The outdoor-recreation industry accounted for an estimated 2 percent of the country’s gross domestic product last year — with $374 billion in economic activity — according to a government report out Wednesday.
But just as significant is the fact that federal economists have for the first time studied and publicized its contributions, which is evidence that the industry is gaining clout on Wall Street and Capitol Hill.
LINK (via: The Denver Post)
As far as that clout goes?
Last year, the oil and gas industry spent more than $125 million on federal lobbying, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.
In comparison, nearly $8 million was spent on lobbying by recreation and live-entertainment businesses — with $320,000 of that amount coming from the Outdoor Industry Association.
Until the outdoor sector invests in shaping the political landscape it will continue to get beat like a drum by the likes of the Koch Brothers who will spend 400 million on the 2018 midterms.
Beware of commercial “clout”, guys: it has an unfortunate habit of consuming and spitting out the very people who first made their just-done-for-love-and-the-nice-people-and-the-buzz-along-the way of living a life of commercial interest to them in the first place, until they move on to the Next New Thing, and Brand it. Just get out and do it and ignore them: one day such far too many fences Desperadoes will realise this and leave the real do-ers to it.