Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Joe Hune Near Top of the List in Taking Lobbyist Meals

One thing is for sure. Republican Joe Hune isn't going hungry in Lansing doing his job as state senator.

The Detroit Free Press reports that Hune is third on the list of lawmakers taking free meals from lobbyists. The $1,903 in free meals puts him behind only Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville ($2,985) and Rep. Frank Foster ($2,814), both Republicans. Seven of the top ten free eaters were Republicans and three were Democrats.

You can bet those meals weren't paid for by local TEA Party members. I wonder how they feel knowing their guy Hune is sitting down for one free meal after another while a lobbyist for corporate interests bends his ear about how to vote on bills before the Legislature. It's not that the meals buy the vote of Hune or any other lawmaker. It's that the meals give those lobbyists special access to lawmakers that the average voter doesn't have.

According to the Free Press, the biggest spenders on free meals for lawmakers were multi-client lobbyist firms. No labor union was in the top five in free food buyers.

Hune makes enough on his legislative salary to split the tab at these meals.

1 comment:

Communications guru said...

He is always near the top of that list. A few years ago when he was in the House, only Chris Ward stopped him from being at the top of the list.