The Juniper Ridge Info blog did a fine job of getting the skinny on who got how much from whom in the last Bend City Council campaign, and the results are intriguing – and in one respect rather surprising.
According to records on file at ORESTAR, the state’s campaign database, Mayor Kathy Eckman raised a total of almost $38,500, of which nearly $17,700 – about 46% — came from Central Oregonians for Affordable Housing (the political arm of the Central Oregon Builders Association) and the Central Oregon Association of Realtors.
Tom Greene (who happens to be the president of COAR) took in more than $27,700, of which about $16,300 came from COAH and COAR – nearly 59%. Jeff Eager got roughly $40,400, with about $20,700 coming from COAH and COAR. That’s 51%.
Adding it all together, of the total of $106,600 raised by the three members of the builder/realtor slate, more than half came from just two organizations.
And that’s not counting contributions from individuals involved in the building, real estate and development industry. For instance, Eager received $3,000 from various members of the Ward family – major Bend landowners and developers. Eckman got $200 from realtor Steve Scott, $250 from hotelier and developer Wayne Purcell and $250 from Justin Ward. Greene got $1,250 total from Justin and Kim Ward.
If you think those councilors won’t remember who paid to put them in office I have a real nice oceanfront property in Burns to show you.
Probably the most intriguing discovery made by the blog, however, is that The Bulletin is on record as giving $4,000 in in-kind contributions (presumably advertising space and/or printing?) to the Bend Business PAC, which is the political arm of the Bend Chamber of Commerce. That’s by far the biggest contribution made to BB-PAC in the last election cycle.
Wait, it gets even better: The candidates’ contribution reports show that the same PAC gave $1,625 each in in-kind contributions to Eckman, Eager and Greene and another $1,625 to candidate Don Leonard, who was unsuccessful in his bid to unseat Jim Clinton.
We’ll let the blog’s concluding comment speak for itself:
“It is interesting to see our only local daily paper, the Bend Bulletin, has decided to fund some candidates in the City Council race as well as reporting on them. This would seem to be a major ethical violation by the elephant of local journalism. That’s an interesting and somewhat troubling juxtaposition – our only daily newspaper funds a local political PAC that backs several candidates, editorializes for electing all but one of them before the election, and then editorializes for the last of the four [Leonard] to be appointed to fill the vacancy after the election. …
“And this was done without any acknowledgement of the Bulletin’s financial interest in the election.
“That’s our Bulletin. And these are facts that need much wider knowledge in our currently financially challenged little city.”
PS: If you want to see BB-PAC’s report to the Secretary of State’s office on The Bulletin’s $4,000 in-kind contribution, here it is.
UPDATE: An official with the Secretary of State’s office now says she believes the report showing The Bulletin as the contributor was an honest mistake by the Bend Business PAC and has allowed the PAC to amend the filing to indicate that the Iverson Group, a Prineville ad agency, was the contributor instead of The Bulletin. Read about it here.
This article appears in Feb 19-25, 2009.
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The press is constitutionally free to do whatever the f*%K it wants, but funding political ads is disgusting even by the pathetic standards of Gordon Black and Co.
Worth noting also that if local broadcast media had done the same thing, they’d be facing six-figure fines from the FCC. True, they don’t have the same constitutional protections as the press, but it speaks to the seriousness of the ethical violation.
Yikes. This just isn’t right.
Flagstaff’s vice-major Al White recently described what he called the “urban growth machine”:
“The machine isn’t a bad thing — it just is. It is the Realtors, it is the homebuilders, it is the architects, it is the engineers, it is utilities, it is the chamber boards, it is title companies. And when they can, by electing council people, it is also government.”
(http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2009/02/15/news/20090215_front_190964.txt)
He added that, “members of the `machine’ rarely needed to worry about affordable housing, while teachers and police officers consistently struggled to stay … in Flagstaff.”
Here in Bend, the main newspaper is also part of the machine.
Maybe it will get some traction, or at least an acknowledgment from the Bulletin. But then, it’s the Bulletin, so…
Where did the other councilers money come from?? Did they not receive any contributions?
And a new one I noted, the Bend Business PAC:
BBPAC Funding
TOTAL $8,065.00
Bulletin in-kind $4000
*
Ok, fine, but remember in 1998 HOLLERN gave the BULLETIN $10M of land for free. Last year they sold a parcel to the city for $5M, the city didn’t need the land, it was a taxpayer robbery, in essence the BULLETIN got $5M for nothing, other than ten years of wiping HOLLERN’s ass.
$4,000 in-kind to the city-council, well its just a thank-you very much for $5M, not a bad return on investment. The $5M that the BULLETIN got last year made the difference of keeping them in business this year. I highly suspect with the $4,000 investment that the city will purchase the other $5M land they got for free very soon.
Imagine how it works in BEND, the biggest developer in the region gives free land to the paper that molds public opinion, manufactures the biggest bubble in 20 years and then gets $5M for services rendered, and then turns around and pays city-hall politicians to do it again, and never fear about ‘reporting’ because the watch-dog of BEND is the biggest recipient of corp-welfare (taxpayer subsidy) in town.
Yikes! H. Bruce Miller should have done some of his own legwork before publishing this one. Keep in mind when the real story comes out that a real journalist doesn’t hide behind another’s mistake.
When the real story comes out?? When the Bulletin editorial mentions that they paid for the recent election, and promoted the its own select candidates?
That COBA has had so many campaign non-compliance problems with the state election’s office that you could write a book??
Nope, this story will perhaps be reported by the Oregonian, or maybe the OPB, but never by a real journalist at the Bulletin.
COBA created COAH PAC as a front, and there is no way that 1,000 un-employed contractors gave $50 to COAH, that was forwarded to the recent roster of Bulletin approved candidates, if & when the COAH contributions are audited, it should be very interesting to know where the $100k that paid for the recent ‘staged election’ actually came from.
Regarding the Bulletin and real journalism, a few months ago when the Bulletin reported the cost that Eckman spent on the election they quoted $17k, yet the actual money spent was near $38k. It’s interesting in Bend to note the spread between real-news, and campaign finance reports filed with the State of Oregon.
Be patient. I have a feeling this accusation won’t go unanswered. H. Bruce Miller should have doubled checked this information.
“H. Bruce Miller should have done some of his own legwork before publishing this one.”
I checked the numbers on ORESTAR for myself before publishing it, of course. It’s right there — $4,000 in-kind contributions to BB-PAC from The Bulletin, and $1,665 each to Eckman, Greene, Eager and Leonard from BB-PAC. So unless you’re going to say ORESTAR’s data is bogus this story looks pretty damn solid.
If you know “the real story” why don’t you tell it instead of making snarky insinuations? I think you’re bullshitting us.
Some pretty remarkable admissions on The Bull’s editorial page today.
“The unsustainable growth of 2004-06 probably wonâ ™t repeat itself, and thatâ ™s a good thing.”
This from a paper that was cheerleading for that unsustainable growth, and then tried to pretend for about a year that the bubble hadn’t burst.
“When a city relies heavily upon one industry, as Bend has upon housing construction, it suffers badly when that industry does. Bend, obviously, needs a more diversified economic base.”
Duh. Again, we weren’t hearing this sage advice from The Bull when the real estate bubble was inflating.
The Bull says the reason we don’t attract industry is that we don’t have enough industrial land available. Maybe so — but I don’t see companies rushing in to fill the industrial land we’ve got.
And it takes more than available land to attract industry. Any place can offer empty dirt. Industries with good-paying jobs locate in places that offer good transportation connections and a well-educated or well-trained workforce — two things Bend ain’t got. And I really don’t know what can be done about the first one, because of our remoteness.
Re: Yikes! H. Bruce Miller should have done some of his own legwork before publishing this one. Keep in mind when the real story comes out that a real journalist doesn’t hide behind another’s mistake.
https://secure.sos.state.or.us/eim/transactionPubDetail.do?tranRsn=491087
491087 View Transaction 10/28/2008 Amended Bend Business Political Action Committee Bend Bulletin In-Kind Contribution $4,000.00
HBM, did you check the records — the paperwork reported to ORESTAR — for yourself? Did you call The Bulletin for a confirmation/denial? This is all Journalism 101 stuff, and I suspect you did neither. I know the real story, but I’ll remain snarky because you, not I, will be the one backpedaling when the truth comes out.
Transaction Information (Amended)
Transaction ID : 491087 Transaction Date : 10/28/2008
Transaction Type : Contribution/Pledge Filed Date : 11/12/2008 08:56 AM
Transaction Sub Type : In-Kind Contribution Exam Letter Date :
Payment Method : Check :
Amount : $4,000.00 Aggregate : $4,000.00
Interest Rate : Repayment Schedule :
Description : Bulletin Newspaper AD for Bend City Council
Agent : Iverson Group Process Status : Filed
Purpose : Agent
Address Book Information
Address Book Type : Business Entity
Name : Bend Bulletin
Address : 1777 SW Chandler Avenue Bend OR 97702
Occupation :
Employer Name : Occupation Letter Date :
“I know the real story, but I’ll remain snarky because you, not I, will be the one backpedaling when the truth comes out.”
Yeah, sure, whatever. I won’t hold my breath.
Blue Steel, here is the track of documentation from Orestar:
Trans# 491087 10/28/08 In-Kind Contribution Bulletin Newspaper AD for Bend City Council $4000
Agent : Iverson Group
Purpose : Agent
Business Entity
Name : Bend Bulletin
Then one of the four, Jeff Eager, shows:
Trans# 479552 10/29/08 Cash Expenditure $1000
Check
Preparation and Production of Advertising
Business Entity
The Iverson Group
Trans# 480070 10/30/2008
In-Kind Contribution $1000
Newspaper and Other Periodical Advertising
Political Committee
Bend Business Political Action Committee
The sum of cash contributions to BB PAC was $4,065, which was not enough to cover the $2500 to FlexForce and another $4000 to the Bulletin. We both know the Iverson Group is making money on campaigns, not spending it.
If I’m missing something, and it turns out that someone else paid for the ad, that the Bulletin did not contribute, I would be far happier. And I’m sure hb would be, too. And we would be curious to see who did pay for it.
The SoS is sending an inquiry to BB PAC on Monday, so we should know the truth soon.
“If I’m missing something, and it turns out that someone else paid for the ad, that the Bulletin did not contribute, I would be far happier. And I’m sure hb would be, too. And we would be curious to see who did pay for it.”
And why it was made to look like The Bulletin donated it.
And why it was made to look like The Bulletin donated it.
###
Taxes hbm taxes, … look at it this way, the BULL got $5M last year for selling worthless ( unsellable for any price ) land to the city, it got for free, that would be a big tax hit, by showing a $4,000 ad as a gift every little bit helps defer taxes.
It’s never the big stuff that sinks ships, its the little stuff.
Maybe, just maybe this ad was political payback for supporting that land purchase.
“Maybe, just maybe this ad was political payback for supporting that land purchase.”
If that was the case I’d think they would have done a better job of hiding it.
Also we don’t know if the $4,000 represents one ad or several. I went to the library today and looked at the back issues of The Bulletin for Oct. 28-31. I didn’t see any ads that had been taken out by the Bend Business PAC, but there were a number of them for Eckman, Eager, Greene and Leonard. Did The Bulletin donate ad space to the BB-PAC (which is ostensibly apolitical) and the BB-PAC then donate it to candidates? Who knows? Fortunately Bruce Ewert has the SOS office looking into this.
Oh, BTW we are still waiting for Blue Steel to reveal “the real story.” I notice he hasn’t been around lately.
491087 View Transaction 10/28/2008 Amended Bend Business Political Action Committee Bend Bulletin In-Kind Contribution $4,000.00
439639 View Transaction 10/09/2008 Original Peter Gramlich for Bend City Council Bend Bulletin Cash Expenditure $2,966.25
346478 View Transaction 07/03/2008 Original Committee to Elect Gene Whisnant Bend Bulletin Cash Expenditure $440.00
493467 View Transaction 11/15/2008 Original Committee to Elect Gene Whisnant Western Communications Cash Expenditure $610.50
493357 View Transaction 11/12/2008 Original Chuck Burley for State Representative Western Communications, Inc. Cash Expenditure $602.70
489935 View Transaction 11/05/2008 Original Chris Telfer for State Senate Western Communications Cash Expenditure $440.00
483443 View Transaction 10/31/2008 Original Chuck Burley for State Representative Western Communications, Inc. Cash Expenditure $1,808.10
483442 View Transaction 10/30/2008 Original Chuck Burley for State Representative Western Communications, Inc. Cash Expenditure $1,205.40
483630 View Transaction 10/29/2008 Original Committee to Elect Gene Whisnant Western Communications Cash Expenditure $366.30
471207 View Transaction 10/27/2008 Original Chuck Burley for State Representative Western Communications, Inc. Expenditure Made by an Agent $4,031.00
458800 View Transaction 10/17/2008 Original COCC: Yes, Friends of the College Western Communications Cash Expenditure $2,462.40
447864 View Transaction 10/13/2008 Original Chris Telfer for State Senate Western Communications Expenditure Made by an Agent $440.00
436274 View Transaction 10/06/2008 Original Chuck Burley for State Representative Western Communications, Inc. Cash Expenditure $2,009.00
418664 View Transaction 09/25/2008 Original Chris Telfer for State Senate Western Communications Expenditure Made by an Agent $1,320.00
418648 View Transaction 09/15/2008 Original Chris Telfer for State Senate Western Communications Expenditure Made by an Agent $1,320.00
415554 View Transaction 09/12/2008 Original Chuck Burley for State Representative Western Communications, Inc. Cash Expenditure $1,028.00
380176 View Transaction 08/22/2008 Original Committee to Elect Gene Whisnant Western Communications Cash Expenditure $7,940.39
382314 View Transaction 08/12/2008 Original Chris Telfer for State Senate Western Communications Cash Expenditure $760.00
365998 View Transaction 08/04/2008 Original Chris Telfer for State Senate Western Communications Cash Expenditure $2,646.00
336057 View Transaction 06/13/2008 Original Chuck Burley for State Representative Western Communications, Inc. Cash Expenditure $588.00
332883 View Transaction 06/05/2008 Original Chuck Burley for State Representative Western Communications, Inc. Account Payable $588.00
90779 View Transaction 08/21/2007 Original Chuck Burley for State Representative Western Communications, Inc. Cash Expenditure $698.75
“Oh, BTW we are still waiting for Blue Steel to reveal “the real story.” I notice he hasn’t been around lately.”
You want me to do your reporting for you? I simply pointed out that your information was wrong, and I bet you probably know that by now, too. Why won’t you reveal the real story to us, HBM?
Bruce Ewert has received the following communication from the SOS office:
Hi Bruce,
Good detective work. However, quite ironically, right after I contacted you yesterday, Jennifer High called me. She had just received my email. Iverson Group paid for the Bend Bulletin ad. So actually, the only thing wrong is that the committee showed the wrong contributor. They did report the transaction showing Iverson Group as the agent, but Iverson Group is actually the contributor and the agent. Jennifer assured me that they were not trying to hide anything, they just didn’t understand how to report it.
So what happens now is that Jennifer will amend this transaction to show the correct contributor. When a transaction is amended, it gets a totally new transaction ID number so you will not be able to access it by the old ID number once it is fixed. She will also have to do two other transactions – One with the subtype “Expenditure Made by an Agent” to show how much the Iverson Group paid the Bend Bulletin, then another transaction showing the amount of Management fees. The management fees are either in-kinded or part of the expenditure made by agent if the full $4,000 was not paid to the Bend Bulletin.
At some point, the committee will get a proposed penalty notice from us because whenever you change the amount of a transaction or the name of the contributor/payee after the due date, the transaction is then subject to late fees. We have not yet penalized for anything in Orestar – we are still working on a system for that so it could be next year.
Also, just a note: Jennifer is also the one who enters transactions for the other two committees you inquired about – Central Oregon Association of Realtors PAC and Central Oregonians for Affordable Housing. She assured me that she has very detailed records of all contributors and that no one in the miscellaneous category has gone over $100 in a calendar year. She would even welcome an audit. However, we do not do that without just cause, which means someone has to file a complaint with some kind of evidence.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
Nancy
Nancy E. Ferry
Compliance Specialist
Secretary of State
Elections Division
So we are supposed to believe this was all just an honest mistake, folks … no big deal … nothing to see here … move along …
Two points:
1. The Iverson Group, a mom-and-pop ad agency in Prineville, contributed not one dime to any candidates or causes in the 2008 election, but we are expected to believe they gave $4,000 to the BB-PAC.
2. If The Iverson Group paid The Bulletin for the ads, shouldn’t that have been listed as a cash contribution from Iverson to the BB-PAC instead of an in-kind contribution?
Looks like the only way to straighten this out would be to subpoena the books of Iverson, the BB-PAC and The Bulletin, and the SOS isn’t going to bother with that.
Blue Steel,
It seems simple enough – if you can’t back up your claims with facts then keep your fingers off of your keyboard. Your approach to this situation is not clever but rather stupid so either help with facts or, as they say in polite circles, “shut up”.
Source Orestar “Iverson Group”
471957 View Transaction 10/28/2008 Original Committee to Elect Tom Greene Iverson group Cash Expenditure $5,056.00
499713 View Transaction 10/20/2008 Amended Committee to Elect Tom Greene Iverson group Cash Expenditure $1,100.00
439550 View Transaction 10/09/2008 Original Committee to Elect Tom Greene Iverson group Cash Expenditure $1,450.00
396457 View Transaction 09/08/2008 Original Committee to Elect Tom Greene Iverson group Cash Expenditure $5,290.00
511047 View Transaction 12/01/2008 Original Committee to Elect Bryan Iverson the iverson group Cash Expenditure $203.00
416230 View Transaction 09/22/2008 Original Committee to Elect Bryan Iverson the round up Cash Expenditure $175.00
416241 View Transaction 09/22/2008 Original Committee to Elect Bryan Iverson Miscellaneous Cash Expenditures $100 and under Cash Expenditure $10.00
416224 View Transaction 09/21/2008 Original Committee to Elect Bryan Iverson Robin Cappell Cash Contribution $200.00
416222 View Transaction 09/18/2008 Original Committee to Elect Bryan Iverson Central Oregonians for Affordable Housing Cash Contribution $400.00
416227 View Transaction 09/15/2008 Original Committee to Elect Bryan Iverson Carlson Sign Cash Expenditure $1,400.00
416229 View Transaction 09/15/2008 Original Committee to Elect Bryan Iverson the iverson group Cash Expenditure $912.00
404992 View Transaction 09/12/2008 Original Committee to Elect Bryan Iverson COAR PAC Cash Contribution $1,000.00
416239 View Transaction 09/09/2008 Original Committee to Elect Bryan Iverson Miscellaneous Cash Contributions $100 and under Cash Contribution $100.00
416216 View Transaction 09/05/2008 Original Committee to Elect Bryan Iverson VB Consulting Cash Contribution $1,000.00
Mr. Calm,
I believe the letter HBM posted was the fact that backed up my claim. I allowed him to do it because this is his blog, and he’s the reporter who misstated the fact originally in his column. And, I had no doubt he’d get it right.
Now I understand that it’s his duty to jump on anything he can find to diminish Bend’s mainstream press, but I hope that he learned that following up on newly discovered information with the parties both accused and involved is the prudent way to practice journalism. (In fact, rather than continually speculating and plotting out what your new information might mean, why don’t you make some phone calls, ask for the records yourself and find out if your speculation is correct?) Just because you want to believe something, and a source seems to support you, doesn’t mean the buck’s meant to stop there. It seems the laziness and lack of true, ambitious reporting The Wandering Eye constantly criticizes regarding other media outlets doesn’t always apply to the criticizer. I have no beefs with this column or TS Weekly in general. I love the alternative viewpoint it typically provides. But I also love the truth, and the lazy route toward “truthiness” only diminishes the value of the news, regardless if it’s reported by the mainstream media or those who police it.
“I believe the letter HBM posted was the fact that backed up my claim.”
Yes … if one believes Ms. High’s story that it was all an honest mistake, a mere clerical error, and that the Iverson Group was really the contributor even though The Bulletin was listed as the contributor. Frankly I remain skeptical.
In the first place, Ms. High did not come up with this story until after Bruce Ewert discovered the record of the $4,000 Bulletin in-kind contribution and told the Secretary of State’s office about it, prompting them to investigate.
In the second place, High also handled the contributions from COAH and COAR and apparently didn’t make any mistakes in how she reported them, so she obviously knew how to do it. Odd that she would screw up in this one particular case.
“he’s the reporter who misstated the fact originally in his column”
I did not misstate any fact. I reported that ORESTAR records showed a $4,000 in-kind contribution by The Bulletin to BB-PAC on Ocyt. 28, 2008. That is an undisputed FACT. But High is NOW claiming the record is wrong because she made a mistake. This ex post facto excuse-making looks highly dubious, IMHO. But we probably will never know “the real story” because the SOS seems disinclined to pursue the case.
I can’t help but take notice on your latest blog and how it is very much attached to this one. Can you please just hold on to integrity and admit that you were wrong about the facts? Lets not turn this into the “No Spin Zone” and keep putting different opinion directed spins on this subject. Just say “I was wrong” that way I can respect your views as a journalist even if I don’t agree.
There is a real story here. It’s about how the BULLETIN was very much part of the recent election where COVA&COBA’s team completely took control of BEND city government, with $150k in campaign contributions that allegedly came from 3,000 unemployed realtors and builders in Bend. The COBA(COAH)&COAR election reports filed by house-wives High&Iverson very much should be audited. If a complaint is filed, it should not be limited to the invisible $4,000 Bulletin Advertisement.