Posts Archives - Page 11 of 19 - Checks and Balances Project

Will the Federal Government’s FOIA Sheriff Force the Coast Guard to Follow the Law?

2016-10-11

Today, we sent a letter to the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) to ask for mediation services to force the U.S. Coast Guard’s to comply with our lawful records requests under the Freedom of Information Act. OGIS, which is the federal government’s FOIA Ombudsman, harshly criticized the Coast Guard in a September 2015 report… 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 »

Why Is Union Leader Peter Ward the Leading Anti-Home Sharing Spokesman in New York?

2016-10-6

Yesterday, we sent a letter to Peter Ward, president of the New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council, AFL-CIO, asking that he assist us in understanding his decision-making process and relationship with his union members. To read the full letter, click on the image or HERE. Earlier this week, we also called Mr. Ward’s office,… Read more »

Does Home Sharing Help to Build a Sustainable Economy?

2016-09-30

In short, there’s a legitimate case that the success of the new crop of sharing economy companies will help to drive the evolution of the U.S. economy onto more sustainable footing.

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 »

Shipping Industry Lobbyists Influence Coast Guard to Limit Offshore Wind Energy

2016-09-6

Newly uncovered research points toward pervasive influence by shipping industry lobbyists over a U.S. Coast Guard study ostensibly designed to recommend how to safely integrate a new offshore wind energy industry with shipping off the Eastern Seaboard. If the study’s recommendations are codified into policy, a robust offshore wind energy industry off the coasts of… 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 »

Coast Guard Failed to Engage Offshore Wind Energy Developers

2016-08-15

For the last six months, we have attempted to get basic questions answered about the U.S. Coast Guard’s offshore wind energy study and a Working Group that was tasked with determining how offshore wind farms — a priority for President Obama — could be safely integrated with the shipping industry off the Eastern Seaboard. After five… Read more »

Nevada PUC’s “Energy Guy” David Noble Shown the Door

2016-07-28

Turmoil has enveloped the Nevada Public Utilities Commission. And for good reason. Now Gov. Sandoval has pushed out Commissioner David Noble, where he began his career as an administrative attorney in 1997, before being appointed by Sandoval as a commissioner in 2011, and reappointed in 2012. David Noble was the prime mover behind the PUC’s “Christmas… Read more »