The Price of Political Influence

These statistics from OpenSecrets.org provide interesting perspectives.

• The 23 member Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee got $479,733 from home builders for the 2005-2010 election cycle.
• K. Bailey Hutchison sits on that committee and got $54,550 from home builders (vs. $20,858 average).
• Home builders gave nearly $65 million to members of Congress since 1990. (good charts show distribution)
• Houston home builder Bob Perry is the Top contributor to 527s.
• The National Association of Home Builders gave over $21 million.  (Contrast to Bob Perry who gave more personally in Texas in half the time.)
• The National Association of Realtors gave over $35 million.
• The Real Estate industry gave over $622 million.
• Building Materials & Equipment companies gave over $73 million.
• Commercial builders gave over $165 million in the same timeframe.
• Mortgage bankers gave over $54 million.
• Electric utilities gave over $137 million.
• Telcos gave over $199 million.
• Cable & Satellite companies gave over $56 million.