How nervous? A proposed law in the works for over a year surfaced last week in a public hearing of the city's Ethics and Elections Commission. The proposal would require any "paid lobbyist" or group that contacts a city official more than 12 times in a quarter, or spends more than $200 to influence public opinion on an issue, to register with the city as a lobbyist and file extensive financial disclosure information.

While the general idea of disclosure, and the professed motives of the ordinance's authors, are noble, the details are anything but. Effectively, they could require virtually any private citizen making such contacts with the city to become a "lobbyist" and file records of all mail, phone, fax, or e-mail contacts, plus financial information, at the risk of enormous fines. A paid lobbyist, according to some Commission members, would include anyone who has a job for a company that has interactions with the city, regardless of job description. It's unclear how in-kind donations or volunteer donations of professional services would be treated. There is no distinction made between contacts undertaken as a private individual and those on behalf of an employer, even if, for example, you work as a file clerk at The Bon and volunteer for a tiny enviro group in your spare time. The result? Sending postcards to each City Council member twice in three months might put you and the enviro group and The Bon at risk.

Community activists also fear the staff time, money, and access to legal counsel needed to sort out compliance; the risk to non-profit tax designations; the rights of unions that legally must separate their lobbying activities but must also deal with the city for routine contract maintenance; and a host of other ambiguities that small, financially marginal groups simply can't risk.

The net effect is that the big boys, firms with access to legal counsel and the loopholes, won't be affected. But ordinary citizens and tiny groups who can't afford huge fines if they don't keep and divulge detailed records will stay away. In the name of regulating "special interests," the city proposal effectively panders to them and freezes out the very people who might hold them--or elected city officials--accountable.

Fairly or not, to many activists this looks like an intentional effort by the city to shut out citizen input. Fortunately, because of questions raised around these issues Friday, the SEEC didn't send the ordinance on to City Council as scheduled. Instead they'll hold another hearing on April 2; and in the interim more public comment is needed. Let these folks know that Seattle desperately needs more grass roots involvement in civic affairs, not less; and that any proposal that tries to drive people away is going to create a much bigger political problem than the one they're claiming to try to solve.

The Seattle Ethics & Elections Commission can be reached at 226 Municipal Bldg., 600 4th Ave., Seattle WA 98104; 206-684-8500, fax 684-8590, e-mail director.seec@ci.seattle.wa.us.