Enforcement of Lobbying Law

Consumers Union has been battling numerous industry lobbyists in our effort to continue consumer protections for students of the state’s trade schools. In the course of that work, we discovered that laws governing the lobbying practices of former gubernatorial aides were being blurred beyond recognition. We blew the whistle in the case of former Gov. Pete Wilson staffer Kevin Sloat, whose firm began lobbying the governor’s office to weaken trade school consumer protections less than six months after Sloat left his position with the governor.

According to “ ‘Revolving Door’ Law Impact Questioned” (June 22), the governor’s spokesmen have characterized our actions as a major effort to discredit Sloat and “not a sincere attempt to monitor the revolving door law.” We are not targeting any individual lobbyist. We are targeting practices that are contrary to the state’s laws and the intention of the state’s voters, who want cleaner, less cozy relationships between lobbyists and the governor and his staff. The Fair Political Practices Commission should be monitoring the revolving door law. But that’s part of the problem (“Fair Politics Panel: A Fox May Be Guarding Hen House,” editorial, June 25).

HARRY M. SNYDER

Senior Advocate

West Coast Regional Office

Consumers Union, San Francisco