Lobbying Loopholes

In San Diego, a city recently plagued by corruption scandals, some of the government's biggest influence peddlers aren't even registered as lobbyists, Kelly Thornton of the San Diego Union-Tribune reveals in her story, "A Matter of Influence." By sifting through the appointment calendars of San Diego officials, Thornton uses good investigative techniques to show how lobbyists sidestep the law. Thornton writes: "Lobbying is a sensitive subject in a city where two councilmen were convicted of extortion and authorities are investigating whether conflicts of interest contributed to starving the pension fund while bloating retirement benefits. The one-two punch has crippled city services."
www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/pension/20051016-9999-lz1n16influen.html