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Proposition 3 Campaign Reports Finances
10-1 campaign proponents raised more than $40,000,
Proposition 4’s 8-2-1 advocates’ report not submitted
by Ken Martin
© The Austin Bulldog 2012
Posted Tuesday, October 9, 2012 9:23pm
Corrected Thursday, October 11, 2012 9:57a
Austinites for Geographic Representation (AGR), the proponent for Proposition 3 on the November 6 ballot, reported raising $40,662 from July 1 through September 27. However, The Austin Bulldog’s tally of the contributions totals $37,882. Campaign treasurer Stacy Suits was in Dallas today and not able to resolve the discrepancy. (The report was correct as submitted. The Austin Bulldog regrets the error.)
The AGR total does not include the $29,131 previously reported in the January and July campaign finance reports. The latest report brings total campaign contributions to nearly $70,000.
Austin Community For Change (AC4C) the proponent for Proposition 4, did not submit its PAC report by today’s 5pm deadline. AC4C’s only previous report showed the organization had raised $1,907.
AGR’s largest donation was the $15,000 received from “Home PAC Corporate,” a political action committee operated by the Homebuilders Association of Greater Austin. Home PAC gave two donations, one for $11,000 and another for $4,000. (Home PAC also donated $1,000 during the previous reporting period that ended June 30.)
 Harry SavioHarry Savio, executive vice president of the Homebuilders Association, explained the Homebuilders interest in geographic representation. He said that the cost of running a campaign citywide prevents people who work for a living from running for office.
“It seems like they need a voice and a perspective that’s not available on the council right now,” Savio said. Proposition 3 offers “an opportunity to become more populist in local government,” he added. “We decided it would be a good idea to have single-member districts and it’s something we want to support.”
 John RamseyJohn Ramsey, who founded the Liberty For All Super PAC, donated $10,000 to AGR. In a telephone interview, Ramsey said he moved to Austin in March and is impressed with the way the AGR brought together a diverse coalition of supporters, including Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Greens, and a large number of community organizations.
AGR supporters are “dropping politics as usual and coming together as Americans to solve an issue” he said. “Causes like this at the local level intrigue me the most.”
Ramsey said he is involved in “liberty politics” which is an outgrowth of “an entire generation that is sick and tired of politics as usual.” He said the two major political parties are “not very different” and the movement is centered on nonviolence and taking care of neighbors but not through the force of government.
Ramsey said his Liberty For All Super PAC helped elect two U.S. representatives: Thomas Massie in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, and Kerry Bentivolio in Michigan’s 11th Congressional District. The goal of the PAC, according to its website, is “to put America back on track by electing candidates who understand that limited government is the basis of security, prosperity, and peace.”
According to OpenSecrets.org, the Liberty for All Super PAC spent $1,722,904 in independent expenditures for the 2012 election cycle, of which $797,754 supported Republican candidates, and $925,150 opposed Republican candidates.
Ramsey’s political activity was reported May 23 by Forbes in an article titled “A College Millionaire With a Super-PAC Shows the Rich Don’t Ruin Democracy.” BusinessWeek profiled Ramsey in a May 23 article titled “Grandfather’s Millions Make Paul Fan a Political Player.” To see a YouTube video, click here.
Other significant donations
AGR PAC reported receiving a pledge of $20,000 from Kirk Mitchell, a longtime Austin environmentalist. Mitchell promised to match AGR donations made in September up to that amount. That pledge is not included in the AGR totals for this report. (Disclosure: Mitchell is The Austin Bulldog’s largest donor.)
Roger Baker, a longtime Austin transportation activist who has been one of the more active AGR volunteers, donated $2,000. (Disclosure: Baker has made donations to The Austin Bulldog.)
Contributions of $1,000 each were made by:
Attorney Fred Lewis, president of Texans Together;
Tax attorney Lorri Michel of the Michel Law Firm PC;
M.H. Crockett Jr., president of M.H. Crockett Properties Inc.; and
TBG Partners, an architecture and planning firm whose Austin managing principal is Brian Ott.
AGR reported campaign expenditures totaling $32,450. Major expenditures within that amount included:
• Printing $12,792
• Contract labor $5,267
• Consulting $4,000
To see the complete AGR report, click here.
This report was made possible by contributions to The Austin Bulldog, which operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to provide investigative reporting in the public interest. You can help to sustain The Austin Bulldog’s coverage by making a tax-deductible contribution.
Related Bulldog coverage: This is The Austin Bulldog’s 31st article covering issues and activities pertaining to proposed changes to the Austin City Charter.
Proposition 3 Rally Draws 150-200 People: Crowd hears fiery speeches by proponents of the 10-1 systemfor electing council members, October 8, 2012
Attorney Bickerstaff Addresses Critics’ Concerns: His September 24 article drew numerous comments about the Proposition 3 Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, October 5, 2012
Feisty Debate Over Electing Council Members: One panelist argues for no change to the at-large system of City Council elections, October 4, 2012
Proposition 3 and 4 Proponents Rev Their Campaigns: Raising money, organizing troops, and pushing plans for geographic representation on Austin City Council, September 28, 2012
Redistricting Need Not Be a Quintessentially Political Process: Independent redistricting commissions for U.S. states and cities, September 24, 2012
Barrientos Lampoons Prop 4 With a Fable: Other proponents of alternative plans for geographic representation push their points, September 14, 2012
Proposition 3 Advocates Falsely Accuse RECA: Group alleges ‘rumor’ of $100,000 pledge by Real Estate Council to defeat Proposition 3, but RECA says not so, September 12, 2012
No-Change Option Surfaces in Ballot Debate: Former Council Member Bob Binder opposes both options on the ballot for geographic representation, September 11, 2012
The Election Wars Have Begun: Interest in how council members elected running high, as face-off debates abound, September 9, 2012
Your Guide to Proposed City Charter Amendments: What’s on the ballot, what it will cost taxpayers, and details provided in the ordinances for each proposition, August 30, 2012
Loud Rally Follows Final Council Vote for 8-2-1: AGR’s Cries Foul Over Work Session Vote for Hybrid; Mayor Leffingwell Said Votes Driven by Ballot Deadline, August 7, 2012
Council Backers of 8-2-1 Plan Accused of Self-Interest: But Facts Don’t Seem to Substantiate Such a Claim, as Related Actions May Bar Most Incumbents From Reelection, August 6, 2012
8-2-1 Near Certain to Go on Ballot: City Council Votes on Second Reading to Put Competition Election Plan on Ballot, July 31, 2012
10-1 Plan Qualifies for November Ballot: Consultant Estimates That 22,435 Signatures Are Valid; Austinites for Geographic Representation Readies for Battle, July 26, 2012
Petition Completed for 10-1 Council Districts: Austinites for Geographic Representation Claims 33,000 Signatures, of Which About 22,800 Are Considered Valid, July 16, 2012
Council Puts 10-1 Election Plan on November Ballot: Votes 5-2 on Three Readings to Adopt Petition Language, Votes 4-2 on First Reading to Also Put 8-2-1 on Ballot, June 29, 2012
Citizens Group to Make Final Petition Push: Austinites for Geographic Representation Claims to Have 17,000 Signatures, and Shoots for 13,000 More, June 4, 2012
City Council Tackles Charter Amendments: Redistricting Expert, Charter Revision Committee Members, and Grass-roots Group Critical of Task Force Plan, April 26, 2012
Council District Backers Want Quick Ballot Decision: Big Press Conference, Big Pressure Promised, to Get Council Decision Before Council Elections, March 8, 2012
Hard Fought, Heartfelt Charter Decision: Charter Revision Committee Votes 8-7 to Back 10-1 Plan for Council Elections, February 3, 2012
New Restrictions Proposed for Lobbyist Fundraising: Lobbyists Can Only Give Candidates $25 But Can Collect Unlimited Contributions For Them, January 22, 2012
Committee Debates How to Elect Council: Charter Revision Committee Divided Over Pure Districts vs. Hybrid System, January 9, 2012
Thirteen Charter Changes and Counting: Charter Revision Committee’s Next Job: Tackle Plan for Geographic Representation, December 14, 2011
Council Confirms November 2012 Election Date for Charter Amendments: Resolution Ensures Citizens Initiative Won’t Force May 2012 Charter Election, November 3, 2011
Coalition Launching Petition Drive to Get on the Ballot for May 2012 Election, October 18, 2011
Broad Community Interest Focusing on How Mayor and Council Members Elected, October 4, 2011
Coalition Nearing Petition Launch for Grass-roots Council District Plan, August 24, 2011
Maps Prove Select Few Govern Austin: Forty Years of Election History Expose Extent of Disparity, August 4, 2011
City Council to Consider Proposal to Create Geographic Representation: Election Dates, Term Lengths, Redistricting and Other Charter Changes in Council Resolution, April 27, 2011
Petition Launch Imminent to Force Election for Geographic Representation in City Elections, March 7, 2011 |
Comments
This from the NYTIMES "The Caucus" July 30, 2012.
Liberty for All was founded by the unlikely pairing of John Ramsey, a 21-year-old from Nacogdoches, Tex., and Preston Bates, a Kentucky political operative. The two met while campaigning for Ron Paul and decided to marshal Mr. Ramsey’s money behind candidates who will carry Mr. Paul’s libertarian flame.
And from the Courier Journal on Liberty for All backed campaign for Thomas Massie:
The big winners in Tuesday's election were U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, his buddy Thomas Massie and money. The big losers included those of us who don't like big money warping our elections, and the long-term losers could be Democrats in the Nov. 6 general election.
Massie, the Lewis County judge-executive, won the Republican nomination for Congress in the 4th District with nearly 45 percent of the vote in a seven-candidate primary that turned out one of every five registered Republicans in the district.
When I was at City Hall on the day we turned in the signatures, I asked the Prop 4 people how many signatures they got--they said they didn't even have a petition! How very democratic!
As for your comment about his PAC, each candidate his PAC has supported so far is a tea party favorite correct? Massie in Kentucky, Bentivolio in Michigan, and of course Ron Paul. If, however, you have some objection to being labeled as a tea party pac, by all means, let's go with libertarian pac.
You should do a little homework as well John, AC4C advocates fair and inclusive change. As for the stock photo, our underfunded group is working hard to try and get out there to engage and inform to counter the AGR money machine's campaign of disinformation and I will admit, the quality of our website has suffered for it.
However, if that libertarian PAC is willing to give us $10,000, we will spend the money required to take more photos to make AGR happy.
I do wish we had more money though to hire paid consultants like Linda and Jessica, hire fundraising/image consultants at $4,000, etc., but to this point, we are still just trying to fight the mega-funded machine that is churning out distortions and misrepresentati ons about our efforts to have a proposition out there for people to consider on its merits. Yes, that's right we want the people (you remember them don't you) to make up their own minds about the proposals. Consider both Prop 3 and Prop 4 and vote for one, the other or both. Shocking isn't it.
And while I do appreciate the concept of the "coalition" that your paid consultants and image builders have put together, I have seen what the extreme right wing does once it has inserted huge Super PAC money into local politics and I don't want that to happen to my Austin.
By the way is your Super PAC not currently suing the Travis County Democratic Party about the race that your candidate lost for Constable and which your PAC pumped $35,000 into? If you are willing to pump $35,000 into a constable's race, how much are you willing to pump into a city council district race that AGR claims will only take $25,000 to be competitive in? I wonder.
What's sad is you can't even take a picture of you guys grouped together--do you even meet?! When is your next meeting? How long have you been meeting? Just an FYI--you don't need to be some richly funded group to get a meeting space at the Austin Energy building or even the local library, so can't use your lack of funds as an excuse. AGR only had several thousand when the petition effort was underway, so framing AGR as a "money machine" is pretty absurd.
It is truly infuriating to have been a part of all of this since the beginning, to have spoken with and met so many different and passionate individuals who want to see this city change for the better, and here your astroturf group comes along and maligns it! This is a once-in-a-lifetime coalition and the reason your group has so little support is because THERE IS NO ONE LEFT in the city to support it--most of the groups, small and large (and not mostly race-based), already support AGR!
PS Maybe you've been too busy attacking the Who's Who coalition backing Prop 3 to bother filing a proper report?
The Chronicle Ad was not placed on the 27th. And yes, I am not the best Treasurer trying to juggle numerous duties. Freely admitted.
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