I thought it’d be interesting to find out who were the big contributors to the various campaigns for mayor and council last year. So here’s a list of companies, organizations and people who contributed $500 or more to candidates in the 2010 municipal election. All this info is public and available on the city’s website (click the link then download report IR10-3).
First, here are the big spenders — ie, those who spent $700 or more (and who they spent it on):
Bison Properties Ltd – $3,000 (Fiacco, Hutchinson, Bryce, Grey, Flegel)
Regina District Labour Council – $3,000 (Conway, McIntyre, Mercer)
North Prairie Developments – $1,500 (Fiacco, Flegel)
Capital Ford – $1,000 (Flegel)
Mitchell Developments Ltd – $1,000 (Fiacco)
Hardeep Madhur – $1,000 (Fiacco)
Heath Water Heater – $1,000 (Findura)
Regina Motors Products – $1,000 (Fiacco)
Jim Elliott – $786 (Elliott)
K-Line Maintenance – $750 (Berehula)
Malcolm French/Equitum Consulting – $715 (Dixon)
Dundee Realty Corporation – $700 (Fiacco, Flegel)
(UPDATE: I realized on re-reading that it might be unclear that what I’m posting here are totals. So, for example, Bison donated $3,000 in reported contributions overall, split between five candidates. It didn’t contribute $3,000 to each. Same goes below.)
The rest of these contributors spent $500 exactly (and I didn’t type out who to because I got lazy — but like I say, this information is all readily available on the city’s website):
Avison Young Commercial Real Estate Inc
Bennett Dunlop Ford
Canadian Ironworkers Political Action
Dale Greisser
Dale Griesser Realty
Darryl Price
Forks Motor Inn
GS Security
Italian Star Holdings Inc
Loraas Disposal Services
Makris Brothers Enterprises Ltd
Pearl Dainow
Scotiabank
Site Management Services Regina Inc
Speers Funeral Chapel Inc
Taylor Lexus Toyota
Tom Robinson
Universal Collision
Virtus Group LLP
Welldone Mechanical Services
Couple interesting things…. The Regina District Labour Council was tied for biggest donor with Bison Properties Ltd but none of the RDLC’s candidates won their spots while Bison backed three winners out of five. Is there a prize for that?
Also, as I mentioned in yesterday’s This Week at City Hall, Fiacco spent $43,000 on his re-election campaign, a figure which dwarfs his closest competition, Jim Elliott, who seems to have spent under $1,000. Sounds a little like showing up to a knife fight with napalm. (Or, conversely, it’s like Elliott went to a napalm fight with a spork. However you want to look at it.)
And if you’re curious, the bulk of Fiacco’s money was spent on advertising ($16,464.38), postage ($9,918.58), signs ($9,186.83) and salaries and benefits ($5,200).
