Currently being discussed over at Blogging for Midland:

Midland, Texas...a town of 100,000 that can "boast a current President, a former President, a former Secretary of Commerce, it's own United States Congressman, and a current Speaker of the Texas House" finds that it is lacking in influence to the point that it needs to hire a Washington lobbying firm to further "sing Midland's praises."

The one-year, $110,000 contract with Thelen Reid & Priest, "a national law firm with more than 440 attorneys", will be split 50/50 by the City and The Midland Development Corporation.

As a commenter there points out, why a bill that is paid 100% by the taxpayers needs to be split between the two entities is not clear. Surely the Midland Development Corporation could pick up the whole tab for our very own Gucci-shod warrior in Washington. After all, the City actually has....you know...responsibilities and duties. Things like fire, police, and streets.

Whereas, throwing money in any and every direction in the name of "economic development" is well within the function and philosophy of the MDC. Don't believe me? Read the loosy-goosy language in the Mission Statement of the MDC. It is chock full of words like "foster", and "attract", and "promote". Making a highly-paid Washington lobbyist an even more highly-paid Washington lobbyist in order to pursue that thing now most dear to fiscal conservatives born and bred on the rugged, character-building plains of West Texas: additional federal funding...well, that makes perfect sense to them.

Kudos to the other four taxing entities (and MDC Board Member Jim Nelson) who saw through this nonsense and declined to participate.