Hot News!
• Freestore Foodbank Battle of the Blogs!
• Cincinnati NAACP President shares update on Cincinnati Retirement Plan
Contact Us
v mail, fax: (214) 481-6464
e mail: click here
On today's date in The Beacon archives, we published:
•Fans find reality not reported by Enquirer (2007)•Open Letter to John Pepper about Disney Characters (2006)
•More Lack of Coverage from The Cincinnati Enquirer (2006)
Events
 |
|
|
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Gerald “Bengal” Berding and His Big Money Fringe
Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
Photo courtesy of here.
I recently came across some information we gathered back in 2007, concerning campaign contributions for the 2005 City Council elections. The city council members holding office had their positions largely because they are good at fundraising. During the 2005 election, 4,762 persons made campaign contributions totalling $1,325,365.42. Twenty-three percent (a minority) of the people contributed 73% of the money. 619 persons made contributions over $1,000. Additionally, 64 entities pitched up more than a grand. PAC and Corporate party contribution limits are higher than the $1000 individual contribution limit. This is how they stacked up back then.
PAC & PARTY FUNDING
Berding 18250
Bortz 17500
Cole 17275
Monzel 15500
Crowley 14650
Ghiz 13250
Cranley 12900
$1000 Contributions
Berding 125000
Cranley 108000
Bortz 76000
Monzel 56000
Ghiz 36000
Crowley 34000
Cole 17000
Berding was the true winner grabbing over $140,000 from large donors. Bortz was smiled upon from PAC’s and the Charter Committee. Cranley played a good game and it paid off. And that was the way the serious candidates finished.
So can it be any surprise that Jeff Berding has taken the lead in efforts to oppose Issue 8? Big money has big interests invested in protecting the status quo, and Jeff Berding has become the big-money poster boy for their big-money agenda.
Say “No” to corrupt campaign financing and the status quo. Say “Yes” to fair elections. Vote YES on Issue 8.
• Share This Article!
Listen to this article
|  |
Register
Anonymous comments are allowed, but you can create an account above to stamp your name and to avoid typing the anti-spam code.
If you are not familiar with our rules for leaving comments, click here! The Cincinnati Beacon is not responsible for the contents of any comments. Comments do not represent the views of the moderators of The Cincinnati Beacon.
12 Oct 2008 at 06:54 am | #
Thanks for the facts. Interesting indeed.
Yes on 8!
12 Oct 2008 at 11:36 am | #
Very interesting. Didn’t Bortz also give himself quite a bug chunk of change in both elections right before filing deadlines in order to make it look like he had more support?
12 Oct 2008 at 11:52 am | #
Of this small minority that dominates our elections by giving a majority of the ad money, only a small minority of these big campaign contributors actually lives in the city of Cincinnati. This creates a serious democracy gap in our city and it’s the reason we see public policy that supportz the corporate agenda instead of the public interest.
12 Oct 2008 at 08:48 pm | #
I just wanted to highlight our new website—the website name isn’t as honest as the name I’m using here, but it does amount to much the same thing:
http://www.protectallyourvotes.com/
12 Oct 2008 at 09:34 pm | #
It’s the same Big Money fringe that put up a million dollars to push the jail tax on us. They were lying to us telling us there would be chaos.
13 Oct 2008 at 12:44 pm | #
The smell of pigs roasting is filling my nostrils as i read this breathe of fresh air. It is good to know some in the community have the balls to expose Berding. And I guess Berding is just scared that no one will say “that’s my first or second choice!” I know he wouldn’t make my 9th choice on a PR ballot.
14 Oct 2008 at 04:30 pm | #
How many people will be supporting Bortz under the new PR system? answer, not enough.