Ready to play a game? Find two things wrong with the picture above! (Image from May 24, 2019 Plano Community Impact)
I’ll give you a hint: it HIDES the outside high-density commercial developer money, just like my opponent and the We Love Plano PAC.
That’s right. The amounts reported for We Love Plano PAC and my opponent in the latest Community Impact article (linked at bottom) are wildly misleading.
For starters, it reports only $47,000 in contributions by We Love Plano PAC to the Mayor’s hand-picked candidates, including my opponent, but We Love Plano actually contributed $176,780 (and that was as of a month ago–that number has only gone up).
So what gives? Read the fine print. The article admits that “this number does not include some smaller donations or in-kind donations of goods or services that benefited the campaigns.”
So how much were the total “in-kind” contributions by We Love Plano? Only $129,780. Hardly worth mentioning. A paltry three times the direct contributions. Just lump it in with the “smaller donations.”
This is how the graphic can claim my opponent has received only $29,405, when in fact he has received–as of a month ago–$40,333.93 in “in-kind” contributions from We Love Plano PAC ALONE!
What are these “in-kind” contributions? It’s all there in the public campaign finance reports. Each and every one is a hidden payment to Austin-based political consulting firm Murphy Nasica, widely regarded as the most underhanded political consultancy in the state. Why didn’t the Community Impact article reflect that? Excellent question–ask Community Impact!
While you’re at it, try posing the next question: why did the article state that We Love Plano gets its money from the mayor’s campaign fund and “occasional donations from wealthy individuals.”
Occasional? The Mayor contributed $49,000 from his campaign, but these “occasional” donations amounted to $117,200. But wait, there’s more! It only took me fifteen minutes on Google after the first campaign finance report was made public to determine that each and every contribution to We Love Plano was not from random “wealthy individuals” but specifically from high-density developers likely to have votes coming before council in the next term, who personally have millions at stake with the urbanization of our city. Two of them and a Denton-based business even contributed $25,000 EACH! Again, not worth mentioning… just some rich folks making a few donations. Nothing to see here.
What this article fails to reveal is that my incumbent opponent, the Mayor Pro-Tem of Plano, has received FAR more than the $29,405 claimed. He has received a full $55,583.93 (a massive 86% of his funding) from outside high-density developers and real estate interests.
So whom does he serve? Check out MY column on the graphic. I’m proudly funded by We the People, and I am answerable ONLY to the people.
Remember what’s at stake, folks. It’s all up to us. Early voting starts Tuesday, May 28. Election Day is Saturday, June 8th. Stand with me for Plano.
