This is the type of bullshit you'll fine coming directly off one of those slick campaign mailers from Heather Steans.
I call it bullshit, because that's what it is. BULLSHIT!
Heather claims she wants to be a agent of change. But go check her most recent campaign finances. Look who's giving big money to her campaign.
It's the 'movers and shakers' who buy influence.
James S. Crown has 14 contributions totaling $14,700.00. But one recent campaign contribution on January 18th caught my eye. The one to Heather Steans.
Occupation: President
Employer: Henry Crown and Company
$2,000.00
1/18/2008 A1
Friends of Heather Steans
Rebecca Crown has 20 contributions totaling $19,000.00. As a educator, Rebecca knows how to play the game. On the same day James gave a couple thousand, so did she.
Occupation: Educator
Employer: National Lewis University
$2,000.00
1/18/2008 1A
Friends of Heather Steans
Lester Crown is a super big giver with 75 contributions totaling $86,200.00. He's known as a political influence buyer. Can you imagine what he's trying to buy from Heather? My guess is influence.
Occupation: Chairman
Employer: Henry Crown and Company
$2,000.00
1/18/2008 1A
Friends of Heather Steans
* Lester's career is not without scandal. Lester was involved in a high level bribery case in Illinois the 1970s. He donated $8,000 to a political slush fund that was intended for a group of legislators in the Illinois General Assembly to aid the passage of a bill to raise highway weight limits for ready-mix concrete trucks.
If that's not 'Pay to Play', what is?
11 comments:
How do we find out who's donating to Suzanne Elder?
what's a coronation without crowns? All good Illinois progressives get their money from the military-industrial complex.
http://la.indymedia.org/news/2007/02/194141.php
THANKS FOR EXPOSING HER-
SHE SMELLED LIKE GOOSE LIVER WHENI FIRST STARTED READING ABOUT HER-
Blogpants is asking a terrific question. How DO we find out who's donating to Suzanne Elder? For that matter, how do we find out who's donating to any candidate?
I read the link tofugirl provided. How can someone like Paula Crown, or anyone for that matter, give thousands more than the federal limit of $2,300 per person to any one candidate and not get in trouble? The articles are interesting but they fail to answer that particular question.
- PEACE -
The reason contributors can give elected officials (and candidates for
state office) more than the federal limit is because Illinois has ABSOLUTELY NO CAMPAIGN FINANCE LIMITS.
If someone wants to give Heather or Suzanne $10,000, $50,000 or even $100,000, they can do it.
In Illinois, the only obligation is to report it.
This is one of the reasons why it is so hard for someone without a bank's worth of dough to win office.
It's an inside game from start to finish.
I highly doubt you'll find any billionaires with influence and a checkered past on Elder's list. But you can look it up yourself.
If Lester isn't connected, who is? Lester's recent achievements include brokering a controversial agreement to expand O'Hare International Airport, and spearheading the funding of the new Cook County Hospital (Stroger Hospital).
When Lester gives, he expects to receive.
Crown, Lester
222 N LaSalle Street
Chicago, IL 60601
Occupation: Best Effort
Employer: Best Effort
$1,000.00
1/27/2006 - Individual Contribution
Stroger for President
James Crown:
Member of the Board of General Dynamics (1987-) Member of the Board of JP Morgan Chase (2004-) Member of the Board of Sara Lee (1998-)
Anyone can find out -- eventually -- who's giving large donations to any state/local candidate or political committee by checking out the State Board of Elections website http://www.elections.il.gov/CampaignDisclosure/welcome.aspx or, for federal contributions, the F.E.C. http://www.fec.gov/finance/disclosure/disclosure_data_search.shtml or one of the many sites that has made contributions easily searchable, such as opensecrets.org or campaignmoney.com. Normally the contributions for a state race would have been filed 30 days before the election, but this year, because of the move-up of the primary date, the State merged that requirement with the "annual report" filing date, so we all find out very late in the process, only 2 weeks before the election. Note large (over $500) late contributions that are still coming in are required to be reported within days on an "A-1" report. Note also that contributions under $150 to state/local races do not require individualized reporting, so if 100 people give $100 each at a fundraiser it typically is not reported.
Suzanne Elder's campaign is patently not a big-money campaign and is relying on grassroots contrbutions. Anyone wishing to help out can contribute online at https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/entity/18616%20%20
I doubt Lester Crown expects anything directly for his $$. Or needs anything. He is richer than Oprah or any Pritzker. He sits on boards with Heather's Republican daddy including chairing the Commercial Club's Civic Committee which is what got Heather her "experience" there (which so impresses the Tribune etc). Check out that committee of the Club, it reads like a who's who of money and power in Chicago. http://www.civiccommittee.org/members/index.html
So it's not really a quid pro quo, more like an in-group just taking care of one of its own.
The Crowns give a lot of money to universities and also give a lot of money to liberal Democrats. But a lot of their fortune came (and still comes) from military contractor General Dynamics. http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/10/58EE.html
The main reason to hate on Lester Crown is he is one of the owners of the Yankees. :)
The problem with billionaire political giving is when it has nothing to do with believing in anything. For example Lester Crown has given thousands of dollars to Republicans: Arlen Specter, Bob Dole, Rudy Giuliani, Dennis Hastert, Richard Lugar, Mark Kirk, John Porter, Phil Gramm, Ted Stevens. Just like Steans and her husband, mainly thru their PAC, have given a ton of money to Republicans.
Meanwhile Republican Harrison Steans also gives to Democrats from time to time.
Power doesn't really care about party. Just as long as its phone calls to the elected official get taken. Think yours will be?
Phil Gramm! Jeepers.
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