Post by athena on Feb 15, 2007 12:02:25 GMT -8
Chagnon has top spot in finances
By Alison Hewitt Staff Writer
AZUSA - In the upcoming council and mayoral elections, incumbent Mayor Diane Chagnon has raised more than all seven other mayoral and council candidates combined, according to campaign finance documents.
Raising $32,123 since January 2006, Chagnon has more than three times as much as her opponent, Councilman Joe Rocha, who had raised $9,948 as of the Jan. 20 filing deadline.
In the March 6 council race, incumbent Angel Carrillo has raised $6,585, followed closely by candidate Uriel Macias with $6,022.
"Campaigns are very expensive," Chagnon said.
Her donations include a $2,000 contribution from one local couple and hundreds of dollars from residents, as well as $1,500 from Athens Services trash company; $1,500 from Azusa Land Partners, the developer of the Rosedale housing project; and thousands more from other developers involved in city projects.
"I have felt comfortable receiving contributions from businesses, as well as residents, because I know that my decisions cannot be purchased, as some would like to imply," Chagnon said.
Rocha's decision not to accept money from companies that have contracts with the city has made it harder for him to compete financially against Chagnon, he said.
"I was offered money from Athens ... and I politely said no," Rocha said. "For me, it's a conflict of interest."
All the candidates, except for Chagnon and Carrillo, echoed Rocha's sentiments.
Carrillo, who is seeking to retain the council seat he was appointed to two years ago, has accepted money from several of the same sources as Chagnon, including $2,000 from Athens Services, $1,000 from The Bates Co., which is building town houses in Azusa, and hundreds from other companies involved in developments in the city.
"My integrity is unquestionable in my votes," Carrillo said. "If you want to contribute to my campaign, that's fine, but at no point should there be any expectation of a correlation between a donation and my vote."
Candidate Macias' itemized contributions come almost exclusively from individuals, aside from $900 from La Flor de Mexico and $500 from the Azusa Police Officers Association.
The APOA also donated $500 to Gonzales, who said he will have to bolster his fundraising with a loan to himself from money he has saved for two years. Candidate Andrea Cruz had raised $1,976, including $1,000 from her father, former Councilman Lucio Cruz, and $500 from her sister, former Mayor Cristina Madrid.
Eddie Alvarez trailed in January with $750, although he said he has since held a $2,000 fundraiser that would buoy his upcoming mailer.
Finally, John Dierking said he would "avoid even the appearance of impropriety" by not fundraising at all, and would rely instead on his own limited funds and campaign signs left over from a 2005 run.
alison.hewitt@sgvn.com
By Alison Hewitt Staff Writer
AZUSA - In the upcoming council and mayoral elections, incumbent Mayor Diane Chagnon has raised more than all seven other mayoral and council candidates combined, according to campaign finance documents.
Raising $32,123 since January 2006, Chagnon has more than three times as much as her opponent, Councilman Joe Rocha, who had raised $9,948 as of the Jan. 20 filing deadline.
In the March 6 council race, incumbent Angel Carrillo has raised $6,585, followed closely by candidate Uriel Macias with $6,022.
"Campaigns are very expensive," Chagnon said.
Her donations include a $2,000 contribution from one local couple and hundreds of dollars from residents, as well as $1,500 from Athens Services trash company; $1,500 from Azusa Land Partners, the developer of the Rosedale housing project; and thousands more from other developers involved in city projects.
"I have felt comfortable receiving contributions from businesses, as well as residents, because I know that my decisions cannot be purchased, as some would like to imply," Chagnon said.
Rocha's decision not to accept money from companies that have contracts with the city has made it harder for him to compete financially against Chagnon, he said.
"I was offered money from Athens ... and I politely said no," Rocha said. "For me, it's a conflict of interest."
All the candidates, except for Chagnon and Carrillo, echoed Rocha's sentiments.
Carrillo, who is seeking to retain the council seat he was appointed to two years ago, has accepted money from several of the same sources as Chagnon, including $2,000 from Athens Services, $1,000 from The Bates Co., which is building town houses in Azusa, and hundreds from other companies involved in developments in the city.
"My integrity is unquestionable in my votes," Carrillo said. "If you want to contribute to my campaign, that's fine, but at no point should there be any expectation of a correlation between a donation and my vote."
Candidate Macias' itemized contributions come almost exclusively from individuals, aside from $900 from La Flor de Mexico and $500 from the Azusa Police Officers Association.
The APOA also donated $500 to Gonzales, who said he will have to bolster his fundraising with a loan to himself from money he has saved for two years. Candidate Andrea Cruz had raised $1,976, including $1,000 from her father, former Councilman Lucio Cruz, and $500 from her sister, former Mayor Cristina Madrid.
Eddie Alvarez trailed in January with $750, although he said he has since held a $2,000 fundraiser that would buoy his upcoming mailer.
Finally, John Dierking said he would "avoid even the appearance of impropriety" by not fundraising at all, and would rely instead on his own limited funds and campaign signs left over from a 2005 run.
alison.hewitt@sgvn.com