Colby Hamilton, Writer, WNYC News
Colby Hamilton is a general assignment reporter. He originally joined WNYC as a political blogger. He's a proud graduate of the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.
Lobbying dogfight between unions and business interests leads 2011 spending
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 - 11:33 AM
It's not quite the record-breaking lobbying efforts of 2010. But it's close.
The New York Public Interest Research Group today put out a report on lobbying in the first ten months of 2011. According to the report, nearly $188 million has been spent lobbying at the state and local level through October--$26 million short of the 2010 totals.
Topping the list this year is the Committee to Save New York, a pro-business group who have supported many of Governor Andrew Cuomo's budget efforts over the past year. The Committee spent over $9.7 million on lobbying efforts.
Following close behind were two unions, 1199/SEIU health care workers and the United Teachers, who combined to spend nearly $11 million on separate lobbying efforts.
The full report is after the jump, but take a look at this table on members of Congress lobbying Albany on redistricting. Congressmen Brian Higgins in Western New York and Joe Crowley here in the city appear to be hiring firms with close ties to the State Assembly. Congressman Elliot Engel from the Bronx is going the route of a firm run by former State Senators.
More in:
"The Capitol Pressroom" with Susan Arbetter at 11 am
For show archives, please visit The Capitol Bureau's website here.
About The Empire
Everything you need to know about New York politics and governance. We aim for a ground-up approach to politics, reverse engineered to make the effect just as important as the players and the game they play. From the Long Island to The Thousand Islands, New York City Hall to the Capitol Building, The Empire's got you covered.
Check out WNYC's 2013 Mayor Tracker--the one-stop shop for info about the candidates, issues and trends in the upcoming New York City mayoral election.
Our Reporters
Feeds
Comments [1]
"Topping the list this year is the Committee to Save New York, a pro-business group...Following close behind were two unions, 1199/SEIU health care workers and the United Teachers, who combined to spend nearly $11 million on separate lobbying efforts."
Lots of money from those who don't want more taxes. And lots of money from those who want to provide the same in public services for more money, or less in public services from the same money.
Who is not represented? Those who rely on public services and benefits. And guess what is going to happen?
This has been the deal forever, but the public service gutting has been covered over by debts, deferred costs, and advanced revenues.
And given that our overall tax burden is right at the top, perhaps one of the purported "antagonists" has a better deal than the other.
Leave a Comment
Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more. Learn more.
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting. By leaving a comment, you agree to New York Public Radio's Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use.