Elite account for 24% of political donations
The top 1% of the top 1% of political donors gave $774 million in 2010.
COLUMNIST
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Published: Dec. 15, 2011 Updated: Dec. 16, 2011 2:40 p.m.
The top 1/100th of the top one percent of political donors gave $774 million to federal campaigns in 2010, accounting for 24 percent of all federal political contributions, according to an analysis by the non-partisan watchdog Sunlight Foundation.
That's 26,783 individuals – one for each 10,000 Americans – who gave at least $10,000 and gave an average of $28,913, more than the median individual income of $26,364. The top donor was Bob Perry, CEO of Perry Homes, who gave $7.3 million.
Eight of the top 10 2010 donors bestowed their cash on Republican groups and candidates, while two favor Democrats – although there are plenty of Democrats to be found further down the list. Much of the money went to Super PACs – independent campaign committees – that are no longer bound by contribution limits, thanks to the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling.
The Sunlight Foundation's Lee Drutman notes that these 26,783 donors are not average Americans.
"Overwhelmingly, they are corporate executives, investors, lobbyists, and lawyers," Drutman writes. "In a world of increasingly expensive campaigns, The One Percent of the One Percent effectively play the role of political gatekeepers. Prospective candidates need to be able to tap into these networks if they want to be taken seriously."
We spotted three Orange County residents in the top 400 – three of them, remarkably, Democrats:
#40. Laguna Beach's Anne Getty Earhart, a philanthropist and heiress, gave $294,000 to Democratic and environmental interests.
#88. Laguna Beach's Duane R. Roberts, inventor of the frozen burrito and owner of Riverside's Mission Inn, gave $196,000 to Republican causes.
#252. La Habra's Paul Goldenberg, "King of the Big Screen TV," gave $146,000 to Democratic causes.
#326. Anaheim's Wylie Aitken, an attorney and former chairman of the Democratic Foundation of Orange County, gave $138,000.
See the complete list of donors at sunlightfoundation.com.
Sundstrom leaving
Orange County Auditor-Controller David Sundstrom, brought in to help sort out the turmoil of the 1994 county bankruptcy, was appointed on Dec. 12 to the post of Sonoma County's chief financial officer.
Sundstrom was appointed to his Orange County post in 1996. He was subsequently elected in 1998 and reelected in 2002, 2006 and 2010. He makes $182,000 a year. Orange County supervisors are expected to appoint a successor to serve until the post goes before voters in 2014.
Sundstrom was appointed by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors to fill the vacant CFO post until the current term expires in 2014 and goes before voters. He'll earn $208,000.
"Now more than ever, significant and true leadership is necessary," board Chairman Efren Carrillo said of the selection, according to the Press Democrat.
Among that county's fiscal troubles is $617 million in unfunded pension obligations. On a per capita basis, that may be the highest in the state, according to the Press Democrat.
Sundstrom, 59, graduated from Sonoma State University and said that most of his relatives lived in the area.
Asked why he would move from a high-powered urban county in Southern California to a mostly rural one in Northern California, Sundstrom said he viewed his work in Orange County, including moves to restore financial health, as "mostly done," according to the Press Democrat.
That's 26,783 individuals – one for each 10,000 Americans – who gave at least $10,000 and gave an average of $28,913, more than the median individual income of $26,364. The top donor was Bob Perry, CEO of Perry Homes, who gave $7.3 million.
Eight of the top 10 2010 donors bestowed their cash on Republican groups and candidates, while two favor Democrats – although there are plenty of Democrats to be found further down the list. Much of the money went to Super PACs – independent campaign committees – that are no longer bound by contribution limits, thanks to the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling.
The Sunlight Foundation's Lee Drutman notes that these 26,783 donors are not average Americans.
"Overwhelmingly, they are corporate executives, investors, lobbyists, and lawyers," Drutman writes. "In a world of increasingly expensive campaigns, The One Percent of the One Percent effectively play the role of political gatekeepers. Prospective candidates need to be able to tap into these networks if they want to be taken seriously."
We spotted three Orange County residents in the top 400 – three of them, remarkably, Democrats:
#40. Laguna Beach's Anne Getty Earhart, a philanthropist and heiress, gave $294,000 to Democratic and environmental interests.
#88. Laguna Beach's Duane R. Roberts, inventor of the frozen burrito and owner of Riverside's Mission Inn, gave $196,000 to Republican causes.
#252. La Habra's Paul Goldenberg, "King of the Big Screen TV," gave $146,000 to Democratic causes.
#326. Anaheim's Wylie Aitken, an attorney and former chairman of the Democratic Foundation of Orange County, gave $138,000.
See the complete list of donors at sunlightfoundation.com.
Sundstrom leaving
Orange County Auditor-Controller David Sundstrom, brought in to help sort out the turmoil of the 1994 county bankruptcy, was appointed on Dec. 12 to the post of Sonoma County's chief financial officer.
Sundstrom was appointed to his Orange County post in 1996. He was subsequently elected in 1998 and reelected in 2002, 2006 and 2010. He makes $182,000 a year. Orange County supervisors are expected to appoint a successor to serve until the post goes before voters in 2014.
Sundstrom was appointed by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors to fill the vacant CFO post until the current term expires in 2014 and goes before voters. He'll earn $208,000.
"Now more than ever, significant and true leadership is necessary," board Chairman Efren Carrillo said of the selection, according to the Press Democrat.
Among that county's fiscal troubles is $617 million in unfunded pension obligations. On a per capita basis, that may be the highest in the state, according to the Press Democrat.
Sundstrom, 59, graduated from Sonoma State University and said that most of his relatives lived in the area.
Asked why he would move from a high-powered urban county in Southern California to a mostly rural one in Northern California, Sundstrom said he viewed his work in Orange County, including moves to restore financial health, as "mostly done," according to the Press Democrat.
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