Thursday, August 17, 2006

Is Bill Rice really the money leader?

Much has been made recently in the Washington Post and Northwest Current regaring the recent financial filings by the Ward 3 Council Candidates and their respective correlation to "front runner" status. In a recent blast email, Bill Rice proclaimed himself the front runner in the Ward 3 Council Race. "I not only lead in fundraising for the second straight reporting period, but I lapped my opponents by raising $144,834, while my closest competitors ended up with only $113,292 and $72,540 respectively".

Hold the phone. If you subtract out the $40,000 loan Rice gave himself, and the $39,900 loan that Strauss has given himself, the numbers look much more even. Indeed, if you examine the donations from Ward 3 residents/voters, there is a staggering difference in who should be considered the front runner in this race:


Mary Cheh $34,040.
Eric Gaull $20,123
Cathy Wiss $18,542
Bill Rice $16,920
Sam Brooks $14,964
Paul Strauss $13,300
Robert Gordon $11,631
Eric Goulet $805
Jonathan Rees had no filing.

So are Bill Rice and Paul Strauss the money leaders? Who are they beholden to, if not the voters of Ward 3?

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