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Anonymous Tip from Penn State: “There is a bigger story here.”

2017-01-23

In late December, we received an anonymous tip in the mail from a reader about our ongoing inquiry into possible ethics violations by Penn State Professor John W. O’Neill of the School of Hospitality Management, who has produced research highly favorable to the hotel lobby..

Hotel Union Leader’s Database Undercuts Claim of Organizing Success

2017-01-13

Despite the hotel building boom and surging tourism in New York City, especially outside of Manhattan, Ward has emerged as the most prominent leader of efforts to block the growth of home sharing, an affordable, sustainable form of lodging.

Was NYC Council Member Rosenthal’s Toronto Trip Worth More Than a Phone Call?

2016-12-2

During the week of October 24, 2016, Ms. Rosenthal traveled to Toronto at the behest of the “concerned citizens” group known as Fairbnb.

Hotel Lobby President Katherine Lugar Refuses to Discuss Model Legislation to Tax Home Sharers

2016-11-21

C&BP Executive Director’s Questions Rebuffed at AH&LA Board Meeting. We traveled to New York City last week to pose some important questions directly to Katherine Lugar, the leader of the hotel lobby, about efforts to penalize the sustainable, home sharing economy. During a break at the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s (AH&LA) board meeting at… Read more »

Update: Federal Agency to Mediate Coast Guard’s Public Records Evasion

2016-11-3

The federal government’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) ombudsman, the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS), has agreed to mediate Checks and Balances Project’s complaint that the U.S. Coast Guard has refused to provide lawful, taxpayer-funded public records. Since February, we have been asking the Coast Guard to answer basic questions about its offshore… Read more »

Welfare Checks to Hotel Lobby Totaled $3.6 Billion Since 2008

2016-11-2

Luxury Hotels Got Especially Large Amounts When industries mature, they use expanding profits to grow their lobbying influence and obtain not just favorable policies, but government largess in a variety of forms. In our newly launched look into the hotel industry’s influence peddling, we’re quickly finding this industry is following the path worn by the… Read more »

What Is Penn State’s Relationship With Hotel Industry Lobbyists?

2016-10-7

Today, we sent a letter to Dr. Nicholas P. Jones, Executive Vice President and Provost of Pennsylvania State University, to ask for his help in better understanding Penn State School of Hospitality Management’s (SHM) relationship with the hotel industry and the origins of this university-corporate partnership. To read the full letter, click on the… Read more »

Coast Guard Claim of “No External Participation” Contradicted by Shipping Lobbyist

2016-09-21

Lobbyist was “Very Engaged” in Anti-Offshore Wind Energy Study In 2009, not long after President Obama declared the creation of an offshore wind energy industry a national priority, shipping industry lobbyists began working to block it. When the U.S. Interior Department began an accelerated leasing process the following year “to facilitate siting, leasing, and construction… Read more »

Text Messages Show Taxpayer-Funded Consumer “Advocate” Conspiring with APS Lobbyist

2016-09-8

“To Shape the Value of Solar Study Before it Starts” For 18 months, we’ve reported to Arizonans the evidence we’ve uncovered that indicates public business between captured regulators and utility lobbyists is taking place via text messages to conceal their communications. Now a small batch of texts between Lon Huber, Arizona’s Residential Utility Consumer Office’s… Read more »

Admiral Zukunft: Did Shipping Lobbyists Steer Offshore Wind Energy Study?

2016-08-25

Today, we sent a letter to the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Paul F. Zukunft asking that he assist us in our efforts to obtain responses to our lawful records requests. To read the full letter, click on the image or HERE. Read More Why Did the Coast Guard’s… Read more »

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