Perhaps it’s the stigma of the lobbyist industry that has city administrators cool to retaining a firm to do its bidding in Washington, D.C.
The influence of “dirty” money on politicians is a familiar Washington scandal. And it’s always the joke that a member of Congress is just biding time to become a lobbyist.
Virginia’s former Rep. Eric Cantor licked his wounds from his surprise defeat in the summer of 2014 by taking a position with the investment firm Moelis & Co.
As a former member of the House Financial Services Committee, Cantor’s inside knowledge was deemed especially valuable. Cantor now is reportedly making $3.4 million a year to wheel and deal members of Congress in favor of the banking industry.
Though sweet for Cantor, such transitions leave a bad taste in the public’s mouth.
And disturbing as such events may be, lobbyists serve a purpose.
Such is the case with Van Scoyoc Associates, the lobbying firm in Iola’s employ.
The city first hired the D.C. firm in November 2007 after that summer’s epic flood. If you remember, floodwaters inundated Riverside Park and its public holdings as well as the city’s water plant and sewer treatment system.
Because of Van Scoyoc, the city garnered $1.5 million in federal funds to help rehabilitate the municipal pool, the city’s sewer and water systems and make repairs to Iola Public Library.
“The money was there, but we didn’t know how to ask for it,” Judy Brigham, city administrator at the time, was quoted as saying.
The upside to lobbyists is that they focus their efforts on single issues. Therefore, their expertise and contacts are superior to those outside the loop.
Lobbyists help a small town like Iola distinguish itself from all others.
“Iola is as well-represented as any small community in Kansas,” said Jeffery Trinca, vice president of Van Scoyoc, in a 2011 visit.
Perhaps the firm sold federal officials on the need to preserve the uniqueness of the park’s Art Deco buildings. The outside perspective of lobbyists is valuable because they view a project not only from a marketing perspective but also from that of a politician and how it would benefit his district or state.
Iola pays Van Scoyoc $45,000 a year for its services, down from $60,000 as of two years ago.
City Administrator Carl Slaugh contends this as a “waste of money,” because Congress officially eliminated earmarks in 2010.
Though legislators may say pet projects are a thing of the past, they still bring home the bacon. Just look at Sen. Jerry Moran’s recent success in landing the $404 million facility to Manhattan to study animal disease outbreaks.
Slaugh also maintains it’s unusual for a town the size of Iola to have a lobbyist and that with being asked to continually cut spending, this is a luxury he views as expendable.
Before cutting the strings, perhaps a community-wide effort should be made to see how we can better use Van Sloyoc’s services.
As taxpayers, we’re all paying for Van Sloyoc’s expertise, so if the city can’t think of how to use its services, maybe others can.
The only way this relationship is a waste, is if we don’t use them.
— Susan Lynn
Lobbyists help put Iola on the map
