J&J spent $2.4 million lobbying in 3rd quarter

NEW YORK (Lobbying Activist) — Johnson & Johnson, the maker of health products from baby shampoo to birth control pills, spent $2.4 million in the third quarter to lobby on legislation affecting its medicines, medical devices and other business interests.

The company's lobbying budget for the period increased over 40 percent from $1.7 million in the third quarter of 2009, and was more than double the $1.15 million it spent in the second quarter of 2010.

The company lobbied on a range of bills that would impact its medical products, including:

— Legislation to tighten regulation of dextromethorphan, a cough-suppressing drug found in several Tylenol formulas

— Legislation that would make it easier for patients who have been injured by medical devices to sue the manufacturer

— Legislation to increase inspections of foreign drug and device manufacturing plants.

The company also lobbied on patent reform legislation, on multiple tax issues and on legislation to tighten regulation of certain complex financial investments, such as ones to protect against unfavorable swings in currency exchange rates. Those can be a big problem for companies like J&J that generate much of their revenue from international sales.

The world's biggest maker of health care products lobbied to eliminate some price discounts it now must give on prescription medicines paid for by Medicare, according to the disclosure form filed Oct. 20 with the House clerk's office. It lobbied on multiple bills related to regulations for lawsuits, including ones concerning sealing of information in civil lawsuits. That's an issue because drugmakers often are sued by patients alleging their products caused harm, and the companies try to keep details of such cases secret.

The New Brunswick, N.J.-based company, which uses solar power and other clean energy in many of its facilities around the world, also lobbied in support of funding for water pollution control programs and creating clean energy jobs.

(source:bloomberg.com)

Rory Reid wants stricter lobbying, ethics rules

Clark County Commissioner Rory Reid said state government needs to be more transparent and loopholes in state ethics laws closed "so that Nevadans have faith in their government."





During stops in both Northern and Southern Nevada on Thursday, Reid, a Democrat who is running for governor, outlined his policy plan to tighten state ethics laws and impose tougher penalties on those who violate them.


"There's obvious deficiencies in existing Nevada law," Reid said. "(For example), a legislator could pass an agency's budget while at the same time lobby that agency for a private party. That doesn't engender confidence."


He said he would work to extend the period for legislators who leave office to two years before they could lobby their former colleagues.


Another example Reid cited is that even if an elected official is found to have violated state ethics laws, there is virtually no penalty unless the violation is determined to be "willful." He said he would mandate ethics education for elected officials, state employees and lobbyists and said any violation of state ethics laws should come with a penalty.


"If they violate it, there should be strict liability," he said. "There are all kinds of loopholes that need to be closed."


That includes members of the governor's staff, he said.


"I want my administration to be open and transparent so people understand why I'm doing what I'm doing," Reid said.


To that end, he said, his schedule would be posted on the Internet daily, he would hold weekly press conferences and periodic town hall meetings across the state.


He said any individuals he appoints to boards would be required to sign "a code of responsibility" and disclose any instances where they have a potential conflict of interest.


Reid said he also wants to tighten rules for lobbying.


"To get Nevada back on track, we need to create a foundation of trust," he said.

Source:rgj.com/

Review Due On Lobbying Effort, Riverfront

Wednesday, December 16, 2009 9:16 AM CST

A year-end review of the city’s lobbying efforts and a progress report on a riverfront opportunity analysis are in store when the Fort Smith Board of Directors meets for a special study session Thursday evening.

According to a memo from Deputy City Administrator Ray Gosack, two representatives from Watts Partners, the city’s Washington lobbying agency, will report on current lobbying activity and plan future efforts in Washington, D.C.

The lobbyists will be seeking clear direction on funding priorities for the coming year.

Federal budget requests will likely be due in February, and requests for the next highway authorization bill will likely be due some time in 2010.

“It’s important for the board to reaffirm that the existing priorities are still current,” Gosack wrote.

Although the order can be rearranged and new priorities added, he cautioned against sending “confusing signals” to the congressional delegation or making wholesale changes that could undo efforts on several multi-year initiatives.

The top five previously established funding priorities are:

• Interstate 49 between Interstate 40 and U.S. 71 South.

• Industrial site improvements at Chaffee Crossing.

• May Branch flood control project.

• Wet-weather sanitary sewer system improvements.

• U.S. Marshals Museum.

Also Thursday, property owner Bennie Westphal and consultant John Castro with the Dallas-area firm Cushman & Wakefield will report on progress in the yearlong analysis of riverfront development opportunities.

Westphal, whose family owned an 80-acre tract along the riverfront and adjacent to the property they donated for the future U.S. Marshals Museum, approached the city in January seeking a private-public partnership to help pay for the analysis.

He envisioned a development that would include a minor league baseball park, a concert and hockey arena, restaurants, retailers, a hotel, a pair of condo and office towers, a park and a wedding chapel.

In early February, directors agreed to contribute a third of the cost of the analysis, about $62,000. The city entered into a contract with the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce, which in turn contracted with Castro for the study. Westphal was a third party to the latter contract.

Castro said in January that the opportunity analysis would help define what the property could be and would also identify the kinds of things needed to create jobs, attract people and meet the “live-work-play” ideal of mixed-use development.

Directors ranked riverfront and economic development at the top of their budgeting priority list in January, followed closely by quality of place. In October, they prioritized a number of quality-of-place initiatives, putting a $20 million riverfront sports venue high on the list. However, they put off a decision about funding sources in the face of tough economic conditions.

On Dec. 1 the board passed a no-frills budget that allowed no funding for quality of place.

The special study session is 6 p.m. Thursday at Elm Grove Community Center, 1901 N. Greenwood Ave.

Source:swtimes.com/

FICCI suggestions on Pakistan 'irresponsible': Kashmir business lobby

New Delhi Nov 16 (IANS) India's top industry lobby recommending hard military and economic counter-actions against Pakistan has drawn flak from a business body in Jammu and Kashmir which says its recommendations are 'irresponsible and immature'.

The Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir (FCIK), the state's premier business body said the 'Task Force report on National Security and Terrorism' brought out by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) last week was aimed at creating 'hostility and will spell disaster of an unimaginable magnitude between India and Pakistan'.


The FICCI report details how Pakistan's policies on terrorism and its military establishment infused with 'jehadist' mindset would continue to threaten India's surging economy and security in the coming years.


It recommends hard options to make 'sponsorship of terrorism prohibitive for our neighbours'. For starters, the report suggests to 'inflict economic pain' on Pakistan and conduct surgical strikes, targetting terror camps in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.


'The FICCI should have devoted time in identifying and formulating policies for the economic prosperity of the country. It has unfortunately indulged in political gimmicks and that too with a gruesome mindset against the neighbouring country,' FCIK president Shakeel Qalandar told IANS in Srinagar.


In its report released last week, FICCI said: 'Hard military and economic counter-actions should be the answer to Pakistan's cross-border terror' while regretting that New Delhi's response so far had been only 'reactive and defensive'.


Qalandar said when the world economies were trying to build peace by creating business stakes, the FICCI is ironically advocating strategies that in turn would lead to war between the two countries.


'It is unfortunate that when the entire world is engaged in lobbying for resumption of talks between India and Pakistan through confidence building measures, including free travel and trade initiatives, FICCI is putting forward irresponsible and immature statements,' he said.


He said India had five times more a favourable balance in the bilateral trade with Pakistan and cessation of imports from Pakistan as suggested by the FICCI reflects the naivety of the business lobby's task force.


He said that efforts needed to be made for equitable economic development through mutual help and support bringing all countries in the region closer and united to fight against any menace including terrorism.

Source:sify.com