Good read from Matthew Tully on lobbyists at the statehouse

[AngryOldDem]

http://www.indystar.com/article/20130322/NEWS08/303220034/Matthew-Tully-Conflicts-interest-rampant-Indiana-Statehouse

Rather lengthy, but a synopsis:

<<Conflicts of interest are as routine in the General Assembly as partisan spats, and the atmosphere of coziness between lawmakers and special interests is both deeply entrenched and widely accepted. Some call conflicts of interest business as usual, but this much is clear: the heavy influence exerted by well-connected lobbyists and industries makes it nearly impossible for average citizens, or those with fewer connections and less clout, to compete for attention when the laws that shape Indiana are written.>>

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Perhaps this is nothing new, but it explains at lot, I think.