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Google, Apple, Amazon Hit Record Lobbying Highs (axios.com)

Posted by msmash on from the pleasing-government dept.

An anonymous reader shares a report: The last three months brought record-high lobbying spending from four major tech companies: Google spent $5.93 million, Apple spent $2.2 million, Amazon spent $3.21 million, Uber spent $430,000. Facebook spent $2.38 million this quarter, up from the same period last year but far from a record. Microsoft's bill for the quarter was just over $2 million.

4 of 84 comments (clear)

  1. legalized bribery? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    legalized bribery?

    1. Re:legalized bribery? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's more like a barometer of the health of the country.
      The more money is spent on lobbying, the more ROI the industry believes that it can get for that money (secure lucrative contracts, pass anti-competitive laws, acquire land rights, and curtail competition, etc).
      Thus the amount of money for lobbying is directly related to how much power the government exerts over its serfs - er... I mean... over the free people of the lone bastion of freedom who select from among their neighbors to act as their representatives to serve as their duly elected public servants.

      While the government is capable of granting as many favors as it is, the money will continue to pour in trying to shape those decisions, no matter how many sham campaign finance reform laws the politicians pass.

  2. Why not just call it what it really is? by bogaboga · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The last three months brought record-high lobbying spending from four major tech companies: Google spent $5.93 million, Apple spent $2.2 million, Amazon spent $3.21 million, Uber spent $430,000. Facebook spent $2.38 million this quarter, up from the same period last year but far from a record. Microsoft's bill for the quarter was just over $2 million.

    Just call it corruption. You know why?

    It's because if any company did the same thing in the so called "3rd world", this same activity would be termed as "corruption" as part of "buying off politicians."

    Sad.

  3. Re:SCOTUS said it is legal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Tell me about it. In Sweden, if you are a politician and rent an apartment to a price questionably low, congratulations, you're being investigated for bribery and you're in the national news.

    If you served in the government and someone buys you dinner, you better decline or you're up for a bribe charge and end up in the national news.

    Turns out the key to efficient governing is making sure the government isn't schizophrenic (no corruption or conflicts of interest).