Follow the Money

In examining campaign finance documents filed by "Citizens for Better City Government", the astro-turf group who supplied the real money and financed the attack mailings for victorious Moline mayoral candidate Don Welvaert, a few things are notable.

First, how the donors list is almost exclusively populated by wealthy current or former businessmen, business owners, or their wives, including several current and former officers of Deere & Co. and multi-millionaires.

The list of donors over $150 also includes a couple of what Welvaert would characterize as "outside interests", in that they reside in Bettendorf.

What do they care who is Mayor of Moline? Unless of course they have a financial interest at stake. Nah, that couldn't be. The same committee tried to tar O'Brien as beholding to outside interests as if it were a sin, and Welvaert even called it "scary" that O'Brien had received donations from traditionally Democratic organizations such as unions based outside Moline. So surely people living in a different town in a different state wouldn't be donating for selfish reasons. That would be REALLY hypocritical.

Also curious is the fact that the final financal report for the "Welvaert for Mayor Campaign" lists only two contributions. One is a $2000 "loan" from Don Welvaert to the Welvaert for Mayor Campaign" and the other is a $200 donation from Welvaert to the "Citizens for Better City Government." So Welvaert apparently is out nothing if he gets his $2000 loan back, and he made his $200 contribution to the CBCG organization from his campaign fund.

Roger Clawson is listed as having made an in-kind donation of printing from Printing Unlimited for $698.74 on March 31. His day before the election smear letter cost him $262.98 to the Dispatch/Argus on April 1.

The "Citizens for Better City Government"'s purpose is stated as "To identify and support candidates for local political office, primarily City of Moline, who will advocate and support good government and progressive programs to benefit the community and make it a better place in which to live or be employed." As you'll see from the donor list below, they're all VERY concerned with the well-being of employees.

It reported $28,850.00 in receipts and $23,100.00 in expenditures as follows:

To the campaign committees of,

Andria McDermott -- $1,300.00 on 2/28/2005
Kent Breecher -- $3,900.00 on 1/31/2005
Kent Breecher -- $6,500.00 on 2/28/2005
Michael Crotty -- $1,600.00 on 1/31/2005
Michael Crotty -- $1,300.00 on 2/28/2005
Welvaert Campaign -- $8,500.00 on 2/28/2005

Note that Crotty got a total of $2,900 from the Citizen's group, while his company, KVF Quad Corp. donated $1000 to the Committee on March 10.

The following are all donors above $150 as listed in campaign finance disclosure reports for transactions through March 6, 2005 for Citizens for Better City Government. Notice who's at the bottom of the list.

Chairman: Hunt Harris II, Treasurer: Richard Parsons

* Getz, Tom --- $2,000.00 -- Moline Forge
* Hank, Jr. Bernard --- $2,000.00
* Harris, II, John H. (Hunt)--- $2,000.00
* Lane, Patricia --- $2,000.00 -- Wife of Deere & Co. CEO
River Stone Group --- $2,000.00 --- formerly Consumers Sand & Gravel Co.
Frizzelle and Parsons Die Sinking Co. --- $2000.00
* Reynolds, Darrell --- $1,500.00 -- owner Erickson Chevrolet
* Becherer, Hans --- $1,000.00 -- Former CEO, Deere & Co.
Hanson, James --- $1000.00
KVF Quad Corp. --- $1000.00 -- Michael Crotty
* Clarke, Wade --- $750.00
* Robinson, Thomas --- $750.00
Kearney, John --- $600.00
Blanc, Lynne --- $500.00
John Enterprises, Ltd. --- $500.00
* Markley, H.J. --- $500.00
* Miles, Richard --- $500.00
Slover, Jr., John --- $500.00
Tunberg, J.R. --- $500.00 -- Whitey's Ice Cream
* Turner, Lori --- $500.00
* Watkins, Patricia --- $400.00
Clawson, Roger --- $300.00 -- Insurance
* Steffenson, Michael --- $300.00
* Wismer, Robert --- $300.00
* Arnell, Richard --- $275.00
Anderson, Ralph --- $250.00
* Braatelien, Newell --- $250.00
* Bracke, Thomas --- $250.00 -- Insurance
* Courtesy Chrysler --- $250.00 -- Dale Zude
England, Joseph --- $250.00
Everitt, David --- $250.00
* Frus, Ronald --- $250.00
* Gildehaus, Thomas --- $250.00
Hallene, Alan --- $250.00
Margenthaler, Donald --- $250.00
* Stowe, David --- $250.00 -- Deere & Co. officer
* Tunberg, Jon C. --- $250.00 -- Whitey's Ice Cream
Holst, David --- $200.00
* Kehoe, Daniel --- $200.00 -- car dealerships, other businesses
Reynolds, Douglas --- $200.00
* Welvaert, Don --- $200.00 -- Candidate

* = early donors on 1-31-05

The Committee also received $15,075 dollars in donations under $150 through the March 10 reporting cut-off.

As you can see, they're all just plain folks, just like they made it sound in articles in the Dispatch. And obviously, they're non-partisan. There's probably a Dem in there somewhere, though you'd have to look pretty hard.
And as they say, they just want Moline to be a good place to work. What they don't say is they want it to be a good place to work your ass off for low wages and next to no health or retirement benefits and above all, no unions!

I'd appreciate any further info, additions, or corrections on any of the names above as to what their current or former business and political affiliations are.