And lobbying represents everything wrong with the current state of our republic. That much influence is not supposed to be tied to the federal government, which was intended to be weak and subservient to the states, no thanks to the 14th amendment.
Please don’t defend this lobbying garbage. It’s toxic to the republic.
Lobbying is fine when its done on behalf of all of us but these days a lot of lobbying is done to destroy the competition.
Michigan casinos lobbied for the ban on smoking in Michigan bars but had a loophole for themselves by virtue of the fact that they had the 10,000 square feet required to allow an indoor smoking area. Bar owners are the smallest businesses of them all can’t afford that kind of space nor do they need it and they lost business because of it.
Detroit is the only major American city that doesn’t have a thriving ethnic food vendor community downtown. The Hard Rock cafe and other high dollar restaurants supported the city council who in turn shut down the vendors. After all, how was the Hard Rock Cafe going to sell their @20 hamburger if someone can buy a $5 coney dog out on the street.
In Ann Arbor is a high dollar sub shop owner lobbying for a higher minimum wage. (Its already $10 in Ann Arbor) He isn’t doing it out of some altruistic desire to help anyone. He’s doing it because he knows that it will cause others to go under.
In contrast is the NRA. They lobby for the 2nd amendment rights for all but don’t lobby to penalize those who don’t exercise those rights.