Cable, Playa Vista Are Top Lobbying Issues
Access to cable television lines and a multimillion-dollar development at Playa Vista were the top lobbying issues at Los Angeles City Hall during the first four months of 2000, according to a report released Thursday by the city’s Ethics Commission.
Nearly $250,000 in lobbying fees was spent hoping to influence the outcome of an effort to require cable television franchise holders to open their lines to Internet providers. AT&T; was the top spender on the issue, reporting $163,991 paid to five lobbying firms.
Meanwhile, the developer on the Playa Vista Development spent $165,000 on lobbying efforts to build a planned community on 1,087 acres near Marina del Rey. The city approved spending $45 million in bonds for the project’s low-income housing component last year.
However, last week, the council’s Budget and Finance Committee delayed a decision on spending $135 million in Mello-Roos bond financing until more reports could be provided on methane gas discovered at the site.
On other matters, Browning Ferris Industries reported spending another $35,000 lobbying on Sunshine Canyon Landfill, and Lennar Partners spent $85,000 to push a 1.3-million-square-foot office tower in Warner Center.
The Ethics Commission’s lobbying report is based on mandatory disclosure statements filed by all registered lobbyists.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
