Arnold plans to raise anywhere between $75 and $120 million for his re-election:
A former top Schwarzenegger advisor has told business leaders that the governor is trying to raise $120 million for the November election, much of it for the state Republican Party. Schwarzenegger has refuted that figure, and aides now say his goal for the year is $75 million.
Whatever the target, his schedule in the weeks ahead includes a long roster of events to gather campaign money from donors, many of whom have a stake in decisions he makes as governor.(LA Times March 21, 2006)
The unions have already started their protests at the prospect of Ahnold spending all summer raising cash. Go Unions!
In Beverly Hills on Monday, unions held their first major protest of the year against the Republican governor’s collection of campaign money. About 200 nurses, bus drivers, school clerks and other union members marched outside a private Schwarzenegger reception and dinner for donors, who paid up to $100,000 for seats near the governor and his guest speaker, U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
As Schwarzenegger was ensconced with top supporters inside the Beverly Hilton, sign-waving protesters shouted from the sidewalks outside at rush-hour traffic on Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards.
***
The scenes were similar to the dozens of protests that organized labor held last year during its successful battle to kill Schwarzenegger’s November ballot initiatives. This year, of course, the target is his reelection.
The unions’ core message on Monday — that Schwarzenegger broke his campaign pledge to shun special-interest money — is part of a broader effort by labor and its Democratic allies to cast the governor as a standard politician who fails to keep his word.
“He said he wasn’t going to take special-interest money, and then this fundraiser flies in the face of everything he said he would be,” said Robin Swanson, a spokeswoman for the Alliance for a Better California, the union coalition formed last year to fight Schwarzenegger’s ballot measures.
Good work Alliance for a Better CA! I also just thought it would be nice to point out what the GOP donors are getting for that money (on the flip). He spent over $140 million out of his campaign funds so far!
The fact remains that Arnold claimed he was going to be a governor who would reject special interest money, yet he revels in it and what it can buy him. The fundraising binge that he is now pursuing is both disheartening for our state and an embarassment for our electoral system that we need $100million campaigns.
Big spender
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has spent more than $142.5 million in campaign donations since entering politics about four years ago.
A sampling:
TV commercials |
($69.3 million) |
Campaign consultants |
($14.7 million) |
Mail to voters |
($10.9 million) |
Travel & hotels for Schwarzenegger and entourage |
($4.9 million) |
Public event production |
($4.9 million) |
Polling |
($2.2 million) |
Jet |
($1.9 million) |
Extra security paid to two firms |
( $308914 ) |
Speech coach |
($222577) |
Personal videographer |
($62476) |
Jackets T-shirts |
($69000) |
Commemorative pens |
($37293) |
Wolfgang Puck catering |
($18631) |
Valet parking |
($9384) |
—
Sources: California Secretary of State, Times research LA Times
