Lobbyists

[Joe Refinski <jfinsk@bellatlantic.net>]

Lobbyists have become an institution-the way to do the real business of governing. And  they work both sides of the aisle, whether they are individuals or PAC's. They serve as information suppliers to congressman and senators who in turn write the bills that may become laws. However, there is definitely a gap bwtween the high powered and the committee that can not afford the time and research assistants to scower all of the committee chairpeople.

	Two thoughts: 1) Public disclosure of all lobbyists, organizations, schedule of meetings, targeted congressman and senators, available on CSPAN with federal funds available to any issue group that receives 5% recognition ( with a vehicle to be determined later, similar to election laws for third parties). 2) Continuing education on the philosophy and workings of government. 

Of course, making election day a national holiday, creating one national window of voting time, using the same voting machines in every distirct nationwide, feeding all of the tallies to one center in each state then on to DC, and holding ALL tallies until the window closes, might bring everything under greater scrutiny.