According to a press release by ADVAMED (Advanced Medical Technology Association) over $380,000 was spend on lobbying efforts in Q2 alone. You might think this a large amount, yet it pales in comparison to GE who spend $7 million and of all things Pacific Gas and Electric the California-based utility company spent $15 million for all levels, municipal through federal government. Pfizer alone spent $2.25 million in Q2
Sounds like what it is a great deal of money, yet money likely well spent. The Government has chosen to make itself an integral part of private business, hence this is what one gets when that’s the case. Companies are smart and the compete according to the rules provided them, somewhere along the way the rules to lobby have evolved, and here we are. So in some sense, the marketplace is working. There is a market for influencing people who have power they would otherwise have to work to acquire in the private sector, and they need some information only industries can provide.
If this is unsavory, understand that this is learned behavior, and we’ve been doing the teaching.
