JOURNALISTIC WORK SAMPLE

News Clip on California Construction Industry

By: Nadine Sebai
Date: 02/05/2014
Title: California Construction Industry Spends $9.7 Million on Ballot Measures in 2006
Purpose:
In November 2006, voters passed a number of ballot measures in California to support various
construction projects in the state. The amount of money contributed by the construction industry
to support these measures was atypical. Major players including the California Alliance for Jobs
helped raise millions to support the efforts of highway and road projects.
The purpose of this piece is to shed light on these findings. The aim is to delve further into the
organizations and companies mentioned in the piece and to understand their history in influencing
policy in California.
Process:
1. Retrieved data from the City of Sacramento Data Portal on the top 10 checks written to
vendors. Discovered that Teichert Construction, Granite Construction, and a few others made
it on the list.
2. Did extensive research on top construction companies in the Sacramento region. This
included:
a. Analyzing management teams and their relationships to politicians.
b. Researching political contributions made by the companies.
c. Retrieving information on company!s charitable foundations utilizing their IRS
Form 990/990-F.
3. Used sources like FollowTheMoney, Influence Explorer, and Open Secrets to investigate the
political contributions made by the companies.
4. Discovered a trend in construction companies contributing an atypical amount in 2006.
5. Consulted with Sacramento-based reporter to understand what was occurring during 2006
that may have sparked the rise in donations.
6. After further investigation, discovered that most contributions by construction companies were
made to ballot measures (not politicians).
7. Discovered that the California Alliance for Jobs was a major player in most of the
construction-related ballot measures.
8. Investigated the Alliance!s Executive Director, James Earps, who was later appointed as
chair to the California Transportation Commission. Attempted to locate any ties between
Earps and construction companies or politicians.
9. Gathered, analyzed, and organized all information I found.
10. Wrote and edited the story.
Note:
This story is one of many stories that I believe can be written on the construction industry in
California. From my research, I have more questions than I do answers and see the growth
potential in this story.



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SACRANENT0 - In 2uu6, seveial constiuction companies anu builueis associations
contiibuteu $9.7 million to ballot measuies suppoiting vaiious Califoinia constiuction
piojects. Contiibutions at this level have not been seen in yeais.

The Saciamento-baseu
Califoinia Alliance foi
}obs, a Su1(c)(4)
infiastiuctuie lobby,
was a majoi
oiganization that
assisteu in initiating anu
passing these ballot
measuies in 2uu6. Foi
example, the Alliance
was the cieatoi anu
laigest contiibutoi to
the Califoinians to
Impiove Tiaffic Now
measuie which cieateu
"$S7 billion in infiastiuctuie bonus anu ueuicateu $1.S billion a yeai in gasoline sales tax
ievenue to tianspoitation", accoiuing to the oiganization's website.

The Alliance was also a majoi contiibutoi to the 2uu6 Rebuiluing Califoinia measuie which
auueu on auuitional bonus foi low-income housing, public school facilities, anu uisastei
piepaieuness piojects.

Najoi playeis in the Califoinia constiuction inuustiy, incluuing the Alliance, bioke iecoius
in contiibutions to ballot measuies. Companies like A Teicheit & Sons, the highest paiu
constiuction company in Saciamento as of 2u1S, contiibuteu $46u,uuu. In auuition, uianite
Constiuction, a S&P Suu company baseu in Watsonville, Califoinia, contiibuteu $7S1,717 to
ballot measuies in 2uu6.

The inuustiy was successful in passing all of the pioposeu measuies anu will woik to
impiove Califoinia's tianspoitation system, iateu foi many yeais as the state with the woist
ioaus.

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