In an age where money is often an indicator of who the winner will be, when politicians are throwing around their clout in the form of stylized campaign literature and professional ads, it is often more interesting to see where the money for the campaign war chests is coming from and how much they are making.
In the Proviso Township High School Board race, for example, the battle seems to be coming down to a David vs. Goliath with eight candidates with little to no money competing against the New Students First Party, which received more than $58,000 in contributions.
An analysis of the New Student’s First pre-election financing report, called a D-2, shows that the alliance received $52,201 in individual contributions and $6,417 in in-kind contributions.
Contributors of note include Danielle Ashley Advertising, which fitted the $6,000 in-kind contribution bill for newspaper ads.
Danielle Ashley is a public relations firm focusing on “ethnic marketing” and grassroots outreach. The firm’s former clients include the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, Walgreen’s, Vice President Al Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley.
Also noteworthy were contributions from James J. Roche, candidate Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s law firm, with a $3,000 contribution and Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon, LLP, which gave the party $1,000.
Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon, LLP is the law firm of former Republican nominee for the United States Senate and former Illinois state representative for the 44th District, James B. Durkin.
The Recorder of Deeds for Cook County, Eugene Moore, donated $680 and the CFO for Cook County, Richard Powell, provided a $5,000 boost to the coffers.
Of the candidates on the slate, Tina Alcaraz produced a $620 contribution and Welch himself, $7,500.
Another contributor?”Citizens to Elect Ronald M. Serpico, which gave the party $1,000 and E.M.M. and Associates, Ujamaa Construction Co. and I Spy Systems which each gave the party $5,000.
No records were found for the rest of the candidates running for the Proviso Township High School Board.
In another race of interest, the Proviso Township Board race, the Integrity Party, slating Forest Park resident Steve Johnsen, reported more than $26,000 in its D-2 form.
Of interest here is a contribution of $300 by Johnsen’s partner, Forest Park Commissioner Patrick Doolin.
Johnsen himself put in $300 and Citizens for Hennelly provided a $3,000 boost to the chest.
Michael Manzo, a former member of the Proviso Township School Board, provided $640 worth of in-kind contributions for flyers, banners and for participation in the Forest Park St. Patrick’s Day parade.
The party’s headquarters also came as
an $8,000 in-kind contribution from Westchester Square.
The party received $2,500 fro Kusper & Rauci Chartered in Chicago and $2,250 from S.N.O. Enterprises, Inc. in Villa Park.
In that same race, the Township Alliance Party, slating current Forest Park Commissioner Timothy Gillian for re-election to the board, brought in more than $51,700.
Notable contributors are the Illinois Busin-ess Political Action Committee and Citi-zens to Elect Ronald M. Serpico, donating $1,000 each.
The Committee to Elect Marie Herrell also provided over $1,000 in in-kind donations to cover printing and advertising costs.
Rosewood Place LLC, of Bellwood, provided almost $20,000 in in-kind donations for yard signs, while Scarlato & Sons Realty Development provided $4,800 in office space for the campaign headquarters.
Gillian himself contributed $300 to the coffers, but Friends of Gillian provided $4,000.
