[IP] Congressman one day, lobbyist the next

[Dave Farber <dave@farber.net>]

> Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 17:46:32 +1000
> From: Nathan Cochrane <ncochrane@theage.fairfax.com.au>
> Subject: Congressman one day, lobbyist the next
> To: "Dave Farber (E-mail)" <dave@farber.net>
>
>
> Hi Dave
>
> As if we weren't cynical enough, now it seems that two US senators
> responsible for passing legislation that controls the activities of the
> Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) members may be up for lucrative
> $US1 million jobs as lobbyists with the same organisation.
>
> >From the latest PRWatch newsletter:
> "The Motion Picture Association of America is courting two Congressmen
> involved with deregulating the movie industry's corporate parents. Up for
> grabs is MPAA's $1.15 million lobbying job. Top candidates for the post are
> Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-La.), who oversees the Federal Communications
> Commission (FCC) in the House and champions an FCC ruling loosening station
> ownership limits, and Sen. John Breaux (D-La.), who is on the record
> opposing efforts to roll back that FCC ruling in the Senate.
>
> "'It's obscene for Tauzin and Breaux to be in the running for the MPAA, the
> fattest media lobbying job in Washington, while advocating in Congress on
> behalf of companies that control the MPAA,' said Robert McChesney, Professor
> of Communications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 'It
> tends to confirm what the vast majority of Americans have suspected -
> relaxed media ownership rules are an X-rated exercise in power and
> influence.'
>
> "Also of concern is that the top MPAA contenders have taken at least
> $217,500 in tobacco money. Tobacco control activists say, "Big Tobacco
> depends on smoking scenes in youth-rated movies to recruit more than half of
> all new young smokers."
>
> We have some experience in Australia with former pollies going into
> lucrative lobbying posts.
>
> Most businesses have non-compete clauses for former employees; it's time
> citizens enforced the same governance principles on our public servants.
>
> MORE:
> http://bilskirnir.blogspot.com/2003_08_01_bilskirnir_archive.html#1061965835
> 72976865
>
> -
> Nathan Cochrane
> Deputy IT Editor
> :Next:
> The Age and Sydney Morning Herald
> http://www.next.theage.com.au
>
>
>
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