Will the Visalia City Council Follow Kern County and Bakersfield on PACE?

2017-07-27

Based on another reader tip, Checks and Balances Project has learned the national Realtor lobby is now bringing its misinformation campaign to residents and elected officials in Visalia, California, ahead of an official request to determine the future of PACE for area homeowners.

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FIU Is First University Dropped by Hotel Lobby in Pay-to-Play Academics Scheme

2017-07-24

Grant withdrawal from Florida International University raises questions, shifts pressure to Penn State and University of North Carolina.

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C&BP Calls Upon Florida International University and American Hotel & Lodging Assn. to Release Grant Application Records for $68K Study

2017-07-20

Checks and Balances Project (C&BP) today called upon Florida International University (FIU) to immediately release both the initial and final grant applications to help to erase any question of the integrity of FIU research funded by the hotel lobby. The request includes all communications and documents relating to a grant proposal that resulted in a… Read more »

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Realtor Lobbyist Denies Fix Is In For Bakersfield City Council Vote to Kill Homeowners Program

2017-07-19

Despite her claims of securing votes, Ms. Schaefer denied the Kern County Supervisors or Bakersfield City Council has been influenced by her tactics.

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Checks and Balances Project Demands Kern County Board of Supervisors Cure and Correct anti-PACE Program Vote

2017-07-18

C&BP demanded answers to possible collusion by members of the Kern County Board of Supervisors with the realtor’s lobby before the Board killed a popular program that homeowners use to finance improvements.

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Why Did California Realtors Do an About Face on PACE?

2017-07-11

Checks and Balances Project received a reader tip in May alleging the California Association of REALTORS (C.A.R.) has subjected Bakersfield, California, among other localities, to an intense anti-PACE campaign. PACE or Property Assessed Clean Energy programs provide homeowners in California, Missouri and Florida with upfront financing for energy efficient and renewable energy improvements to their… Read more »

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Hotel Lobby Expands Pay-to-Play Research Campaign to Florida International University

2017-07-11

Purpose is to buttress testimonial campaign to undermine home-sharing in South Florida Last October, Checks and Balances began investigating the university-corporate partnership between Penn State University and the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), the primary lobbying arm of the hotel lobby. In April, we expanded our inquiry to three additional universities, including Florida International… Read more »

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Koch Brothers Growing Control Extends to 16 Federal Departments

2017-07-5

Behind the Scenes, Koch Strength Increases (For a printable version of this graphic, click HERE.) America is transfixed by the Trump circus. But with little notice, the Koch Brothers are getting stronger. Their decades-long quest to reorient the economic philosophy of the Republican Party and allied organizations to an extreme, anti-government Libertarian philosophy that benefits… Read more »

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