Have you noticed that your budget at the grocery store just doesn’t seem to stretch as far lately?

If you have, you’re not just imagining it. Prices for key foods are rising sharply. Add this to higher fuel prices, the spike in property values, seemingly constant increases in home and health insurance, and working Americans are feeling a real squeeze even though the core rate of inflation seems relatively steady.

But, I guess keeping to a budget can be tough for all of us, even Washington lobbyists. From January 2003 to December 2006, PACs organized by Linda Chavez  raised $24.5 million, but only $242,000 (1 percent) was actually passed on to politicians!

The question we have to ask ourselves here is if there’s a connection between lobbyist corruption, the government policies they influence, and the financial squeeze most of us are feeling everyday. How much of this is due to a lack of transparency, integrity, and accountability in the way government business is currently being run?