Where does the election campaign money come from?

council 100x100By Pepper Parr

June 20th, 2018

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Albert Facenda, a small Burlington developer, with distinct views of his own, made a comment on political donations where he appears to be skewing just what some candidates mean when they say they will not accept donations from developers.

Facenda says: “Since many business owners could benefit from council decisions. Taxi owners, building supply companies, arbourists. Paving companies, the list goes on and on. Will MMW (Marianne Meed Ward) keep an arm’s length relationship with them and refuse their personal donations. That slope gets quite slippery when you only exclude developers.”

election fundingThe province changed the rules about political campaign donations making it illegal to accept donations from corporations and unions. What the province wanted to end was a specific sector of the economy donating large sums of money to people running for council.

Meed Ward has taken a grass roots approach – she is looking for those $25 donations and perhaps $100 donations. She wants to see the campaign funds coming from a broad section of the community and not bunched up from the corporate sector.

When a corporation sends a candidate a cheque they expect their phone calls to be returned.

There is at least one current candidate that isn’t taking a dime from the public purse – the candidate is funding the campaign.

We are aware of another that has put the first $9000 into his campaign.

Each candidate knows how much they are allowed to spend – they get told what that amount is when they file their nomination papers.

In one of our more recent conversations with Meed Ward she said she wasn’t sure yet what she could spend – but she did have a number in her head as to what she expected to have to spend.

What gets raised and spent is made public when the campaign is over – it would be nice to know where the money is coming from before you vote.

How do you keep election campaign funding clean.  Choose the ones you like that reflect your values and send them a cheque.  Doesn’t have to be a big cheque; it shouldn’t be a big cheque.  Just help keep elections clean.

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4 comments to Where does the election campaign money come from?

  • Eve St Clair

    Business owners don’t invade precious space and build 27 storey buildings or 340 townhomes on a double lot ?????

  • Albert

    I was attempting to clarify Marianne Meed Wards position on personal (not corporate or union donations) Why you bundled up personal donations( legal) up with illegal contributions confuses me. I’ll ask the question again if I may? Will Marianne Meed Ward refuse and has she in the past accepted personal political contributions from the numerous business owners and others that could benefit from Council’s decisions. The answers should read yes or no. The only skewing I read was her attempt to cast aspersions on all the other councilors and Mayor for accepting legal personal donations from a variety of business owners. Who are citizens and the backbone of this community..Don’t be surprised when they look in her closet.

    • Stu Parr

      Albert:

      I don’t want to oversimplify, which is what I believe you may be doing, and I certainly don’t want to speak for Ms. Meed Ward. However, I believe that the issue here is the degree to which intensification, in the view of many, has become over and inappropriate development, particularly as it relates to the downtown core. Council, with one notable exception, has spearheaded this trend and the acceptance of donations from the development community, a perfectly legal thing, nevertheless indicates a community of interest, a shared viewpoint. It seems to me that If you don’t share this viewpoint, then ethically you don’t accept the donations. If you do, you do. Full stop.

      • Stephen White

        Well stated Stu!

        The onus upon municipal voters this election should be to ask each Council and Mayoralty candidate who precisely is financing their campaigns, and whether individual contributors are linked to, connected with or employed by either real estate development or real estate sales organizations.

        BTW…a review of the 2014 financial statements for City of Burlington candidates is an interesting read:

        https://www.burlington.ca/en/your-city/past-election-information.asp