Slay gets $10K from firm that hauls city trash
The new campaign finance laws that went into affect last month are a double-edged sword for politicians collecting cash to help their cause.
On one side, candidates can accept as much money as they want from any donor at any time. On the other, donations of more than $5,000 must be reported electronically to the state Ethics Commissions within 48 hours of receipt.
That means large donations will no longer be allowed to drift into the milieu of quarterly reports, which often include dozens, if not hundreds, of mostly smaller contributions.
Colleague Tony Messenger has already reported about the big money flowing into the governor’s race.
Now, it’s coming to City Hall.
Mayor Francis Slay this week recorded a $10,000 contribution from Waste Management Inc., a Houston firm that has a $6 million a year contract to haul garbage away from two city trash stations.
Nick Yung, the city’s trash czar, says the contract was signed in 2002 and is good for 20 years, through 2022.
In other words: It doesn’t appear that the firm has much reason to influence Slay now.
And although the contract was penned the year after Slay first took office, Waste Management — one of the nation’s largest trash hauling outfits — had probably already been handling the city’s garbage.
Even so, their hefty donation to Slay is an example of the type of large checks that will pour into high-profile contests like the mayor’s, who is seeking a third term in March.
The new rules, however, make quick public disclosure the cost of collecting so much at once.
Shocking that a city vendor would give money to Mayor Slay!
Shocking!
To me it would be shocking if you found one that didn’t.
But we’ll never know… either you (the P-D) won’t look, or you already know and won’t tell us.
The company also facilitates the sale of brokerage, mutual fund, alternative financing, and insurance products through third party vendors. In addition, it provides treasury management, specialized lending, and private client services. As of April 22, 2008, Sterling Bancshares, Inc. operated 59 banking centers in the greater metropolitan areas of Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and Fort Worth in Texas. The company was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Who cares?
Slow news day, Jake? Fact is, Slay has been a great mayor. I’m a Republican, I don’t live in the city, and I might even send him a few bucks.
Why wouldn’t a Republican send money to Slay? He’s one too. And smart enough to pretend he’s a Democrat in order to get power instead of the rest of the City Republicans who would rather be upfront and honorable about their political agenda than actually get elected.
Slay is a Republican? Strange, I remember a recent news story where he was stumping for Obama. And he’s best buds with Charlie Doolie. So how exactly is it that he’s a Republican?