Measure A: Both sides report spending, fund raising

Oct 31, 2009 (The Ukiah Daily Journal - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- DDR | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Campaign fund raising and spending continues on both sides of the controversial Measure A as the Nov. 3 election approaches.

If voters pass the measure, it will rezone the old Masonite property from industrial to commercial, mixed use, to allow an 800,000-square-foot shopping mall proposed by the Ohio firm Developers Diversified Realty.

Mendocino County Tomorrow put Measure A on the ballot on DDR's behalf and leads the Yes on Measure A political committee, formed to "bring jobs, tax dollars and local shopping to Mendocino County," according to its campaign statements.

The most recent campaign finance statement was filed Oct. 22, and covers the reporting period of Sept. 20 through Oct. 17.

The statement shows DDR is still the sole contributor to the Yes on Measure A committee. The firm added $288,270 in campaign contributions this reporting period, bringing its contribution tally to $803,141 to date.

The pro-Measure A committee spent $167,034, down almost $100,000 from the amount spent last reporting period, which covered contributions and spending between July 1 and Sept. 19.

DDR contributed $283,000 in cash during the most recent period, up $37,000 from the last recorded cash contribution. Non-monetary contributions most recently reported include $5,270 for employee time and expenses.

The Yes on Measure A committee paid $34,467 this period to Ad-Vantage Marketing of Santa Rosa, exactly double the bill last period. The committee also paid $23,171 to the

Santa Rosa political consulting firm Muelrath Public Affairs, Inc.; $23,010 to Greater Works Printing and Graphics in Rohnert Park; $18,309 to the San Rafael law firm Nielsen, Merksamer, Parrinello, Mueller & Naylor, LLP; $13,800 to Dresner, Wickers Associates LLC of San Francisco; $9,085 to A.J.P.J., LLC of Ukiah; and $6,390 to Emotion Video of Davis.

The Yes on Measure A committee also paid a total of $17,316 for political canvassing to individuals living in Ukiah, Willits, Redwood Valley, Lakeport, Healdsburg, Santa Rosa, Paradise and North Hollywood. The committee paid $117 during the last reporting period for canvassing.

Other expenses included a $453 reimbursement to Mendocino County Tomorrow and a $306 AT&T payment.

Save Our Local Economy, a group opposed to Measure A, raised $33,197 during the same filing period, down $18,436 from campaign fund raising in the last reporting period. The most recent statement shows the group spent $52,275 this period, more than double what it spent last period.

The majority of the contributions came from 60-plus individuals living in Ukiah, Redwood Valley, Willits, Potter Valley, Covelo, Fort Bragg, Comptche, Hopland, Mendocino, Boonville, Calpella, San Francisco and Berkeley.

SOLE also received $7,260 in non-monetary contributions from Ukiah businesses and individuals.

The group's anti-Measure A committee paid $21,215 for literature to Green Lion and Auto Zip of Ukiah, and to Mountain Valley Printing of Talmage. The second-biggest expense was $10,188 for postage. The committee also paid $7,500 for consulting; $4,900 for ad printing; $4,154 for campaign paraphernalia; and $2,710 for office expenses.

Miscellaneous expenses include $449 of salary paid to Ukiah resident Allyson Shoemaker and $150 paid to Ukiah resident Lisa Mammina, listed as "meetings and appearances."

Tiffany Revelle can be reached at udjtr@pacific.net, or at 468-3523.

To see more of The Ukiah Daily Journal, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to
http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/. Copyright (c) 2009, The Ukiah Daily Journal,
Calif. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints,
email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send
a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee
Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

More News:   Market Updates | Stock Alerts | All Trading News | Stock Index