Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Porter says lobbying is booming; tourism goes mobile

Former Congressman Jon Porter is included in a Bloomberg News story on the booming lobbying industry and the revolving door between Congress and lobbying companies.

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Jon Porter

After he lost his re-election bid last year, Porter took a job as director of public policy in the Washington office of Akerman Senterfitt, a law, lobbying and government affairs firm that works on topics including gaming, water policy, energy policy, taxes, health care, transportation and education.

Bloomberg reported that the lobbying industry is booming as clients try to get their share of billions of dollars of stimulus money coming out of Washington.

Porter told Bloomberg his new position lets him put his experience to good use.

"As the legislation gets more complex and as it’s coming out as fast as it is, there is a role for folks to help provide consultation on how to chart a road map through the federal bureaucracy," Porter told the news service.

No doubt Dina Titus, who defeated Porter in November, will be interested in his pitches.

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The Jennifer Harman Charity Poker Tournament benefiting the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is set for April 17 at the Venetian poker room.

The tournament features animals accompanying celebrities along the red carpet, and offers participants an opportunity to play and mingle with them and dozens of world-famous poker players. The event is open to the public.

Organizers said confirmed attendees are Nancy "The Voice of Bart Simpson" Cartwright, Dancing With the Stars' Karina Smirnoff, ESPN commentator Lon McEachern and professional poker players Marco Traniello, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson, Chris Ferguson, Barry Greenstein, Phil Hellmuth, Eli Elezra, Hoyt Corkins, Andy Bloch, Chau Giang, David Chesnoff, Brad Booth, Lacey Jones, David Williams, Jeff Madsen, Robert Williamson III, Todd Brunson, Flaminio Malaguti, James Van Alstyne, Shun Uchida, David Oppenheim, Erica Schoenberg, Roy Winston, David Grey, Maria Ho, Tiffany Michelle, David Singer, Paul Darden, and Lee Watkinson.

The grand prize is a $10,000 World Series of Poker Main Event Seat and a Curtis & Co. watch. The top 10 finishers will also win sponsored prizes.

For more information, visit www.jenniferharmancpt.com. To make a donation to the Nevada SPCA, visit www.nevadaspca.org.

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The Nevada Commission on Tourism launched a new Web site geared for mobile phones and devices that provide instant information about where to stay and what to do in Nevada cities.

Click on nv.mobi and select a city for an overview, listings for lodging, events, things to do and weather.

The site also provides information about the tourism commission and an opportunity to subscribe to a free NCOT e-newsletter and order a visitors guide. The same information is available on NCOT's regular Web site, www.TravelNevada.com, but is presented on the mobile site in a format for viewing on the small screens of mobile devices.

The nv.mobi site debuted at the wireless industry convention in Las Vegas April 1 when dotMobi, the company behind the mobile Internet address created for all mobile phones, announced the Nevada agency was the first state tourism agency to receive a sought-after, simpler two-letter domain.

NCOT introduced its first mobile Web sites, nvski.mobi and nvroads.mobi, last October to provide travelers with mobile access to current road and ski conditions. The information comes from the Nevada Department of Transportation and ski resorts at Reno, Lake Tahoe, Elko and near Las Vegas.

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A Las Vegas company received a boost when its unique inline skates were touted on Popular Science magazine's PopSci.com Web site.

"Inline skates from Newron Sport Technology make it feel like you’re on the ice while eliminating the 'roller stride' associated with normal inline options,'' PopSci.com said in a feature about technologies for winter workouts in the sun. "The Newron Trainon 4.47 (US $379.99) have their front two and back two wheels connected ... (which) allows them to pivot in tandem. They also boast a suspension system that makes cracks or pebbles on the sidewalk a bit less dangerous for beginning skaters."

Newron Sport President Robert Ritondo, whose company has publicly traded penny stock, said in a statement: "This is the pinnacle of opportunities for us. This legitimizes everything that we have stated about us revolutionizing the inline skate market, PopSci.com's approval is the height of any company. For us to receive a positive review from them is absolutely great. We know this will open a variety of doors for us, we couldn't be happier."

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From right, former Converse Consultants employee Cindy Bell and current employee Jill Cuevas register for the 2009 WALK MS event at Town Square.

Converse Consultants employees participated in the 2009 WALK MS at Town Square in support of the fight against multiple sclerosis. The April 4 event was organized by the

National MS Society's Southern Nevada Chapter. Converse, which has operated in Las Vegas since 1969, is a geotechnical engineering, environmental and

groundwater science, inspection and testing services firm. The company has 115 employees in Las Vegas. The employees also give back to the community with "adopt a family" programs during the

holidays, food drives and other volunteer efforts year-round.

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