And citizens on the panel said they seldom get a satisfactory airing of their concerns. They struggle for time to leave work for hearings in Phoenix, only to find the hearings rescheduled or their time stolen so a committee chairman can have a staff member lecture to them. Besides, says veteran lobbyist Edward Wren, killing a bill or passing one takes more than a five-minute stint at the podium when a committee hears testimony. Even the League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson, champion of direct citizen involvement, is experimenting with a paid lobbyist during the session now under way in Phoenix. I always lobby a bill ahead of time.
Most lobbyists feel pretty comfortable going into a committee.
But make no mistake. They include what students learn. How much we pay for health insurance. And how our neighborhoods look. Just ask billboard foe Rix.