The O.C. Watchdog continues to be an interesting source for coming up with figures on local government money trails.

The Orange County Register publication today released a report that county officials in Orange County spent $1.1 million lobbying other officials.



The government-to-government peddling is seen by downloading this PDF.

From the Watchdog:

  • The biggest spender was the Orange County Transportation Authority, spending $336,000.
  • Next up is the County of Orange itself, spending $240,000,
  • The Orange County Water District, $120,000,
  • The Orange County Sanitation District, $110,000,
  • The Municipal Water District of Orange County, $80,000,
  • The Orange County Fire Authority, $60,000,
  • The Orange County Employee Retirement System, $40,000,
  • and the Clerk Recorder, $30,000.

Their collective $1.1 million lobbying bill is just a teeny drop in the proverbial bucket.

When you consider that just about all of OC’s governments – 34 cities, and 28 school districts, and 31 special districts, and four community college districts – employ lobbyists, well, it’s clear we’re talking about millions upon millions of dollars spent just so one branch of government (that’s supposed to be working for We The People) can ask  for something from another branch of government (that’s also supposed to be working for We The People).

Read the entire article here.