For the uninitiated, the Beverly Hills Unified School District is fighting tooth and nail against a subway route that would require tunneling underneath Beverly Hills High School. To that end, the district recently renewed a lobbying contract with a DC law firm that bumped its retainer this summer from $7,500/month to $15K per month, the Beverly Hills Patch reports (the district has also hired a PR firm). BHUSD's contract with Venable LLP was set to end at the end of the year, but the school district will give them at least $45K more (don't forget about expenses!), as they extended their contract three more months. "Venable LLP was hired by the district in April to help persuade lawmakers to withhold federal funding for the Westside Subway Extension if the MTA chooses a route that goes under BHHS," the Patch reports. Well, that's nice of them. As a commenter puts it, "What could these $15,000/month folks be spinning to lawmakers so that they will see the merits of putting a subway station next to a golf course on Santa Monica Blvd. where there is a mapped earthquake fault?" (More on that fault here). Well, they must be doing something right.
· Board of Ed Extends Contract of D.C. Lobbyists BH Patch]
· To Stop Drilling Under BHHS, BHUSD Drills Under BHHS [Curbed LA]
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