Measure O Shows It Takes Money to Take Money

In the most expensive initiative campaign in Ventura County history, backers of Measure O spent $524,000 this month to push total costs to $2.15 million--a big-city figure in a suburban-county battle for $260 million in tobacco settlement money.

In documents filed Thursday, Community Memorial Hospital reported spending $2,155,840 this year on the controversial initiative, mostly on a blizzard of mail and radio ads designed to wrest control of tobacco funds from Ventura County government and give it to private hospitals.

By comparison, backers of a similar measure in Orange County have spent $791,747 so far.

“Unless you are a Silicon Valley dot-com king, how can you afford to compete with that?” asked county elections chief Bruce Bradley. “What would they have done with that $2 million if they hadn’t spent it on this?”

Meanwhile, candidates in four state legislative races have collected large sums for a final two-week push to the Nov. 7 election.

And in two heated races for county supervisor, three candidates reported donation totals that are the highest in county history.

The Democratic Party and its leaders have flooded two local Assembly races in support of Assemblywoman Hannah-Beth Jackson of Santa Barbara in the 35th District and challenger Roz McGrath of Somis in the 37th District.

With $116,000 in new party money this month, Jackson has raised $912,027 during this campaign. That compares with $201,387 in donations for challenger Robin Sullivan, a Santa Paula councilwoman, who has received little of the Republican Party support she expected. Jackson had $212,000 in the bank on Oct. 21, while Sullivan had $4,047.

McGrath’s challenge to Assemblyman Tony Strickland (R-Thousand Oaks) got a boost through four hard-hitting mailers from the state Democratic Party. Counting that contribution, she has raised about $365,000 for the year and nearly $150,000 the last three weeks. But Strickland is still far ahead in fund-raising. After collecting about $160,000 for the recent period, he has accumulated $725,000 for the year, a spokesman said. His report had not been filed.

In a race to replace retiring state Sen. Cathie Wright (R-Simi Valley), Assemblyman Tom McClintock (R-Northridge) has raised $618,665 this year and has $235,122 in the bank, compared with Simi Valley Democrat Daniel Gonzalez’s $85,949 in donations and cash balance of $14,916.

To decide who will replace McClintock in the 38th Assembly District, which includes part of Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley, Republican physician Keith Richman has raised $727,932, including a $420,000 loan he made to his campaign, while Democrat Jon Lauritzen has raised just $38,282.

Fund-raising records continued to tumble in the 1st District supervisor’s race between Ojai educator Steve Bennett and veteran Ventura Councilman Jim Monahan as total contributions reached $438,000 compared with the former record of $254,000.

Monahan, a strong business advocate, has now raised $237,777, while Bennett, a slow-growth activist, has generated more than $200,000. Bennett has nearly $47,000 in remaining cash, compared with $2,488 for Monahan.

In District 3, Supervisor Kathy Long boosted her big lead over Camarillo Councilman Mike Morgan with donations totaling $194,089, nearly four times as much as Morgan’s $51,690. She had $41,407 left in the bank; he had $42.

“Look at the money in all these races,” elections chief Bradley said, “and you wonder where does the little guy come in anymore.”

Measure O

The Measure O juggernaut continued its assault on county voters the last three weeks through almost daily mailings and an uptick in its radio presence. And backers were not about to apologize for a campaign that’s cost nonprofit Community Memorial $2 million and counting.

“I think the cost reflects the need to counterbalance the county’s aggressive attempt to block this from getting on the ballot, and to block voters from having a clear factual basis for knowing what this is about,” spokesman Mark Barnhill said.

Measure O would not exist if county supervisors had not spent the first $3 million of tobacco settlement money to pay a debt, not on health care, he said.

An ordinance passed this week by the Board of Supervisors guaranteeing the money will go to health care is a sham, Barnhill said, because it’s filled with loopholes.

“They’ve created a political document they hope will turn the tide on election day,” Barnhill said. “And we need to inform voters that it is really a hollow political stunt.”

Measure O opponents lashed out at the unprecedented spending.

“The amount of money they are spending is simply obscene,” said David Maron, chairman of a coalition opposing the measure. “They are clearly trying to buy the election.”

Measure opponents reported raising $53,016 since Oct. 1 and $114,016 for the year. About $41,000 was unspent.

The opponents’ new money is mostly from Ventura County Medical Center doctors and nurses. The California Nurses Assn. have donated $13,500 this month and $23,000 for the year, and the Service Employees International Union, county government’s largest union, has donated $35,000.

1st District Supervisor

Bennett continued his fund-raising momentum, receiving more in donations than Monahan for the second consecutive reporting period. He received $18,094 since Oct. 1. Despite taking no contribution over $500, Bennett, an Ojai vice principal, has raised $200,338.

His recent contributors include $500 each from Amgen executive Steven McCloskey and Eric Johanson of Johanson Dielectrics. Bennett also received a $300 donation from Thousand Oaks Councilwoman Linda Parks.

He opposes Measure O and received a $250 donation from Maron, head of the anti-O coalition.

“I’m really proud of being able to raise funds with broad-based, grass-roots support,” said Bennett. “I hope we can demonstrate you can get elected without big-money special interests.”

Monahan could not be reached for comment.

He received only $10,391 in new contributions. The biggest were $1,000 from the Ventura County Lincoln Club and $500 each from Community Memorial Hospital executive Ken Strople and Santa Barbara executive Ralph Stephens of A.E. Inc.

3rd District Supervisor

Increasing her fund-raising advantage, Democrat Long of Camarillo raised $22,613 in the three-week period, nearly three times that of Morgan in the nonpartisan contest.

Long’s supporters included the Service Employees International Union, which gave $5,500 and has donated $13,500 for the year. The California Nurses Assn. donated $1,000.

In the same period, Morgan raised $7,708.

His greatest remaining resource is people, he said.

“We’ve got people, lots of people,” Morgan said. “These are plain folks, not unions, going door to door.”

Among his biggest donors are the conservative Ventura County Lincoln Club with $1,000, $800 from Steve Thomas BMW in Camarillo, and $435 from retired Camarillo city manager Bill Little Little.

Assembly 35th District

Jackson, a Democratic leader in her first term, continued to pull away from Sullivan as the Democratic Party weighed in with its hefty donation, coupled with $214,000 in prepaid ads Assembly Democrats bought for TV and radio the previous reporting period.

Other top givers were the Santa Ynez Band of Mission Indians, $15,000 ($22,000 for the year); California School Employees Assn., $5,000 ($11,000 for the year); California State Employees Assn., $5,000; California Applicants’ Attorney Assn., $5,000; entertainer David Van Cortlandt, $4,000; Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee, $4,000; and singer Jackson Browne, $1,000.

Sullivan, recruited to face Jackson partly to lure Republican women to the polls, received nominal party support, and the Assembly Republican PAC has contributed only about $30,000 for the year.

Actor Chris Mitchum of Santa Barbara, who spent $900,000 in a loss to Jackson in 1998, has loaned Sullivan $2,800, and Ventura engineer Michael Woodyard donated $5,400 in office rent.

Other top contributors were Assemblyman Roy Ashburn of Bakersfield, who gave $3,500 ($8,500 for the year); Pacific Ranch Co. of Camarillo, $2,500 ($3,750 for the year); Watson Land Co. of Wilmington, $2,500; and an insurance PAC from Des Plaines, Ill., $2,500.

“I always ascribe to the Yogi Berra expression, ‘It ain’t over ‘til it’s over,’ ” Jackson said. “I’ll rest in 12 days, when it is over.”