So who else owns a piece of Santa Ana Councilman Carlos Bustamante? According to the campaign finance reports from his failed Supervisorial campaign, these are the folks who tried to buy his vote:
- Various members of the Ware Disposal family – $4,500
- A. Patrick Munoz (Judy Ware’s attorney) – $1,500
- Julianne Argyos – $1,500
- Mike Harrah (Caribou Industries) – $1,500
- Orange County Asphalt, Inc. – $1,500
- FST Sand and Gravel, Inc. – $1,500
- George and Gail Pla, Cordoba Enterprises – $3,000
- Maria Mehranian, Cordoba Enterprises – $1,500
- R.J. Noble Company – $1,500
- Rainbow Disposal Compan – $1,500
- Barry, Mary and William Cottle – $747
- Crevier BMW – $1,500
- Douglas Nissan – $1,500
- David and Amie Dirienzo – $3,000
- Dale and Suzanne Dykema – $3,000
- Hispanic 100 (Republican Group) – $1,500
- Faubel Public Affairs – $1,500
- Generation Next PAC – $1,500
- Diane Harkey – $1,500
- Alex and Susan Fortunati, Support Services of America – $3,000
- Walter Langley, Support Services of America – $1,500
- George and Shirlee L. Heidler, Tom’s Truck Center – $3,000
- Doy Henley, Henley Properties, Inc. – $1,500
- Inland Group, Inc. – $1,500
- Matthew Kaufman, Nexus Development – $1,500
- Donald and Dorothy Kennedy, The First American Corp. – $3,000
- M&S Aggregate, Inc. – $1,500
- Paul Makarechian, Makar Properties – $1,500
- Gilbert Marrero, Voit Commercial – $1,500
- Steven Mendoza, Pacific Office Solutions – $1,500
- Thomas and Deborah Newmeyer, Newmeyer and Dillion (Lawyers) – $3,000
- John and Catherine O’Hara, Newmeyer and Dillion (Lawyers) – $3,000
- Manny Ramirez, Ramirez International – $1,500
- Jeff Rigsby, Community Bank Ventures – $1,500
- John Saunders, Saunders Property Co. – $250
- Strength Transportation Management, Inc. – $1,500
- Tel Phil Enterprises – $1,500
- Anthony Thompson, Triple Net Properties, LLC – $1,500
- Richard and Theresa Hutton, Triple Net Properties, LLC – $3,000
- Integrated Healthcare Holdings, Inc. – $1,500
- David Wilson, Toyota of Orange – $1,000
- 1614 S. Main St. Limited Partnership – $1,000
- Anthony and Joann Fanticola Family Corp. – $1,500
- B&D Towing – $250
- Tim Busch, Lawyer – $1,500
- Supervisor Bill Campbell – $1,500
- Commitee for Improved Public Policy – $1,500
- Efrain Davalos, Balalares and Davalos Towing – $250
- Dwight Manley, United Sports Agency – $1,500
- Bruce Ehrensaal, Ehrensaal Bank – $1,500
- Frank Greinke, SC Fuels – $1,000
- Steven Keefe, Douglas Hyundai Isuzu – $1,500
- Thomas Larkin, The Law Group – $1,500
- William Lyon & William H. Lyon, Lyon Homes – $3,000
- O.C. Automobile Dealers Association – $1,000
- PCI Parking Concepts – $1,500
- Kenneth Tait, Tait and Associates – $1,500
- Lawrence Thomas, the Irvine Company – $250
- Jim Tobin, Paragon Municipal Consulting Group – $1,500
- Thomas Tucker, Penhill Land Company – $500
- Saddleback Turkey Ranch – $300
Click here and here to see Bustamante’s campaign finance reports from his failed supervisorial race.
Connect the dots, Art! Connect the dots!
Gustavo,
Thanks for helping us connect the dots my friend! I will be doing an entire post on the Renaissance Plan later this week – and your info will be front and center.
Busty’s gall is unbelievable…
Art,
I find it interesting that you are soliciting and taking money from anyone on this website (banner ad) while insinuating that taking money buys votes. Do you see any hypocrisy in this? Just curious to understand your position on campaign finance for local political campaigns such as yours.
Thanks,
Anonymous
Busty’s list of contributors makes Cash ‘n Carry Alvarez look like a rookey when it comes to courting developers.
Go get ’em Art.
A politician that takes money from corporate donors? Wow.
And do donors “influence” the votes of politicians? Duh. Probably. But then, you can’t prove that, can you?
We already know that Busty basically sees every vote through the lens of how it will benefit business. But isn’t that mostly a result of the fact that he’s a corporatist Republican? I mean, this is all quite par for the course. You really haven’t proven that he’s done anything illegal. And taking money from these donors isn’t illegal….even if they are located within the RSP.
Pointing out Busty’s donors on this blog ain’t gonna get you elected. Raising $50,000 of your own dollars might, though. This donor stuff is info that only political junkies care about. It doesn’t resonate with the “man on the street”.
How come the politicians who can raise thousands of dollars and the others who can raise millions of dollars for campaign spending, can not find this very same money when they are trying to balance a budget with their pet spending projects?
There is a boatload of untaxed money going into all these campaign slush funds, and in these times of uncertain revenues of the public treasuries, A “Gross Revenue Tax” on political campaigns of all types should be passed to level the playing field.
If I must pay my taxes, I think all the political campaigns should pay their fair share too.
Hi Art – A little O/T, but I thought you might find this to be an interesting idea, if SA does not already have something like it:
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_N_ntour16.10fe99d.html?npc
Hmm and I am also wondering if all the banners here on the juice, and all the free postings/advertising for your campaign constitute and “in-kind” donation from the juice to Art’s campaign. I assume you paid fair market value for your banner (what you would charge anyone else to advertise)?
#3-
‘I find it interesting that you are soliciting and taking money from anyone on this website (banner ad) while insinuating that taking money buys votes.‘
Contributions CAN be returned, you know.
SMS
Sarah,
I am very clear on how donations work and the ability to return them. The headline speaks for itself and I am wondering if I give Art $$ do I then own a piece of him?
#10 –
Not necessarily. Carlos has voted in the interests of his contributors more than enough times to raise issues about his credibility. In contrast, Art refuses to sell out in the first place and will not take money from questionable sources, such as contractors who want to turn Santa Ana into Irvine, Jr.
SMS
Sarah,
So if I am clear, because Carlos voted in favor of items that his supporters favored then his credibility is in question. Under that logic, Art would have to vote against items that his supporters may bring forward or else his credibility would be in question.
I am in no way defending Carlos because I have no idea if he is for sale but I do still want to understand Art’s position on contributions.
Also, what is so bad about Irvine? Yes it is boring but wouldn’t Santa Ana benefit from some of what Irvine has to offer such as safe streets (low crime), great schools, streets that aren’t falling apart and a mayoral race that is subject to term limits? Lets not throw the baby out with the bathwater on this.
Thanks,
#12,
Most of Bustamante’s donations come from out of town special interests. And he takes money from folks who he does business with and who have business before him. That is wrong and you know it.
Bustamante has to raise all this money so he can lie to the voters via mail pieces. He has no record to run on and he has nothing of substance to say to the voters.
I won’ be selling my votes. Bustamante on the other hand has been a sell-out from day one. He doesn’t know how to represent the people because he never has done so.
Thanks Art, while I have no opinion on this issue I am clear that you do. I still don’t feel like you have answered my question so I will let this one die and consider this a question that you can’t answer because you just don’t have the experience yet. I assume that if you are elected, you will have your opponents drawing the same conclusions about you because we can see by this site that you will be taking donations.
Best of luck,
I agree that most politicians separate fundraising from the actions they take as politicians. They would have too because it takes so much money to get elected that contributors’ interests would be in conflict. Nevertheless, I would not want to be one of the three or four contributors that didnt give the maximum.
I do like the idea of taxing donations though and while we are at it lets start taxing these Religions also. Lets set their tax rate at the same level that we tax a service industry employee, say 35% Sounds fair to me.