Buying an Election
A
Developers back Nathanson, Denner, Slocum, Meisner with big bucks.
BY ALAN PITTMAN
ctually buying votes is illegal. But buying the
expensive ads that get you votes is enshrined
in the Constitution, courts have said. And in
the hotly contested fight this election
over who will control local government,
developers are spending big bucks for votes.
Developers who stand to cash in on urban sprawl,
freeways and weak environmental regulations have
pumped cash into Nancy Nathanson’s bid for mayor
NATHANSON
MEISNER
and into a slate of similarly pro-sprawl council candi-
dates.
Development interests — including developers,
builders, real estate speculators, construction compa-
nies and local land and timber barons — contributed a
total of $38,000 to Nathanson’s campaign as of May 9.
Local big business and wealthy conservatives helped
kick in another $24,000. In total Nathanson has report-
ed $62,000 in campaign contributions.
SLOCUM
DENNER
Conservative candidates have received large contributions from a few wealthy donors.
Chamber PAC
Nathanson’s biggest contributor is the
Eugene Chamber of Commerce political
action committee. The Chamber PAC donat-
ed $3,618 directly to Nathanson and is also
apparently supporting her campaign with
tens of thousands of dollars more in survey
and political consultant work.
The Chamber PAC is itself funded large-
ly by big development interests. The PAC
has amassed $54,000 in contributions over
the past two years, $36,000 of it from devel-
opment interests.
The Chamber of Commerce has 1,200
members, but its PAC is funded by only a
small group of wealthy pro-sprawl and anti-
environmental interests. Twenty-one donors
who contributed $1,000 or more account for
nearly nine out of 10 dollars that the PAC has
raised. The average contribution to the PAC
is nearly $600.
The Papé family was the largest contrib-
utor to the Chamber PAC, giving $5,050.
The Papé Group sells heavy equipment to
developers and road builders and owns the
Sanipac garbage company.
The Chambers family and associated
companies contributed $3,500 to the
Chamber of Commerce PAC. Carolyn
Chambers owns Chambers Construction and
Chambers Communications (KEZI).
Gretchen Pierce and her companies gave
the PAC $3,250. Pierce’s family profits from
development and timber.
Donors associated with Duncan &
Brown (real estate analysis), the Giustina
10 MAY 13, 2004
family (land speculation and timber),
Hamilton construction, Jerry’s Home
Improvement, Michael Schwartz (M. Jacobs
Furniture), and Charles Warren (Excalibur
Cutlery) gave $3,000 each.
The Giustinas contributed thousands
more to the Chamber PAC indirectly. The
Giustinas gave $3,000 to the Repeal Unfair
Taxes PAC. The Unfair Taxes PAC then
gave $4,466 to the Chamber PAC in in-kind
and cash donations.
Sand, gravel and construction companies
were also big donors to the PAC. Delta gave
$2,000, Wildish gave $1,300, Egge $1,000,
and Eugene Sand & Gravel $1,000. Rexius
Forest Products, landscaping supplier, gave
$1,000. Developer and lumberman J.P.
Hammer gave another $1,000.
Pro-sprawl business interests were the
other big funder of the Chamber PAC, con-
tributing a total of $17,000. Developer Rob
Bennett, owner of the Downtown Athletic
Club, gave $2,000 and business lawyers at
Gaydos Churnside gave $1,000. The local
Pepsi bottling company gave another
$1,000.
Hynix Semiconductor, beneficiary of
more than $40 million in city tax breaks and
permits to destroy dozens of acres of wet-
lands, also gave $1,000 to the Chamber PAC.
Nathanson Donors
After the Chamber PAC, the Giustina
family and their companies were the next
largest contributor to Nathanson. The
Giustinas gave Nathanson a total of $3,600.
The Wildish clan gave $3,000 and the Papés
gave $2,875.
The state’s leading pro-sprawl lobbying
groups, the Homebuilders Association and
Realtors PACs, each gave Nathanson
$2,000.
The Gonyea family, land speculators that
sold Hynix property for its factory, gave
Nathanson $1,050. Greg Demers, a land
speculator hoping to cash in on the West
Eugene Parkway, gave another $1,000. The
McKay and Connor families of real estate
investors gave $1,000 each. Triad Hospital,
hoping to locate a facility in Eugene with
taxpayer subsidies, gave another $1,000.
PeaceHealth hospital CEO Alan Yordy gave
Nathanson $500 through his registered busi-
ness, The Infinity Group.
Construction
interests
including
Chambers, Hamilton, Rexius and the Delta,
Egge and Eugene Sand & Gravel companies
gave $1,000 each to Nathanson. Other con-
servative business interests including
Bennett, Nike board member John E. Jaqua,
Gang of 13
Top Donors Account for Nearly Half of Pro-Sprawl Cash
Giustina (land speculation and timber)
Papé (Papé Group, heavy equipment, Sanipac)
Chambers (construction and KEZI)
Wildish (sand & gravel mining and construction)
Hamilton Construction Company
Gretchen Pierce (developer, timber)
Duncan & Brown (real estate analysis)
Charles Warren (Excalibur Cutlery)
Delta Sand & Gravel (mining and construction)
Oregon Homebuilders PAC
Jerry’s Home Improvement
Rob Bennett (developer, Downtown Athletic Club owner)
Michael Schwartz (M. Jacobs Furniture)
$10,550
$8,925
$5,000
$4,800
$4,000
$3,850
$3,750
$3,600
$3,250
$3,250
$3,000
$3,000
$3,000
Source: EW analysis of C&E reports for May election and last two years of Chamber PAC donations.
Totals combine donations of family members and companies associated with each special interest.