Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Campaign Coffers

The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform takes a look at all the aldermanic races and sees who's got the money... and who doesn't.  Read about it here.

7 comments:

  1. When you look even further at who is contributing to the campaigns, it become more clear who the residents of the 46th want to be their alderman. James Cappleman is clearly getting the majority of the contributions from 46th ward residents. Even Don Nowotny - a ward resident for over 16 years - has struggled to raise much funds outside of his inner circle of the 46th ward Democratic Committee.

    Molly Phelan has received several large ($1,000 plus) contributions in the last few weeks (as Irish Pirate pointed out yesterday). It is interesting to see that almost all of these contributions are from outside of the ward - mostly from attorneys or real estate developers (see the detail here - http://www.elections.state.il.us/CampaignDisclosure/CommitteeDetail.aspx?id=22778). Given Molly's ties to Crook County Assessor Joe Berrios, it is becoming clear that she is the Cook County insider choice for 46th ward alderman. I'm not exactly sure what they have planned for our ward if she were to win, but is certainly scares me to have someone control our ward who is supported by the Cook County/Berrios/Stroger machine.

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  2. Now it seems Rahmbo is running away with the mayoral election. If he avoids a runoff that will leave him with the time and money to get heavily involved in aldermanic runoffs.

    The way the mayoral race is playing out amazes me. Personally, if I were a politician, and thankfully given my sarcastic nature I never will be, I'd rather be Mayor of Chicago than President of the United States. Less hassle and you don't have to send troops to invade foreign countries.

    Rahmbo has more uncovered skeletons in his background than an Irish cemetery during the potato famine. Yet he seems to be the clear favorite to win.

    Friggin amazin'.

    We'll see how round one plays out in 13 days. I expect it to be Cappleman V Phelan, but I could be wrong. Perhaps Kaplan will use the CTU endorsement to sneak in to the runoff. Perhaps Meghan Fox is in my bedroom right now waiting impatiently whilst I type.

    Perhaps not.

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  3. Thank you for the link Cub Reporter. Apparently Phelan is the candidate of outside business and real estate interests.

    Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce PAC 200 E. Randolph Street
    Chicago, IL 60601 $5,000.00
    2/8/2011

    Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association 27 E Monroe St
    # 1200
    Chicago, IL 60603 $1,000.00
    2/8/2011

    BOMA/CHICAGO PAC 115 SOUTH LASALLE STREET
    SUITE 2300
    Chicago, IL 60603 $4,000.00
    2/7/2011 2A

    Chicagoland Apartment Association 9950 Lawrence Ave
    Schiller Park, IL 60176-1310 $2,500.00
    2/7/2011 2A

    Citizens for Tully N. Dearborn, Suite 2450
    Chicago, IL 60602 $1,000.00
    2/7/2011

    Halim, Cameel
    Occupation: Property Management
    Employer: W R Property Management LLC 915 W Carmen
    Chicago, IL 60640 $1,000.00
    2/7/2011

    That is just two days donations.
    If she makes the runoff it looks like Cappleman will be outspent again. $14,000 in donations in two days is impressive.

    I have been telling people for a year that Phelan is the candidate of parts of the machine and her recent big donations point to that. When she was the ward coordinator for the Terrence O'Brien for County Board President campaign that was clear.

    O'Brien being the candidate of the Madigan-Burke-Berrios nexus.

    I had planned to vote for Michael Carroll. I like the idea of a police officer as alderman. That being said he is being outfundraised and I now doubt he will make the April runoff.

    If it turns out to be a Phelan versus Cappleman runoff then I will vote for Cappleman. If Michael makes the runoff I will vote for him. If it turns out to be Phelan versus Nowatny I will retire and move someplace where no one had ever heard of Michael Madigan.

    This is all very discouraging. The machine just does not give up easily.

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  4. Oh man,

    dat's some impressive moola Molly is raising.

    It will be interesting to see who the Tribune endorses on Friday.

    Considering the amount of cash Molly is raising from real estate and general business interests Mother Tribune might endorse her.

    Verrrrrrrry interesting............

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  5. Molly Phelan is obviously indebted herself to various special interests. I watch enough prison shows on msnbc to know indebting yourself to these type of people will inevitably lead to an "uncomfortable conclusion". But its not just her rear on the line, its the wards. Say no to Molly.

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  6. Al,

    you win the award for overwrought comment of the week on UU.

    PRISON SHOWS?

    UNCOMFORTABLE CONCLUSION

    ???!!!

    I suspect Molly's outside the ward donations aren't that much different than many establishment aldermen receive. Think Tunney, Schulter, Mary Ann Smith etc. While I'm not overly thrilled with them as aldermen, I think prison analogies are a wee bit much.

    I think I was the first person who pointed out her working for the Terry O'Brien campaign. I criticized that as both being wrong and at best politically naive and at worst being craven.

    Where Molly is getting her money from and her work as a Real Estate Tax attorney points to her being an establishment aldermen if elected. Not the next contestant on Federal Corruption Charges Elected Official Feud.

    It's fine to point out where her money is coming from or any candidates money for that matter. Sometimes associates and associations tell a whole lot more about a candidate than their rhetoric.

    Don's rhetoric and his backers are a perfect example of that.

    Now I'm all for a bit of cognitive dissonance in any aspect of life. Sanity has been defined as being able to hold two conflicting ideas at the same time.

    Now Molly's supporters like to portray her as someone who fought the machine over Wilson Yard. They're right. She did and she fought hard and well.

    Take that and add in the establishment money support she is clearly receiving.

    Mix.

    Cognitive Dissonance.

    Now if Molly makes the runoff and manages to win in April we will still have a better alderman than we have now.

    I voted early and the initials of my aldermanic choice were JC.

    We have 11 people running. With two vile exceptions any of them would probably be ok aldermen. Thankfully the gruesome twosome have zero chance of winning.

    If you're wondering who I speak of think Days of Rage and Annie Oakley.

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  7. LOANS Received by Candidates-

    Don-
    Has personally given loans to his campaign for a whopping $70,845.27 which $35,000 has been payed back to a lady who happens to live 8 floors beneath him. Inflate much Don?

    Emily-
    Oh where do I even start with this one... Well here is a starter! In her D2 filings Emily had $34,257.19 on hand which is allot of money don't get me wrong but out of that $34,257 who was the biggest contributor???? EMILY STEWART HERSELF WITH A monster $30,000 dollar loan to her coffers! With this being said she has all the right to donate to her own campaign and to me it seems she really wants to become alderman but i bet I could find some SRO's and Affordable housing that could use the 30 G's! But anyway on to the next one!

    Retta-
    If you thought Emily's loan was a goodie, take a look here! Retta's cash on hand was $45,303.17 on his D2 filing.. But if you take a closer look he got a $25,200 dollar loan from a couple and $20,780 in kind contributions which really helps pump his bottom line up!

    James-
    James only had $16,500 worth of personal loans to himself which is Penny's compared to some of the others.. but think about this that $16,500 could have been a nice little down payment to buy Hotel Chateau!

    Carroll- No Loans but should have given himself one so I could have made fun of him.

    Molly-
    $2,000 dollar personal loan isn't bad at all but obviously she didn't spend this 2G's on a designer for her mail pieces. I'm insulted as a whitesoxs fan that I got something in the mail with a cubs reference on it! Also why would she even do a piece like that? Cubs=losers why associate you self with them?

    Baskin-
    No D2

    Kaplan-
    No D2

    schwierdo-
    No D2

    Lam-
    No D2

    Well sorry for the long post but think about the issues and not the money when it come to voting on the 22nd!

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