28/10/2015
Are you wondering what $100,000 each from a coal terminal and environmental groups is being spent on? I wondered that myself, and asked the recipients of all this campaign funding to tell me.
Ron Reimer is campaign manager for Clear Ballot Choices, the political committee formed by coal terminal applicant SSA Marine. The political committee received more than $58,000 from its parent.
Reimer did not return a phone call or email seeking comment.
I asked SSA Marine Senior Vice President Bob Watters how the money would be spent -- at least the $58,000 to his own committee. He gave a statement, part of which is in the story linked below, but he didn't answer the question.
I called Iris Maute-Gibson of Fair & Equal Whatcom, which received $33,000 from Sierra Club, $10,000 from Washington Conservation Voters and at least $7,000 from other environmentalists. She did not return my call.
The county Republicans got $42,000-plus from SSA Marine, but a large majority of that money (about $35,000) was strictly limited in how it could be spent.
Republican Chairman Charlie Crabtree did call me back and filled me in on how Republicans would spend its bounty.
"You have to be dang careful," Crabtree said, referring to the restrictions on the money.
"What we spend that money on by law is 'get out the vote.'"
The Republicans will pay some of its canvassers (doorbellers) and some of the people who call registered voters who have not yet returned their ballots, he said.
Also, just by looking at mailers it is clear the money has been spent on campaign fliers, such as this one from Clear Ballot Choices: http://bit.ly/1kaQvfx
Here's one from Fair & Equal Whatcom that tries to appeal to rural conservatives, although the measure is backed primarily by progressives: http://bit.ly/1PUCQpd and http://bit.ly/1O7R3Qg.
The company behind a proposed coal terminal at Cherry Point is the biggest donor in a campaign fight over obscure ballot propositions in Whatcom County.
