Pennsylvania Spent $4 Million in Taxpayer Funded Lobbying

The Tribune Review gives a strong exposé on why taxpayers continue to lose - Pennsylvania state and local governments spent $4 million to lobby the federal and state government for higher spending.  Of course, while federal grants to the state and state grants to local governments make elected officials look like they are "bringing home the bacon," it is the same taxpayer being squeezed by local, state, and federal taxes.

The Trib goes on to examine the relationship between campaign contributions from lobbyists, and who gets lobbying contracts (and whether states and cities should be contracting with outside lobbyists at all).

For more on taxpayer funded lobbying, check out this report from Americans for Prosperity, detailing the massive growth in state and local governments' spending on lobbying the federal government.