S. Tahoe council candidates raising money from variety of sources
The first round of campaign finance forms for South Lake Tahoe City Council have been released.
While there are five candidates for the two positions, only three people have donations to report.
Here are the documents:
WOW $8000 from NV & CA lodging!
Austin Sass with 3k from South Tahoe Alliance of Resorts – the former Gaming Alliance and 1500 from Park Cattle. Warning – a candidate influenced by Nevada corporations! Need council members that work for the residents that vote them in – South Lake Tahoe. Plus – Austin’s sign at Gino’s Push Fitness – need I say more?!
Interesting that Bruce Grego, whose opposition to the Loop Road Project has been comparable to a junk yard dog guarding his bone, has received 17% of his re-election campaign contributions from the two most vocal opponents to that same project at the City Council’s meetings; i.e. Diane Angie Watson and Mike McKeen. While this may be completely legal, there is a certain air of impropriety to this.
Also, thanks Bruce for spending $524 at the Carson City, NV Costco on stamps and campaign products. I guess you didn’t think SLT’s businesses were in need of your patronage related to those Costco “campaign products” or that the City of SLT needed the sales tax revenue from your expenditure.
Can anyone say HYPOCRITE!
For SLT, yet you seem to have no problem with only 38% of those contributing to Hal Cole’s campaign coming from within South Lake Tahoe?
And not to be outdone by City Councilmember Bruce Grego’s Costco expenditure, Austin Sass has spent a total of $6,267 on his SLT City Council election campaign with a whopping $300 of that spent in SLT, or 4.9% spent with SLT’s local businesses.
Thanks for your very generous patronage to our local businesses and economy Austin.
Can anyone say HYPOCRITE NUMBER 2.
4-mer, I would think that in this economy we would appreciate having council members who would be fiscally responsible by trying to get the most value for every single dollar they spend, theirs OR ours, regardless of where the BEST deal might come from. Spending more than one has to just to shop locally just isn’t justified in this day and age where every dollar counts(as far as I’m concerned).
4-mer—– Stamp purchases are not subject to sales taxes.
Biggerpicture:
While I appreciate your comments regarding fiscal responsibility, I think in a circumstance when an individual is running for office to represent the best interests of the residents and business in a small, struggling community that the issue of support of those local businesses and the loss of sales tax revenue to that community via their decision to spend 95.1% of all their election campaign monies with businesses outside that community is ill-advised and shows a lack of loyalty. I supported Mr. Sass but loyalty is an important matter to me.
You are certainly entitled to your opinion, as am I.
Tahoeadvocate:
Yes, I know that stamp purchases are not subject to sales tax, but “campaign products” likely are, and most likely those campaign products could have been purchased in SLT. Certainly the stamps could have been—for what little good that would do with the exception that buying those locally may help keep a SLT Post Office worker in a job.
Duh, running for office requires donations to pay for the cost of running. If they financed it themselves, the complainers would say they are buying the elections. If they get money from people, the complainers say they are beholding to those interests. Someone getting no donations can be attacked for not getting out there. The ones of real concern are Grego because he’s getting his money from very specific people against the loop road, which explains why he’s been so vocal against it. Those folks have a single-focus. The big corporations in town have their own interests but are more concerned with getting this town some business. Sass has already shown his independence by being against some of the issues his donors support.
4-mer’s points about spending in town are valid, as long as one can say what they needed they could get in town. Buy local, should be supported by the candidates. Businesses need to offer good prices though and local stores aren’t competitive.
Cole and Grego got it right for getting their signs made by local businesses, good for business and good for them. It’s also good to see Cole getting support from so many people rather than a few corporations.
Gave to Bruce Grego after witnessing his voting record and clarity with TTD. I asked Angie Watson to match my campaign contribution.
I have no previous association or connection with Mr. Grego. Making my contribution I used my real name not hiding behind a building or corporation title. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to clarify.
Beware the candidates with out of town financing, particularly in another state. Out of town favors will need to be repaid, someday, somehow.
Not too heartening to see the who’s and where’s of these campaign contributions. It does say something about the candidates, their loyalties and modes of operation.
I just have to make an observation.
Some posts on this thread seem to be dissing candidates for taking money from people with strong opinions on one issue or another. I’m curious as to whom you think the candidates SHOULD be taking money from. Only people or entities with ABSOLUTELY no opinion on local issues?
where’s schue’s statement?
I have been told in the past that the Globin Bldg is owned by John Upton.