Op-Ed: How officials use tax dollars in lobbying efforts

Originally published in the PIttsburgh Post-Gazette

Used-car salesmen, members of Congress and telemarketers all rank near the bottom of least-trusted professions. The lowest, however, is lobbyist. For decades, media and good government advocates have railed against the influence of special-interest lobbyists and demanded lobbying reform.

Recently in Pennsylvania, House and Senate leaders rolled out a package of reforms aimed at addressing this mistrust of lobbyists. But reform isn’t just a matter of transparency — Sometimes it’s about eliminating conflicts of interest.