Nick Jimenez

Sunday, April 23, 2000

Does the city need paid lobbyists?

For Norm Gardiner, lobbyists are a pet peeve. Gardiner is a regular correspondent. He wants to know what the city lobbyists are doing for their money.
   "Your readers are looking for you to list the accomplishments of the city lobbyists that have benefited the taxpayers of Corpus Christi during the last two years," he wrote in his latest missive.
   He thinks we don't need lobbyists.
   "The city needs a lot of things and from the lack of information about these lobbyists, I can't believe we should continue them on our payroll."
   No one likes lobbyists. The image of the unctuous, shiny-suited, Gucci-wearing lobbyist wining and dining politicians doesn't mesh with "Mr. Smith Goes to Austin."
   But when the city hired lobbyists two years ago, the argument was that they were vitally needed. So the city has paid the three Austin lobbyists $229,548 for the last two years.
   In July, that contract expires. This week staff budget discussions will take up the question of the lobbyists. In a tight budget that can't afford to complete city parks on time, do we have money for lobbyists?
   I put the question to Todd Hunter, former state representative and one of three lobbyists under contract to the City of Corpus Christi: What do you do for our money?
   There is a value, Hunter said, in having a former legislator, himself, who was the author of landmark legislation on windstorm insurance and tort reform, and Hugo Berlanga, who served 21 years in the House.
   "The thing Hugo and I have an advantage in is that we're former members and we were former chairmen. When you are in the halls of the capitol, people will alert you to information." In short, Hunter says, they know the ropes.
   "Giving information, being recognized as somebody who can get information to our community is a big portion of the lobby," Hunter said.
   But Hunter and Berlanga and Cliff Johnson, the third member of the team, do not represent Corpus Christi by themselves. We also have State Sen. Carlos Truan, and Reps. Gene Seaman, Vilma Luna and Jaime Capelo. In addition, Assistant City Manager Tom Utter was in Austin during the last legislative session. Doesn't that seem like a lot of lobbyists?
   All the better, Hunter said. "You get a double bang for the buck."
   Asked to name one instance where his expertise played a crucial role, Hunter targeted his influence in keeping legislative language that would have prevented the city from any access or development in industrial zones. Then there is his expertise in insurance matters.
   "This is an example where I am constantly being contacted to get Corpus Christi input when anybody is talking a rate hearing."
   One would say, yes, these ex legislators bring a lot of knowledge on the issues. But didn't they get that knowledge on the taxpayers' dollar and on the strength of the voters who kept re-electing them, hoping to benefit from their experience? Now we're getting the advantage of that knowledge at a much tonier price. And it's worth it, Hunter said.
   "What I can provide is a lot of quick technical skills on specific issues that might take somebody a lot longer and cost a lot more to develop. Not everybody can spend 100 percent of their time on specific issues when you have something like 7,000 bills filed."
   Of course, Corpus Christi is not alone in having lobbyists. "Austin has a slew of lobbyists. Houston has a slew of lobbyists," Hunter said.
   It's like the atom bomb. You've got to have one because the other guy has one.
   "The city needs to do exactly what they did and that is hire lobbyists because you need lobbyists to help your legislative team get things done," Hunter said.
   So there you have it, Mr. Gardiner: your tax dollars at work.
  

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