Backers of Prop. M raise $100,000 in one day
The campaign committee for a half-cent increase in a transit tax in St. Louis County on Monday received $100,000 in donations, a campaign finance report to the state ethics commission said. The proposal is on the ballot Tuesday.
The Regional Business Council, a group of major mid-sized businesses, made two contributions totaling $50,000. Fred Weber Inc., a contractor who constructed part of the MetroLink extension from Forest Park to Shrewsbury, donated $15,000. The Thompson Coburn law firm contributed $10,000 and five donors provided $5,000 each.
Under state law, the committee must report within 48 hours any single contribution of more than $5,000. State law requires candidates and committees involved in Tuesday’s elections to file campaign finance reports eight days before the vote with either the ethics commission or their local election authority.
These donations are in addition to the $254,839.50 the committee already had raised. The group reported that as of Tuesday, it had spent $534,349.68. The most recent spending is for television advertising and printing.
The Greater St. Louis Transit Alliance, which also is campaigning for the tax increase, said it has raised $66,955.32 and spent $58,134.62 thus far. It raised $17,250 and spent $41,460.94 between Oct. 22 and Oct. 27. The law firm of Lashy Baer donated $10,000 in the reporting period. Most of the recent spending went to Lafayette Partners, a campaign consultant.
The Public Transit Accountability Project, which opposes the tax increase, said it received an in-kind donation worth $1,800 from Tom Sullivan, the spokesman for the group.
In the race for council member from the 6th District of the St. Louis County Council, Steve Stenger, the Democrat seeking the seat, said he has raised $227,895.38 and spent $201,349.17 thus far. Between Oct. 1 and Oct. 27, Stenger raised $8,075 and spent $72,584.66. Stenger has loaned $150,000 to his campaign.
Most of the donations came from political action committees of skilled trades, communication worker and public employee unions. Most of the spending went for a mailing.
The district is in south St. Louis County. Councilman John Campisi, a Republican from South County who is seeking a third term, said he raised $4,375 and spent $1,372.13 between Oct. 1 and Oct. 23. He has $9,304.58 in his campaign chest. Most of his spending was for printing.
In the 4th council district in north St. Louis County, Councilman Mike O’Mara, a Democrat seeking his third term, said he raised $500 and spent nothing in the reporting period. He has $9,057.79 in his campaign chest.
Eugene Dokes, the Republican challenger for the seat, loaned $4,975 to his campaign. His spending was for billboards. Theo “Ted” Brown Sr. , the Libertarian candidate, said he has not raised or spent more than $500.
Council Chairwoman Kathleen Kelly Burkett, D-Overland, who is uopposed, reported raising $500 and spending $305.97.
Other than a few signs around bus stops, I haven’t seen any media supporting the bailout of Metro. What are they spending it on? Looks like a lot of vendors are supporting it. A lot of voters are not.
Like the casinos, and the “children’s services organizations” who stand to profit from Proposition 1, Fred Weber’s contribution to Proposition M reeks of self-interest. Something is very wrong when big companies can cash in by buying an election.
Nick is onto something here. The bailout Bi-state (err Metro) will cost St. Louis County taxpayers $50,000 in new sales taxes every year. Assuming that money gets spent paying off Larry Salci’s $25,000,0000 legal fee bill, plus a significant sum on new legal bills trying to limit the existing ones, there is a lot of dough in this vote for lawyers and contractors. Not sure what’s in it for voters.
I deleted a post from a “Todd Palin” because it violated the blog’s rules against using other people’s names.
Hey Phil, do you realize that you never even mention the name of the committee pushing Prop M in your crack report on this issue? You spend four paragraphs talking about them, but you never mention their name. You mention the second group, GSL Transit Alliance, but not the first group…nor do you mention how much Campisi has spent to date, only what he raised and spent for October?