by David Safier
I got a gift in the mail from the Capitol Times, a 50 page pamphlet listing every registered Arizona lobbyist. The page below is the first of 29. At about 12-15 names per page, that comes to anywhere from 350 to 440 lobbyists swarming the Capitol, paid to smile, explain, cajole, check back and check back again to make sure legislation is written with their employers' interests in mind. Of course, that number includes lobbyists for public agencies — cities, counties, colleges, and so on — as well as private entities.
Our 30 states senators and 60 reps are outnumbered 4 to 1.