Cruise Bruise Blog
May 20, 2009
May 20, 2009
CLIA Political Donations Put Cruise Lines In Senate Hearings Pockets
To me, $10,000 per couple is alot of money to give to a political action group. I guess that just means I am either cheap or can find better causes for a $10,000 donation each year.
Political contributions are not tallied by year though, they are tallied by election year. This means some couples donated as much as $20,000 to Cruise Lines International Association in the election year 2007/2008.
Who were these generous CLIA benefactors? Those who were feathering their own cruise cap of course, everyone of them with the exception with a married couple Margot and Thomas Pritzker. Pritzker is the Chariman and CEO of Hyatt Corp , who donated $20,000 in a seven month period.
The top cruise industry donors on the list were:
Follow The Cruise Line Money To CLIA . . .
FAIN, RICHARD And COLLEEN ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES/CHAIRMAN - $10,000
GOLDSTEIN, ADAM - ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES/EVP, BRAND $10,000
FRANK, HOWARD - CARNIVAL CORPORATION/VICE CHAIRMAN $10,000
ARISON, MICKY - CARNIVAL CORPORATION/CHAIRMAN & CEO $10,000
PEREZ, ARNALDO - CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES/VP GENERAL CO $8,000
DALE, TERRY - CRUISE LINES INTERNATIONAL ASS/PRES $7,500
CAHILL, GERALD R - CARNIVAL CORPORATION/CHIEF FINANCIA $7,000
BERNSTEIN, DAVID - CARNIVAL CORPORATION/SR. VICE PRESI $5,950
MICHEL, GREGG - CRYSTAL CRUISES/PRESIDENT $5,000
DOW, THOMAS M - PRINCESS CRUISES/VICE PRESIDENT PUB $5,000
DICKINSON, BOB - CARNIVAL CORPORATION/PRESIDENT & CEO $5,000
DOW, THOMAS M - PRINCESS CRUISES/VICE PRESIDENT PUB $5,000
HANRAHAN, DANIEL - CELEBRITY CRUISES/PRESIDENT $5,000
KALISCH, ELENI - ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES/VP - CONGRE $5,000
NINCEVIC, NATKO - CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES/VICE PRESIDEN $5,000
RICE, BRIAN - ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES/EUP & CEO $5,000
COMPTON, PETER - ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES/VICE PRESID 2,500
ZACHARSKI, PAUL E - CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES/VP FINANCE & $2,500
CONOVER, PAMELA C - CARNIVAL CORPORATION/SENIOR VICE PR $2,500
KIMSEY, WILLIAM - SELF EMPLOYED/BOOKING AGENT $2,500
Kimsey is better known for serving on the Royal Caribbean board, not as a booking agent.
ARONSON, BERNARD - AC ON INVESTMENTS, LLC/MANAGING PART $2,500
Aronson is better known for serving on the Royal Caribbean board as well
Where did all that money go? Some of it went to donations CLIA made to put politicians into CLIA pockets. Taking a look at what each politican is involved in, it is not hard to see why CLIA covets their favoritism.
What is interesting to note is the recent Senate hearings that the International Cruise Victims Association testified at on capital hilll before the United States Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security under the Senate Committee On Commerce, Science and Transportation has some of the CLIA donation recipients who will decide if this bill makes it out of their committee or subcomittee:
Follow The Cruise Line Money To CLIA . . .
Friends Of Jay Rockefeller $2,000
Chairman Commerce Science Transportation
Kay Bailey Hutchison For Senate Cmte $1,000
Commerce Science Transportation
Lautenberg, Frank R (D-NJ) $2,500 -
Surface Transportation Merchant Marine Infrastructure and
Oceans Atmosphere Fisheries And Coast Guard
Boxer, Barbara (D-CA) $5,500 -
Surface Transportation Merchant Marine Infrastructure and
Oceans Atmosphere Fisheries And Coast Guard
Inouye, Daniel K (D-HI) $4,000 -
Surface Transportation Merchant Marine Infrastructure and
Oceans Atmosphere Fisheries And Coast Guard
Nelson, Bill (D-FL) $3,000 -
Subcom on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, & USCG
Dorgan, Byron L (D-ND) $2,000 -:
Surface Transportation Merchant Marine Infrastructure
Mel Martinez (R-FL) $4,000
Oceans Atmosphere Fisheries And Coast Guard
It may change who you vote for next time around. A short list of top CLIA recipients follows:
Follow The Cruise Line To CLIA Money . . .
Rangel, Charles B (D-NY) $8,000 - Vice Chair Joint Committee on Taxation
Oberstar, James L (D-MN) $6,000 - House Committee on Transportation
Diaz-Balart, Lincoln (R-FL) $6,000 - Subcom on Legislative and Budget Process
Boxer, Barbara (D-CA) $5,500 - Surface Transportation Merchant Marine Infra
Murtha, John P (D-PA) $5,000 - Chair Subcom on Defense
Clinton, Hillary (D-NY) $5,000 - Secretary Of State & Chair Senate Environment
Diaz-Balart, Mario (R-FL) $4,000 - Subcom on Water Resources and Environ
Inouye, Daniel K (D-HI) $4,000 - Surface Transportation Merchant Marine Infra
Cummings, Elijah E (D-MD) $4,000 - Chairman Subcom on USCG, Maritime Transport
Mica, John L (R-FL) $4,000 - Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Castor, Kathy (D-FL) $4,000 - Subcom on Commerce, Trade & Consumer Protection
Hastings, Alcee L (D-FL) $4,000 - Florida Congressional Delegation (Co-Chairman)
Serrano, Jose E (D-NY) $4,000 - Subcom on Homeland Security
Brown, Corrine (D-FL) $3,000 - Subcom on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
Dingell, John D (D-MI) $3,000 - Subcom on Energy and Environment
Moran, Jim (D-VA) $3,000 - Subcom on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Thompson, Bennie G (D-MS) $3,000 - Committee on Homeland Security (Chairman)
Nelson, Bill (D-FL) $3,000 - Subcom on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, & USCG
Lautenberg, Frank R (D-NJ) $2,500 Surface Transportation Merchant Marine Infra
Dorgan, Byron L (D-ND) $2,000 -:Surface Transportation Merchant Marine Infra
Follow The Money From Cruise Lines To CLIA To Friends Of Politicans To Politicians
Democratic Congressional Campaign Cmte $7,000
National Republican Senatorial Cmte $5,000
Democrats Win Seats PAC - (Affiliate: Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla) $5,000
Moving America Forward- (Affiliate: Bill Nelson (D-Fla) $5,000
Freedom & Democracy Fund - (Affiliate: Mel Martinez (R-Fla) $4,000
Lincoln Diaz-Balart For Congress Cmte $6,000
Friends Of Barbara Boxer $5,500
Castor For Congress $4,000
Mario Diaz-Balart For Congress $4,000
Friends Of Byron Dorgan $2,000
Friends Of Jay Rockefeller $2,000 - Chairman Commerce Science Transportation
Kay Bailey Hutchison For Senate Cmte $1,000 - Commerce Science Transportation
Friends Of Jim Oberstar $6,000
Rangel For Congress $8,000
National Republican Senatorial Committee $5,000
Dan10 - Senator Dan Inouye $4,000
