Get Schooled

By Jeff

August 1, 2007 10:22 AM | Link to this

So the government is spending money to try to get the government to spend MORE money???

SOMETHING needs to be done. While we may not be able to ban privately-funded lobbyists, SURELY something CAN be done about lobbyists that are funded with taxpayer money.

That something probably is the ELIMINATION of the job…

By Chris

August 1, 2007 10:48 AM | Link to this

I suppose it depends on where the funds are coming from. Are they donations made to the University by private citizens/groups like alumni organizations or are they using public money for political purposes?

I don’t think they should use public money but a good portion of a University’s income is from sources other than the government; tuition, endowments and donations all come to mind. If they aren’t diverting funds or offsetting public money to pay for lobbying and it provides a a positive for the University then I don’t really have a problem with it.

To me what would turn this issue one way or the other would be:

1) Where were the funds coming from that bought these game tickets and meals?

and

2) What are the Universities lobbying for? Are they for research grants, building construction, new academic programs?

I think lobbying in and of itself is a part of the democratic process. Citizens with common interests banding together to have their voice heard. I think it has been twisted by folks like Abramoff into something more malicious where the voice of small, but powerful groups are heard at the expense of the people as a whole.

Does that mean the entire system should be scrapped? I don’t know. More transparency would be a good thing. That keeping the dealings in the open and on the public record is a lot more beneficial to the nation as a whole than the alternatives.

By thomas

August 1, 2007 11:19 AM | Link to this

I don’t understand why the AJC says “Schools excel at Lobbying 101.” Public K-12 school systems are not doing the lobbying. It is COLLEGES. Please use the correct term and do not mislead the public into thinking that their local schools are into lobbying.

But on the other hand I guess, in the end, it really doesn’t matter. The public has a LOW opinion of schools anyway. I think this is the result of over 20 years of negative reporting by mainstream media- both local and national. Powerful forces in this country have worked day and night to smear public education. It’s worked.

You can’t imagine the distaste and malaise people have towards schools. It transcends race, religion, gender, and socioeconomic status. Most schools get VERY LITTLE parental support. The students put forth little effort and their attitude matches. It’s a miracle that we have the academic performance levels that exist now, given the attitude and effort put forth by most students and parents.

Maybe SCHOOLS need to lobby. Perhaps then they will get some badly needed resources and funding.

By jim d

August 1, 2007 11:30 AM | Link to this

O Dear Tommy,

public k-12 do spend money on lobbyists. Perhaps through the chamber of commerce—but they are responsible for a great deal of money changing hands to benefit themselves.

By Hiding

August 1, 2007 11:36 AM | Link to this

What do you mean that it is just the universities. For once I agree with Jim Wooten that there is an alphabet soup of folks whose job is to lobby the legislature for “the school Boards”, “the Superintendents” “the teachers” etc. In Dekalb every year a legislative agenda is adopted by the board and two lobbiests are hired “part time” for the session for $70K+ of taxpayer monies. This in addition to a highly placed staff position in “governmental relations”.

I would feel better about this if I felt that the agenda adopted was actually about improving kid’s education and fighting for $$ for that rather than roads or to line developers pockets, but often the real energies are toward protecting the status quo.

By Jeff

August 1, 2007 11:41 AM | Link to this

thomas:

Schools ALREADY lobby - the right way. Through PAGE/MACE/GAE/PTA/PTO/GCTM and the rest of the alphabet soup representing any possible educator in the state. (GCTM is the Georgia Council for Teachers of Mathematics. There are others representing every discipline, and even more for Athletics (GHSA anyone?), varying levels of Administration (I know Principals and Superintendents have their own, I would not be surprised if Asst Principals and Asst Superintendents didn’t have their own), Counselors, etc.

To my knowledge, NONE of this “alphabet soup” is funded by tax money. They are EACH funded by member dues/ fees/ etc.

By SET

August 1, 2007 12:14 PM | Link to this

Spending money on Lobbying is no different than spending money on a dentist. No one’s property is safe while the legislature is in session - another reason to cut them back to part time sessions.

Lobbyists can keep an organization from being cut off by the ambitions of a rival organization also. There is such a thing as defensive Lobbying.

Besides, they are usually all lawyers, and we lawyers need love also.

Those that “save” on lawyers come to regret it.

By Tony

August 1, 2007 12:45 PM | Link to this

Demonizing the schools who use donations to protect the educational interests of this state is an inappropriate way to confront this problem. Things like this would not be up “for sale” if the legislators didn’t put them there.

If there is an educational crisis, as many listers assert here daily, it is due to the ridiculous infringements of liberty imposed by politicians who make the laws and judges who broadly interpret them. If it is my job to use resources effectively to provide the best education possible for all children and I didn’t lobby those who vote to take away the resources, I would not be fulfilling my job.

SET is absolutely correct when she says noone’s property is safe when the legilature is in session. It really is unfortunate that the handling of our state’s business has deteriorated to this point. Defensive lobbying is important as is proactive lobbying to make good things happen for our children’s future.

So, let’s point the finger where it belongs: squarely on politicians! Schools should not be for sale to the highest bidder (special interest group).

By Tony

August 1, 2007 12:56 PM | Link to this

Correction to first sentence in my post: is NOT an appropriate….

By SET

August 1, 2007 2:37 PM | Link to this

Tony: I’m not a she…

By Hiding

August 1, 2007 3:03 PM | Link to this

This is the link to Dekalb’s eboard where they approved $82K of taxpayer monies to lobbiests last fall. This is done every year. You can see the link to what these folks are expected to do for the monies. p.s. I’m not saying Dekalb is worse than any of the other systems here, but I will say that there is a group called the “gold dome gang”

http://www.gsbaeboard.org/cgi-bin/WebObjects/eAgendaDekalb.woa/wo/45.0.7.1.3.0.0.7.2.0.40.6.0.19.3.5.1.1.5.1.1.0.0.3.1

By Tony

August 1, 2007 3:32 PM | Link to this

SET - Please accept my apologies!

By Bob

August 1, 2007 3:42 PM | Link to this

The schools need to do this as long as others do. You won’t stop the Georgia Association of Educators, road builders, cities, counties,etc who have vested interests from pushing their needs. Good lobbyists often provide law makers with importand information on many subjects.

By thomas

August 1, 2007 6:33 PM | Link to this

The “alphabet soup” people mention here like GCTM (which I am a member), GSTA, GCSS, and even PAGE do NOT lobby. There are professional, content organizations for reading teachers, math teachers, science teachers, etc. They may publish an occasional, quarterly newsletter and have an annual conference. But they do not lobby the state or local governments.

I include PAGE in that group because they DO NOT DO ANYTHING FOR THE TEACHERS IN THE TRENCHES. NOTHING! NOTHING! NOTHING! THEY ARE IN BUSINESS TO SERVE THE INTERESTS OF SCHOOL SYSTEMS AND THE ESTABLISHMENT. Besides when was the last time you heard of PAGE lobbying? What have they “lobbied” for? I wouldn’t join PAGE for all the tea in China. It is a waste of a person’s money. Countless educators have gone down as a member of PAGE. PAGE gave these people lip service, babble, and made excuses while these people went down, in many cases, through no fault of their own. (For those you do not know, in this little world of ours, principals, APs, county office personnel, and other assorted peons pick on people on occasion. People get and lost jobs based on who is liked and not liked.) PAGE lets thousands of teachers down EVERYDAY. PAGE is for dummies.

Although GAE “lobbies” the state, they do only a little themselves. MACE is the only organization I know of that stands behind the little guy. AND THEY, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, DO NOT LOBBY THE STATE LEGISLATURE.