text: Rep Ward and his GOP colleagues- are fully aware that the federal government has a law that makes it illegal for any grantee to expend one penny of their grant monies on any lobbyist- or on or for any lobbying efforts-   law 101.    All State and the City agencies are too- prohibited in our City Charter and State Constitution from expending one penny on any lobbyist-   it is illegal.   But when HART was created-  the State and City permitted HART to thwart the law- skirt the law-  and  enter into a contract with a federally registered lobbyist-  getting $300k a year to do nothing but funnel that money back into the coffers of candidates for elective office.   
  Ward and his gang, refused to address this -  they in fact, have never spoke up against this practice-   they could have, if straight shooters -  honest people-  if acting in good faith-  the GOP would have offered an amendment to require the city to stop the paying off of lobbyist with the GET Rail Surcharge monies-