Cable Access Advocates Lead in Spending on Lobbying
City lobbying reports for the second quarter of the year show the most lobbied project was the cable open access issue, with more than $2.8 million spent by those seeking to influence council members on the subject.
The second quarter ran from April 1 through June 30.
There were eight clients who paid lobbyists for work on the access issue. The largest was AT & T, which reported $1.5 million, according to the city’s Ethics Commission.
Although not considered a lobbyist, the organization Hands Off the Internet reported expenditures of $1.1 million on the subject.
In recent months, Hands Off the Internet has run several ads--some featuring consumer journalist David Horowitz--blasting the open access idea. A council decision on the issue is pending.
Behind cable access, the second-largest lobbying effort involved the Porter Ranch development, with $181,376 in expenses, the report said.
The third top lobbying project involved cellular antenna sites, with more than $136,000 spent.
In the previous quarter, the top lobbying project was also open access, and AT & T was also led in that category.
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