Elizabeth Warren's new remedy for US corruption: A tax on lobbying

It's really sad that it's a necessary evil to need lobbyists if you want to get something done in DC. A few years back my company was trying to get a grant from the military that came from congress. Our TPOC suggested we meet with our local congressman to get him to support it. After an unsuccessful meeting with the congressman at his local office, we were recommended to hire a lobbyist. After paying thousands for the lobbyist, we ended up still not getting the contract. The lobbyist knew nothing of our technology or what the final goal was, but he supposedly knew which wheels to grease over in DC and if we paid him even more money, he was sure he could get us the contract. We ended up postponing that program a few years until we were able to get funding from a different source. Since then, we've received millions in funding because it's a highly desirable technology. When we mentioned the funding problems we had in the past to our new TPOC, he shook his head and mentioned that those old programs were all about who you know and who's pockets would get lined from the contracts.

Our government has become pay to play and unless you have millions of dollars or get the right media attention, your cause is likely DOA. Anything that makes it harder for the rich to control it is a plus in my book.

I think it would be interesting to see the response to this plan vs. Bernie's "tax based on CEO pay vs. average pay inequality" plan. As I recall, a lot of people had issues with this kind of "morality-deciding" legislation, as well as "purpose-built" legislation based on actions that could possibly be gamed by organizations.