Two candidates did not raise any money. Ed Gillespie received large sums from development and business interests.
By Jonathan Friedman / Special to The Malibu Times
Council candidate Laura Rosenthal has dominated the fundraising competition so far in the 2010 election campaign. The public works commissioner and education activist took in $21,040 through Feb. 27, according to the financial statements that were due to city hall last week. All the current and former council members who have been a majority in city government since 2000 endorse Rosenthal. The political faction’s other endorsee, Public Works Commissioner Lou La Monte, was the second highest fundraiser, bringing in $17,544. No other candidate raised a five-figure amount.
Those expected to be Rosenthal and La Monte’s top competition, Steve Scheinkman and Planning Commission Vice Chair John Mazza, collected $5,920 and $5,100, respectively. But the two still have competitive bankrolls as both made loans to their individual campaigns. Mazza put up $15,000 and Scheinkman added $13,000. Rosenthal contributed $228 to her campaign and La Monte put $500 into his.
Mazza and Scheinkman are running in a joint effort, backed by the council majority’s main rivals, which include Steve Uhring, Ozzie Silna and former Planning Commissioner Richard Carrigan. Mazza said on Tuesday that he was not concerned about Rosenthal and La Monte raising significantly more money than he and Scheinkman received. He noted that his two rivals were the only candidates to begin fundraising last year.
“La Monte and Rosenthal began raising money substantially earlier than we did and we are confident, judging by the reception we have received, that raising funds will not be a problem by the end of the campaign,” Mazza said.
Planning Commission Chair Ed Gillespie narrowly defeated Mike Sidley for the third spot on the fundraising list. They collected $7,280 and $7,124, respectively. Sidley added $10,000 of his own money to his campaign. Harold Greene, head of the Native American Cultural Resources Advisory Committee, received $2,499. Matthew Katz and Kofi raised no money. Jan Swift did not submit a financial statement.
Gillespie, who previously served as president of the Chamber of Commerce, received large amounts of money from development and other business interests. This included $1,000 from Malibu Country Mart owner Michael Koss and his family members. He also received money from Jonathan Gilberg, vice president of Koss’ firm, and Dan Bercu, who owns the Trancas Country Market property. Additionally, Gillespie received money from the owners of Passages Malibu, a drug rehabilitation center.
“I was president of the Chamber of Commerce,” Gillespie said. “I’m pro-business. I’ll take money from businesses. I’m not going to make judgments on what the businesses are.”
Gillespie said donating to his campaign does not mean somebody would be buying his approval. He noted that he took $250 from Stanley Zahn, who heads the medical marijuana dispensary, PCH Collective, and he voted against the legalization of such facilities when it went before the Planning Commission in 2008.
Koss said his donation to Gillespie is not an endorsement, and he does not plan to make any endorsements. But he is considering giving money to other people’s campaigns.
“I and some family have supported Ed because he’s a personal friend and I do think very highly of him,” Koss said. “I think he’s a very fine person. There are some other candidates that I also think very highly of.”
Rosenthal and La Monte are running an unofficial joint campaign. They received money from some of the same people, but there were differences. La Monte got money from council members Andy Stern and John Sibert, as well as from former Mayor Ken Kearsley. Those three did not give money to Rosenthal, although they have endorsed her. Rosenthal received funding from many in the education community, including Board of Education President Barry Snell and board member Ralph Mechur from the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, as well as Santa Monica College Trustee Louise Jaffe. She also received $100 from Assemblymember Julia Brownley’s re-election campaign. Brownley was a 12-year member of the local school board.
Among those who gave to Mazza and Scheinkman’s campaigns were musician and anti-growth activist Don Henley, former Mayor Jeff Kramer and Parks and Recreation Commissioner Paul Spiegel. Silna and his wife, Wendy, gave money to Scheinkman, but not to Mazza. Silna said on Tuesday that he had intended to give Mazza money, and a contribution will be noted on the next financial statement.
The two who raised no money, Kofi and Katz, said they did not believe fundraising should be a part of a campaign. Katz said he feels uncomfortable with asking people for money. “Everything I’ve done in life has been successful, and I’ve never done it with OPM [other people’s money].”
Katz added, “If the people really want me, I’m willing to serve. If I have to try to brainwash them into accepting my skills, I’m not really good at that.” But he said he has many supporters who have encouraged him to raise some cash, and he might do it.
Katz has put up a Web site, which he said cost him no money. He said he made the site with help from his secretary, who he pays with “fruits, vegetables and coffee.”
Although Kofi said he has no plans to raise or spend any money (He wrote in an e-mail to The Malibu Times, “My currency is my relationships. My wealth is my community.”), his Web site has a PayPal donate button. He said he has raised no money from the site, and that a friend built it for free.
Swift did not submit a statement because, he said, he was in the hospital with a burst appendix. He said on Monday that he had recently come back from the hospital after a near-death experience, and was resting at home. He said he had received “about $200” from one person. He planned to report it this week.
The next financial statement deadline is April 1. That set will cover contributions and spending from Feb. 28 to March 27.
Council election campaign finance statements
The following is a partial list of what the 2010 Malibu City Council candidates filed in their financial statements to the city.
Ed Gillespie
Contributions: $7,280
No Loans
Funds Spent: $5,224
Harold Greene
Contributions: $2,499
Loans: Self-loan, $16,805
Funds spent: $13,413
Kofi
No money earned or spent.
Matthew Katz
No money earned or spent.
Lou La Monte
Contributions: $17,544
No Loans
Funds spent: $14,198
John Mazza
Contributions: $5,100
Loans: Self-loan, $15,000
Funds spent: $12,681.58
Laura Rosenthal
Contributions: $21,040
Loans: $228
Funds spent: $17,198
Steven Scheinkman
Contributions: $5,920
Loans: Self-loan, $13,000
Funds spent: $12,660
Michael Sidley
Contributions: $7,124
Loans: $10,000
Funds spent: $8,169