Measure T spending tops $250,000

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- Two hundred fifty-eight thousand, eight hundred

eighty-six dollars.

That’s the amount of money supporters of Measure T have spent so far,

according to campaign finance statements released Friday.

Measure S, the opposing growth-control measure appearing on the Nov. 7

ballot, has spent only $19,124 -- about 13 times less than the Measure T

campaign.

“There’s 46,000 voters here and we want to reach them,” said Clarence

Turner, co-chairman of the Measure T campaign. “We’re trying to get the

facts to them. ... and you’re dealing with extremely complicated issues.”

Turner said he didn’t know why the campaign had missed Thursday’s

deadline to file campaign finance statements.

Measure T, the so-called Traffic Phasing initiative, would add parts

of the city’s traffic phasing ordinance to the City Charter and nullify

Measure S, the Greenlight initiative, should voters approve both

measures.

The Greenlight initiative proposes to put before a citywide vote any

development that allows an increase of more than 100 peak-hour car trips

or dwelling units or 40,000 square feet over the general plan allowance.

“The big out-of-town developers, now led by the Irvine Co., are

desperate and trying to buy our city out from under us,” said Phil Arst,

a spokesman for the Measure S campaign. “That’s why they’re outspending

us 13 to 1. It reveals their real level of fear and desperation because

our polls show the residents’ word-of-mouth campaign is winning handily.”

Arst added that the Measure T campaign had spent almost four times as

much money previously spent on a Newport Beach political campaign.

Turner said he wasn’t concerned about how much money his opponents had

spent.

“We are putting the information out there,” he said. “If [residents]

vote for us, great. If not, at least we’ve tried to let the public know

what the ramifications of these two measures are.”

Although Measure T supporters have spent more than a quarter of a

million dollars already, the campaign has raised just $204,061. Turner

said he didn’t know where the rest of the money would come from, adding

that the campaign would keep raising money until the election.

The Measure S campaign still has $23,106 in its coffers.

FYI

o7 Top contributors to Measure T:f7

California Assn. of Realtors $52,000

The Irvine Co. $34,000

Building Industry Assn. of Southern California $24,500

Kaufman & Broad, L.A.-based home developer $11,000

Conexant Systems, Inc. $10,000

National Assn. of Home Builders $10,000

Michael K. Hayde, Irvine $ 7,000

California Pacific Homes $ 5,000

Bruce E. Nott, Costa Mesa-based investor $ 5,000

Sares Regis Group, Irvine-based

property management and construction firm $ 5,000

o7 Measure T’s biggest expenditures:f7

Campaign literature and mailings $55,768

Polling and survey research $45,040

Petition circulation $42,439

Consulting $23,550

Postage $16,000

Advertisements $12,664

o7 Top contributors to Measure S:f7

Jean Watt, homemaker $2,000

Ken Colbaugh, consultant $2,000

Larry Porter, investment advisor $1,290

Seymour Beek, retired $1,000

Allan Beek, retired $772.50

Nancy Skinner, housewife $750

o7 Measure S’s biggest expenditures:f7

Campaign literature and mailings $7,098

Signs $3,700

Legal services and advice $1,615

Postage $540