A newspaper report this week revealed that Auburn University and the University of Alabama pay nearly $1 million combined per year to a powerful Montgomery lobby firm, which works to influence major decisions made in the Alabama Legislature.
A million bucks paid to twist arms of elected officials?
A million bucks, some coming from private donations, paid in the midst of economic struggles and massive construction projects? Apparently.
Unfortunately, that’s the way government business is done.
Major universities use these lobbyists to help influence major decisions such as the education bill, where pre-K and higher education fight for government dollars.
It’s widely thought that the influence helped create a conflict within the State Senate earlier this month, nearly killing the education bill altogether.
These lobbyists are getting paid with public money.
But major universities do not necessarily have the time to send their own employees to Montgomery and fight for their needs. That’s why lobbyists are hired.
It would be better if their representatives in the House and Senate did the lobbying, free of charge. Isn’t that why we have representation — elected leaders — in the government?
Funny how major corporations and institutions have powerful lobbyists, while regular Joes — general constituents — must cross their fingers and hope the men and women they send to Montgomery vote for their best interests.
For the universities, hiring lobbyists is an investment in their best interest and it’s one they cannot neglect to make.
Paying a million bucks for a lobbyist to twist arms in the Legislature is not unusual and should bear positive fruit. At least that’s the idea.
Too bad this is what it takes to get the job done these days, especially the job of funding higher education in Alabama.
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