Local developer, drink dealer boost Obama’s inaugural party
Clark, left, and Epsten
A St. Louis spirits distributor and a local developer have come up big for Barack Obama’s inaugural party, both chipping in the maximum amount for the president-elect’s swearing-in.
Todd Epsten, head of the Major Brands Inc. beverage company, and Bob Clark, chief of the Clayco construction firm in St. Louis County, each contributed $50,000 to the Presidential Inaugural Committee, according to records released last week.
Epsten, an early Obama supporter, is a member of the St. Louis Police Board. Clark, whose projects include the new St. Louis University arena, has become increasingly active in local Democratic politics.
Obama’s inaugural committee accepted donations from individuals, not corporations or political-action committees, putting Clark and Epsten in the company of some well-known stars in the VIP tent: Hollywood figures Halle Berry, Samuel Jackson and Robert Zemeckis also gave $50,000.
In the St. Louis area, philanthropist John Ferring – head of an aerosol packaging firm in St. Clair, Mo.– gave $50,000, while East Alton litigator (and soccer enthusiast) Jeffrey Cooper gave $25,000.
You go dudes! Just keep any unethical and self-serving behavior you may have become used to out of the picture. None of us working with Obama want any more of that good old boy stuff to pollute the waters. No more business as usual. Can you handle a new era of doing things right, and for the right reasons? It will require, courage, honesty and a whole new way of doing things.
It’s unbelievable that at a time when so many families are truly suffering in our country that these fat cats have this type of money to give to an inaugural celebration. If Mr. O had any class, he would take this money and give it to all the homeless and starving people in this country and forgo the celebrating and just get sworn in. Way to go Dems! Just please don’t let me hear you ever say again how the rich Republicans are allowing people to starve in this country when it is your candidate that raised the most money in history to buy a presidential election. That is where all your money goes. Apparently Dems are pretty cheap when it comes to real charity, unfortunately not so when it comes to their elected candidates and include the groveling unions in that one.
GOTTA PAY TO PLAY
Didn’t the bailout beneficiaries at Wachovia use $400K to treat their own people to a spa weekend right after our tax money was pledged? I think a $50K pledge or 2 from companies that are doing just fine without our money is a fine way to finance the inaugural festivities. Let the poor and starving eat Palin’s $250,000 wardrobe, speaking of class.
For gosh sakes, let’s compare this to fundraising in the past! It’s all out there, folks…all the names, all the amounts….a full disclosure like never before. And let’s face it, there has to be a swearing in….and it’s pretty great that a lot of it will be paid by these folks (along with my few pennies) rather than more debt for the government. It’s called putting your money where your mouth is. And even the rich guys have other things they could be doing with their money….they chose to spend it on a celebration that should appeal to every patriot.
At these fat cats vote in the best interest of the good ol USA rather that their own. Look at it this way- they voted themselves a tax increase!