Rawlings, Kunkle Say They'd Ban Political Consultants From Lobbying City Hall

If Mike Rawlings is serious, the political consultants running his campaign will have a hard time making a living with him in office. At last night's GLBT Chamber mayoral forum, candidates David Kunkle and Mike Rawlings agreed that political consultants who run campaigns and raise campaign money should be barred...

By Jim Schutze

May 3, 2011

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If Mike Rawlings is serious, the political consultants running his campaign will have a hard time making a living with him in office.

At last night's GLBT Chamber mayoral forum, candidates David Kunkle and Mike Rawlings agreed that political consultants who run campaigns and raise campaign money should be barred later from lobbying the city council and mayor.

Candidate Ron Natinsky, whose consultant, Carol Reed, is one of the most active lobbyists at City Hall, disagreed with a ban.

Agreeing with it was easy for Kunkle: His wife and campaign consultant, Sarah Dodd, who used to be a lobbyist at City Hall, gave up the business the minute Kunkle announced. She's already banned.

But it should have been thornier for Rawlings. His consultant, Allyn & Company, is often at City Hall as a commercial lobbyist. Rawlings said: Tough. If he wins, he will support banning them from lobbying. Listen below.

Mike Rawlings on Consultants at Dallas City Hall

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Jim Schutze has been the city columnist for the Dallas Observer since 1998. He has been a recipient of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies’ national award for best commentary and Lincoln University’s national Unity Award for writing on civil rights and racial issues. In 2011 he was admitted to the Texas Institute of Letters.

Contact: Jim Schutze