Shockingly Unshocking: Two Congressional Staffers Who Helped Write SOPA/PIPA Become Entertainment Industry Lobbyists
from the revolving-door dept
Two high level Congressional staffers who have been instrumental in creating or moving forward both PROTECT IP (PIPA) and SOPA have left their jobs on Capitol Hill and taken jobs with two of the biggest entertainment industry lobbyists, who are working very hard to convince Congress to pass the legislation they just helped write. And people wonder why the American public looks on DC as being corrupt.Allison Halataei, former deputy chief of staff and parliamentarian to House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas), and Lauren Pastarnack, a Republican who has served as a senior aide on the Senate Judiciary Committee, worked on online piracy bills that would push Internet companies like Google, Yahoo and Facebook to shut down websites that offer illegal copies of blockbuster films and chart-topping songs.Pastarnack went to the MPAA where she'll be "director of government relations" and Halataei to the NMPA (music publishers and songwriters) where she'll be "chief liaison to Capitol Hill." The Politico article linked above notes that this kind of "revolving door" is all too common. It may not be directly corrupt, but to the public it sure feels corrupt. It certainly gives off the appearance of "hey, write us the insane bill that we want, and then we'll reward you with a super cushy high paying job." At the very least, it should raise significant questions about whether or not these two bills were written with the public's interest in mind (I know, I know, don't laugh....) or their future employers'. Technically, neither of them can directly lobby the specific committees where they worked, but they can certainly assist in the process.
�They can provide invaluable insight to people on the outside � even in the consultation mode,� one tech industry lobbyist said, noting that Halataei had been Smith�s secondhand person and knows how the Texas Republican thinks and what would be an effective lobbying strategy.Also, as the Politico article notes, a year from now, you can bet there will still be fights about either this or similar legislation. American politics is a disaster.
Additionally, the Senate and House panels work closely together, and both Halataei and Pastarnack have ties to staffers in the chambers they didn�t serve in and aren�t banned from lobbying.
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Filed Under: allison halataei, congress, copyright, corruption, laren pastarnack, lobbyists, pipa, protect ip, revolving door, sopa
Companies: mpaa, nmpa
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Supplemental data
He also goes into the vague language problems that occur and how it's used effectively to do exactly what lobbyists want.
Remember Mitch Glazier's disingenuous statements? Right out of the playbook.
Now as I've done some research into this, more people> are recognizing the need to team up against this corporate corruption.
So the fact remains that people see the corruption and doing something about it. This is why the protests against political corruption has become so prevalent in the US.
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Re: Supplemental data
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No conflict here folks.
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Every time I read a story of more BS in Washington I get very very angry.
I AM SICK OF THIS !
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"what would be an effective lobbying strategy"
'Well, he likes truckloads of cash, but just to be safe I think we should go with boatloads of cash this time.'
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Re: "what would be an effective lobbying strategy"
*stuff stuff*
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Code Monkey's Fix
If you've ever worked as a lobbyist, you may never work for the government.
If you've ever worked for the government, you may never work as/for/near/with a lobbying firm/agent/agency/et al.
Just a thought...
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Re: Code Monkey's Fix
There's just no room in this process to allow politicians to become "historians, advisors, lobbyists, liasons, relations officers, etc".
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Re: Re: Code Monkey's Fix
It would in fact to be wrong not to mention impossible to nail down the position with interfering with people's inalienable rights.
What needs to be banned are donations to politicians.
If there is no money in it, there will be far less potential for corruption.
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Re: Code Monkey's Fix
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So the only time the government would care about not crapping on the 1st amendment is when they need it to ensure their right to screw us for pay?
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Re: Re: Code Monkey's Fix
For *individual citizens* - there is no guaranteee for corporations or organizations or any rights, in the constitution in any event.
Problem now is the 'voice' of a corporation, lobby, or organization is heard far above that of any individual, which is contrary to the concept of the Constitution.
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Re: Re: Code Monkey's Fix
If someone wants to express their opinion, they are free to do so. Don't confuse that with wanting to get paid for it. Money is not your life-blood, nor is it the life-blood of any country.
So lobbyists should not have a right to access to government. At all. Corporations are not people, and do not deserve better access to government than individuals. That is putting money ahead of citizenship. That old meme of "make it easy for the rich, and they will create jobs" that has been in effect since Reagan came on the scene should be pretty well tattered, discredited and retired by now, don't you think? At least it should be if you look at the results. I remember when there were manufacturing plants all over America.
The interesting (and debatable) question that comes up is "What do you do with people who are rich enough to do this "for free"? What about corporate CEOs who just want to talk to "their" Senator or Representative? Perhaps they shouldn't be allowed to talk about "their" company or its interests?
Money has gotten so entrenched in the last 40 years (and there was a battle going on long before that) that it will take a very painful effort to change things.
The question is: Are Americans willing to put aside their self-interest enough to make this nation work again? The last time that this was really expressed forcefully was when John F. Kennedy (with all his faults) told us "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country!" is this too old-fashioned and uncool to work today? Would Steve Jobs endorse it? Or Bill Gates or Larry Ellison? Or investment bankers or Insurance company CEOs?
It's time for a change. I am embarrassed that my generation (Baby Boomers) was on watch when this happened.
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Re: Code Monkey's Fix
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http://www.legistorm.com/person/Allison_Elizabeth_Beach_Halataei/36180.html
http://www.legis torm.com/person/Lauren_Ann_Pastarnack/21903.html
Wonder how much they get paid now in helping to sell out America?
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Re: Re: Re: Code Monkey's Fix
http://www.legistorm.com/person/Allison_Elizabeth_Beach_Halataei/36180.html
http://www.legis torm.com/person/Lauren_Ann_Pastarnack/21903.html
Wonder how much they get paid now in helping to sell out America?
Sounds like someone is feeling a bit inadequate over his assistant manager job at Radio Shack.
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Re: Code Monkey's Fix
This already exists. It is 18 USC 203, which prohibits government employees from using their employment to benefit themselves. It is what keeps rank-and-file employees from doing this. Most employees have to wait 18-months or 2-years before they can go to work for the companies they are involved in at the government, and prohibits them from going to work on projects that they worked on while they were employees. The problem, as always, is that the rule of law exists but it isn't enforced.
Government employees have to attend yearly training on "Ethics" which this is a part of. However, I don't believe congressional staffers are required to take the training or abide by the rules (not sure why -- but since Congress makes the rules, they tend to opt-out of most of them.)
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Well, certainly everyone in government outside of Congressional Staffers and cabinet positions.
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Legal lobbying give massive advantages to the wealthy and to established groups.
Without lobbyists and corporate donations, the main driving force behind political decisions will be voter opinion. While the voting majority might not always want what�s best for them, at least they could get what they want.
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S.O.S
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I remember querying hundred of people about the Presidential candidates in the 2004 election. About 80% could only name the "big 2", most of the rest could only name Ralph Nader, and about 90% of the ones who could name an alternate candidate had no idea what their platform was, just their name.
Hell, when Bendarik and Cobb were arrested in St. Louis (for attempting to enter a "non-partisan" debate that was really only a bi-partisan debate), I saw next to no news coverage of the event, and a very small percentage of people I knew were even aware of the event.
Simply because most of the main news outlets supported one of the big 2, and none of them wanted to give any opportunity for alternates to even get their name out there.
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The same aide?
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Uhmmm
No shit... and you can probably include Canada in that too, since where America goes, Canada gets led by the nose... for better OR WORSE
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unfortunately, politics is a disaster in many more countries than just the US. the difference is that most of those other countries dont promote democracy, condemn regimes for being dictatorships and shutting down free speech whilst doing the opposite!
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The key to China's economic success
They execute people in front of their family and neighbors for maximum social impact.
That plastic in the milk guy? Executed in front of his family.
China had a bank failure. They executed the CEO. They haven't had any more.
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Re: The key to China's economic success
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america, past its prime
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Re: america, past its prime
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Guy Fawkes
The ancient Israelites never tried to integrate those they conquered into their own values and customs simply because it is not possible. The result would only be dilution of any upright values they had. So they literally totally wiped them out, so that their corrupt culture and history is all but forgotten. Right or wrong that was their wisdom and rationale.
So how are you going to stop the corruption in Washington? How are you going to stop the Bankster and Wall Street corruption? With peaceful "occupations" and "sit-ins"? Was there any wisdom at all in the Founding Fathers guaranteeing the right to bear arms against injustice and tyranny?
At least in the "Arab Spring" they may not know what they want, but they know they don't want what they have.
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Corruption
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Encourage her to not let the revolving door hit her in the ass on her way out.
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Bwahahah
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