From Bruce's web site (no permanlink, sorry):
"Last Monday, we were informed that Ticketmaster was redirecting your log-in requests for tickets at face value, to their secondary site TicketsNow, which specializes in up-selling tickets at above face value [JK: often 10x or more]. They did this even when other seats remained available at face value.... There are rumors that some artists or managers participate in Ticketmaster charges - we do not. There are rumors that some artists or managers are receiving a percentage of the amount above face value at secondary outlets like TicketsNow - we do not. Some artists or managers may not perceive there to be a conflict between having the distributor of their tickets in effect "scalping" those same tickets through a secondary company like TicketsNow--we do.
...A final point for now: the one thing that would make the current ticket situation even worse for the fan than it is now would be Ticketmaster and Live Nation coming up with a single system, thereby returning us to a near monopoly situation in music ticketing. Several newspapers are reporting on this story right now. If you, like us, oppose that idea, you should make it known to your representatives."
Ticketmaster published a letter of apology (on same page), and made what I thought was a pretty fair offer to settle this with fans. Overall, however, writing your elected officials would be a fine idea; Ticketmaster has been a poster child for abusive monopoly behaviour for some time, and the pending LiveNation deal would only intensify that . But hey, enough money to the right people, and that doesn't seem to be a problem so far.
As for Bruce's recommendations, fat chance. Here's why...
The Center for Public integrity has a report:
"...one of Ticketmaster's board members is venture capitalist Julius Genachowski, a Harvard Law School classmate of Obama's and the president's pick to head the Federal Communications Commission. Until it was spun off last August, Ticketmaster was a subsidiary of media mogul Barry Diller's giant IAC Interactive empire (where Genachowski previously worked). Diller remains on Ticketmaster's board. Together, IAC and Ticketmaster spent close to $1 million to lobby Capitol Hill in 2008, according to the Center for Responsive Politics' Opensecrets.org. Also, the two companies' executives gave more than $200,000 in contributions to the company's political action committee and candidates in the 2008 election cycle, with the majority going to Democrats, including Obama and Hillary Clinton, according to Opensecrets."
Ticketmaster has always managed to dodge probes into its conduct, and that ain't about to change now.
Let's see, tax cheat running IRS. Health and Human Services guy who seemed to think that Human Services is about free limos. Lobbyist for Raytheon nominated for #2 slot at Pentagon, after public blathering about ending the "revolving door" - and the guy wants to recuse himself from only the 6 programs he lobbied for in 2008, and only for a year. Yeah, and Obama will be reinvigorating antitrust scrutiny, too. Suuure.
I actually do get cynical about stuff like this, but not in the way you think. The maze of rules around public appointees makes it difficult to be one, and more is often made of these kinds of controversies than is justified. On the other hand, some of this recent stuff isn't exactly minor boo-boos. If you appoint a tax cheat to run the IRS, they had better be world-class reformed tax-swindlers, who will run classes for the staff every week. Otherwise, that's a huge DQ. If you campaign on ending a revolving door of industry lobbyists in the Pentagon, absolutely gutting the concept with one of your first moves suggests utter bad faith, not overly complex rules.
All from a guy who has a personal history of turning the blind eye or serving as a front man, rather than confronting his own over any abuse. Just give speeches against it, then do it. Isn't that easy?
Hey, it's the Chicago Way. What, you're, like, surprised?
Postscript: With respect Obama's Chief of Staff living as an illegal renter, yes it's a classic example of a Democrat hoist by their own ever-beloved red tape, but I found this argument persuasive - so blame the (elected Democrat) who rented it, not Emmanuel.
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