Regardless, it’s actually a very common practice to do things similar to this. You probably don’t want to know how many lobbyists are paid with tax dollars to go lobby for more spending, higher taxes, more programs, and of course, more support (i.e. lobbyists) for those programs. In Texas, where such a practice is illegal, cities were using a “municipal group” to do their lobbying for them and funding it with dues. They had to be sued into following the law.

Government is a dirty, dirty business.

Of course not! They’re politicians!