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It’s a season of giving for construction interests from around the Bay Area.
Contributions from architectural firms, builders and organized labor made up much of the $167,600 total to a campaign committee backing Measure H. The $388 million bond measure on the Nov. 4 ballot would fund capital improvements at three campuses in the San Mateo County Community College District.
Three years ago, the district proposed a $564 million bond measure but it failed, missing the necessary 55 voter approval by 1.9 percentage points. The pace of giving is up this time. Finance reports showed $117,500 in contributions at this point in the 2011 campaign, about 30 percent lower than this year’s donations.
Measure H also needs approval by 55 percent of the voters to pass. The measure would increase annual property taxes by $8.22 per $100,000 of a property’s assessed value.
The college district includes Canada College in Woodside, the College of San Mateo in San Mateo, and Skyline College in San Bruno. Plans for the $388 million include eight new and nine remodeled buildings, with the remodeling to include seismic retrofits, energy efficiency and access for the disabled.
The campaign contributions, most from Bay Area firms, are listed in a report from the county Elections Office that covers the three months ending Sept. 30. The report lists 33 commercial or institutional contributors, with 19 giving $5,000 or more.
In the five-figure category of contributors are Swinerton Management & Consulting in San Francisco ($25,000), BCA Architects of San Jose ($20,000), Blach Construction in Santa Clara ($10,000), and MediFit Community Services in New Jersey ($10,000), the only out-of-state contribution.
MediFit Community Services is a fitness-center design and management firm, according to its website. Plans for Measure H include an expansion of a health-and-wellness center and a new kinesiology-and-wellness building at the College of San Mateo.
The contributions include $14,800 from organized labor and $50,000 from architectural firms.
Go to this link to see the campaign finance report (California form 460). We were unable to rotate the image, so you may need to print it out to view it. There are a total of 20 pages.
$388,000,000 ???…and contracting for the public sector???
Perfect !!!
MedFit is the company that manages the private Athletic Club at the College of San Mateo. The new bond has $30 million pegged for expansion of the building they are in; a building that is only four years old. I would imagine it’s in their interests to support the bond.
Interestingly, just read a comment from Karen Schwarz, who is supporting the current $388 mil bond. In 1999, she said $200 million would be enough to modernize all three campuses. We are already at $1 billion, not counting interest on the bonds or this newest $388 bond.
Please go to http://www.votenoonmeasureh.wordpress.com for more information,
Latest campaign filing by Committee to Support San Mateo County Community Colleges – Yes on Measure A shows $116,500 in contributions from Oct. 1 to Oct. 18. Notable is a $50,000 contribution from the San Mateo County Community College District Foundation. Foundation CEO Stephani Scott is on the District payroll at $148,000 per year see: http://almanacnews.com/square/2010/05/28/vote-no-on-measure-g
Stop feeding the beast!. Remember large financial contributions win elections. We need to stop allowing money to shape our politics and political decisions.
Jack Hickey – shall we limit political donations in elections?
Isn’t money just free speech?
The SMCCCD Foundation is a tax-exempt organization. Using donations for political purposes should not be allowed. Foundations can and have established Political Action Committees which are not tax-exempt, for these purposes.
The Foundation’s meetings are not open to the public, nor are their books subject to the Public Records Act. It is far too easy for donors to funnel money into a political campaign anonymously. The Foundation should open their books to dispel any suggestions of such activity.
Totals now exceed $400,000. Sorry this looks so messy when pasted here. You can contact the Elections Office on Tower Road and they will be able to email you the 460s. Where the $$ is being spent is shown, too.
Do visit http://www.votenoonmeasureh.wordpress.com for updated info re this bond measure.
Re Mr. Hickey’s comments about the foundation, I’ve tried to find out about the foundation’s finances, too, with no success. But if you go to the SMCCD Foundation website, you can see names of those who are big donors. They show up in the campaign contributions, too … http://www.smcccfoundation.org/appreciation
10/2/14 No. CA Carpenter Regional Council Union Oakland $5,000
10/6/14 Sheet Metal Workers Int. Assn Local 104 Union San Ramon $7,500
10/6/14 Hensel Phelps Construction Co. Construction trades – SMCCD is client San Jose $25,000
10/9/14 SMCCC Foundation Community College District Non-profit San Mateo $50,000
10/15/14 IWRNS Studio Architectural firm -SCMMD is client San Francisco $5,000
10/15/14 Verde Design, Inc. $21 million contract from SMCCD Santa Clara $2,500
10/15/14 Newcomb Anderson McCormick Inc Energy mgmt. SMCCD is client San Francisco $1,500
10/15/14 Robert A. Bothman Inc. Contractor for SMCCD San Jose $20,000
10/15/14 Artik Art & Architecture Architectural firm San Jose $5,000
10/17/14 Burke Williams & Sorensen, LLP Law firm Los Angeles $1,000
Sub-Total $122,500
Beginning cash balance $322,170
Misc cash increases 0
TOTAL $444,670
Expenditures/Accrued debt
San Mateo County Democratic Party LIT Slate Mailer $1,250
Daily Journal FOOC #880509 Newspaper campaign advertisement $6,638
Stephen Pang Postage for FPPC reports $74
TBWB Strategies Campaign literature & mailings $68,387
TBWB Strategies Campaign literature & mailings $83,041
San Mateo County Democratic Party LIT slate mailer $1,250
Cornerstone Printing Inc Campaign literature & mailings $17,114
Zebra Graphics Print ads $460
Political Data Inc. Campaign consultants $743
Getty Images Campaign literature & mailings $788
USPS- CAPS Campaign literature & mailings $34,000
Cornerstone Printing Inc Campaign literature & mailings $17,971
Zebra Graphics Print ads $460
Political Data Inc. Campaign consultants $743
Corbis Campaign literature & mailings $525
USPS -CAPS Campaign literature & mailings $34,000
Pacific Printing Campaign literature & mailings $475
Corbis Campaign literature & mailings $394
Citizens for Good Government Campaign literature & mailings $1,327
CALSAL Voter Guide Campaign literature & mailings $900
Sub-Total $270,539
Suggested correction to campaign finance numbers above.
Since the contributions were made between Oct. 1 and 18, and not the whole campaign, it should be noted that the sheet metal workers’ contribution for this period is $1,500. Their overall total is $7,500.
As for expenses, including the two line items on TBWB Strategies that add up to $151,428 is probably double counting expenses for campaign literature that TBWB organized and which were accounted for by the campaign on a separate reporting form.
The total expense for the campaign for this period, per the Elections Office, is $159,140. The overall total is $174,508.
Doesn’t all this data tell you something?
That money is speech and that corporations are people? That comes through loud and clear.
Dave Royce is correct about the $7500. It is cumulative for the calendar year. My error completely. Re the TBWS Strategies spending, I added up each entry on the 460s submitted to the Elections Office. I try to be very careful with data; unfortunately, there are no dates shown for expenditures so the possibility of counting something twice certainly exists.
Dave Royce is correct in saying that campaign expenditures, per the campaign’s 460 statements, is at $174,508.49.