Well, here is something interesting that affects every citizen of Idaho.
Lobbying is defined as “The process of influencing public and government policy at all levels: federal, state, and local.” A lobbyist is an individual who provides “local, state, and federal policymakers with points of view on public policy issues.” A lobbyist can be a member of “associations and organized groups, including individuals in the private sector, corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or advocacy groups (interest groups).”
Idaho has specific regulations when it comes to lobbying and lobbyists. They must register, file reports, and are held to other requirements, updated in 2015, page 37.
Idaho maintains a list of 425 registered lobbyists, their employer, name of the lobbyist, current status, which branch they lobby, and contact information. It is interesting to note how many are based outside of Idaho. This list includes members of corporations and non-profit (NPO) groups.
A non -governmental organization (NGO) differs from an NPO in that an NGO “…is a legally constituted organization that is created by legal persons and is not affiliated with any form of government. Non-profit organization (NPO) is an organization that uses its revenues and surpluses in order to fund other projects instead of giving them to share-holders as dividends.” NGOs are a concept founded by the United Nations (UN) and are often international groups. Idaho actually has a non-profit center, many of which are associated with UN certified NGOs which really blurs the line of being a NPO vs an NGO.
According to the UN there are 4,045 certified NGOs and over 31,000 other NGOs that work with the UN. This UN brochure explains how NGOs can work in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) which includes advancing UN goals and objectives, implementing international objectives, adoption of Agenda 21, establishment with non-profit, public or voluntary organizations, and relevance to their work with of ECOSOC. ECOSOC promotes the concept of sustainable development. The UN holds NGO conferences to celebrate themselves and discuss how they can further UN objectives and strengthen or grow their network.
Getting back to Idaho, and understanding the background of an NGO and the role it plays along with non-profits, let’s take a look at that Idaho lobbyist list. The list identifies the lobbyists “employer” as the organization they work for, but does not identify it as a corporation, NGO, or non-profit.
So, here is a list of some “employers” that are actually UN business partners and whose partnership requires a commitment to UN goals and objectives. These corporations can be searched at the bottom under other organizations:
- Anheuser-Busch Co (Global Compact member)
- Bank of America
- Bayer
- Chevron
- Cisco
- Direct TV
- Discovery Education
- Eli Lily
- General Motors
- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
- Hewlett Packard
- Intel
- Johnson & Johnson
- Microsoft
- Monsanto
- Novartis
- Oracle
- Pfizer
- United Water dba Suez
- Verizon
- Walmart
The non-profit list is far more extensive and too exhaustive to list all of them. Some are chapters of the primary UN NGO, others partner with UN NGOs. This csonet.org site can be used to search UN certified NGOs, just type the organizational name in the search box if you want to look one up.
- AARP
- ACLU
- AECOM
- American Cancer Society
- American Diabetes Association
- American Heart Association
- American Institute of Architects
- Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce – chapter of US Chamber of Commerce
- Fluor Corporation
- Humane Society of the United States
- Idaho Psychological Association – representative to the American Psychological Association
- Idaho Wildlife Federation – chapter of National Wildlife Federation
- John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation
- National Association of Social Workers
- National Rifle Association
- Nature Conservancy
- Planned Parenthood
- Sierra Club
- United Health Care (UnitedHealth Group)
All of these organizations lobby on the behalf of the UN. Not in the interest of Idaho, but in the interest of UN sustainable development ideology. Any time those words are used it is the UN talking. In Agenda 21, Chapter 27 is strictly devoted to the use of NGOs and NPOs to infest America with sustainable development concepts, including state and local levels of government.
One might want to consider contacting their representative and ask which UN lobbyist they are talking to and UN ideology they are supporting.
Welcome to the United Nations of Idaho Lobbyists!
