Barstow spends at least $96,000 on lobbyists

9.20.07

Lobbyists advocate for city’s interests beyond Barstow


By JASON SMITH, staff writer

BARSTOW — When a citizen needs help, they call the city. When the city seeks federal or state help, they hire a lobbyist.

The city contracts with lobbyists “to protect and advocate for city interests,” said city spokesman John Rader. The city budgeted $96,000 for lobbyists in 2007 — $36,000 at the state level and $60,000 for efforts in Washington.

Each year city staff compiles a list of projects for which the city seeks federal and state support. The list is considered by the City Council in early January and given to the city’s lobbyists: Nick Medeiros in Sacramento and the law firm of Del Smith in Washington, D.C.

Meetings are then held with Barstow’s federal and state government representatives to put in funding requests and discuss legislation which could affect the city. In addition to the lobbyists, the city pays $9,000 each year in dues to the California League of Cities and California Redevelopment Association, which also lobbies for its members.

According to Patricia Morris, assistant to the city manager, the lobbyists are important advocates for the city’s interests. This year’s priorities include federal funding requests for improving Lenwood Road and the wastewater facility upgrade as well as securing approval for the Los Coyotes/Big Lagoon dual casino project.

“The city hires them because in the real world, you need them,” Morris said.

She said that the lobbyists monitor Washington, D.C., and Sacramento lawmaking bodies for bills that may affect Barstow. Lobbyists help write letters expressing the city’s opinion about the proposed laws and sometimes hand deliver the letters to lawmakers.

“Personal relationships are very influential in the outcomes of events,” Morris said.

She said that over the years, the influence of Barstow’s lobbyists has been instrumental in securing the city’s Enterprise Zone, preventing the closure of the Marine Corps Logistics Base, Barstow, and bringing the Veterans Home of California — Barstow to the city.

The Barstow veterans’ home, built in 1997, was the first facility built in California in over 100 years and many cities were competing it, Morris said. She said Medeiros was instrumental in attending committee hearings in Sacramento and making the case for Barstow.

Medeiros has been the city’s lobbyist in Sacramento for almost two decades. His other clients include the Big Lagoon Rancheria tribe and the city of Glendora, Calif. He did not respond to calls seeking comment for this article.

Some groups are concerned that city and county lobbying efforts are a misuse of public funds. Annie Patnaude, spokeswoman for the non-partisan organization Americans for Prosperity, said her group opposes public entities spending taxpayer dollars to lobby other public entities. She said local government lobbying of the federal government has increased 193 percent from $20.3 million in 1998 to $59.5 million in 2006. According to records from the California Secretary of State, California cities and counties spent over $40 million last year in their lobbying efforts.

One effort that has been problematic for Barstow’s lobbyists is trying to get the Big Lagoon/Los Coyotes casino proposal approved by federal and state authorities. In addition to the city’s lobbying efforts, the casino’s developer BarWest LLC, and the two tribes employ lobbyists to garner legislative support for the project. City spokesman John Rader said that though the city supports the project, private developers pay the city’s expenses when staff goes out to lobby for the casino.

At Monday’s city council meeting, the council approved paying for travel expenses for city Economic Development Manager Ron Rector to meet with state officials about the Big Lagoon/Los Coyotes casino. The trip was under $1,000 and was budgeted under the city manager’s budget for advocacy travel, Rader said.

“Per City Council direction, the city will be seeking reimbursement for the trip from BarWest,” he said.

Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4126 or jason_smith@link.freedom.com