Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Chicano Federation, Urban League Lobby for AT&T's T-Mobile Takeover

Efforts by telecom giant AT&T to obtain federal approval of its $39 billion bid to buy competing cell phone provider T-Mobile became controversial after this summer's revelations that some groups endorsing the merger, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the National Education Association, and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, received funding from AT&T.

At GLAAD, which received $50,000 from AT&T, president Jarrett Barrios was forced to resign, and in July the organization rescinded its support for the merger.

The New York Times reported that the N.A.A.C.P. got at least $1 million from AT&T in 2009, and the NEA received a $75,000 grant for its foundation.

AT&T says the contributions it makes have nothing to do with the merger, and has denied the funds are meant to buy anybody's support; the groups say their endorsements are not for sale.

Critics contend otherwise.

Earlier this week, the Center for Public Integrity's website iwatchnews.org compiled a list of non-profits that had endorsed AT&T's position and had accepted the company's financial support.

"This is taking influence peddling to a whole new level,” Craig Holman, a lobbyist with Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group, told iWatch.

“It’s sort of breathtaking that these groups are allowing themselves to be used this way.”

Among locals on the side of the merger are three San Diego non-profit groups that have sent letters to the Federal Communications Commmission backing AT&T's takeover plan: the Chicano Federation, the Urban League, and the Urban Corps of San Diego County.

San Diego Urban League president Ray King wrote, "The expanded mobile broadband network coverage that will result from the merger will provide greater service to our constituents and our nation, helping President Obama reach his goal of American progress in mobile broadband coverage.

"As an African American advocacy group, we also respect AT&T's long history and commitment to diversity, which includes its employees and suppliers."

Wrote the Chicano Federation's Arnulfo Manriquez, "We believe the proposed merger will result in greater access to more sophisticated communications for the Chicano/Latino community."

"AT&T has made a commitment to greatly increase deployment of its advanced mobile wireless technology if this is allowed to go forward," said Sam Duran of the Urban Corps. "This high tech economic stimulus will produce and sustain job growth."

AT&T is among the names on the "virtual wall of donors" featured on the website of the San Diego Urban League.

The Chicano Federation lists AT&T as a "table sponsor."

The Urban Corps says AT&T is a "foundation sponsor."

And Urban Corps board member Christine Moore, onetime aide to ex-Democratic Sen. Denise Ducheny, who is now running for congress, is a director of external affairs for AT&T California.

UPDATE: A reference in an earlier version of this post about what motivated the resignations of GLAAD board members has been deleted.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

Reader readers sound off about Encinitas cliffs

Not much sympathy for victims
Next Article

Mang Tomas, banana ketchup barred in San Diego

What will happen to Filipino Christmas here?

Efforts by telecom giant AT&T to obtain federal approval of its $39 billion bid to buy competing cell phone provider T-Mobile became controversial after this summer's revelations that some groups endorsing the merger, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the National Education Association, and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, received funding from AT&T.

At GLAAD, which received $50,000 from AT&T, president Jarrett Barrios was forced to resign, and in July the organization rescinded its support for the merger.

The New York Times reported that the N.A.A.C.P. got at least $1 million from AT&T in 2009, and the NEA received a $75,000 grant for its foundation.

AT&T says the contributions it makes have nothing to do with the merger, and has denied the funds are meant to buy anybody's support; the groups say their endorsements are not for sale.

Critics contend otherwise.

Earlier this week, the Center for Public Integrity's website iwatchnews.org compiled a list of non-profits that had endorsed AT&T's position and had accepted the company's financial support.

"This is taking influence peddling to a whole new level,” Craig Holman, a lobbyist with Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group, told iWatch.

“It’s sort of breathtaking that these groups are allowing themselves to be used this way.”

Among locals on the side of the merger are three San Diego non-profit groups that have sent letters to the Federal Communications Commmission backing AT&T's takeover plan: the Chicano Federation, the Urban League, and the Urban Corps of San Diego County.

San Diego Urban League president Ray King wrote, "The expanded mobile broadband network coverage that will result from the merger will provide greater service to our constituents and our nation, helping President Obama reach his goal of American progress in mobile broadband coverage.

"As an African American advocacy group, we also respect AT&T's long history and commitment to diversity, which includes its employees and suppliers."

Wrote the Chicano Federation's Arnulfo Manriquez, "We believe the proposed merger will result in greater access to more sophisticated communications for the Chicano/Latino community."

"AT&T has made a commitment to greatly increase deployment of its advanced mobile wireless technology if this is allowed to go forward," said Sam Duran of the Urban Corps. "This high tech economic stimulus will produce and sustain job growth."

AT&T is among the names on the "virtual wall of donors" featured on the website of the San Diego Urban League.

The Chicano Federation lists AT&T as a "table sponsor."

The Urban Corps says AT&T is a "foundation sponsor."

And Urban Corps board member Christine Moore, onetime aide to ex-Democratic Sen. Denise Ducheny, who is now running for congress, is a director of external affairs for AT&T California.

UPDATE: A reference in an earlier version of this post about what motivated the resignations of GLAAD board members has been deleted.

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Realtors and restaurateurs are San Diego GOP's latest big money players

Next Article

Liberal "dark money" group spends big for Scott Peters

DC-based League of Conservation Voters lays out $62,432 for TV ads
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader