Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, February 10, 1991                   TAG: 9102100209
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

BANKING LOBBY SOLID, SURVEY SAYS

But the banks have another tie to the legislature that some think gives them an edge.

"Many legislators are [on] bankers' boards of directors - this helps," acknowledged one Democratic legislator who rated the banking lobby a 10 in a survey by The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star of Norfolk.

"The model of effective behind-the-scenes lobbying: quiet, and like it that way; effective; far-sighted," wrote a lobbyist.

Otherwise, the 202 lawmakers, lobbyists, reporters, and state and local officials who filled out forms came up with rankings that changed little since 1989, when the newspapers first included lobby groups in the biennial effectiveness survey.

Survey forms were sent to 450 legislators, government officials, lobbyists and media representatives, including all 140 members of the General Assembly. The 49 Republican members of the General Assembly did not respond to the survey. There were 202 forms returned.

Once again, utilities, hospitals, railroads and insurance companies ranked high. And, as in 1989, consumer groups, civil-liberties advocates and labor unions ranked near the bottom in perceived effectiveness.

Some of the harshest criticisms came from fellow lobbyists. "Too shrill . . . enjoy martyrdom, and probably will continue to do so," wrote a lobbyist who gave civil-liberties advocates a 2.

Another lobbyist awarded a 4 to consumer advocates, commenting: "Still hobbled by naivete regarding the political process, and unwilling or unable to work the issues hard enough in the `off season.' "

The lobby with the biggest improvement from the 1989 survey was the beer, wine and liquor industry, which rose from seventh in 1989 to third this year. The liquor lobby has won relaxed enforcement of liquor law violations, teamed with soft drink bottlers and retailers to squash bottle-deposit legislation and beat attempts to require identification stickers on beer kegs.

Savings-and-loan associations took a beating in this year's survey.

"Market conditions and national situation has eroded their effectiveness," wrote a Democratic legislator who gave them a 4.

Of the business groups, travel and tourism ranked near the bottom. "Poorly represented, poorly organized, and relatively ineffective, particularly in light of the size of the industry," contended one lobbyist who gave the group a 3.

Also slipping in the eyes of survey respondents was the tobacco industry, which fell from 11th in 1989 to 13th, after being forced last year to accept the state's first law restricting smoking in public places.

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