Pombo goes through the revolving door

Planning to work for firm that had lobbied him 4

What's the sleaziest possible way former Rep. Dick Pombo (R-Calif.) could cap his career as a corporate bootlicker in the U.S. Congress? If you guessed "working for the same shills he worked for in Congress, only officially," well, you may be on to something! Details below.

pomboBack in March, Paul D. Thacker wrote a piece called "Hidden Ties" about the web of connections between legislators pushing to degrade environmental laws and the big industries that stood to benefit. Follow the slime trail with me:

To counter possible negative opinion and shape a message that is palatable to political moderates, Pombo and other [Endangered Species Act] reformers have drawn on a new form of grassroots environmentalism that sides with corporate causes. One example is the Save Our Species Alliance (SOSA), which has become a prominent voice in convincing voters that change to ESA is needed. ... SOSA's campaign director is Tim Wigley [MS Word], who is also the executive director of Pac/West Communications, a public-relations (PR) firm with offices in Oregon, Alaska, and Washington, DC.

Then:

Wigley and Pac/West are no strangers to environmental reform movements. Several years ago, Wigley led Project Protect, which helped pass the Healthy Forests legislation by lobbying Congress and running advertisements and opinion pieces to influence the public in timber-rich states.

Then:

In November 2004, Pombo recognized Wigley's work with Project Protect by sending a letter [117KB PDF] to the Forest Resources Assoc. recommending Wigley for an award. "Tim's efforts in leading the grassroots campaign 'Project Protect' without question helped position the Healthy Forests Restoration Act for successful passage in the U.S. Congress," Pombo wrote. Wigley received the award and a cash prize from the association a few months later.

In August 2005, Pac/West returned the favor by hosting a fund-raiser [1.2MB PDF] for Pombo in Wilsonville, Ore., where the firm is headquartered. Around this time, the Pac/West CEO Paul Phillips, a former Oregon state senator, donated $1000 to Pombo's campaign. Members listed on IRS documents as directors for Project Protect donated an additional $3000.

Now, for the grand finale! From a piece today in Roll Call (sub. rqd.):

The former House Resources chairman [Pombo] is in talks with Pac/West Communications, an Oregon-based PR and lobbying firm that has a roster of timber and energy clients.

"We're in discussions, and we're excited about it, but we're continuing our discussions," Pac/West president Paul Phillips said. "He's an immense talent, and it would be a great addition."

The firm already has inked a deal with Pombo's former staff director, Steve Ding, to open a California office in the state capital of Sacramento. Phillips said that Ding would be working on "national issues relevant to his experience" and helping the firm conduct "integrated communications campaigns." He said the clients would be from the natural resources sector, but he declined to name them.

Is it still a revolving door if they're basically working in the same building?

David Roberts is staff writer for Grist. You can follow his Twitter feed at twitter.com/drgrist.

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  1. josullivan58 Posted 11:58 am
    22 Jan 2007

    New measures neededSome member of congress should sneak a rider into a bill thats sure to pass that would ban Polombo from politics completely. He could keep his right to vote but he should not be allowed to do anything else.

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  2. Backcut Posted 11:59 am
    22 Jan 2007

    Healthy ForestsI still see people bashing Healthy Forests, probably because it happened during the Bush Administration.
    Could anyone tell me what the problem is with Healthy Forests? Please be specific so I can attempt to explain problems or mitigate your fears about what we're doing in our National Forests. Despite the blathering about it, Healthy Forests has not turned out to be what preservationists have claimed. No massive clearcutting. No rampant high-grading. Actually, not all that much HAS been done under it, other than a modest amount of thinning.

    Scenic pics at http://Lhfotoware.blogspot.com

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  3. d41295 Posted 7:01 am
    23 Jan 2007

    true beliefsIf Pombo truly believes that business interests should supercede environmental concerns, why should he not go to work for organizations that promote these values? What is the difference between his (well-held) beliefs and your (well-held) belief? Why do environmentalists think their values should ride herd over business interests? Almost every one of you reading this benefits by the special interest your business gets, and every one of you chooses to live in a way that is a net negative for the environment. So what right do you have to get all high and holy about anything? The incredible wealth that has been generated by the business community in the United States has benefited every single one of us, and I have yet to see even a single case made that it would have been better if the country had remained environmentally uncompromised. The simple fact is that living is an extractive business, and every one of us does damage to the environment just by being here and living a modern lifestyle. Overall, it seems things have been kept in about as much balance as one could expect, without undue emphasis on the environment.
    So what's really wrong with what Pombo did?

     

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  4. Backcut Posted 7:01 am
    23 Jan 2007

    Hmmmm, no takers?I just saw this article in the Sacramento Bee about the only southern California lumber mill in danger of closing. Of course, some folks would like to see ALL lumber mills close. Healthy Forests was supposed to help with sustainability issues for those lumber mills but, not enough money has been budgeted for essential restoration work.
    Read the article, please. Never mind about the funky print link. That's how it came to me and it seems to be a way around subscribing.
    http://www.sacbee.com/101/v-print/story/111464.html
    I've met the Duysens before and they're nice enough guys but, make no mistake about them. They're businessmen with a monopoly and they still are in danger of going under. The way I see it, they made tons of bucks when they were salvaging the timber from both the San Bernardino and the Sequoia National Forests. Seems that if they can't make as much money as other investments do these days, they'll dismantle the mill and invest it into more conventional ways.

    Scenic pics at http://Lhfotoware.blogspot.com

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