NEWS RELEASE

$2.4 MILLION SPENT ON CITY LOBBYING BY 14 TOP SPECIAL INTERESTS, NYPIRG STUDY FINDS, REAL ESTATE CONCERNS DOMINATE

FIRST EVER DOLLAR RANKING OF ALL GROUPS HIRING LOBBYISTS RELEASED

    The top 14 groups lobbying New York City officials spent more than $2.4 million dollars on lobbying efforts in 1999, according to a report released today by the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG). Each of the top 14, (which includes developers, New York University and Home Depot), spent more than $100,000 lobbying in 1999 according to city records analyzed by NYPIRG.

    Developers and real estate projects made up ten of the top fourteen lobby interests on the list, spending up to $1,580,090 (nearly two thirds.) The top two spenders were the Blumenfeld Development Group and Forest City Ratner Companies — spending a combined $500,000 for lobbying on behalf of projects including developments in East Harlem, Steinway Street, Staten Island, and downtown Brooklyn. The report provides detailed information on what projects the top 14 lobbied on.

    "Our report spells out which 'fat cats' are opening up their checkbooks to lobby the city and for how much," said Neal Rosenstein, NYPIRG’s Government Reform Coordinator. "New Yorkers deserve to know who’s lobbying for tax incentives, special interest legislation and zoning exemptions."

    NYPIRG announced that it has also ranked each of the 492 groups lobbying city government by dollar amount. The list can be found on the NYPIRG web site at www.nypirg.org. This is the first time such a ranking of all the groups lobbying the city is being made available to the public. (The Office of the City Clerk publishes a list and ranking of the city’s top lobbyists, along with a client list. The NYPIRG report ranks how much each client paid for lobbyists and details what the highest spenders lobbied on.)
Additional major findings of the study include:

• Fourteen companies spent more than $100,000 each for lobbying this year for a total of $2,435,815;
  
• Seventy nine groups spent at least $50,000 for a total of $6,684,152 (Includes the 14 groups above);
  
• 492 groups lobbied the city last year for a total of $12,709,432 or an average of $25,832 each;
  
• 1999 was the sixth straight that Forest City Ratner Companies landed in the top ten lobby interests.
  
• Philip Morris spent $76,667, District Council 37 spent $61,524 and Time Warner Cable spent 55,838;
  
• The JFK Rail Link project attracted lobbying from a wide range of groups (see report.)
  
• The report, and full list of the 492 groups lobbying in 1999 is available on line at www.nypirg.org.