Earlier today a colleague sent me a rather interesting web site that you might bookmark. MapLight.org tracks elected officials voting records and compares same to their campaign donors. See Speaker Fabian Nunez’s votes along with his top 10 contributors.
According to this data Mr. Nunez voted in support of 176 out of 178 bills that impact the Teachers Unions.
Fabian Nunez Democrat (Elected 2002), Assembly District 46 (Los Angeles)
Committee membership Joint Rules; Speaker
Phone 916-319-2046 Fax 916-319-2146
Top Individuals Showing contributions 2001-2004
Total Campaign Contributions Received: $2,211,513
Top 10 Interests Funding
Interest Contributions Voted with this Interest
Attorneys & law firms $216,557 78% (46 out of 59 bills)
State & local government employee unions $125,500 96% (408 out of 426 bills)
Construction unions $94,250 94% (79 out of 84 bills)
Teachers unions $69,541 99% (176 out of 178 bills)
Physicians $66,045 82% (132 out of 161 bills)
Police & fire fighters unions and associations $55,700 93% (200 out of 214 bills)
Insurance companies, general $38,075 44% (23 out of 52 bills)
Casinos, racetracks & gambling $35,000 95% (42 out of 44 bills)
Native American tribes & governing units $30,700 78% (21 out of 27 bills)
Electrical workers/IBEW $27,700 96% (22 out of 23 bills)
Contributions from political parties and from other candidates are not included in top 10 lists.
Note: Feel free to check out your elected officials from Orange County to Congress.
I share this data as a follow up to a prior Juice blog that listed campaign contributions of a Santa Ana council member. Some of these contributions get very close to being a conflict of interest. While some argue for increased campaign contribution limits in order to get your message out to the public you must also consider the sources and whether or not your vote is for sale. I surely hope not.
I hope someone who has more time then I do has a chance to look thru these bills. Legislators I know who are consistently voting to support,, say manufactures or business interests are listed as not voting with them 50% of the time. This does not look like a reliable indicator of votes lining up with donors.
Larry:
Great find—and now we know where the big $$$$ come from to buy their votes.
Jason Saderholm
Irvine
Lets be honest here, it is politics Mexican stile…. The apple does not fall to far from tree.
Email response:
Good job—expose them for what they are and who supports them with the big bucks.
Bladerunner.
I will see if they will share the data which backs up their web site.
From time to time I do get reports of how Republicans vote on specific Bills as they go throught the various committees.
When you accept contributions from unions and vote over 90 percent on bills which they favor that in itself speaks volumns.
In all fairness this investigation should apply to members of both major parties.