*NOTE -As of 2:50 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 11, this post has been updated to include links to PDFs of the lawsuit, again, as well as the exhibits cited in the lawsuit for your perusal.
People for Progressive Transit spokesman Brett Bonner said the anti-sales tax increase group paid for an attorney to help challenge the ballot title for Whatcom Transportation Authority’s proposal with a loan from him (Previous blog post announcing the lawsuit filing, right here).
The group has not raised any money yet other than what Bonner loaned, he said, because they hadn’t intended to begin fundraising yet.
PPT is so far in compliance with state Public Disclosure Commission regulations, and technically Bonner didn’t have to share with me where the money for the attorney came from yet. That report won’t have to be filed until March 10, when a C4 report detailing how much money has been raised and spent is due. A C3 report, which details where contributions are coming from, will be filed with the PDC on Monday, Feb. 15, Bonner said (for the record, that’s Presidents Day, which is a holiday).
For this special election, committees or candidates need to file C3 contribution information on Mondays, said PDC spokeswoman Lori Anderson.
Back to Bonner’s fundraising: Bonner said that the group didn’t initially intend to begin raising money yet, but that they needed funds once they decided to challenge the ballot title that will be voted on by the electorate.
Bonner noted that once the ballot title was submitted to the Auditor’s Office and approved by the County Prosecutor’s Office that the group had 10 days to challenge. The challenge timeframe, therefore, forced his hand in terms of finding funds sooner than initially expected would be needed for the committee to get its message out.
“We didn’t anticipate having any costs yet. And I anticipate paying myself back,” he said.
So we wait until Monday to see where Bonner’s initial fundraising is.
*UPDATE*Bonner also did share with us here the exhibits for the lawsuit, you can check them out here:
Exhibit A: Text of Proposition 1
Exhibit B: Ballot Title
Exhibit C: Ballot Title from 1994
Exhibit D: Ballot Title from 2003
*END UPDATE*
Meanwhile, as already noted on the blog, the pro-tax-increase group, Transit Works, has raised about $22,300, with about $14,000 in cash and in-kind contributions coming from several amalgamated transit unions, both the local as well as the state organization and transit unions in Spokane and Olympia. The $14,000 doesn’t include contributions from other WTA employees or non-workers. For instance, WTA Executive Director Richard Walsh has donated $300 in cash plus $42 in in-kind contributions for copying and postage costs.
Expenses listed by the group so far include payment to campaign manager Jason Heck ($1,000) and marketing and design costs to Shew Design (another $1,000), plus a few small expenditures of $50 or less.
February 11th, 2010 at 2:47 PM
Now, that wasn’t so hard.
February 11th, 2010 at 3:10 PM
Secrecy, in any campaign involving the public, is the opposite of transparency.
February 11th, 2010 at 3:15 PM
Elisabeth, so are you saying Bonner is being secretive? And if so, after the information I’ve provided here, why do you believe that?
February 11th, 2010 at 3:15 PM
We agree that all secrecy is bad, but as a practical matter, this is pretty trivial, and waiting over night for the answer wasn’t really very abusive, on Bonnor’s part.
Bonnor fessed up, and fessed up quick.
Kudo’s to him.
Now that the secret conspiracy is revealed, we can move on the definition of the word “IS”.
I’ll let you guys and gals work on it.
I’m taking a nap. I’m wore out.
February 11th, 2010 at 3:21 PM
Sleep tight!
February 11th, 2010 at 3:23 PM
Some people maybe better at making accusation than admitting that they are wrong methinks!
AFY!!theheelotsheepdog!!!
February 11th, 2010 at 3:45 PM
Oh, AFY, you know, the heat of battle…..
I could probably make the list of donors and contributors and the core group up and be close myself.
You know this really gives him more press than he deserves. So he’s loving it. We’re all talking about him and dancing to his beat, Elisabeth.
Righteous indignation cuts both ways and will need to be used sparingly, lest the cupboard be bare, from the looks of the start of this political year.
February 11th, 2010 at 3:57 PM
Sam, Did you happen to ask Brett if his “we” is just “he?”
February 11th, 2010 at 4:05 PM
Shaun,
You’re right. Let’s not dance to his beat or Sam’s.
Anyone want to see another video clip of the county council?
February 11th, 2010 at 4:11 PM
Me do.
February 11th, 2010 at 4:15 PM
Mamosa, it’s not. There are people involved with this, according to his PDC paperwork.
February 11th, 2010 at 4:16 PM
Where can we watch the video? I love videos!
February 11th, 2010 at 4:17 PM
Elisabeth, my beat? I’m just reporting and pushing along the conservation per the usual. It just seems clear you’re unwilling to do anything more than sling barbs and not have an actual discussion about what you’re alleging. I don’t get it. I’m asking you to elaborate, as I often do with people here, because I think it would be interesting for everyone to understand your point of view. It is, of course, totally fine if you don’t want to, but I hope you understand I’m just asking, as I often do others here on myriad topics.
February 11th, 2010 at 4:30 PM
Sam I read that as Sam Crawford because of a conversation started over on Latte.
I don’t think she meant the big guy, but I could be wrong….you gotta get that toy out and have some fun…shooosh
February 17th, 2010 at 9:26 AM
[...] Bonner had also already made public via the media where the money for the legal fight was coming from, and I blogged that, right over here. [...]