In The News

Series probes transportation lobbying

The Center for Public Integrity today, Sept. 17, launched the second part of an ongoing investigation into the reality behind the numerous threads of influence currently shaping what will be the next federal highway bill. Headed “The Transportation Lobby,” the series will contain several components developing over the next months, including a crowd-sourcing element that will utilize individual citizens to obtain information about special projects being lobbied for in localities around the country.

An interactive Google map became available today at www.publicintegrity.org/investigations : click on “The Transportation Lobby.”

“On the map we have plotted 3,500 lobbying events,” said Erik Lincoln, web developer for the Center. “You can zoom in and see what sort of lobbying on transportation is going on in your area … what and whom they’re lobbying for. The map shows who the client is, who the lobbyist for the client is – the amount they paid the lobbyist to lobby in the [first or second quarter of this year].”

By enabling connection to the Center through Facebook and/or Twitter, Lincoln added, they’re “asking you to help us, to report back to us, so that we can input info into a national database” to provide tools to citizens and watchdog groups to examine the national policy on transportation.

“The Center’s report focuses on a broken system that is based on sky-high spending on pork-laden projects,” said Center Executive Director Bill Buzenberg.

Though the current highway reauthorization discussion on Capitol Hill and in Washington, D.C., has become one of how long to delay a new bill, the bill currently being considered in the House, noted investigative reporter and project leader Matt Lewis, nearly doubles the spending amounts in the famously earmarked SAFETEA-LU, the last reauthorization.

In addition to reporting on the policy issues involved and the interactive map, the series breaks down “the interest groups lobbying,” Lewis said, including trucking and rail interests, ports and shippers, universities, local and state governments, and more, in several different areas, from industry to amount spent. “In subsequent installments, we’ll include profiles of the top legislators and the top lobbyists.”

Check here for more.

www.eTrucker.com