Congressman Calls for “Crackdown on Monopolies” Including Live Nation

In a letter to the Editor published by the New York Times on Friday, Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ) issued a strong response to Sunday’s A1 report by the newspaper that the Department of Justice could be looking into alleged abuses of the company’s scale and power in the marketplace.

Rep. Pascrell, who represents the 9^th District of New Jersey, noted in his letter that he had been part of a bipartisan coalition which warned the Obama administration against the merger before it was approved. “[The administration] was warned repeatedly that allowing the nation’s largest concert promoter to merge with its largest ticket provider would midwife an octopus that would strangle competition and squeeze consumers,” he writes.

“Live Nation and TIcketmaster’s abuse of their monopoly power should be taken as a warning in the halls of the Justice Department. For too long, administrations of both parties have been lax in their approaches to antitrust enforcement. Americans are paying the price, as monopolies now sit atop industries across the nation.”

Rep. Pascrell has represented the 9^th District, which sits in northern New Jersey and includes his home city of Paterson, since January 2013. Prior to that, he represented New Jersey’s 8^th District since 1997 (his district shifted due to a redrawing of the state’s congressional map).

His full letter is copied below:

To the Editor:

Re “Roster of Stars Lets Live Nation Flex Ticket Muscles, Rivals Say” (front page, April 2):

The Obama administration was warned repeatedly that allowing the nation’s largest concert promoter to merge with its largest ticket provider would midwife an octopus that would strangle competition and squeeze consumers. Bipartisan coalitions of which I was a part practically begged regulators to halt the merger, to no avail.

Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s abuse of their monopoly power should be taken as a warning in the halls of the Justice Department. For too long, administrations of both parties have been lax in their approaches to antitrust enforcement. Americans are paying the price, as monopolies now sit atop industries across the nation.

After decades of indifference to the impact of monopolies, the government must begin to act against concentrated power.

BILL PASCRELL JR., PATERSON, N.J.

The writer is a Democratic congressman from New Jersey.