BY KIM MOORE
Businesses spend billions of dollars each year trying to influence political decision makers by piling money into campaigns.
BY KIM MOORE
Businesses spend billions of dollars each year trying to influence political decision makers by piling money into campaigns. Oregon has several statewide measures on the November 4, 2014 ballot, which have attracted money from local and out-of-state corporations. Some businesses have donated funds directly, while others have sought to gain influence by giving money to political action committees. Here we look at the largest contributions behind three measures on November’s ballot.
Oregon Open Primary
Oregon Open PrimaryCreates a “Top Two” system of general-election voting in which there is a single primary open to voters of all parties. John Arnold, a former Texas-based Enron trader and hedge-fund manager, contributed the largest sum — $1.5 million — supporting the measure.
CONTRIBUTORS FOR:
| Contributor | Amount ($) | Type |
John Arnold | 2,750,000 | Individual |
CONTRIBUTORS AGAINST:
| Contributor | Amount ($) | Type | |
Defend Oregon (13130) | 950,604 | Political Committee | |
American Federation of Teachers AFL-CIO | 100,000 | Labor Organization | |
SEIU Local 503, OPEU PAC (2102) | 69,052 | Political Committee | |
Oregon Education Association | 52,400 | Labor Organization | |
American Federation of Teachers AFL-CIO | 50,000 | Labor Organization | |
Oregon AFSCME Council 75 | 50,000 | Labor Organization | |
Our Oregon | 30,430 | Other | |
Service Employees International Union | 30,000 | Labor Organization | |
Nurses United Political Action Committee (12987) | 30,000 |
| |
United Food and Commercial Workers Int’l Union, AFL-CIO, CLC | 30,000 | Labor Organization | |
United Food & Commercial Workers Local 555 | 21,408 | Labor Organization | |
Working America | 15,428 | Labor Organization | |
Oregon Legalized Marijuana Initiative
Oregon Legalized Marijuana InitiativeLegalizes recreational marijuana for people ages 21 and older.
CONTRIBUTORS FOR:
| Contributor | Amount ($) | Type |
Drug Policy Action | 1,740,000 | Other |
New Approach PAC | 1,100,000 | Other |
New Approach Oregon (16171) | 855,410 | Political Committee |
Drug Policy Action of Oregon (17008) | 90,000 | Political Committee |
Blumenauer for Congress | 40,020 | Other |
Tikka Trust | 25,000 | Other |
UFCW Local 555 | 15,000 | Labor Organization |
Green Oregon Enterprises | 15,000 | Business Entity |
Jason Zidell | 10,000 | Individual |
Travis Maurer | 10,000 | Individual |
Brent Kenyon | 5,000 | Individual |
Green Oregon Enterprises | 5,000 | Business Entity |
AJS Holdings | 5,000 | Business Entity |
Jupiter Hotel | 4,800 | Business Entity |
Megawood Enterprises Inc | 1,000 | Business Entity |
CONTRIBUTORS AGAINST:
| Contributor/Payee | Amount ($) | Type |
Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association | 145,000 | Business entity |
Oregon Narcotics Enforcement Association | 20,000 | Business entity |
Roger Nichols Music, Inc. | 10,000 | Business entity |
The Oregon Mandatory Labeling of GMOs Initiative
Mandates the labeling of certain foodstuffs that were produced with or contain genetically modified organisms.
CONTRIBUTORS FOR:
| Contributor | Amount ($) | Type |
Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps | 1,752,110 | Business Entity |
Center for Food Safety Action Fund | 1,200,000 | Other |
Mercola.Com Health Resources LLC | 700,000 | Business Entity |
Tom Hormel | 500,000 | Individual |
Organic Consumers Fund | 425,000 | Other |
OSPIRG | 336,408 | Other |
Food Democracy Action | 300,000 | Other |
Organic Consumers Fund | 300,000 | Other |
Presence Marketing, Inc. | 200,000 | Business Entity |
Oregon GMO Right to Know (16728) | 164,000 | Political Committee |
Friends of the Earth | 144,391 | Other |
Ben & Jerry’s | 133,117 | Business Entity |
Eric Lemelson | 110,000 | Individual |
Wendy Seldon | 75,000 | Individual |
Consumers Union | 70,098 | Other |
Nature’s Path Foods U.S.A. Inc. | 56,144 | Business Entity |
Food and Water Watch | 51,165 | Other |
Karen Swift | 50,000 | Individual |
Kathryn Taylor | 50,000 | Individual |
Amys Kitchen, Inc. | 40,000 | Business Entity |
The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. | 38,520 | Business Entity |
Whole Foods Market | 37,432 | Business Entity |
Clif Bar and Co. | 35,000 | Business Entity |
CONTRIBUTORS AGAINST:
| Contributor | Amount ($) | Type |
Monsanto Company | 4,608,450 | Business Entity |
DuPont Pioneer | 4,518,150 | Business Entity |
PepsiCo, Inc. | 2,350,000 | Business Entity |
Coca-Cola | 1,170,000 | Business Entity |
Dow AgroSciences LLC | 1,157,150 | Business Entity |
Kraft Foods | 870,000 | Business Entity |
Land O’Lakes | 760,000 | Business Entity |
General Mills | 695,000 | Business Entity |
Kellogg Company | 500,000 | Business Entity |
Mondelez Global, LLC | 330,000 | Business Entity |
Hershey Company | 320,000 | Business Entity |
Dow AgroSciences LLC | 310,150 | Business Entity |
The J.M. Smucker Company | 295,000 | Business Entity |
ConAgra Foods | 250,000 | Business Entity |
Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc. | 230,000 | Business Entity |
Grocery Manufacturers Association | 166,880 | Business Entity |
Abbott Nutrition | 160,000 | Business Entity |
McCormick & Company, Inc. | 130,000 | Business Entity |
Cargill, Inc. | 111,000 | Business Entity |
Hormel Foods | 85,000 | Business Entity |
Mead Johnson | 50,000 | Business Entity |
Bumble Bee Foods, LLC | 45,000 | Business Entity |
Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. | 35,000 | Business Entity |
Welch’s | 30,000 | Business Entity |
Michael Foods | 30,000 | Business Entity |
Rich Products Corporation | 30,000 | Business Entity |
Shearers Foods LLC | 30,000 | Business Entity |
Sunny Delight | 25,000 | Business Entity |
Knouse Foods | 20,000 | Business Entity |
Clarification: The original list included both contributors and vendors associated with the ballot measure campaigns. We have updated and amended the list to include contributors only.
