Jennifer Kim Responds to Questions About Anonymous Calls

by: David Mauro

Mon May 05, 2008 at 03:57 PM CDT

A day after Jennifer Kim's campaign confirmed they had placed anonymous robocalls, the campaign sent out an e-mail today titled, "Let's Not Lose Sight of the Facts."

The e-mail accused Randi Shade's campaign of "attempting to use this to distract from the fact that she is taking unpopular stands that will have a direct effect on city services and your taxes."

The e-mail denied the claim by some that the calls were intentionally misleading since they failed to say who was paying for them.

This call went to voters who received a mail piece about this same issue and used the same language in the mail piece. I do not believe we were being deceptive in any way.

Near the end of the e-mail, Kim once again brings up Shade's agreement to "increase public safety staffing without knowing the rest of the city's needs or financial limits."

On January 24, the editorial board of the Austin American Statesman reported on the police and firefighters associations making their City Council endorsement. They said," It was highly disappointing that Cid Galindo and Randi Shade, two of the candidates endorsed this week, promised - in writing - to increase public safety staffing without knowing the rest of the city's needs or financial limits."

I agree with these sentiments. It is irresponsible to make such promises without knowing the financial condition of our city.

The questions (whether they prove to be legitimate or not) about Randi Shade and the public safety unions could help Jennifer Kim in this race, but distractions like the anonymous robocall story are not what the Kim campaign needs less than a week before Election Day.

Jennifer Kim's Campaign Files Ethics Complaint Against Randi Shade

by: David Mauro

Thu May 01, 2008 at 09:24 PM CDT

Jennifer Kim's campaign manager Elliot McFadden has filed an ethics complaint against Randi Shade.

The ethics complaint alleges Shade's campaign failed to report the bundling of money from development firms with ties to the Domain and the Wal-Mart Supercenter at Northcross Mall.

McFadden, who filed the complaint with the City Ethics Review Commission, released this statement by press release:

“It appears from her campaign finance reports that Randi Shade has had thousands of dollars in donations bundled from certain development firms and failed to report the bundling as required by law,” McFadden stated.

City election code requires individuals that raise $100 or more from 5 people or more on behalf of a candidate be listed as a bundler. Randi Shade received contributions from 11 out of 13 principals at Endeavor Real Estate Group, 17 out of 28 attorneys at Ambrust & Brown, and all 4 partners at Reagan Advertising totaling $16,500 in bundled money.

“This begs the question of what Shade is hiding by not reporting this information.,” McFadden continued. “We have firms involved in unpopular projects, which Jennifer Kim has opposed, like tax giveaways for corporate retail, the Wal-Mart at Northcross, and billboards on scenic roadways, and Randi Shade appears to be hiding her direct association with these firms.”

Endeavor is the developer of The Domain which is expected to receive over $65 million in tax subsidies from the City and Ambrust & Brown is the law firm representing Lincoln Properties in their development of Wal-Mart at Northcross Mall as well as representing Endeavor. Reagan Advertising owns a majority of the billboards in the Austin market and had been promoting a proposal that would have put billboards on some of Austin’s designated scenic roadways . . .

The ony poll taken in this race showed Shade with a lead of 1.5%, well within the margin of error. Burnt Orange Report has endorsed both Jennifer Kim and Randi Shade. 

I know there are readers who understand election law much better than I do: what do you all think about the validity of the complaint? 

30 Days Out, 30K Up, 15 Ways You Can Help

by: Randi Shade

Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 11:43 PM CDT

Judging by the posts on today's open thread "What Races Are You Watching?" there weren't many of you anxiously waiting in front of your computers this afternoon for the Austin City Council fundraising reports to come out, but it was a big day for those of us in the running.  It turned out to be an especially big day for our campaign, as we found ourselves with a $30,000 lead in cash-on-hand over our opponent, Place 3 incumbent Jennifer Kim.

Between January 1 and April 1, our campaign raised $95,987, making our total amount raised since the beginning of the race in November $158,184.  We've spent just over $63,000 in that time, and I loaned myself $10,000 for the race, so we've now got $103,175 in the bank for the last 30 days of the race.  Jennifer Kim raised $84,284 in this reporting period, making her total raised since the start of the campaign $143,485.  She's reported spending just over $74,000 and has a $7,700 loan, making her current cash balance $74,088.

A $30,000 cash lead (ok, $29,087) is - with all due humility - no small feat in a race against a well-known, well-financed incumbent where the maximum individual contribution is $300, but the numbers alone aren't the best part of the story.  The best part is the fact that more than half of our 713 donors, 53% of them to be exact, have never contributed to any candidate for Austin City Council before.  These are mostly friends and associates who have worked with me in every venture and organization of which I've ever been a part.  That gives me confidence that our campaign can and will continue to bring new people in the process - people who I hope and believe will show up at the polls on Election Day.

At the same time, I'm proud to have the financial support and endorsement of a lot of Austin's most familiar faces, too.  Our donors during this reporting period included some of our community's best-known non-profit executives, business leaders, philanthropists, Democratic and pro-choice activists, developers (yes, developers!), educators, neighborhood leaders, environmental and transit advocates, former City Council members and state legislators, former UT student body presidents, and leaders from the Hispanic, African-American, Asian-American, Jewish and gay communities.