The North County Times reports that the city of Escondido is considering cutting its state and federal lobbyists in order to save money. The Times referenced Dr. Frates:
A college professor near Los Angeles who studies the issue said cities typically do not suffer very much when they discontinue paying their lobbyist for a short time. But the professor, Steven Frates of Claremont McKenna, said results can vary dramatically by city.
Dr. Frates is mentioned again later in the article:
Frates, the Claremont McKenna professor, said city officials can sometimes get the same results as a lobbyist if they keep in close contact with their state and federal representatives. But Frates said the quality of such relationships can vary dramatically based on ideology and other factors.
Because Escondido has a good relationship with its representatives, Frates said missing a year should not harm the city as much as cutting a city program that would be difficult to revive.
“The lobbying function tends to be pretty flexible,” said Frates, a senior fellow with Claremont McKenna’s Rose Institute of State and Local Government.
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