Why Did California Realtors Do an About Face on PACE?

Posted by & filed under PACE, California, Featured Story, Posts, States.

PACE 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 »

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

Posted by & filed under Florida, Hotel Lobby, Florida, Posts, States.

Florida International University 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 »

Koch Brothers Growing Control Extends to 16 Federal Departments

Posted by & filed under Kochs, Posts, Captured Regulators.

Koch strength increases 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 »

New Documents Raise Question of What Role Hotel Lobby’s Chair Played in Penn State Pay-to-Play Scheme

Posted by & filed under TOP STORIES, National, Hotel Lobby, Home Page Categories, Posts.

Mark Carrier Recently uncovered documents from the hotel lobby show that Penn State Professor John W. O’Neill was hired for pay-to-play academic research. According to the briefing book American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) provided in 2014 to a meeting of its board of directors, the Professor was engaged to come up with a study with a… Read more »

White House in Chaos: Koch Brothers In Position for the Next Phase

Posted by & filed under Kochs, Home Page Categories, Posts, Captured Regulators.

Kochs Grow Stronger: Why It Matters   (For a printable version of this graphic, click HERE.) While people are focused on President Trump, day-by-day, with little notice, the Koch Brothers are getting stronger. And their deep ties to Vice President Mike Pence are paying off. David Koch has demonstrated his appreciation of Pence by giving… Read more »

Bakersfield CA Councilmember Bob Smith Subject of Public Records Inquiry

Posted by & filed under TOP STORIES, PACE, California, Home Page Categories, Posts, States.

Pandemic Relief Funds A Local Spotlight on the National Effort to Undermine Property Assessed Clean Energy Recent reports have called our attention to what appears to be a coordinated attack on Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE). PACE allows homeowners to finance residential and commercial energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, as well as hurricane-mitigation and other improvements, through… Read more »

New Tip Raises Questions About Penn State V.P. Neil Sharkey

Posted by & filed under Pennsylvania, Featured Story, Uncategorized.

Neil Sharkey A Cover-Up of Play-to-Play Academic Research? We received an anonymous tip from a concerned member of Penn State community that raises a new question about how the relationship between Vice President Neil Sharkey, College of Health and Human Services Dean Ann C. “Nan” Crouter and School of Hospitality Management (SHM) Professor John W. O’Neill may… Read more »

Will Penn State Investigate Professor John O’Neill for Pay-to-Play Research?

Posted by & filed under Hotel Lobby, Pennsylvania, Posts, States, Pennsylvania.

Penn State Since October 2016, we have been reporting on how Penn State School of Hospitality Management (SHM) Professor John O’Neill is using his position at the University not only to bolster his consulting practice, but also to increase the credibility of the hotel lobby pay-to-play research he conducts on behalf of his client, the American Hotel… Read more »