THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 1, 1996 TAG: 9602010308
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAVID M. POOLE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
Powerful corporations and business groups that ignored State Sen. John S. Edwards when he was running as a challenger last fall have given him nearly $10,000 in campaign contributions since his upset victory in November.
Trigon Blue Cross Blue Shield gave $1,000; Appalachian Power Co. contributed $500; the Virginia Health Care Association provided $500.
All told, some two dozen business-related political action committees have taken a newfound interest in the Roanoke Democrat since he unseated Republican Brandon Bell.
``I don't know if you'd call it the power of incumbency,'' said Edwards, who was sworn into office less than a month ago, ``but since I've been elected there have been a lot of people who have paid attention to me.''
Post-election corporate contributions to Edwards and other freshmen underscore the co-dependent relationship between lawmakers and the state's business establishment.
Banks, utilities, insurance companies and other corporate political action committees give money almost exclusively to sitting lawmakers, regardless of party or ideology. Incumbents are a safe investment because they almost always win. When a sitting lawmaker loses, business PACs simply shift the money to the winning challenger.
``What that change means is there is no change: It's business as usual. These PACs want access and influence over legislation,'' said Josh Goldstein, research director for the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan group that studies the influence of money in policy decisions.
CSX lobbyist Rob Shinn gives another reason for backing incumbents:
``If a company gives to an incumbent it is generally a reflection that the legislator has been supportive of the company's issues. It is not to say that if an incumbent loses the challenger will not also be understanding of their position.''
December campaign finance reports show that corporate PACs began to make amends even before Edwards and eight other incumbent-vanquishing challengers were sworn into office.
Sen. Emily Couric, D-Charlottesville, said she held no grudge when a lobbyist for CSX Corp. called a few days after her victory with an offer of $750 to help retire her campaign debt.
Some of her campaign staff were miffed that CSX, just a few weeks earlier, had turned down a request for help. The rail and transportation giant had backed her opponent, incumbent Edgar Robb.
Couric took what she called the CSX ``about-face'' in stride.
``Some industry lobbyists told me that it was in their interests to give money only to incumbents because they have better odds of winning,'' she said.
``Let's assume it wasn't a vote against me before the election; it's simply a statement of the power of incumbency.''
Freshman Edward L. Schrock, R-Virginia Beach, flexed this new-found power last month as money started rolling in from business PACs that had bankrolled former Sen. Clarence Holland.
``I kind of felt that would happen because Clancy Holland was here a long time and he was good to them,'' Schrock said.
In December, Schrock's campaign collected $23,580 from big-hitters such as Bell Atlantic ($300); Circuit City ($500); Crestar Bank ($500), Trigon Blue Cross Blue Shield ($1,000); and the Virginia Coal Association ($500).
What are these PACs getting for their money?
Schrock said they are buying his willingness to listen to what they have to say about legislation affecting a company's or industry's bottom line.
``I've got their ear and they have mine; it's great fun,'' Schrock said.
Goldstein said that ``access'' is far from an innocuous concept. ``The public's on the sidelines at best,'' he said. ``Access is how lobbyists get a seat at the table and get influence. Getting the ear of a sitting legislator is more than half the battle.'' ILLUSTRATION: SWITCHING SIDES
The Virginian-Pilot
[For a copy of the graphic, see microfilm on page A6 for this
date.]
SOURCE: Pilot analysis of campaign reports for Holland and Schrock
KEYWORDS: CAMPAIGN FINANCE PAC MONEY CONTRIBUTIONS by CNB