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January 3, 2007
It Isn't Always Nice to Be Noticed
The Center for Public Integrity has published yet another must-read article on the many ways lobbyists and legislators are (all too) connected. This time, they're specifically looking at state legislators' family members who happen to actively lobby said legislatures.
It is no surprise, but after leading off with the Creekmore story from next door* in Arkansas, the article then quotes Tennessee Center for Policy Research president Drew Johnson on our own most famous legislator-lobbyist connection: that of House of Representatives Speaker James Naifeh and his spouse, super-lobbyist Betty Anderson. Great. Out of fifty states, we get mentioned twice, the first time being right near the top of the story.
It's only fair to point out that the Naifeh-Anderson family is picked on far more than any other such arrangement in Nashville, perhaps because, often, those pointing out these conflicts of interest are of a Conservative/Republican persuasion, and Naifeh and (presumably) Anderson happen to be Democrats.
And it's also fair to give this story some added weight, simply because of the way Speaker Naifeh happens to run the House's agenda. It's an important story precisely because of his power, which in turn heightens the interest over which there is conflict.
But, as was recently pointed out on the Double-V, Tennessee politics is much less ideological than many would assume. To me, Tennessee politics bears an uncomfortable similarity to the caricature depicted in My Cousin Vinny's Mississippi.
That said, I have never once heard, say, Hamilton County Democratic Party chair Stuart James speak out about conflicts of interest -- whether legislator-lobbyist, legislator-commission member (hello, JoAnne Favors and Karen Lee), or any other. Except, of course, when it involved Republicans (Mike Walden and John Cupp). I usually read about such things from folks like Bill Hobbs, Terry Frank, or the aforementioned Drew Johnson. (Note: I am aware that Johnson's organization is nominally non-partisan.)
As an Independent, I humbly ask all officials to denounce conflicts of interest, regardless of which "side" they're on -- especially since the "sides" don't even usually count the same way, when it comes right down to it. And I am counting on the new Ethics Commission to help guide us away from such blatant subversions of due representation.
*It's strange, over here next to GA and NC, to consider AR as "next door," but had I gone through with plans to attend law school in Memphis a few years back, I'm sure I'd be more comfortable with the concept.
[This column, edited, appears in the January 3, 2007 Pulse.]
Government , Pulsations | By joe lance | 7:47 AM
