Sunday, March 12, 2006
St. Louis Referendum Campaign Consultants Unicom Arc Wins Big Time
Here are the rest of the 13 clients found on the State Board of Elections data base:
It is reasonably safe to say that it is helping pass the referendum in Skokie financed by the District 69 Referendum Committee. It has paid Unicom Arc $10,828.71 for “consulting” since its 10/21/5 emergence. Much of the financing came from individuals, although development interests made, by far, the largest contributions.
The O’Fallon school bond referendum tax hike committee—Citizens for OTHS--also got help from the nearby St. Louis firm. Its statement of purpose says, “To promote a ‘yes’ vote for a $52.3 million bond proposal to fund the construction of a second high school for the residents of O'Fallon Township High School Dist 203.” It paid the firm $44,047.88 on April 26, 2005. The election was on April 5, 2005. The $56,175 spent came from construction interests, banks, development interests, the teachers’ union and vendors, among others.
Belvidere’s Citizens With a Vision for District 100 paid Unicom Arc paid $64,881.71 last spring. The tax hike committee’s purpose is to “raise awareness to assist passage of school referendum.” The total effort cost $88,000. Clearly, Unicom Arc is a “turn key” operation. A tax hike committee writes it big checks and it takes care of the referendum campaign. The money was raised from homebuilders, their allies and vendors, although there is a fair representation from individuals.
Citizens for North Palos School Dist 117 Schools was formed “to pass (a) referendum for North Palos School Dist 117.” It was formed on Feb. 7, 2005, and went out of existence on April 28th. Unicom Arc got paid $4,007.95 on Feb. 11th for consulting out of a total of $17,820 spent. The committee was financed largely by vendor and the Illinois Education Association (the teachers’ union).
Skokie’s Neighbors for Strong Schools paid Unicom Arc $3,250.88 in the tax hike committee’s effort “to educate and raise awareness of budget shortfalls in the school district and propose solutions.” The campaign cost $8,400.
Wheaton’s Friends of the Schools was also a client of Unicom Arc in 2002 and 2003. This tax hike committee as trying to “pass a referendum on the April 2003 ballot for additions and renovations at both high schools in District 200.” It cost $9,666.69 for consulting services. $541.69 was for “travel - lodging – staff,” the committee’s tax hike committee reported to the State Board of Elections.
Neighbors for COD (College of DuPage) paid the firm $5,400 on October 30, 2002, plus $15,000 more on March 5, 2002.
In 2002, Naperville’s Community Partnership for Education hired the firm. The cost was $38,197.36 for “consulting.” $4,800 from the teachers’ political action committee did not show up until after election day.
$13,426 was the cost of advice for Osewego’s P.A.R.K.S. (People Acting for Recreation Kids to Seniors). It was paid on May 1, 2002.
Unicom got $12,980.18 from Barrington tax hike committee Protect Our Investment in Education. It stated it wanted to ”inform citizens and encourage support of school referenda in District 220.”
Another client was Roselle’s Classrooms for Kids The purpose is obvious in the name of this tax hike committee for school district 108. Unicom received $6,629.94 in this $27,891 campaign.
Back in 2001, one candidate used the St. Louis firm’s advice. It was Paul Vallas. He paid $777.37 in August and September. Sounds like expenses for prospect consultants to fly to Chicago and stay overnight twice.
The Fremont School District 79 tax hike committee (called Bright Futures on the State Board of Elections web site) paid big money to Unicom in 2001. There’s a total of $26, 895.19 in three payments from late March through August, 2001.
It is reasonably safe to say that it is helping pass the referendum in Skokie financed by the District 69 Referendum Committee. It has paid Unicom Arc $10,828.71 for “consulting” since its 10/21/5 emergence. Much of the financing came from individuals, although development interests made, by far, the largest contributions.
The O’Fallon school bond referendum tax hike committee—Citizens for OTHS--also got help from the nearby St. Louis firm. Its statement of purpose says, “To promote a ‘yes’ vote for a $52.3 million bond proposal to fund the construction of a second high school for the residents of O'Fallon Township High School Dist 203.” It paid the firm $44,047.88 on April 26, 2005. The election was on April 5, 2005. The $56,175 spent came from construction interests, banks, development interests, the teachers’ union and vendors, among others.
Belvidere’s Citizens With a Vision for District 100 paid Unicom Arc paid $64,881.71 last spring. The tax hike committee’s purpose is to “raise awareness to assist passage of school referendum.” The total effort cost $88,000. Clearly, Unicom Arc is a “turn key” operation. A tax hike committee writes it big checks and it takes care of the referendum campaign. The money was raised from homebuilders, their allies and vendors, although there is a fair representation from individuals.
Citizens for North Palos School Dist 117 Schools was formed “to pass (a) referendum for North Palos School Dist 117.” It was formed on Feb. 7, 2005, and went out of existence on April 28th. Unicom Arc got paid $4,007.95 on Feb. 11th for consulting out of a total of $17,820 spent. The committee was financed largely by vendor and the Illinois Education Association (the teachers’ union).
Skokie’s Neighbors for Strong Schools paid Unicom Arc $3,250.88 in the tax hike committee’s effort “to educate and raise awareness of budget shortfalls in the school district and propose solutions.” The campaign cost $8,400.
Wheaton’s Friends of the Schools was also a client of Unicom Arc in 2002 and 2003. This tax hike committee as trying to “pass a referendum on the April 2003 ballot for additions and renovations at both high schools in District 200.” It cost $9,666.69 for consulting services. $541.69 was for “travel - lodging – staff,” the committee’s tax hike committee reported to the State Board of Elections.
Neighbors for COD (College of DuPage) paid the firm $5,400 on October 30, 2002, plus $15,000 more on March 5, 2002.
In 2002, Naperville’s Community Partnership for Education hired the firm. The cost was $38,197.36 for “consulting.” $4,800 from the teachers’ political action committee did not show up until after election day.
$13,426 was the cost of advice for Osewego’s P.A.R.K.S. (People Acting for Recreation Kids to Seniors). It was paid on May 1, 2002.
Unicom got $12,980.18 from Barrington tax hike committee Protect Our Investment in Education. It stated it wanted to ”inform citizens and encourage support of school referenda in District 220.”
Another client was Roselle’s Classrooms for Kids The purpose is obvious in the name of this tax hike committee for school district 108. Unicom received $6,629.94 in this $27,891 campaign.
Back in 2001, one candidate used the St. Louis firm’s advice. It was Paul Vallas. He paid $777.37 in August and September. Sounds like expenses for prospect consultants to fly to Chicago and stay overnight twice.
The Fremont School District 79 tax hike committee (called Bright Futures on the State Board of Elections web site) paid big money to Unicom in 2001. There’s a total of $26, 895.19 in three payments from late March through August, 2001.
# posted by Cal Skinner : 5:02 PM
