Developers buying Santee City Council seats thru PACs Dark Money

By VanFanita Ranch, Rock the Vote

By Santee City Councilman Stephen Houlahan and Preserve Wild Santee Director Van Collinsworth

A flood of developer dollars are backing incumbents/status-quo candidates (McNelis, Hall & Koval) in this city council election. The dark money backing for these candidates show that this election is about resident versus developer control of city government and the ability to approve the massive Fanita Ranch project.

Santee code does not allow corporations or Political Action Committees (PAC)s to contribute directly to candidates. Code is intended to provide transparency to voters and to reduce unsavory corporate influence by those intending to profit off of land use decisions. Fines have been issued in Santee for violating campaign laws against money laundering in the past. 
 

Documents filed reveal the Building Industry has now funneled about $50,000 to two PACs alone. Records document funds have already been used to purchase a hit piece mailing against Evlyn in District 1 and election signs and mailings for other status-quo-candidates.

The developers’ candidates own 460 statements show heavy funding from employees of the Building Industry. Exectives of HomeFed Fanita Ranch and other homebuilders are prime examples. Since most of these filings come late, the Building Industry is betting that voters will not discover the truth until the election is over.

The flood of developer money tells a clear story – they are trying to buy the seats and retain control of city government. When the people’s concerns fall upon deaf ears at city council meetings – these dollars are the reason why. Incumbents always choose their donors interests over the interests of residents when the two conflict. Santee voters have an opportunity to change that next Tuesday November 6, by electing the challengers to the status-quo, Evlyn, Zack and Rudy. These candidates do not accept developer dollars and are funded primarily by Santee residents.

Will voters seize this opportunity to SaveOurSantee by rejecting the developers candidates?

Documents