| The International Franchise Association represents franchisers, franchisees, and their suppliers. Translation: Lots and lots of fast food companies. In the first quarter of 2009, they spent $150,000 on lobbying. They lobbied on the stimulus package, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the Employee Free Choice Act, mandatory paid sick leave, the credit cardholders bill of rights, the menu calorie labeling bill, and the budget. Here are their lobbyists... |
Victoria Adams
Victoria began her lobbying career back in 2000-2002 as the Coordinator of Political Programs for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. Then in 2003, she spent 8 months working as a Legislative Assistant to McDonald's. She left that job to become the Manager of Political Affairs for the National Restaurant Association, which she did until early 2006. That's when she took her current job at the International Franchise Association.
David French
Unlike Victoria, David has quite a bit of government experience - nearly a decade working as a Republican staffer for both the House and the Senate. Five of those years were spent as a senior aide to Sen. Rick "Man on Dog" Santorum. He was also a part of the Tax Relief Coalition and the Business Industry Political Action Committee Prosperity Project (a group that tries to "educate" voters to vote against their own best interests and instead vote for the interests of corporations). Before coming to IFA, David lobbied for the International Foodservice Distributors Association and its predecessor, Food Distributors International.
Tracy Flanagan
Tracy started off in the Florida Legislature as a Legislative Aide from 1996-1999. In 1999, she left to become Manager of State Affairs for the Grocery Manufacturers Association, a job she kept for 2 years. Next, she went to the International Bottled Water Association, serving as the Director of Government Relations (a.k.a. lobbyist) from 2001-2003. In 2004, she went to work, also as a lobbyist, for Conagra. She stayed there until 2006, when she took her present job at IFA.
Jason Straczewski
Jason's specialty is apparently lobbying against the rights of workers. Before joining IFA, he was in the Human Resources Policy Department at the National Association of Manufacturers. His knowledge of this subject fills an important need for an industry so reliant on exploitation of low wage unskilled workers. |
