Barry Aarons

Barry M. Aarons is a lobbyist and the principal of The Aarons Company, an Arizona lobbying firm. He graduated in 1971 with a B.A. in political science at the Arizona State University. After his study he worked for 5 years at the Arizona Corporation Commission, which is the public service regulatory agency in Arizona. Then in 1978 he started working at 'Mountain Bell' which in 1984 turned into US West and is since 2000 known as Qwest. He was working there at the government relations department and public policy department. Later he took a leave of several years to work for then-Arizona Governor J. Fife Symington III. Barry Aarons came back to US West in December 1994. US West executives discovered their lobbyist was behind an antihomosexual hit piece directed at mayoral candidate Skip Rimsza and asked him to leave US West in January 1996, and he agreed. Soon after that, he was working again for Governor Symington. 

Lobbying Clients
Aarons' lobbying clients at the Arizona legislature have included, as of 2012 :


 * Alcor Life Extension Foundation
 * Apache County
 * Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association
 * Arizona Association of Chiropractic
 * Arizona Interscholastic Association
 * Arizona Propane Gas Association
 * Construction Trades Coalition
 * Da Vita Inc.
 * Greenlee County
 * IWP (Injured Workers Pharmacy)
 * Prime Time International
 * Safety Glass Association of Arizona, Inc.
 * City of Scottsdale, Arizona
 * Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau

Ties to the Institute for Policy Innovation
Barry Aarons recently wrote several articles in favor of telecomunication deregulation for the Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) where he is a research fellow. The press release for one of these articles started with:"'(Dallas, TX): According to a newly released report by the Dallas-based Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI)--an independent public-policy organization--telecommunications deregulation is in the best interest of Texans who want service, innovation and competitive pricing.' (emphasis added)" Unlike the Progress and Freedom Foundation (PFF) where Mr. Aarons was an adjunct Fellow, IPI has a policy to hide their sponsors. PFF is quite open that they received or still receive money from several telecom related companies like Qwest Communications and EchoStar Communications Corporation. Since Mr. Aarons used to be a full-time lobbyist for 'US West' and still is a lobbyist for several companies including EchoStar Satellite Corporation. independent.

Barry Aarons as research fellow of IPI:
 * Barry M. Aarons, "Don't Call, Just Send Me an Email: The New Competition for Traditional Telecom", Institute for Policy Innovation, January 27, 2003
 * "Remarks of Barry M. Aarons, Research Fellow, Institute for Policy Innovation Before the Texas House Committee on Regulated Industries", March 22, 2004
 * Barry M. Aarons, "Wireline communications ready for deregulation", Houston Business Journal, June 18, 2004

Current Positions:
 * Institute for Policy Innovation, Research Fellow
 * Americans for Tax Reform, Senior Fellow
 * University of Phoenix, lecturer in political science
 * Arizona State University, lecturer in political science
 * Leadership Institute, faculty member
 * public policy consulting firm The Aarons Company, owner
 * Arizona Tourism Alliance, lobbyist and former executive director
 * Arizona Pest Management Association, Executive Director
 * Arizona Association of Chiropractic, Legislative Lobbyist
 * Arizona Economic Forum, member Board of Directors

On the site of 'Arizona Lobbyists' list of clients also include Arizona Propane Gas Association, Southwest Gas Corporation, and EchoStar Satellite Corporation.

Related Links

 * "Alumni Honored", Arizona State University
 * "Barry Aarons, Research Fellow", Institute for Policy Innovation
 * "State Groups", Americans for Tax Reform
 * Amy Silverman, "No Longer in Service, Ex-Symington aide's authorship of antigay literature speeded his ouster from U S West", Phoenix New Times, January 25, 1996
 * "Testimony of Barry M. Aarons Senior Fellow - Americans For Tax Reform, Adjunct Fellow - The Progress & Freedom Foundation before the South Dakota House Taxation Committee Regarding SB214, February 22, 2001
 * John Stearns, "Ex-Fiesta executive new Tourism Alliance director", The Arizona Republic, Feb. 20, 2004