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[118th Congress] of the United States: Spoken For
Posts
So you think if the janitor didnt wax the floor so they entire executive board would fall down the stairs theyre complicit?
Yes, of course I do. But she didn’t work for Uber. Her firm was hired to consult Uber. That doesn’t make them one and the same.
I don't think this is what good-faith discussion looks like.
This isnt a moral distinction we ever draw. Many lobbyists work for lobbying firms not the companies they lobby for. We dont have any problem understanding their moral burden. Dont see why it wiuld be different for a consultant.
Then you misunderstand how partnership works at firms like the consultancy she was part of - partners have ownership stakes.
So given that, why did Uber hire a firm headed by people with ties to a major CA politician (who would become Vice President), including a long term labor activist?
The problem isn't that Uber made the offer - it's that they accepted it.
LA Times, Sept. 12, 2019
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Do not engage the Watermelons.
Because they are two completely different jobs.
A lobbyist is hired to directly influence lawmakers and get a predetermined outcome. They are hired, pointed in a specific direction, and told to achieve a goal.
A consultant is hired to give insight on a situation or to advise on the best way to achieve a goal. They make recommendations but they don’t take action on behalf of the company.
Are you an owner of the firm?
It's your point now. If they'd taken a *lot* of money it'd be "this is a clear conflict of interest and she clearly corrupt," because you don't actually give a shit about Laphonza Butler, it's just another excuse to drag your inane, irrational hatred of any technology company operating after 1995 into yet another thread
You don't understand (I think). If they both lose they both get to stick around in the house, which would be bad.
So, my understanding of Laphonza Butler (D-CA), which is entirely underbaked hot takes because I didn't even know she existed 24 hours ago is:
45 year old black married lesbian mother
Decade + Union organizer and SEIU President
Left the union to be a direct political strategist for Kamala Harris' failed 2020 Presidential campaign. Also spent some percentage of ~50 billable hours working on an account with Uber during those ~2 years at the political strategy firm
Left political strategist firm after the presidential administration post obviously failed to materialize and became head of AirBnB's lobbying department
Left AirBnB after a ~year to run Emily's List
Left Emily's List after ~2 years to become Senator
Am I missing anything else that's currently known?
Yeah, I know that Uber hired her firm as consultants.
Thats the bullet points yeah
Given that I've explicitly said the problem is that her firm accepted the job in the first place, I fail to see how this is addresses that point.
Do you even know what I did for them?
Do not engage the Watermelons.
Y'all have spent 100+ posts arguing about 50 billable hours, and possibly only a fraction thereof?
GO OUTSIDE.
The entire Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) consultancy industry is based on this. There are a lot of fantastic, progressive firms whose primary client base is large corporations - their advice is often ignored (and hidden from the clients' employees by their companies), but they do their damnedest to plant the seed in the minds of corporate leadership that the future health of their companies depends on treating their workers with respect, supporting their personal and professional growth, and compensating them well.
Your viewpoint seems to be that the labor (and DEI) consultant industry is morally complicit with the worst of their clients and should be blamed for those clients' actions, regardless of how progressive the consultants' advice was. I think that kind of purity testing will ensure the doom of progressive political power in this country.
Edited to add: And lest anyone think these consultants are engaged in a fool's errand, I know from personal experience that they do often manage to win incremental victories for their clients' employees. Corporate leaders will frequently implement at least a few of the recommendations made by progressive consultants. Is that good enough? No, and the consultants don't think so, either. But that doesn't mean that trying to push change from within is a complete waste of time, nor should it disqualify those consultants from seeking or holding political office.
Also, given her record, I would bet that Butler tried to be a progressive voice of reason within AirBnB's lobbying arm. These people exist, and I admire them for being willing to go into the dragons' lairs to counter the worst impulses of the corporate overlords. The public almost never recognizes the impact they have (which sometimes amounts to "the company did a bad thing instead of the worst thing") but it's still a meaningful impact.
In an imperfect world, I never treat this type of work history as a negative, unless there's actual evidence that the person in question was pushing for bad policies or was acting as the public face of corporate whitewashing messages.
AIrBnB lobbiest is definitely gonna get the side-eye from me though.
For all anyone knows Uber payed the firm $100K to be told their stance was stupid. (but probably written a lot better).
Hell I'd assume most folks here would cheer at that sort of thing, taking a corp's money to tell them they're being dumb.
but the circular firing squad still has some bullets left!
You can't make me!
So we have another five pages to go, then?
I've been pretty clear about how it's a clear conflict of interest no matter the price, given the opposition of the interests of gig economy firms with organized labor. I just find it telling that you went to "look, it really wasn't that much money Uber paid" as a defense. And I do think that Butler is an acceptable caretaker choice - I'm just not going to pretend that her working with two particularly notorious gig economy companies isn't the black mark it is.
Finally, if you think hating a company that abuses its workers in a number of ways, openly fought actually having to acknowledge their employees as such, built systems designed to evade regulation, and has actively covered up sexual assaults in their vehicles, among other known issues is "irrational"...well, that speaks for itself.
Well. Consulting is not the same as lobbying for one. They are different things and therefore are different.
One does specific work on behalf of and in service to a companies position and one provides information or advice which the company may or may not listen to and does not necessarily conform to the views or interests of the company.
Like. I would take money to advise ford on how to deal with the strikers and I would tell them to acquiesce to their demands because they will make more money doing so. This would be “complicit” and a “black mark upon my record”.
We have no clue what advice she gave but you’re treating it like it was specific instructions on how to crush labor and pass prop 22. It’s fucking ridiculous. They only paid her firm 105k. They clearly didn’t like whatever she said to them.
Edit: like… her record is about as spotless i you could every expect a record to be. She is the fucking unicorn and you’re complaining about how black her hooves are.
Hey now, several of my BG play thrus featured chaotic good socialist PCs
You really don’t the chances there’s child pork in that shop are way way too high
Child pork might be a typo but its probably not wrong either
50 billable hours is generating a report on the viability of the ask that's being requested as part of the RFP.
it's literally nothing.
Consulting and lobbying are not as cut and dry as you make it out to be, especially when you are talking about a firm like SCRB Strategies. From the article DP linked:
This is a firm built around people within the orbit of one of the more powerful politicians in California, and who likely have ties to the California political structure. Companies do not hire firms like this just for "advice".
Edit: And I'm sorry, but I don't find a well connected activist signing on to one of the companies responsible for the housing crisis we're currently dealing with to be "spotless". Which doesn't make her horrible - it makes her a politician with black marks like any other politician.
Haha. It's hilarious to think that Republicans across the country give a wet fart about Matt.
At this point, I'm waiting for the kompromat to drop.
I'm making assumptions about their billable rate, so it could well be more than that. McKinsey, Boston, Accenture, &c. charge ~$15k /day to walk into your lobby, so it could be more like ~100 hours. Though, again, split across folks billing to the account. But if you were working for a real Presidential bid you're not charging peanuts hourly.
How dare you threaten to hold Republican members to ethical conduct!
That Bowman guy, however... He's gotta go!
Do not engage the Watermelons.
People are right to say hey, wait a second, what's that shit about, but I think that's the extent of it barring something more damning in the details?