VOLUME TWELVE NUMBER 2 Lobbying Reform — Keeping it Legal by Cheryl Baisden When you want something really special for your birthday, it may take more than just a simple request to convince your parents to buy it. You probably start out dropping hints about how great it is, and then casually mention how your friends have it, and how good you’ll be if you get it. If that doesn’t work, maybe you become a little more helpful around the house, or try winning your mom over by complimenting her new haircut. You probably never realized it, but there’s a word for all of the effort you’re putting in — it’s called lobbying. And while you may be lobbying to get that special gift, the practice is most often used in government as a way to influence lawmakers. WINTER2008 “In government, a lobbyist is someone who tries to influence the decisions of elected officials,” explained Todd Sidor, an attorney From ‘Farm to Fork’: and lobbyist for the New Jersey State Bar Association. “Usually they are experts in certain fields, or former government officials with connections HowHow SafeSafe isis OurOur Food?Food? in certain fields, and their job is to by Barbara Sheenhan account for about 20 percent of our (CSREES); and the Department of educate legislators about why a food supply. Health and Human Services (DHHS), certain piece of legislation should or Except for the occasional recall, The remaining 80 percent of which encompasses the Centers for should not be passed. In a way, they Americans basically operate on the our food supply is regulated by Disease Control and Prevention are kind of like salesmen because assumption that our food supply is the Food and Drug Administration (CDC) and the National Institute of their job is to try to sell a certain idea safe. Lately, however, it has been (FDA), which also monitors a Health (NIH), to name just a few. to government leaders.” hard to keep up with the recalls, number of other products such For example, lobbyists who work What are they checking for? with hamburger, spinach and as cosmetics, drugs, animal for the New Jersey teachers’ union To protect American consumers, peanut butter coming under fire. products (see sidebar on page 4) represent the concerns of educators these agencies look at everything So, how safe is our food and who is and medical devices. to lawmakers in Trenton, while from how foods are labeled to how protecting what we eat and drink? Working in conjunction with lobbyists hired by the nation’s food items are distributed and what these agencies is a variety of other automobile manufacturers focus on Who regulates our food? ingredients are contained in imports entities with enough acronyms to topics that relate to their industry in When it comes to food safety from other countries. cover half the Washington, DC. On both the state regulation, our nation’s food supply Part of this process includes alphabet, it seems. and national level, lobbyists represent is essentially broken down into hands-on inspections, which is one They include, for major corporations and industries, two categories. OD & area, some say, where the system — FO D example, the unions and professional associations. The U.S. R and in particular the FDA — is not “Although some people believe it’s U Environmental Department of G measuring up. According to an F Protection wrong for lobbyists to try to Agriculture N D article in The New York Times, most influence officials, there are lobbyists O Agency (EPA); (USDA) keeps I food manufacturers in the United T A representing just about every group, A the Cooperative A D R tabs on the M States are visited by the FDA only T so all sides really are heard, and it S I I N State Research, meat and once every five to 10 years. Checks Education and can help forge compromises on some poultry we eat. Extension Services CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 This is said to Secession:Secession: Not an Option for These United States by Phyllis Raybin Emert military empire, which can’t properly provide for its own people and they believe it is The first time you heard the word “secession” was destroying the 10th Amendment to the U.S. probably while studying the Civil War. As you know Constitution, which states, “the powers, not from your history books, the Southern states wanted delegated to the United States by the Constitution, issues,” said Sidor. “In fact, in some to secede from the Union. What you may not know is nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the cases lobbyists can actually be very that secession by individual states is as old as the U.S. States respectively, or to the people.” helpful to lawmakers because they Constitution itself and is still being debated and According to a University of Vermont poll taken in can educate them about issues they considered today. February 2007, 13 percent of Vermonters are in favor don’t have the time or the knowledge Perhaps the largest secessionist movement of seceding from the United States. The to research themselves.” today is one in Vermont. According to an April Second Vermont Republic (SVR), a non- 2007 Washington Post op-ed piece, Vermont violent citizens’ network and think tank, A part of our history was actually its own republic for 14 years before is the organization driving Vermont’s Lobbyists have been influencing joining the Union in 1791. Written by Ian secessionist movement. According to the decisions of our government Baldwin, publisher of Vermont Commons, a SVR’s website, its members subscribe to leaders since before the colonies newspaper that advocates Vermont’s secession a number of principles including political won independence from the British, from the U. S., and Frank Bryan, a political independence, economic solidarity, equal according to Senator Robert C. Byrd, science professor at the University of Vermont, opportunity and power sharing. Its goal is who researched the history of the the piece claims that during those 14 years to have Vermont’s 230 town meetings vote practice in the 1980s and has given Vermont “issued its own currency, ran its own on the question of the state’s independence numerous presentations on the topic. postal service, developed its own foreign by 2010. Town meeting is a form of local In a speech before the U.S. Senate in relations, grew its own food, made its own government that is mainly practiced in the 1987, Senator Byrd stated that it was roads and paid for its own militia.” Baldwin and New England states. Generally, residents lobbying against British taxes that Bryan write that the United States has become a large, corrupt, and aggressive CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Can Playing Violent Video Games Lead to Violent Teens? by Cheryl Baisden realistic. Today’s popular video them negatively. For some children beaten to death when her games, like the Grand Theft Auto who are angry, violent or agitated, babysitters acted out scenes from When your parents were your series, are a different story. playing these games can be a great the video game Mortal Combat. age, the most popular video game Computer technology has made it release for all of the anger; while According to the Denver Post, the around involved a little yellow circle possible for video games to look for others it can cause them to be girl’s 16-year-old half-sister and named Pac Man, who raced and feel almost real, and critics say more violent.” the sister’s 17-year-old boyfriend through a maze with his mouth the combination of realism and are charged with child abuse A case of murder open, chomping tiny white dots violence can bring out violent resulting in death and could Lawyers for an Alabama and trying to avoid four brightly behavior in frequent players. face up to 48 years in prison teenager who killed two police colored blobs named Blinky, Pinky, In a study published in the if convicted. officers and a dispatcher in 2003, Inky and Clyde. When the blobs April 2000 issue of the American had hoped to use the teen’s Legal limits turned blue, Pac Man could score Psychological Association’s Journal interest in Grand Theft Auto Lawmakers in several states, extra points by gobbling them up of Personality and Social as a defense in including New Jersey, have too, but if he didn’t hightail it out Psychology, researchers his murder trial. considered regulating the of their way when they reverted concluded that repeatedly According to a distribution of violent video games back to their original colors, poor playing violent video games People magazine by making it illegal for store Pac Man would melt into a puddle can increase aggressive article, when he owners to sell or rent them to and lose a life. Once three lives thoughts, feelings and was arrested for anyone under the age of 18. were lost, the game was over. behavior. Further, the the murders, Devin The First Amendment to the U.S. While Pac Man was a lot of fun study reported that Moore told Constitution guarantees freedom to play, nothing about it was playing games like police, “Life is of speech and expression. So, Grand Theft Auto like a video according to Steven Schechter, may be more harmful game; everybody’s a Fairlawn entertainment lawyer, than watching got to die sometime.” video game manufacturers and violence on TV and in The judge in the trial, distributors have a right to develop movies, because the games however, refused to and sell these games to anyone, are interactive with the players allow testimony on the topic.