States Archives - Checks and Balances Project

News Release: Twin Lawsuits Filed to Compel Bakersfield Officials to Come Clean on Deal that Led to Anti-PACE Votes

2017-08-10

Suits Triggered by Claim of Influential Realtor Lobbyist That She Had Secured Support to Kill PACE Program in Exchange for “Political Cover”

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.

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 »

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.

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.

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 »

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 »

Penn State Stonewalling on Pay-to-Play Academics Hits 250-Day Mark

2017-06-28

For more than 250 days (roughly eight months), Penn State has been unable or unwilling to answer basic questions on how Professor John O’Neill’s pay-to-play research by meets University ethics guidelines.

Bakersfield CA Councilmember Bob Smith Subject of Public Records Inquiry

2017-06-14

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 »

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

2017-05-15

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 »