Lobbyist Comic Relief

There is something kind of humorous about a lobbyist threatening a lawsuit because he is treated more like everyone else:

Under rules that go into effect Nov. 1, lobbyists will no longer enjoy unfettered access to the State House and General Assembly office buildings.

Instead, they will be forced to go through metal detectors each time they want to enter a building. Lobbyists are objecting to that rule and are equally upset that the only privilege they will have is permission to go to the head of visitor lines, which often stretch outside the buildings during the busy legislative session.

‘‘This proposal is discriminatory, absurd and it will profoundly impede and disrupt a lobbyist’s day-to-day functioning on behalf of their clients,” said Bruce C. Bereano, a lobbyist in Annapolis who is contemplating legal action. ‘‘If people would be fair and not have a petty, disdainful view of lobbyists, they would see that this is hugely discriminatory.”

Part of the reason that people have a petty, disdainful view of lobbyists is that fact that many of them do, in fact, believe they deserve special treatment for the service that they provide. Lobbyists exist, and they do play a function in our governmental system. But this kind of, for lack of a better term, whining makes all lobbyists and advocates look worse.