Money pouring into council campaigns

Deirdre Newman

Ask the top fundraisers in both city council races how they reached

the pinnacle, and they will answer plain and simple: sheer hard work.

Incumbent Steve Rosansky in Newport Beach and candidate Katrina

Foley in Costa Mesa outpaced their competitors in racking up dollars,

based on campaign finance disclosure statements made available

Tuesday.

The election next month features three open seats on both

councils.

Rosansky raised about $36,000, including a $5,000 loan from his

company, Paradigm Realty, to his campaign. His contributions came

from a diverse base, he said.

“We’ve had fundraisers at sports museums, people I know [have

contributed], people on my steering committee have asked other people

to support me,” Rosansky said. “I haven’t really done any mass

mailing. It’s been mostly word of mouth.”

Some contributors to his campaign include Planning Commissioner

Barry Eaton and recently appointed City Councilwoman Leslie Daigle.

He also received $500 from the Committee to Re-Elect Steve Bromberg.

“He’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever met,” Bromberg said.

“He has no agenda other than wanting to help and is not tied to

anyone. That’s my kind of person. I’m sure people who have donated

money to me will support that I did that, even though it’s their

money.”

The loan he gave himself was to get his campaign up and running,

he said.

Foley brought in about $30,000 with no loans. She said she is

using the information superhighway to make it easier for supporters

to contribute.

“The Internet has been a valuable tool in the election this year,”

Foley said. “A lot of contributions have come from online

contributions. I’ve talked to every person I know.”

Her funds have also come from a broad base, including developers

such as C.J. Segerstrom & Sons and Standard Pacific of Orange County

and Westside industrial companies like Railmakers.

“I think the business community is supporting me because they

think I am balanced and reasonable in my approach to making

decisions,” Foley said. “I’m always good at telling them what I

expect.”

Former City Atty. Jerry Scheer, who sued the city and won a

settlement of $750,000 after a series of events that ended with his

retirement, also contributed.

“I think Jerry thinks that I have good legal skills and that I

will do what’s best for the city,” she said.

As a Democrat, she has gained bipartisan support from groups such

as Democratic Voters Choice, spending $500 to be featured on its

mailer, and Continuing the Republican Revolution, spending $800 to be

on its mailer.

The next-highest fundraisers were incumbent Steve Bromberg in

Newport Beach, who is running unopposed, and Planning Commissioner

Eric Bever in Costa Mesa.

Bromberg has raised about $18,000, with $6,100 coming from a loan.

He has tried to return the money to his contributors since he found

out he would not face any challengers and stopped soliciting for

more. Some of his supporters sent their money back to him, he said.

“It’s a work in progress,” he said. “There are a lot of people who

have said to me, ‘I don’t want you to return the contributions.’ It’s

been kind of an eye-opener for me.”

Bever has raised about $26,000 and said the candidate forums have

had a stimulating effect on his fundraising.

“I think once the forums were aired and repeated, that seemed to

have helped,” Bever said. “I think a lot of people got the message.

I’m here by popular demand.”

Bever also received a donation from Railmakers. Other noteworthy

contributors are Parks and Recreation Commissioner Byron de Arakal

and the Apartment Assn. of Orange County Political Action Committee,

which gave him $3,000.

The political action committee is interesting in that it tackles

thorny problems created by slumlords -- a challenge he is up for,

Bever said.

“The members are people that run top-notch apartment complexes,

and they get a little ticked off because slumlords give apartment

owners a bad name,” Bever said. “They promised me they’d come in and

help us with some progress to help us clean up slumlords. If we can

get private individuals in here to do that, we’ll have more money for

code enforcement.”

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers government. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at [email protected].