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Boeing has spent more money lobbying the US federal government over the last 20 years than any other company. Last year they had the government kill Bombardier'

Boeing has spent more money lobbying the US federal government over the last 20 years than any other company. Last year they had the government kill Bombardier's attempt to break the Airbus/Boeing duopoly. Boeing also prevented the US military from buying an Airbus tanker a few years back. Boeing has definitely captured the US government.

spenczar5 8y ago
> Boeing has spent more money lobbying the US federal government over the last 20 years than any other company. This is simply false. Boeing has spent a lot, but less than General Electric, or the National Association of Realtors, or many (many!) healthcare and pharmaceutical companies. Source: https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/top.php?indexType=s https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/top.php?indexType=s
- bgorman 8y ago
  While your source seems to suggest that my statement is false, a closer looks shows that the only corporation (I.e. not an industry special interest group like the national association of realtors) that spent more money than Boeing was General Electric. So I would say your statement is even more misleading than mine. General Electric has fallen off a cliff since 1998. I suppose my "20" years statement is false according to "OpenSecrets", but if you change my statement to "15" years, it is probably correct, since General Electric did most of their lobbying closer to 1998 than 2018.
  - spenczar5 8y ago
    > I would say your statement is even more misleading than mine. Fair enough, I guess. I think of groups like Blue Cross/Blue Shield or the NAR as representing corporations, but I can see how you'd disagree on a strict reading. I didn't mean to mislead. > General Electric has fallen off a cliff since 1998. In 1998, GE spent $7.28m on lobbying. Nearly every year since then, they have spent more than that, generally staying north of $16m per year, with the exception of the last three years. Your statement is true only for the last three years. Same source: https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000125&year=2018 https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D00000012... for GE, https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000100&year=2018 https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D00000010... for Boeing.
    - bgorman 8y ago
      I appreciate your fact-checking. I do not mean to mislead anyone.

spenczar5 8y ago

> Boeing has spent more money lobbying the US federal government over the last 20 years than any other company. This is simply false. Boeing has spent a lot, but less than General Electric, or the National Association of Realtors, or many (many!) healthcare and pharmaceutical companies. Source: https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/top.php?indexType=s https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/top.php?indexType=s

bgorman 8y ago
While your source seems to suggest that my statement is false, a closer looks shows that the only corporation (I.e. not an industry special interest group like the national association of realtors) that spent more money than Boeing was General Electric. So I would say your statement is even more misleading than mine. General Electric has fallen off a cliff since 1998. I suppose my "20" years statement is false according to "OpenSecrets", but if you change my statement to "15" years, it is probably correct, since General Electric did most of their lobbying closer to 1998 than 2018.
- spenczar5 8y ago
  > I would say your statement is even more misleading than mine. Fair enough, I guess. I think of groups like Blue Cross/Blue Shield or the NAR as representing corporations, but I can see how you'd disagree on a strict reading. I didn't mean to mislead. > General Electric has fallen off a cliff since 1998. In 1998, GE spent $7.28m on lobbying. Nearly every year since then, they have spent more than that, generally staying north of $16m per year, with the exception of the last three years. Your statement is true only for the last three years. Same source: https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000125&year=2018 https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D00000012... for GE, https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000100&year=2018 https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D00000010... for Boeing.
  - bgorman 8y ago
    I appreciate your fact-checking. I do not mean to mislead anyone.