Is America A Great Country or What?

This video is courtesy of the CBS affiliate WBZ-TV in Boston. It is presented here without comment. All I ask is that while you watch the videos that you consider our entitlement system, our immigration system, and our legal system. Does the system as practiced make sense and does it meet the goals for which is was designed? Do her views possibly explain the policies and practices of the current Administration?

In the President's defense, I fully understand deadbeat relatives. But, to the best of my knowledge, none is currently violating any laws. Likewise, the President is toughing it out having only declared only $5.5 MILLION in adjusted gross income and himself living in taxpayer-provided housing.

Favorite line: "If I come as an immigrant, you have the obligation to make me a citizen."

Part 1:

Part 2:

See also ...

• Washington Times: "Obama's illegal uncle arrested; 'Uncle Omar' almost hits cop car, tries to call White House"
  http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/watercooler/2011/aug/28/picket-obamas-illegal-uncle-arrested-uncle-omar-hi/
  
  
• Boston Herald: "President Obama's uncle had Social Security ID"
  http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1362374
  
  
• Boston Herald: "Obama's uncle is called a fugitive: Said to ignore '92 deportation order"
  http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/08/31/obamas_uncle_called_a_fugitive_from_deportation_since_1992/

One of These Things Is Not Like the Others ...

Cookie Monster of Sesame Street fame teaches children how to spot important difference while singing his equally-famous "One of These Things Is Not Like the Others" song. Let's see if we can spot any differences in how most Californians think about redistricting.

There were two -- count 'em two! -- redistricting measures on the November 2010 ballot in California. One, Proposition 20, extended existing redistricting reforms by empowering the Citizens Redistrict Commission to draw U.S. Congressional districts. Proposition 20 passed with a 60% plus majority.

The second redistricting initiative on the ballot was Proposition 27. Proposition 27's aim was to eliminate the Citizens Redistricting Commission and to return redistricting control back to the California Legislature. Why was this a bad idea? First, the California Legislature is dominated by one party with nearly a 2-to-1 majority. Second, everybody remembers the horrible job that the Legislature did drawing the 2001 political district lines. Proposition 27 was funded by 25 self-serving incumbent politicians and their well-connected, big-money party donors--many from outside of California! No surprise, Californians rejected Proposition 27, also by nearly a 60% majority.

At the county level, both Proposition 20 and Proposition 27 were nearly universally approved or rejected statewide. Note the key word, "nearly." One county, and only one county, voted completely opposite of all the others. See if you can spot which one. Look carefully.

Spot the difference yet? Look along the West coast (the left edge) mid-way up the state.

San Francisco county was the only California county to oppose Proposition 20 and support Proposition 27.

Initial Reflection on California 2010 Election Results

As a fourth-generation Californian and a fiscal conservative, I am obviously disappointed by the 2010 election results. I have little respect for Jerry Brown and even lower expectations from his second Gubernatorial administration. I cannot fathom how Californians could re-elect Senator Boxer, but I do acknowledge their hesitation with Carly Fiorina (I supported Tom Campbell in the primary). Are these really the best leaders that California can produce?

Fortunately, there were a few positives from the election.

First and foremost, the naked power grab by the Democratic Party oligarchy in California, Proposition 27, failed at the ballot box by nearly a 60% majority. Proposition 27's aim was to disband the Citizens Redistricting Commission and to return redistricting decisions to the California Legislature, currently dominated by the Democrats with a nearly 2-to-1 majority. Proposition 27 was funded by many well-connected, big money donors to the Democratic Party, many from outside California! For more information, see ...

Proposition 27 Revealed!

http://soquelbythecreek.blogspot.com/2010/09/proposition-27-revealed.html

Interestingly, the electorate not only defeated Proposition 27 but also passed Proposition 20 by a 60%+ majority. Proposition 20 increased the power and scope of the Citizens Redistricting Commission by expanding their redistricting responsibilities to include U.S. Congressional districts. This has big implications for future elections especially given the changes in the 2010 Census. As evidence that redistricting reform is needed, just look at how many California incumbents were re-elected in a year when other states removed long-standing incumbents from office. The poster boy for redistricting reform is 20-term Congressman Pete Stark, who received over 95% of his campaign contributions from out-of-state political action committees (PACs). Does he work for his constituents or for his benefactors?

Bill Lockyer was re-elected state Treasurer. Interestingly, in an 2009 address to the California Legislature he said, "Particularly I would say to the Democrats, in an era when we aren't going to have tax increases, give it up. Figure out how to be more efficient about spending the money we've got."

http://soquelbythecreek.blogspot.com/2010/02/california-treasurer-lockyer-scolds.html

His words were prescient about other California 2010 election results.

• Proposition 21 failed. There will be no additional car fees to pay for state parks (although I supported this one).

• Proposition 22 passed. The state can no longer raid local governments for funds.

• Proposition 24 failed. There will be no repeal of earlier corporate tax breaks.

• Proposition 26 passed. Fee increases now require a 2/3rd majority vote, just like taxes.

California's future will be interesting, to say the least. Over the last decade, California's government spending increased both as a percent of gross domestic product (GDP, or the size of the economy) and per person, adjusted for inflation (shown here as constant 2005 dollars).

The state's taxpayers still face a massively underfunded state employee pension problem along with dwindling tax revenues. The pension problem was spawned by the California Legislature when it approved overly generous pension benefits with SB 400 passed in 1999. Ahhhh, yes. Remember 1999? We were all going to get rich selling dog food from our web site--and then the Internet bubble popped. Californians and California businesses long ago adjusted to that economic reality. California's state government and pension system has yet to confront either the economic reality of the 2000 Internet bubble or the 2008 sub-prime mortgage bubble.

Again, in California State Treasurer Bill Lockyer's prescient words ...

It's impossible for this Legislature to reform the pension system and if we don't, we bankrupt the state.

...

And I don't think anybody can do it here because of who elected you. You're just captive of the current environment. I don't see any way out.

It really inspires confidence and provides hope for the future, doesn't it? What exactly did Bill Lockyer mean when he said, "I don't think anybody can do it here because of WHO elected you"? Who elected the California Legislators? Wasn't it the people? Or, was Bill Lockyer merely acknowledging the people that PAID to elect many of the California Legislature--namely public sector unions. After all, according to the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), the California Teachers Association (CTA) and the California State Council of Service Employees (a.k.a. SEIU) are the two largest spenders in California politics, attempting to influence voters and public officials. See the full list on page 10 in the following document.

Big Money Talks: California's Billion Dollar Club

http://www.fppc.ca.gov/reports/Report31110.pdf

After the 2010 election, California Democrats now have nearly unanimous control of the State of California, including the following offices.

• Governor (Jerry Brown)
• Lt. Governor (Gavin Newsom)
• Secretary of State (Debra Bowen)
• Controller (John Chiang)
• Treasurer (Bill Lockyer)
• Attorney General (likely at the time of this writing)
• Insurance Commissioner (Dave Jones)
• A nearly two-thirds majority in the California Senate
• A nearly two-thirds majority in the California Assembly

California Democrats now OWN the government's response to success or failure of the California economy going forward. I hope and pray that they can show real leadership in addressing state's many daunting challenges. First and foremost, they must confront their traditional allies in California's public sector unions and adjust California's budget to reflect economic reality.

Personally, I expect conditions to deteriorate as more California taxpayers and businesses move to other states or at least leave California's taxation authority.

For a great read on how California arrived in this horrible situation, I recommend ...

The Golden State’s War on Itself: How politicians turned the California Dream into a nightmare

http://www.city-journal.org/2010/20_3_california-economy.html

A Fake Latino Reform Group Appears in Nevada

Apparently the Nevada Angle/Reid Senate race is going ugly. First, it was radio ads against Sharron Angle from a fake Tea Party group called The Patriot Majority, funded by labor unions and Harry Reid supporters. Now, radio ads urging Hispanics not to vote in the upcoming election come from a fake reform group called Latinos for Reform.

There is scant Federal Elections Commission (FEC) data on this group, although OpenSecrets.org has some information.

Latinos for Reform: Overview

http://www.opensecrets.org/527s/527cmtedetail.php?ein=943447148&cycle=2008

Donor List

http://www.opensecrets.org/527s/527cmtedetail_donors.php?ein=943447148&cycle=2008

An alternate source of information is from CampaignMoney.com. Their data matches the OpenSecrets.org information.

From the OpenSecrets.org information, it appears that the organization raised most of their money in 2008 and spent all but about $25,000. According to NPR, the group ran advertisements against candidate Obama in the 2008 Presidential race. The NPR article also indicates that Latinos for Reform has connections to a Republican political consultant named Robert Posada.

Searching for the address at the bottom of the Latinos for Reform web page, yields hits to one of the contributors of record for Latinos for Reform. The address itself appears to be in rural Virginia.

One Marketing & Research Inc.
205 North Berry Lane
Madison, VA 22727

The company appears not have an independent web site. Searching for One Marketing & Research yields a LinkedIn profile for one Robert Posada of One Marketing &Research.

Robert Posada's name appears on a 2008 IRS filing for Latinos for Reform. Robert de Posada is listed as the "contact person" on line 6a. Similarly, Robert Garcia de Posada of One Marketing & Research Inc. is listed as a contributor on page 2, 6th contributor from the top.

Here's a classic Jimmy Kimmel send up on the situation.

See also …

Soquel by the Creek, “A Fake Tea Party Group Appears in Nevada”

NPR, “Promoting An Ethnic Wedge Issue,” October 24, 2008

Fire Dog Lake, “Latinos for Reform Run By Bush Pioneers and Appointees”

Huffington Post, “GOP-Linked 'Latinos For Reform' Airs Nevada Ads Urging Hispanics Not To Vote”

Talking Points Memo (TPM), “Just Coming Right Out & Saying It”

Talking Points Memo (TPM), "Maker Of Ad Telling Latinos Not To Vote Has Long History In GOP"

Resources for Tracking Campaign Spending

A variety of people have requested information on how to track campaign spending. Here are a few of my personal favorites. I would love to hear if you have others to suggest.

Center for Responsive Politics

My all-time favorite tracking tool for campaign spending is OpenSecrets.org, run by the Center for Responsive Politics.

Their search engine could use some work, but the information is generally there for those willing to dig a little deeper.

Here are some of the things that you can find.

• Which groups are the biggest political spenders in U.S. federal politics?
• Who are the biggest contributors to my Congressman, Sam Farr over his career?
• Who are the top-spending Political Action Committees (PACs) in the 2010 election and how are they spending their money?
• Who are the top-spending 527 committees in the 2010 election and where do they get their money?
• Who were the top individual donors during the 2008 election and where did they spend their money?
• Who or what organizations are funding a specific 527 committee?

Also read their free online guidebook, "Follow The Money: A Handbook for Do-It-Yourself Data-Digging".

Influence Explorer

Influence Explorer is a great tool courtesy of the Sunlight Foundation. It doesn't provide as much detail as OpenSecrets.org, but it's a great starting point to see overall spending and relationships.

MAPLight.org

The MAPLight.org web site is another great resource. I find it particularly useful for tracking Californian politicians, my home state. Here are some of the things that I can find using MAPLight.

• What are the top political interests contributing to my California Assemblyman, Bill Monning?
• Who are the top donors to Bill Monning?
• By default, MAPlight only shows current year donations. However, with the search engine, you can dig deeper and into prior years.

Influence Tracker

Influence Tracker is a fun tool courtesy of Wired Magazine, MAPLight, and OpenSecrets.org. Enter the name of a federal-level politician, last name first. It then creates a web page showing the contributions to the politician and (my personal favorite), a NASCAR-like shirt with the logos of the largest contributors.

The text box in the lower left corner includes code so that you can embed the result in your own website. Here's an example screen capture for Harry Reid, who is running for U.S. Senate in Nevada.

Don't confuse Influence Tracker with Influence Explorer listed above.

National Institute on Money in State Politics

FollowTheMoney.org is another good site that is very complementary to OpenSecrets.org, which focuses primarily on national races.

CampaignMoney.com

I find the CampaignMoney.com site itself difficult, but it often comes up during Google searches. It only shows contributions to a campaign, and not spending with a PAC or a 527 committee.

I find it easiest to enter a search string directly in the browser address field. For example, here is a search for George Soros spending during the current election cycle. This gives you the general pattern.

http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/contributions/george-soros.asp?cycle=10

ElectionTrack.com

ElectionTrack.com is a great resource for tracking campaign spending in California. It's fairly simplistic, but timely and easy.

For example, I used the specific page on those funding Yes on Proposition 27 to write a recent article revealing how the donors supporting Proposition 27 are well-connected to a single political party. It's easy to search for a specific donor or amount.

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

The Federal Election Commission web site is the ultimate resource for tracking federal elections spending, including PACs and 572s.

• Click the Campaign Finance and Data link.
• Then, click Search the Disclosure Database link.
• You can search for donations from a specific individual.
• You can search for a Political Action Committee (PAC). For example, here is the search result for "Patriotic Majority PAC" for a recent article about this fake Tea Party group.

Internal Revenue Service

• Search for Political Organization Disclosures
• Tips for Successful Searching of Political Organization Disclosures

California Secretary of State

The ultimate resource for tracking campaign spending in California is the Secretary of State's office. Likely, there are similar sites for other states.

For example, I needed historical data on those funding opposition to 2005's Proposition 77, a previous attempt at redistricting reform.

FundRace

The Huffington Post FundRace tool is another tracking tool for campaign donations. It has some relatively good top-level tracking tools on where money is going by occupation and city.

NPR

Here's an oldie but goodie from NPR dated from 2008. NPR has had some good journalism about "shadow money" (examples here and here), but I do have some concerns about possible corrupting influence going forward due to the Soros/Open Society Foundation investment.

"Who's Who: Key Leaders Of Independent Groups", September 2008.

A Fake Tea Party Group Appears in Nevada

[updated 24-OCT-2010]

While listening to The Jerry Doyle Show via the web from a Las Vegas radio station KDWN, I heard a political advertisement from a supposed Tea Party group against Nevada Senate candidate Sharron Angle and supporting another candidate named Scott Ashjian. The group called themselves The Patriot Majority PAC, which certainly sounds like a Tea Party organization. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, The Patriot Majority has spent over $831,000 against Sharron Angle as of October 15, 2010.

Here is an audio clip of the ad, although this one is slightly different than the one that I heard. This is the raw feed, including the preamble information probably used by the radio station.

Having never heard of the group, I searched for them on OpenSecrets.org. I found little available yet, except for a blog post, describing the organization (look for the group's logo). OpenSecrets.org also lists the independent expenditures so far. There is a well-funded 527 organization with a similar name with significant contributions in 2010 and 2008 from AFSCME and SEIU.

Okay, so now it's off to the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) web site.

According to required financial disclosures, The Patriot Majority PAC received nearly $2 million as of 23-OCT-2010.

Looking through the FEC disclosures, I find the following major contributors of $10,000 or more.

1. SEIU Committee on Political Education (COPE): $400,000

2. American Federation of Teachers (AFT): $300,000

3. Guy David Gundlach: $300,000

4. MGM Resorts and MGM Mirage: $300,000

5. VoteVets.org Action Fund: $250,000

6. American Association for Justice (AAJ PAC): $100,000

7. Clean Energy Fuels Corporation: $75,000

8. Harrah's Operating Company: $75,000

9. Carpenter's Legislative Improvement Committee, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners: $60,000

10. San Pablo Lytton Casino (San Pablo, CA): $50,000

11. Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA) PAC: $20,000

12. Sheet Metal Workers International PAC: $10,000

According to FEC filings, The Patriot Majority PAC "committee will not use those funds to make contributions, whether direct, in-kind, or via coordinated communications, to federal candidates or committees." It's funny how everybody aware of the system knows that this is baloney.

Let's look again at the major donors. More than a few are associated with major labor unions that are listed on the OpenSecrets.org list of major political donors, known as the Heavy Hitters list. Here are a few examples.

• Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is #11 on the Heavy Hitters list with 95% of their contributions going to Democrats.
• American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is #13 on the Heavy Hitters list with 98% of their contributions going to Democrats.
• American Association for Justice (AAJ) is #6 on the Heavy Hitters list with 90% of their contributions going to Democrats.
• United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners is #12 on the Heavy Hitters list with 89% of their contributions going to Democrats.

What about individual donors? Do they primarily donate to Democrats?

• According to OpenSecrets.org, Guy David Gundlach, who gave $300,000 to The Patriot Majority, also gave $2,400 to Harry Reid's campaign (the maximum legally allowed) and $10,000 to the Democratic Party of Nevada. Harry Reid is the incumbent Senator in Nevada running against Sharron Angle. A person of the same name also gave $2,400 to Nevada Congresswoman Shelley Berkley, a Democrat, but the donation was from a California address. Likewise, Guy David Gundlach also gave $12,400 to the Reid Nevada Fund (see page 28, first contributor).
• According to OpenSecrets.org, VoteVets.org gives exclusively to Democrats in 2010 and primarily to Democrats in 2008.
• According to Influence Explorer, Clean Energy Fuels Corporation gives primarily to Republicans, but has supported Harry Reid.
• According to Influence Explorer, Harrah's Entertainment, which may be different than Harrah's Operating Company, is a major contributor to Harry Reid.
• According to Influence Explorer, MGM Mirage was a major donor to both Senator Harry Reid and Congresswoman Shelley Berkley, although their political contributions were fairly evenly balanced between parties.
• One strange member of the list is the San Pablo Lytton Casino in California, which is apparently part of the Lytton Rancheria Of California. I'm not sure what interest they have in this fight other than the casino owners obviously have connections to Nevada casinos.

I also looked up to see who owns the web domain for The Patriot Majority.

http://www.whois.net/whois/patriotmajority.us

The site is registered to "Craig Varoga" with an "independentstrategies.com" E-mail address. Craig Varoga is also the Treasurers name for the FEC filings. Who is Craig Varoga? According to the Independent Strategies web site ...

http://www.independentstrategies.com/page.php?id=94510

Craig Varoga is a national political strategist whose presidential experience includes managing former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack’s campaign for president, serving as national field director for retired Four Star General Wesley Clark, managing the Texas Truth Squad in 2000 and running the state-research program for the Clinton-Gore re-election. ... During the 1990s, Varoga served as communications director to Senator Harry Reid .... Partner at Varoga & Associates and founder of the Patriot Majority, Varoga writes a monthly column ("Ask the Campaign Doctor") for Campaigns & Elections magazine.

But still, who is Craig Varoga? According to a Michelle Malkin post from April, 2010.

Before them, it was Craig Varoga--a shady Democrat political operative and overseer of a convoluted, money-shuffling web of 527s. He launched TheTeaPartyisOver.org in January to target Republicans who supported the Tea Party movement and to prevent the "radical" and "dangerous" fiscal accountability agenda from "gaining legislative traction."

Joseph Abrams also wrote about Craig Varoga and friends back in February, 2010.

Here's how it works: What appears like a local groundswell is in fact the creation of two men -- Craig Varoga and George Rakis, Democratic Party strategists who have set up a number of so-called 527 groups, the non-profit election organizations that hammer on contentious issues (think Swift Boats, for example).

Varoga and Rakis keep a central mailing address in Washington, pulling in soft money contributions from unions and other well-padded sources to engage in what amounts to a legal laundering system. The money -- tens of millions of dollars -- gets circulated around to different states by the 527s, which pay for TV ads, Internet campaigns and lobbyist salaries, all while keeping the hands of the unions clean -- for the most part.

...

And this whitewash is entirely legal, say election law experts, who told FoxNews.com that this arrangement more or less the norm in Washington.

"It's not illegal but it is, I think, dishonest on the part of the organizations," said Paul Ryan, a legal counsel at the Campaign Legal Center. "And there's a reason they do it: they know voters don't like outsiders coming in to sway the vote."

...

Outside of that firm, the center of their activity appears to be a single office in Southeast D.C. -- 300 M Street, Suite 1102 -- which plays host to a sprawling political shell game they have established.

Public records show at least seven political shops listed in Suite 1102, most of which are essentially clones of one another, but all of which have offered money -- from measly thousands to game-changing millions -- in state-level elections across the country:

• The American Public Policy Committee [2010 donations | 2008 donations ]
• Patriot Majority [2010 donations | 2008 donations ]
• Citizens for Progress [2010 donations | 2008 donations ]
• Oklahoma Freedom Fund [ 2008 donations ]
• Mid Atlantic Leadership Fund [2010 donations ]
• Public Security Now [ 2008 donations ]
• Pioneer Majority [ 2008 donations ]
• Bluegrass Freedom Fund [ 2008 donations ]

The APPC, which developed the anti-tea party ads, has gotten all of its money for 2010 from Patriot Majority and from Citizens for Progress, which is also called Patriot Majority West.

The 300 M Street, Suite 1102, Washington DC address appears to be the current address for political law firm Sandler Reiff & Young and for business law and litigation firm Shapiro Sher Guinot & Sandler. The "Sandler" in both firms are cousins Paul Mark Sandler of Shapiro Sher Guinot & Sandler and Joseph E. Sandler of Sandler Reiff & Young. Paul Mark Rosen of Shapiro Sher Guinot & Sandler has been involved in high-profile campaign law cases.

USA Today: "Feds probe for Clinton campaign violations", October, 2004.

Talk about Astroturf, I'm calling this one TOTALLY BUSTED! on The Patriot Majority. By all measures, this is a sham Tea Party group and is purposefully deceptive. Anybody from The Patriot Majority care to refute these findings? For you Sarah Palin fans, refute means refudiate. :-)

Source Data

(link to table)

See also ...

NEW: OpenSecrets.org, "Shape-Shifting by Liberal Dark Money Groups Seems Meant to Confuse"

Center for Public Integrity, "Craig Varoga"

Las Vegas Review-Journal, "Reid distances himself from group attacking Lowden"

Las Vega Sun, "Pro-Harry Reid group out with radio ad touting Scott Ashjian"

Politico, "Casinos place bets on Reid"

DC Independent Examiner, "When Astroturf is really Astroturf: phony grassroots PAC reveals massive 527 network"

Washington Examiner, "Want to know how to really astroturf a movement? Just ask Democrat money men Craig Varoga and George Rakis"

Washington Post, "Democratic group targets tea party candidates"

FoxNews.com, "Anti-Tea Party Web Site Part of Scheme to Funnel Funds"

Las Vegas Review-Journal, "Reid, Angle even on campaign cash"

NPR, "Profile: Patriot Majority"

MSNBC (30-MAR-2010)

American Thinker, "Information War: TheTeaPartyIsOver.org"

Nevada News Bureau, "Chickens For Checkups TV Ad & Patriot Majority PAC"

Cranky Hermit, "MGM Resorts Dives Headfirst Into the Campaign - And Some Employees and Customers May Not Be Too Happy About It"

SF Weekly, "Jackpot: How four tiny Indian tribes, with help from powerful gambling interests, are trying to transform the Bay Area into a slot machine Mecca," October 27, 2004. Article about the Lytton Casino and Indian gaming in California.

Soquel by the Creek, "A Fake Latino Reform Group Appears in Nevada"

Craig Varoga, Varoga & Associates: This site looks nearly identical to the Independent Strategies web site.

The Big Spenders Behind the Scenes

Many political pundits and even the President and Vice-President themselves are decrying the amount of money being spent behind the scenes in the 2010 election. I happen to agree, as I have been concerned about this for about a decade now. Nearly half a trillion dollars, some $480 million, was spent just on 527 committee activity in the 2004, 2006, 2008, and so far in the 2010 elections.

However, look at who and which organizations are spending behind the scenes by examining the contribution to 527 political organizations, otherwise known as "soft money." This money is not subject to the same legal constraints as direct contributions to a state or national candidate.

Fortunately, organizations like the Center for Responsive Politics (www.OpenSecrets.org) scour the required campaign disclosure statements and publish the results.

Here are the total for the top contributors to 527 committees for the time period covering the 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010 election cycles. Obviously, not all the 2010 contributions are included as the 2010 election is still in progress.

(link to table)

A few things are notable from the table and chart.

• The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is the 800-pound gorilla of 527 campaign funding, providing nearly 30% of the total 527 funding. SEIU was a major contributor to the Obama Presidential campaign and various current and former SEIU executive members are now part of the Obama Administration, including frequent White House visitor, former SEIU President Andy Stern on the President's Deficit Commission and SEIU Secretary/Treasurer Anna Berger at the President's Small Business Summit.
• Many of those funding the Joint Victory Campaign 2004 are also major campaign contributors including George Soros of Soros Fund Management and the Open Society Institute, Peter B. Lewis of the appropriately named Progressive Corp., and Stephen Bing of Shangri-la Entertainment.
• Those contributing to the Victory Campaign 2004 (not to be confused with the Joint Victory Campaign) were primarily smaller donors.
• Nine of the top ten donors gives primarily to Democratic Party candidates. The one Republican-oriented group is Perry Homes. Robert J. Perry is perhaps most infamously known for the Swiftboat campaign against John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential race.
• Golden West Financial is the brainchild of Herbert Sandler and Marion Sandler. Well Fargo Bank, who purchased Wachovia Corp. during the height of the 2008 financial crisism was forced to modify loans sold by Golden West Financial's World Savings, which was later purchased by Wachovia. Both of the Sandler's are major contributors to the Center for American Progress, a leftist, progressive think tank, also often connected with George Soros.

It is also interesting to see the contributions by election cycle. It becomes obvious that SEIU is the dominant 527 committee donor. It also becomes obvious of the huge sums spent in the 2004 and 2008 elections, which were Presidential election years.

(link to table)

See also ...

NPR: "Who's Who: Key Leaders Of Independent Groups"

Useful Information for Under-taxed Individuals

Despite ample evidence (here, here, and here) that wealthier taxpayers already pay the bulk of U.S. taxes, a number of supposedly wealthy commentators and bloggers believe that they are under-taxed and should be forced to pay more taxes. I say, why wait for Congress to take action? If you truly believe that the government is the best and most-prudent investment of your hard-earned income, you can make additional voluntary contributions now.

1. Decide not to declare any deductions and not take any exemptions or credits on your federal income tax return. This will immediately boost your adjusted gross income (AGI) and increase the amount of taxes owed. For example, if you have a large mortgage on your home, do not take the deduction allowed on mortgage interest. Do not write off other taxes that you might have already paid. WARNING: Your accountant may question your sanity.

2. Give directly to the United States Government. Here's how, courtesy of the United States Treasury web site. Okay, in full disclosure, you are not actually paying additional income tax but you are helping to reduce the tremendous $13 TRILLION+ national debt, which reduces current and future interest payments paid by the government. Reducing interest payments frees those funds so that the government can spend on other programs.

How do you make a contribution to reduce the debt?

There are two ways for you to make a contribution to reduce the debt:

1. You can make a contribution online either by credit card, checking or savings account at Pay.gov
   
2. You can write a check payable to the Bureau of the Public Debt, and in the memo section, notate that it's a Gift to reduce the Debt Held by the Public. Mail your check to:

Attn Dept GBureau of the Public DebtP. O. Box 2188Parkersburg, WV 26106-2188

Alternatively, you can provide your money as a gift to the United States Government.

Gifts to the United States Government

How do I make a contribution to the U.S. government?

Citizens who wish to make a general donation to the U.S. government may send contributions to a specific account called "Gifts to the United States." This account was established in 1843 to accept gifts, such as bequests, from individuals wishing to express their patriotism to the United States. Money deposited into this account is for general use by the federal government and can be available for budget needs. These contributions are considered an unconditional gift to the government. Financial gifts can be made by check or money order payable to the United States Treasury and mailed to the address below.

Gifts to the United States
U.S. Department of the Treasury
Credit Accounting Branch
3700 East-West Highway, Room 622D
Hyattsville, MD 20782

Any tax-related questions regarding these contributions should be directed to the Internal Revenue Service at (800) 829-1040.

If you do decide to donate or provide a gift to the United States Government, please let me know via the comment section or send me an E-mail. Any donation larger than $250 will receive a personal "Thank You!" from me, another average citizen. Also, please let me know if you would like your name added to the Honor Roll below.

HONOR ROLL

[updated 3-AUGUST-2011]

The following individuals have contributed $250 or more to reduce the national debt and to help reduce the cost burden of the United States Government for all Americans. On behalf of all Americans, you have our thanks and gratitude!

[NONE REPORTED TO DATE]

See Also ...

• "Who Pays Their "Fair Share' in California?"
  
• http://soquelbythecreek.blogspot.com/2011/10/who-pays-their-fair-share-in-california.html
  
• "Is Warren Buffett Paying His 'Fair Share'?"
  
• http://soquelbythecreek.blogspot.com/2011/08/is-warren-buffet-paying-his-fair-share.html
  
• "Pretty Pictures and a Political Rorschach Test: A History of the U.S. Income Tax System"
• http://soquelbythecreek.blogspot.com/2011/03/tax-infographic-is-political-rorschach.html
  
• "The Rich Don't Pay Taxes" Lie: Purposely Deceptive or Backed Up by Data?
  http://soquelbythecreek.blogspot.com/2010/02/rich-dont-pay-taxes-lie-purposely.html
  
• The Oppressive Progressive Income Tax: California Edition
  http://soquelbythecreek.blogspot.com/2009/07/oppressive-progressive-income-tax.html

Proposition 27 Revealed!

[NOTE: This is a work in progress, updated last on 3-NOV-2010, 10:15 AM. Revision history at end.]

THANK YOU Californians! Together, we defeated this naked power grab by the party and politicians currently in power. Proposition 27 failed by nearly a 60% margin!

SUMMARY:

• Proposition 27 appears on the November 2010 ballot in California.
• If passed, Proposition 27 would essentially eliminate the redistricting reforms created by 2008's Proposition 11 and return the responsibility of redrawing political boundaries back to the California State Legislature.
• The California Legislature is dominated by members of a single political party with nearly a 2-to-1 majority.
• Every major California newspaper recommends NO on PROPOSITION 27.
• In an apparent naked power grab, twenty-six (26) self-serving incumbent Californian politicians, all Democrats, support and fund the committee in favor of Proposition 27.
• The list of politicians includes the current U.S. Speaker of the House and both the current and former Speakers of the California Assembly.
• Many of the U.S. Congressional Representatives on the list are also members of the Congresional Progressive Caucus, who typically represent the far-left wing of the Democratic Party.
• Big-money donors to the Democratic party are major contributors, including a $2,000,000 ($2 MILLION) donation from billionaire media mogul Haim Saban. Controversial billionaire investor George Soros is also a major contributor. At least four billionaires have contributed.
• Labor unions, a traditional ally of the Democratic Party, are also major contributors, including $1,250,000 ($1.25 MILLION) from the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union, $1 MILLION from the American Federation of Teachers union, and $500,000 from a front organization for the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners union, and $200,000 from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
• Many of the poltician's campaigns are also directly funded by the same unions.
• The California Democratic Party also contributed $375,000.
• Many of those funding Proposition 27 also funded the campaign against the 2005 redistricting reform, or No on Prop. 77.

THE DETAILS:

Remember when the Democratic Party represented the common man? Remember when the Democratic Party fought to empower "The People"? Remember when the Democratic Party fought against the big money that corrupts politics? California's ballot Proposition 27 reveals the true face of the modern California Democratic Party, currently dominated by Progressives! The hypocrisy behind Proposition 27 is staggering, even by California standards.

What is Proposition 27? According to the California Legislative Analyst's Office, it is designed to block the necessary reforms mandated by an earlier ballot proposition, Proposition 11. Proposition 11 empowers a balanced, non-partisan Citizens Redistricting Commission to redraw the highly-Gerrymandered political districts in California.

Why did Californians pass Proposition 11 that created the Citizens Redistricting Commission?

• Many California citizens felt that their state assembly and senate districts were Gerrymandered by Legislators to ensure that incumbent politicians were guaranteed re-election in non-competitive elections.
• Many citizens felt that public-employee and union money unduly influenced California's elections and Legislators.
• Many citizens wanted control for drawing political districts removed from the Legislature and placed in the hands of a non-partisan citizens commissions.

The people and organizations that are financing support for Proposition 27 are a very interesting and revealing mix of the Democratic Party establishment, incumbent California Democratic politicians, labor unions, and secretive big-money donors to ... you guessed it ... the Democratic Party.

The list of donors supporting Proposition 27 is available here and is updated as public-disclosure forms are filed.

http://www.electiontrack.com/lookup.php?committee=1323672

Here is another source for the same information, courtesy of the California Secretary of State.

http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1323672&session=2009&view=late1

Democratic Party Establishment

The California Democratic Party contributed directly to support Proposition 27. Why? Because the Democratics apparently have the most to lose in free and fair elections. The party has carefully cobbled together a financing support network with various labor interests.

Democratic State Central Committee of California

• $375,000 contribution

Incumbent California Democratic Politicians

Which incumbent Democratic politicians are attempting to protect their political careers in open contradiction to the will of the people? The list includes the current Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and the both the current and former Speakers of the California Assembly.

Many of these same politicians are heavily funded by the unions that are funding support for Proposition 27, as listed later. Many of the Congressional Representatives on the list are also members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, whom represent the left-wing of the Democratic Party, known simply as the Progressives.

Why are incumbent politicians funding Proposition 27? They want the old, pre-Proposition 11 redistricting process back to protect their political careers. In an interview with the Orange Counter Register during the 2001 California redistricting process, Rep. Loretta Sanchez, sister of Proposition 27 funder Rep. Linda Sanchez, explained how the gerrymandering system worked:

"Twenty thousand [dollars] is nothing to keep your seat. I spend $2 million [dollars campaigning] every year. If my colleagues are smart, they'll pay their $20,000, and Michael [Berman, brother of Proposition 27 funder Howard Berman] will draw the district they can win in. Those who have refused to pay? God help them."

U.S. Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D), 8th Congressional District

• Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
• Nancy Pelosi for Congress: $10,000
• Former member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus but relinquished her membership when she became Speaker of the House
• AFSCME, Plumbers/Pipefitters, IBEW, and AFT are major contributors
• WhoRunsGov.com profile for Nancy Pelosi
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77
• The CA-8 district map

U.S. Congressman Xavier Becerra, (D), 31st Congressional District

• Leadership of Today & Tommorrow PAC: $10,000, affliated with Xavier Becerra
• Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
• AFSME, SEIU, IBEW, Teamsters are major contributors
• WhoRunsGov.com profile for Xavier Becerra
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77
• The CA-31 district map suggests Gerrymandering through North Hollywood and Los Angeles

U.S. Congressman Howard Berman (D), 28th Congressional District

• Berman for Congress: $10,000
• AFSCME, Operating Engineers, and Carpenters & Joiners unions are major contributors
• Howard Berman was the single-largest recipient of campaign contributors from the individuals contributing to Proposition 27.
• WhoRunsGov.com profile for Howard L. Berman
• Considered by some to by the driving force behind Proposition 27
• Howard Berman's brother is Michael Berman
• Michael Berman was a paid consultant for Democrats during the 2001 California redistricting process and others
• Michael Berman acknowledged that the 2001 redistricting protected incumbents, Democratic and Republican, his brother included
• Howard Berman is Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee
• In a 2008 Jerusalem Post interview, Howard Berman said "Israel's security and the US-Israeli relationship is for me an issue that shapes my whole agenda [in] Congress, and guides it."
• Howard Berman is an ardent supporter of Israel, which may have prompted Haim Saban to contribute $2 MILLION
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77
• The CA-28 district map shows Gerrymandering through Van Nuys

U.S. Congresswoman Lois Capps (D), 23rd Congressional District

• Friends of Lois Capps: $10,000
• IBEW, AFSCME, Carpenters & Joiners, Operating Engineers, AFT, and fire fighter unions are major contributors
• WhoRunsGov.com profile for Lois Capps
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77
• The CA-23 district map is perhaps the best example of a highly-Gerrymandered district, covering just select coastal communities. The district is 200 miles long and only 100 yards wide in some places. Voters joke that it sometimes disappears during high tide.

U.S. Congresswoman, Judy Chu (D), 32nd Congressional District

• TruePAC - Concerned Citizens including Judy Chu to Support Proposition 27: $125,000
• Judy Chu for Congress: $10,000
• Possible connections to another $90,000 from the Californians for Trust, Responsibility, Unity, and Empowerment PAC listed below
• Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
• AFT, Carpenters & Joiners, AFSCME, IBEW, and Operating Engineers unions are major contributors
• WhoRunsGov.com profile for Judy Chu
• Spouse of California Assemblyman Mike Eng, who also funds Proposition 27
• The CA-32 district map also shows signs of Gerrymandering

U.S. Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D), 14th Congressional District

• Anna Eshoo for Congress: $10,000
• Plumbers/Pipefitters, AFSCME, and IBEW unions are major contributors
• WhoRunsGov.com profile for Anna Eshoo
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77
• The CA-14 district map shows Gerrymandering. I almost live in this district. I live just outside one of the zig-zags.

U.S. Congressman Sam Farr (D), 17th Congressional District

• Friends of Farr: $20,000
• Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
• IBEW, AFSCME, Plumbers/Pipefitters, Carpenters & Joiners unions, and AFT are major contributors
• WhoRunsGov.com profile for Sam Farr
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77
• The CA-17 district map

U.S. Congressman Mike Honda (D), 15th Congressional District

• Mike Honda for Congress: $10,000
• Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
• IBEW, Operating Engineers, AFT, and AFSCME unions are major contributors
• WhoRunsGov.com profile for Michael Honda
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77
• The CA-15 district map shows Gerrymandering

U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D), 9th Congressional District

• Barbara Lee for Congress: $10,000
• Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
• IBEW, AFSCME, Carpenters & Joiners, and Operating Engineers unions are major contributors
• WhoRunsGov.com profile for Barbara Lee
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77
• CA-9 district map

U.S. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D), 16th Congressional District

• Lofgren for Congress: $10,000
• IBEW and AFSCME unions are major contributors
• WhoRunsGov.com profile for Zoe Lofgren
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77
• The CA-16 district map indicates Gerrymandering

U.S. Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D), 5th Congressional District

• Matsui for Congress: $10,000
• Plumbers/Pipefitters, IBEW, Operating Engineers, and AFSCME unions are major contributors
• The CA-5 district map indicates Gerrymandering

U.S. Congresswoman Laura Richardson (D), 37th Congressional District

• Richardson for Congress: $5,000
• Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
• IBEW, AFT, Plumbers/Pipefitters, and AFSCME unions are major contributors
• Included on the 2008 CREW's Most Corrupt Members of Congress list (CREW = Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington)
• Included on the 2009 CREW's Most Corrupt: The 15 Most Corrupt Members of Congress list
• Included on the 2010 CREW's Most Corrupt: Unfinished Business list
• WhoRunsGov.com profile for Laura Richardson
• The CA-37 district map indicates Gerrymandering

U.S. Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D), 34th Congressional District

• Lucille Roybal-Allard for Congress: $10,000
• Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
• All the unions involved with Proposition 27, except AFT, are Top-20 contributors to Lucille Roybal-Allard
• WhoRunsGov.com profile for Lucille Roybal-Allard
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77
• The CA-34 district map

U.S. Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (D), 39th Congressional District

• Committee to Re-elect Linda Sanchez: $25,000
• Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
• IBEW, AFSCME, Operating Engineers, Carpenters & Joiners, and AFT unions are major contributors
• WhoRunsGov.com profile for Linda Sanchez
• Sister of Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, who recently was caught making racist remarks against constituents in her district
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77
• The CA-39 district map indicates Gerrymandering

U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff (D), 29th Congressional District

• Adam Schiff for Congress: $10,000
• Operating Engineers, IBEW, and Plumbers/Pipefitters unions are major contributors
• WhoRunsGov.com profile for Adam Schiff
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77
• The CA-29 district map indicates Gerrymandering

U.S. Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D), 12th Congressional District

• Jackie Speier for Congress: $10,000
• Plumbers/Pipefitters and Operating Engineers unions are major contributors
• WhoRunsGov.com profile for Jackie Speier
• The CA-12 district map

U.S. Congresswoman Diane Watson (D), 33rd Congressional District

• Diane E. Watson for Congress: $20,000
• Vice-chairperson of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
• AFSCME, Operating Engineers, IBEW, and AFT unions are major contributors
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77
• The CA-33 district map indicates Gerrymandering

U.S. Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey (D), 6th Congressional District

• Woolsey for Congress: $5,000
• Co-chairperson of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
• IBEW, AFSCME, AFT, and Plumbers/Pipefitters unions are major contributors
• WhoRunsGov.com profile for Lynn Woolsey
• The CA-6 district map

U.S. Congressman George Miller (D), 7th Congressional District

• Did NOT directly contribute to Yes on Proposition 27
• Solidarity PAC contributed $10,000
• According to OpenSecrets.org, George Miller is affiliated with Solidarity PAC, his leadership Political Action Committee (PAC)
• Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
• All the unions involved with Proposition 27, except AFT, are Top-20 contributors to George Miller
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77
• The CA-7 district map indicates Gerrymandering

State Senator Alex Padilla (D), 20th State Senate District

• Padilla for Senate: $39,000
• California 2020 Senator Alex Padilla's Ballot Measure Committee: $21,572
• AFSCME and California Pipe Trades Council unions are major contributors

California Assembly Speaker, John A. Perez (D), 46th Assembly District

• Current California Assembly Speaker
• Building California's Future: John A. Perez Ballot Measure Committee: $49,000
• California Pipe Trades Council and California Operating Engineers unions are major contributors

Assemblywoman Karen Bass (D), 47th Assembly District

• Former California Assembly Speaker
• Speaker Karen Bass Strengthening California through Leadership Ballot Measure Committee: $30,000
• Karen Bass for Assembly 2008: $20,000
• Carpenters unions are major contributors
• Now a candidate for U.S. Congress in the 33rd Congressional District

Assembly Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield (D), 40th Assembly District

• Bob Blumenfield for Assembly 2010: $85,000
• California Pipe Trades and Carpenters unions are major contributors

Assemblyman Charles Calderon (D), 58th Assembly District

• Charles Calderon for Assembly 2010: $100,000
• California Pipe Trades unions are major contributors

Assemblyman Mike Eng (D), 49th Assembly District

• Mike Eng for Assembly 2010: $100,000
• Operating Engineers unions are major contributors
• Spouse of Congresswoman Judy Chu, who also funds Proposition 27
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77

Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes (D), 39th Assembly District

• Felipe Fuentes Reform California Ballot Measure Committee: $20,000
• Fuentes for Assembly 2010: $10,000
• California Pipe Trades unions are major contributors

Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner (D), 14th Assembly District

• Skinner for Assembly 2010: $30,000
• Electrical Workers, California Pipe Trades, and Operating Engineers are major contributors

Assemblyman Bill Monning (D), 39th Assembly District

• Friends of Bill Monning: $5,000
• California Pipe Trades, Electrical Workers, Firefighters, and Teachers unions are major contributors

Labor Unions, a Traditional Ally of California Democrats

The following labor unions are long-time allies of California Democrats and heavily fund the campaigns of the incumbent Democrats listed above. Among the California Congressional Representatives listed, these unions contributed nearly $3.8 million to their campaigns during their careers.

(also view spreadsheet at http://www.editgrid.com/user/soquel_by_the_creek/proposition_27_congress_union_contributions)

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)

• AFSCME: $1,250,000 ($1.25 MILLION!) contribution
• AFSCME is a labor union; a member of the AFL-CIO
• #2 on the top campaign contributors list, contributing 98% of their member's money to Democrats
• OpenSecrets.org information page for AFSCME
• According to Influence Explorer, AFSCME was a major contributor to former California governor Gray Davis, removed from office by a recall election.
• According to OpenSecrets.org, AFSCME has contributed over $850,000 to the California Congressional Representatives listed above. AFSCME is a Top-20 contributor to all but one member.
• New York Times article mentioning AFSCME, "Soft Money Lives: Democrats Take In $12 Million (2 Gifts)," March 2002
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77

American Federation of Teachers (AFT)

• $1,000,000 ($1 MILLION) contribution
• AFT is a labor union; a member of the AFL-CIO
• #13 on the top campaign contributors list, contributing 98% of their member's money to Democrats
• OpenSecrets.org information page for AFT
• According to Influence Explorer, AFT was a major contributor to many politicians in Illinois.
• AFT was a major contributor to former California Governor Gray Davis, removed from office by a recall election.
• AFT was a major contributor to former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, removed from office by impeachment.
• According to OpenSecrets.org, AFT has contributed over $330,000 to the California Congressional Representatives listed above.

Carpenters and Joiners Union

• Working for Working Americans: $500,000. This group appears to be partially-activated advocacy group dating back to the 2008 Presidential campaign, originally supporting John Edwards
• The Carpenters and Joiners Union contributed the vast majority of the money to "Working for Working Americans", over $4 million to this 527 group
• Major expenditures from Working for Working Americans were to the California Democratic Party and the National Democratic Redistricting Trust
• The Carpenters and Joiners Union is #12 on the top campaign contributors list, contributing 89% of their member's money to Democrats
• OpenSecrets.org information page "Working for Working Americans"

Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

• $200,000 contribution from California State Council of Service Employees Political Issues Committee
• #11 on the top campaign contributors list, contributing 92% of their member's money to Democrats
• Largest contributor to independent 527 political committees in the 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010 elections.
• Second largest political spender in California politics, according to the California Fair Political Practices Commission special report, "Big Money Talks," page 10.
• Influence Explorer profile for the Service Employees International Union.
• SEIU was a major contributor to former California Governor Gray Davis, removed from office by a recall election.
• SEIU was a major contributor to former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, removed from office by impeachment.
• SEIU has also worked in conjuction with George Soros, another contributor in favor of Proposition 27, via The Fund for America.
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77

International Association of Fire Fighters

• $100,000 contribution
• A member of the AFL-CIO
• The International Association of Fire Fighters is a public-sector union associated with the AFL-CIO
• #45 on the top campaign contributors list, contributing 81% of their member's money to Democrats
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77

Electrical Workers Unions (IBEW)

Various Electrical Workers unions contributed over $150,000 combined. According to OpenSecrets.org, IBEW contributed over $780,000 to the California Congressional Representatives listed above and is a Top-20 donor to all but two members.

• The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is a member union of the AFL-CIO
• California State Association of Electrical Workers: $50,000
• International Brotherhood of Electric Workers (IBEW) Educational Committee: $50,000
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local No. 47: $50,000
• The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) is #6 on the top campaign contributors list, contributing 97% of their member's money to Democrats
• OpenSecrets.org information page for IBEW
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77

Pipe Trade Unions

• California State Pipe Trades Council of the United Association: $50,000
• Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 447: $25,000
• Pumbers & Steamfitters Union No. 467: $10,000
• Plumbers & Pipefitters Union is #45 on the top campaign contributors list, contributing 94% of their member's money to Democrats
• OpenSecrets.org information page for Plumbers/Pipefitters Union

Teamsters Union

• DRIVE Committee: $25,000 contribution
• The DRIVE Committee is a voter education project of the Teamsters Union
• #10 on the top campaign contributors list, contributing 93% of their member's money to Democrats
• OpenSecrets.org information page for Teamsters Union
• According to Influence Explorer, the Teamsters Union was a major contributor to former California Governor Gray Davis, removed from office by a recall election
• According to Influence Explorer, the Teamsters Union was a major contributor to former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, removed from office by impeachment
• According to OpenSecrets.org, the Teamsters Union has contributed over $690,000 to the California Congressional Representatives listed above.

Big Money Contributors to the Democratic Party

The following list is especially ironic given President Obama's apparent concern about groups like Americans for Prosperity (AFP) and the Koch brothers. Is the President more comfortable with this group? Why are so many out-of-state people and organizations attempting to influence California's elections? Oh, the hypocrisy of it all.

Many of the individual donors to Proposition 27 are also big-money contributors to various Democratic Party organizations such as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), headed by Speaker Pelosi, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC).

Perhaps not surprisingly, many of these individuals are also big-money donors to former-President Clinton's foundation. Similarly, George Soros, Hillary Clinton, and Harold Ickes were chief organizers of the so-called Shadow Democratic Party and Louise Gund and Fred Eychaner are probable members due to their heavy funding of 527 political organizations that fund Democrat Party causes.

I am an unabashed supporter of Israel. Consequently, I am surprised by many of the pro-Israel connections to the Yes on Proposition 27 effort. I had never heard of Haim Saban until I began researching this article. Surprisingly, many of the incumbent Democrat politicians supporting Proposition 27, in my opinion, do not necessarily support Israel. Howard Berman is perhaps unique in his public support for Israel. For the other politicians, perhaps the pro-Israel lobby hopes to develop a relationship similar to the labor unions. The incumbent Democrats listed above have provided certain political services in return for continued campaign contributions from labor unions. Regardless, I hope this recent trend does not indicate that the Israelis want to influence California state politics!

This following list only includes individuals contributing more than $20,000 as of 30-SEPT-2010. Only contributions exceeding $50,000 are highlighted in red. There are other smaller contributors listed here. The individuals are listed from largest contribution, downward.

Haim Saban

• $2,000,000 ($2 MILLION!) contribution
• Billionaire media mogul
• NNDB profile for Haim Saban
• SourceWatch reference
• Influence Explorer reference
• Chairman and Chief Executive Office of Saban Capital Group
• Saban Capital Group is #83 on OpenSecret.org's Heavy Hitters List with 99% of contributions going to Democrats (detail view)
• Top recipient in 2010 from Saban Capital Group is Congresswoman Judy Chu, listed above
• Los Angeles Times, "Saban gives $2 million to change redistricting law"
• Forbes Magazine, "Haim Saban And Charles Munger Jr. Duke It Out"
• In an interview, his “three ways to be influential in American politics,”were to make donations to political parties, establish think tanks, and control media outlets.
• New York Times article mentioning Haim Saban, "Soft Money Lives: Democrats Take In $12 Million (2 Gifts)," March 2002
• #6 on 2000 top individual donors list, giving 99% to Democrats; contributions exceeded $1 MILLION
• #2 on 2002 top individual donors list, giving 100% to Democrats; contributions exceeded $9.3 MILLION
• #23 on 2010 top individual donors list (the year isn't over), giving 98% to Democrats
• Donated between $5-10 MILLION to the William J. Clinton Foundation
• Allegedly threatened to withhold campaign contributions to Nancy Pelosi if she did not select Jane Harman as the Chair of the House Intelligence Committee
• CorporationWiki profile
• CampaignMoney.com profile
• Portfolio Magazine article, "Haim Saban, Power Ranger"
• Los Angeles Times article, "Haim Saban, friend to Israel and Democrats"
• The New Yorker Magazine article, "The Influencer"
• Pro-Israel policy influencer, "Meet Isreali Influence Peddler Haim Saban"
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77

Louise Gund

• $100,000 contribution
• #18 on 2002 top individual donors list, giving 100% to Democrats; contributions exceeded $1 MILLION
• Legal residence outside of California
• CampaignMoney.com profile
• Listed as a funder for "Pelosi's Puppets"
• Donated between $50,000 to $100,000 to the William J. Clinton Foundation
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77
• Probable Shadow Party member, major funder of 527 committees supporting Democrats

Peter G. Angelos

• $100,000 contribution
• Legal residence outside of California
• #15 on 2008 top individual donors list, giving 99% to Democrats; contributions exceed $263,000
• According to Influence Explorer, Peter G. Angelos a major donor to the Democratic Party, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee with 96% of contributions going to Democrats
• Personal injury attorney with the Law Offices of Peter A. Angelos
• According to Influence Explorer, the Law Offices of Peter A. Angelos is also a major contributor to Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi
• Majority owner of the Baltimore Orioles
• According to Influence Explorer, there are additional contributions to Democrats via the Angelos Law Office/Baltimore Orioles connection with 97% going to Democrats
• CampaignMoney.com profile
• #1 contributor to Nancy Pelosi's 2010 campaign
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77

George Soros

• $100,000 contribution
• Legal residence outside of California
• NNDB profile
• Influence Explorer profile shows that 98% of contributions went to Democrats
• SourceWatch reference
• #2 on 2008 top individual donors list to 527s; contributed $5 MILLION
• George Soros and relatives Jennifer, Jonathan, and Robert each gave $50,000 to the Obama Inauguration for a total of $200,000
• Controversial billionaire funder of various left-of-center political organizations including the Open Society Institute, the Center for American Progress, MoveOn.org and the Huffington Post
• The Soros Foundation gave between $500,000 to $1 MILLION to the William J. Clinton Foundation
• CampaignMoney.com profile
• OpenSecrets.org article, "Capital Rivals: Koch Brothers vs. George Soros"
• Organizer of the Shadow Party

Edith Wasserman

• $100,000 contribution
• Contributed over $30,000 each to the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee (DSCC) and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), as well as to various Democratic politicians nationwide
• Vice-President/Secretary of the Wasserman Foundation
• CampaignMoney.com profile
• The Wasserman Foundation donated between $5 MILLION to $10 MILLION to the William J. Clinton Foundation
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77

Fred Eychaner

• $100,000 contribution
• Out-of-state contribution
• New York Times article mentioning Fred Eychaner, "Soft Money Lives: Democrats Take In $12 Million (2 Gifts)," March 2002
• #11 on 2010 top individual political donors list, giving 34% to Democrats, 0% to Republicans; contributions exceeded $265,000
• #7 on 2010 top contributors to 527 organizations
• #1 on 2010 contributors to America Votes ($300,000)
• #3 on 2010 contributors to EMILY's List Non-Federal ($250,000)
• OpenSecrets.org blog post on EMILY's List contributions
• Influence Explorer profile
• Contributed over $30,000 to the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee and over $15,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2010
• Owner of Newsweb Corporation, a publisher of ethnic and alternative newspapers in the United States, based in Chicago, Illinois. The company also owns several radio stations in the Chicago area and a television station in Sterling, Colorado.
• Influence Explorer profile for Newsweb Corporation
• CampaignMoney.com profile for Fred Eychaner
• Newsweb Corp. is #100 on the on the top campaign contributors list, contributing 100% of its money to Democrats
• OpenSecrets.org profile for Newsweb Corp.
• Donated between $10-25 MILLION to the William J. Clinton Foundation
• Donated $10,000 maximum to the Clinton Legal Defense Fund
• Contributed $50,000 to the Obama Inauguration
• Hosted a fundraiser for candidate Obama in 2008 in his home
• Founder and Chairman of the Alphawood Foundation
• Named to Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts by President Obama
• Forbes Magazine profile (2002)
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77
• Probable Shadow Party member, major funder of 527 committees supporting Democrats

Steven S. Myers

• $100,000 contribution
• CEO/Chairman of Dolphin Capital Holdings, Inc.
• Former CEO of SM&A, a firm that works with companies on government procurement and projects
• Forbes profile on Steven S. Myers
• CorporationWiki profile on Steven S. Myers
• The Full Wiki profile on Steven Myers
• CampaignMoney.com profile on Steven Myers
• Contributed $60,400 to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2010
• Contributed $30,400 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) in 2010

Steven R. Zax

• See $100,000 contribution from Zenith Insurance Company below

Jack C. Bendheim

• $50,000 contribution
• Legal residence outside of California
• Contributed over $30,000 total to the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee (DSCC) and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), as well as to various Democratic politicians nationwide
• Honorary chairman of the Israel Policy Forum
• 1996 Mother Jones article on his political giving
• CampaignMoney.com profile
• President/Chairman of the Board of Phibro Animal Health Corporation
• According to Influence Explorer, Phibro Animal Health contributes 96% to Democrats
• Donated between $25,000 to $50,000 to the William J. Clinton Foundation
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77

Joseph W. Cotchett

• $25,000 contribution
• Contributed over $30,000 total to the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee (DSCC) and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), as well as to various Democratic politicians nationwide
• Presidential Elector in 2004
• Considered one of America's most influential trial lawyers
• Attorney with Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy
• According to Influence Explorer, Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy is a major contributor to many of the other U.S. Representatives that are funding Proposition 27: Anna Eshoo, Jackie Speier. 99% of their contributions go to Democrats. Senator Barbara Boxer is also a major recipient. The firm gave $160,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
• CampaignMoney.com profile

Kathryn Hall

• $25,000 contribution
• Legal residence outside of California
• NNDB profile
• Contributed over $20,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC)
• Contributed $50,000 to the Obama Inauguration
• Former U.S. Ambassador to Austria, appointed by President Clinton
• CampaignMoney.com profile for Kathryn Hall
• Married to Craig Hall, President of Hall Financial Group, who has also given tens of thousands of dollars to Democratic Party causes
• According to Influence Explorer, 100% of Hall Financial's contributions go to Democrats
• CampaignMoney.com profile for Craig Hall.
• Proprietor of Hall Wines in Napa Valley
• Kathryn and Craig Hall donated between $100,000 to $250,000 to the William J. Clinton Foundation
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77

C. Paul Johnson

• $25,000 contribution
• SourceWatch reference
• Contributed over $30,000 to the Democratic National Committee (DNC)
• CEO of Astrale e Tierra Winery
• According to Influence Explorer, 100% of contributions from Astrale e Tierra Winery go to Democrats
• CampaignMoney.com profile
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77

Stephen Grand

• $25,000 contribution
• Real estate investor with Grand-Sakwa Properties, with a Michigan address
• Contributed to a variety of Democratic causes
• Board member of American Friends of Koret Israel Economic Development Funds
• Contributor to Northern Californians for Good Government
• CampaignMoney.com profile
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77

George M. Marcus

• $25,000 contribution
• Chairman of real estate firm Marcus & Millichap
• Regent of the University of California, appointed by Governor Gray Davis
• According to Influence Explorer, Marcus & Millicap is a major contributor to many of the other U.S. Representatives that are funding Proposition 27: Anna Eshoo, Nancy Pelosi, Mike Honda, Zoe Lofgren, and Jackie Speier. Over 90% of their contributions go to Democrats.
• Major contributor to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
• CorporationWiki profile
• CampaignMoney.com profile
• Listed as a funder for "Pelosi's Puppets"
• Donated between $250,000 to $500,000 to the William J. Clinton Foundation
• Forbes magazine profile on George M. Marcus
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77

Stewart Resnick

• $25,000 contribution
• NNDB profile for Stewart A. Resnick
• CorporationWiki profile for Stewart Resnick
• SourceWatch profile for Stewart A. Resnick
• Influence Explorer profile for Stewart Resnick
• CampaignMoney.com profile for Stewart Resnick
• Political Friendster profile for Stewart A. Resnick
• Muckety.com profile for Stewart A. Resnick
• President and Chairman of Roll International Corporation
• Influence Explorer profile for Roll International Corporation
• Roll International was a Top 20 contributor to the Democratic National Committee in 2006 with a $63,500 contribution
• Roll International Corporation was a major contributor of over $275,000 to former California Governor Gray Davis, removed from office by voter recall.
• Roll International is a major contributor to some of the politicians contributing to Proposition 27, including Adam Schiff and Howard Berman
• Roll International paid lobbying firm Heather Podesta and Partners $350,000 between 2008 and 2010. Heather Podesta was former Counsel to Robert Matsui, whose wife, Doris Matsui, replaced him upon his death in office. Heather Podesta is sister in law to John Podesta. John Podesta is currently President of the George Soros-founded Center for American Progress, was former White House Chief of Staff during the Clinton Administration, and was co-chairman of the Obama Administration transition team. Heather Podesta is also a major fundraiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).
• Stewart Resnick is married to Lynda Rae Resnick
• NNDB profile for Lynda Rae Resnick
• SourceWatch profile for Lynda Rae Resnick
• CampaignMoney.com profile for Lynda Rae Resnick
• Influence Explorer profile for Lynda Rae Resnick
• Lynda Resnick is a columnist for the left-leaning Huffington Post

Lloyd Thomas Galloway

• $20,000 contribution
• Legal address outside of California
• Contributed over $30,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC)
• Attorney at Galloway & Associates
• According to Influence Explorer, Galloway & Associates contributes 100% to Democrats, including other U.S. Representatives that are funding Proposition 27: Howard Berman
• CampaignMoney.com profile

Corporate Contributors

Zenith Insurance Company

• $100,000 contribution
• Engaged nationally in the workman's compensation insurance business
• A wholly-owned subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited
• Influence Explorer profile for Zenith Insurance
• Stanley R. Zax is President/Chairman of the Board at Zenith Insurance Company
• Stanley R. Zax contributed over $30,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and contributed to Nancy Pelosi's and Harry Reid's campaigns
• Stanley R. Zax is a trustee of The Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress
• CampaignMoney.com profile
• CorporationWiki profile

Thirty-O-Seven, Inc.

• $10,000 contribution
• No web site found
• Is an active corporation according to the State of California
• The contact address for Thirty-O-Seven, Inc. is in the Clarity Partners LP building
• The contact address is 0.9 miles from Berman & D'Agostino Campaigns
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77
• Contributed $25,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2000
• CorporationWiki profile

Political Action Committees (PACs)

The following political action committees (PACs) also made contributions, but are not directly associated with either the politicians or unions listed above. The $125,000 from TruePAC was directly associated with Congesswoman Judy Chu.

Californians for Trust, Responsibility, Unity, and Empowerment PAC

• $90,000 contribution
• There is no web site for this PAC
• Bill Wong, the PAC contact person of record, was former Chief of Staff to Judy Chu when she was a California Assemblywoman. Judy Chu is now a U.S. Congressional Representative
• Bill Wong, the PAC contact person of record, was Legislative Director to Mike Honda when he was in the California Assembly. Mike Honda is now a U.S. Congressional Representative
• Bill Wong, the PAC contact person of record, was Chief of Staff and Press Secretary to then State Senator Hilda Solis. Hilda Solis is currently the U.S. Secretary of Labor in the Obama Administration
• Judy Chu and Mike Honda are current members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
• Hilda Solis was a former chairperson of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Solidarity PAC

• $10,000 contribution
• Affliliated with Congressman George Miller, who is also a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
• Influence Explorer reference
• Funded by a variety of interests, both corporations and unions
• Also funded by other political action committees (PACs)
• Also contributed to No on Prop. 77

Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians

• $25,000 contribution
• Influence Explorer profile

Déjà vu All Over Again (No on Proposition 77)

I am sure that it is just an amazing coincidence, but many of those funding Proposition 27 also funded the 2005 redistricting ballot initiative, Proposition 77. Proposition 77 was a previous attempt at redistricting reform that failed at the ballot box. Proposition 77 differed in many ways from Proposition 11, approved by voters in 2008.

It is interesting that the same names and coalitions arrayed against redistricting reform in 2005 are allied again in 2010 for Proposition 27, whose aim is to eliminate the Proposition 11 reforms.

Here are some of the other strange and amazing coincidences between Proposition 27 and 2005’s Proposition 77.

• Chairman of Proposition 77 was Dan Lowenstein. Dan Lowenstein signed the Arguments in favor of Proposition 27.
• The Proposition 77 campaign consultant was Berman & D’Agostino Campaigns.
• The Berman in the company name is Michael Berman.
• Michael Berman was central to the 2001 California redistricting plan.
• Michael Berman’s brother is U.S. Congressman Howard Berman.
• Howard Berman contributed to both Yes on Proposition 27 and No on Proposition 77.
• Many of the U.S. Congress Representatives that fund Proposition 27 also funded No on Proposition 77 , including Nancy Pelosi, Howard Berman, Linda Sanchez (and her sister Loretta Sanchez), Barbara Lee, Lois Capps, Zoe Lofgren, Anna Eshoo, Mike Honda, Sam Farr, George Miller, Diane Watson, Adam Schiff, and Lucille Roybal-Allard.
• Assemblyman Mike Eng funded both No on Proposition 77 and Yes on Proposition 27.
• Many of the same unions funding Proposition 27 also funded No on Proposition 77, including AFSCME, IBEW, umbrella organization AFL-CIO, and the Fire Fighters union.
• Many of the same well-connected, big-money donors funding Proposition 27 also funded No on Proposition 77, including Haim Saban, Peter G. Angelos, Lois Gund, Edith Wasserman, Kathryn Hall, Fred Eychaner, C. Paul Johnson, George M. Marcus, Stephen Grand
• Stealthful Thirty-O-Seven, Inc. and Amir Development Corp. funded both No on Proposition 77 and Yes on Proposition 27.
• Other interesting funders of No on Proposition 77 were Congressman Barney Frank (another member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus), and screenwriters Aaron Sorkin and Norman Lear.

Note to Reader

• I ask for your NO vote on Proposition 27. Other groups not only advocate for NO on Proposition 27 but also for YES on Proposition 20, which would allow the Citizens Redistricting Commission to redraw the U.S. Congressional districts for California. I have not yet determined my position on Proposition 20.
• I attempt to be fair and accurate in presenting this information and provide links to my references. If you find an error or believe that I am unfairly presenting the information based on available facts, please let me know via the comments section and I will review the specific information. I will post all comments about corrections unless you specifically ask me not to post your comment.
• If you know of other information that I am missing on this post, please let me know via the comments section.

Background Information

• Public television station KCET, "VIDEO: Between the Lines," a short but excellent introduction to the topic.
• League of Women Voters of California, "Fight the Scheme to Gut Redistricting Reform"
• Common Cause of California on Proposition 20 and Proposition 27
• Los Angeles Times editorial, "Drawing the lines: Democrats prosper by drawing themselves solidly Democratic seats, and Republicans benefit equally by lines drawn to protect their elected officials. It's time to undo this system, so yes on Prop. 20 and no on Prop. 27."
• Los Angeles Times, "Nancy Pelosi, congressional Democrats weigh in on redistricting measure"
• Capitol Weekly, "Incumbent Democrats open wallets to abolish redistricting commission"
• Bakersfield Californian editorial, "Redistricting: Yes on Prop. 20, no on Prop. 27"
• Mercury News editorial, "Vote yes on Prop. 20, no on Prop 27"
• Fresno Bee, "Democrat's goal with Prop. 27: Confuse and conquer"
• Press Telegram, "Yes on Prop. 20, no on Prop. 27"
• Fox&Hounds Daily, "Voters Beware - Prop 27 has Big Teeth"
• Sacramento Bee, "More Dems pony up for Prop. 27"
• Facts About Proposition 27: The Politician Power Grab
  
• FlashReport, "Look Who's Funding No on 20/Yes on 27 - Self Interested Politicians and Big Labor..."
• Ventura County Star, "Prop. 27, budget mess again show pols' selfishness"
• Daily Democrat, "Yes and no votes for Props. 20, 27"
• The Press Enterprise, "Support Prop. 20; reject Prop. 27"
• Contra Costa Times editorial, "We recommend yes on Proposition 20, no on 27"
• Capitol Weekly, "Political fight over redistricting spills into the Capitol, ballot"
• Capitol Weekly, "Redistricting: This time around, where is the Burton team?"
• L.A. Weekly, "Pew poll says Americans hate government. Exhibit One: Howard Berman, gerrymander king"
• Orange County Registar editorial, "Prop. 27 would strangle redistricting reform in the cradle"
• Sacramento Bee, "Dan Morain: Donors give millions, hide their motives"
• The Bob Zadek Radio Show, "Prop 27 -- Redistricting", audio file, 47 minutes

Revision History

• 30-OCT-2010: Added $10,000 contribution from Xavier Becerra's Leadership of Today & Tommorow PAC.
  
  
• 28-OCT-2010: Added the excellent overview on the topic by public television station KCET, called "Between the Lines." The California Democratic Central Committee increased their contribution to $375,000. Assemblyman Bill Monning contributed $5,000. As long expected, the California State Council of Service Employees Political Issues Committee, part of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) contributed $200,000.
  
  
• 19-OCT-2010: Corrected contribution for Pumbers & Steamfitters Union No. 467 (was $25,000, corrected to $10,000). Added new contributors Steven S. Myers ($100,000) and Santa Ynez Band of Mission Indians ($25,000). Added Congressional district maps. The CA-23 district map is particularly entertaining.


• 8-OCT-2010: Discovered interesting connections between those funding Proposition 27 and those funding the 2005 No on Proposition 77 effort. Found new information about Thirty-O-Seven, Inc.


• 7-OCT-2010: Added information on new Teamster Union contribution. Updated spreadsheet of union contributions to U.S. Congress Members. Updated chart of union contributions and Congress members.
  
  
• 5-OCT-2010: Added information on new contributors Fred Eychaner and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Noted that many of the unions are affiliated with the AFL-CIO. Updated chart showing contributions from labor unions. Updated chart showing major individual donors.
  
  
• 4-OCT-2010: Added link to The Bob Zadek Show on Proposition 27.
  
  
• 1-OCT-2010: Added chart showing Judy Chu connections to Proposition 27. Added WhoRunsGov.com profiles for Members of Congress. Discovered that Judy Chu and Mike Eng are married. Discovered that Howard Berman's brother is Michael Berman, who helped the Democrat-dominated California Legislature redraw district lines in 2001. Discovered how Howard Berman ties into the Israel connections. Added more background information links. Added quotation from Loretta Sanchez about the California 2001 redistricting process.
  
  
• 30-SEPT-2010: Corrected Representative Howard Berman's name. Was mistakenly listed as Bob Berman. Added new big-money individual donor, Stewart Resnick. Updated individual donor charts. Added this revision history list.