Gabbard and Mina arent getting along? Do tell. Whats not to like about Jeff?
Hard to believe the Hawaii Board of Realtors and the Honolulu Board of Realtors aren’t on this list. Their members pay dues and they hire lobbyists.