The DNC Sponsors List Is Rather Enlightening

The list I’ve posted here barely scratches the surface of what the Rocky Mountain News dug out of the public record. I note that this article was published on 12 May, but it is still very timely information. Such notables as Lockheed Martin, Anheuser Busch, Coca Cola, State Farm Insurance, Google, Xerox, Lilly, and a myriad of other giant corporate interests are listed. Click the link below for the complete list. It is enlightening. Remember, these are the guys who are represented at the Democratic convention. Try checking the lists for the Green Party or the Socialist Workers’ Party. I’m just sayin’ …

Richard Jehn / The Rag Blog

List of Democratic National Convention sponsors
Rocky Mountain News / Monday, May 12, 2008

The Democratic Convention Host Committee has released a list of sponsors that includes some of the biggest companies in the nation, and most of them have business with the federal government or long lists of issues they are trying to influence on Capitol Hill.

Below are the sponsors’ names, followed by their federal business interests or lists of issues they are trying to influence through lobbying, according to the most recent Lobbying Disclosure Act forms available from the Senate Office of Public Records.

Note that a company’s “interest” in an issue could mean advocating either support or opposition, although that is not always indicated in lobbying forms.

* Qwest

General business issues; rewrite of the 1996 Telecommunications Act; Universal Service reform; video franchise relief; broadband deployment; protection of customer records; Networx.

* ForestCity

Military housing; completion of Southeast Federal Center Development under S.F.C. Public-Private Development Act of 2000; navigational servitude for Southeast Federal Center, Washington, D.C.; Transportation; federal funding for project; FEMA flood mapping issue; nuclear energy development; states use of eminent domain; funding of real estate development; project infrastructure.

* Union Pacific

Rail safety issues; rail homeland security issues; rail freight rate regulation and rail capacity issues; Rail Competition and Service Improvement Act; Freight Rail Infrastructure Capacity Expansion Act; Surface Transportation and Rail Security Act; Railroad Antitrust Enforcement Act.

* Xcel Energy

Climate change, renewable energy, related issues; Clean Energy Act of 2007; Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007; New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security and Consumer Protection Act; Energy Savings Act of 2007, including a clean energy portfolio standard; rail transportation of coal; solar investment tax credit; wind production tax credit; Climate Security Act; pole attachment and related electric utility issues; appropriations for carbon capture and storage research; Clean Energy Portfolio Standard proposals; Provisions in Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 to extend renewable energy production tax credit; Tax issues regarding uranium enrichment and renewable energy; The Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act; Electric Utility Cap and Trade Act of 2007; appropriations bills; Clean Air Act; Clean Water Act, including requirements for electric utility industry.

* SEIU

Contracting out of security guard functions by Federal Agencies; National Defense Authorization Act (extension of temporary authority for contract security guard functions in Department of Energy).

* Vail Resorts

No 2008 reports. (Most recent 2005, lobbying on Small Community Air Service program issues.)

* United Health Group

Medicare Modernization Act implementation; Health Savings Accounts; Medicare Part D; Healthcare IT; Mental health parity; Medicare Advantage; genetic non-discrimination; Health insurance issues; issues concerning federal payments to Medicare Advantage Plans; Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act; Legislation and regulation concerning industrial loan companies.

* Molson Coors (Filed as Coors Brewing Co.)

Tax policy; alcohol advertising and self regulation; beer industry’s advertising compliant resolution program, including scope of FTC inquiry into self regulatory compliance activities; exise tax on beer; The Clean Energy Act; Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act; Farm Bill Extension Act; Small Business Tax Reform legislation; ethanol production provisions;

* AT&T

Telecom issues, including implementation of The Telecommunications Act of 1996; congressional oversight and video franchise reform; FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) Amendments Act; Improving Foreign Intelligence Surveillance to Defend the Nation and the Constitution Act; liability provisions re. federal authorization for acquisition of foreign intelligence information from or with the assistance of a communications service provider; network neutrality issues; cash balance issues in the Pension Protection Act; telecommunications competition; Defense appropriations for telecommunications; SAFE Act of 2007; Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2007; retiree health benefits (concerning prohibitions on companies reducing benefits under ERISA covered group plans); various health plan issues; arbitration issues in commercial contracts; the Cell Phone Tax Moratorium Act (supporting ban on new state taxes on cell phone services); Global Online Freedom Act of 2007; various telecommunications issues; billing and contract regulations in Cell Phone Consumer Empowerment Act of 2007; proposed importation ban on certain handsets; legislation allowing wireless competition on WMATA; broadband deployment issues; E-911 programs; Telephone Excise Tax Repeal Act of 2007; Internet Tax Freedom Act; Bellsouth merger issues; Video franchise reform; Truth in Caller Act; Universal Service Reform issues; International trade issues; FCC wireless spectrum rules; local telephone exchange issues; aviation telecommunications issues; federal communications spending (defense, homeland security, etc.) ; Air Traffic Control Modernization; company interests in Alaska; Rural Broadband Deployment Act; Internet tax issues; etc.

Read all of it here. / Rocky Mountain News

Thanks to Diane Stirling-Stevens / The Rag Blog