July 27, 2011
"POWERHOUSE RANKINGS": HOW MUCH MONEY DO POLITICIANS HAVE?

ANALYSIS & OPINION BY RUSS STEWART

EMILY'S List is a feminist fund-raising operation dedicated to electing pro-choice women to office. The name is an acronym for "Early Money Is Like Yeast," meaning that the candidates who first generate the most campaign bucks are likely to win.

In Chicago and Cook County, there's a BMMNO List. That's an acronym for Big Money Means No Opposition. It's like the difference between a bazooka and a peashooter. A huge campaign treasury intimidates opposition, while a meager campaign fund encourages it.

The adjoining chart for the period from Jan. 1, 2010, to June 30, 2011, contains selected citywide and local committee fund-raising numbers. Money is a shield with which politicians defend their terrain. There are four categories of insulation, which can be described as follows:

The concrete bunker with a moat club. These are powerful politicians who have upwards of $1 million and the capability of raising six figures annually. They will hold office as long as they live, but the money will evaporate as soon as they retire. They include Alderman Ed Burke (14th), Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, Secretary of State Jesse White, county Assessor Joe Berrios and Alderman Ray Suarez (31st).

To oppose these titans would be like standing in front of a rushing locomotive.

The fortified brick wall club. These are politicians who have the capacity to raise upwards of $250,000, who are willing to spend it to protect their jobs, and who have significant cash on hand. They include Aldermen Dick Mell (33rd), Pat O'Connor (40th) and Joe Moore (49th), state Representative and Niles Township Democratic Committeeman Lou Lang (D-16), former aldermen Gene Schulter and Bill Banks, and former state senator Jim DeLeo.

To oppose these potentates would be like playing football without a helmet.

The chain-link fence with razor wire club. These politicians have more than $100,000 in the bank, have proven themselves able to raise $100,000 per campaign cycle, and have a solid grip on their constituency. Absent a scandal or a stupendous blunder, they are unbeatable. They include Alderman Marge Laurino (39th), state Representative John D'Amico (D-15) and state Senator Ira Silverstein (D-8).

To beat these incumbents requires spending $250,000 on a campaign.

Then there's the cardboard box club. They rub their nickels and dimes together and wait for somebody to punch a hole in the box. The most apt local example is in the 45th Ward, were former alderman and Democratic Committeeman Pat Levar had $4,893 in his three campaign accounts and who was unable to get his candidate elected as his successor. His ally, state Representative Joe Lyons (D-19), had $43,059 in his fund.

To beat the cardboard clique requires stamina and a few bucks.

Out of office. Out of power. Out of cash. That's the reality of Chicago politics. Contributors don't squander their donations on lame duck politicians, and when well heeled incumbents retire, they don't squander their nest egg on their putative successor. Here's an analysis:

The Concrete Bunkerers: Burke is the chairman of the City Council Finance Committee, and he has been an alderman since 1968. He also is the 14th Ward Democratic committeeman. Burke represents a ward that is almost 80 percent Hispanic. Together, Burke's committee and the ward organization had $7,624,002 on hand. The ward has about 62,000 residents and 14,117 registered voters. In 2010-11 Burke spent $1,028,051 to get reelected, running unopposed and getting 5,778 votes. That amounts to $178 per vote.

Madigan, as the speaker, the state party chairman and the 13th Ward Democratic committeeman, spent $14,972,943 to protect his job, his party and his ward. Madison raises money from statewide sources and spends it to elect Democrats who will be beholden to him, and he won't quit until his daughter, Lisa Madigan, becomes governor in 2014. Madigan had $1,326,699 on hand.

Cullerton raised $1.2 million and spent it on electing Democrats. Berrios, a Board of Review commissioner, the county party chairman and the 31st Ward Democratic committeeman, spent $2,857,438 to get elected as assessor. Although he had a measly $151,515 on hand, he can raise $500,000 a year. His ally Suarez had $1,058,245 on hand. White, the 27th Ward Democratic committeeman, raised $1.2 million for his reelection.

The Brick Wallers: Mell, like Burke, represents a Hispanic-majority ward, but he raised $389,054 through his own committee and the 33rd Ward Democrats, and he has $238,804 on hand. Mell, who was unopposed in this year's election, got 6,509 votes, which cost him about $68 per vote.

Schulter, whose anointed successor lost the aldermanic race, intends to seek another term as committeeman, and he may seek Berrios' old Board of Review seat in 2012. Only the fact that he has a hefty $830,272 on hand makes him relevant; he raised just $1,125 since Jan. 1. Under state law, he could put $221,564 of his cash in his pocket as taxable income. Will he spend his nest egg?

Banks, who raised $500,000-plus annually due to his chairmanship of the City Council Zoning Committee and who raised $598,287 after quitting as alderman, had $641,148 on hand. He is not running for committeeman. Banks' ally, DeLeo, has $440,035 on hand.

That's more than $1 million they could spend to beat Alderman Nick Sposato, who demolished Banks' appointed successor as alderman, John Rice, earlier this year. Sposato will run for committeeman in 2012. Earlier this year Banks donated a measly $10,000 to Rice, and DeLeo loaned $10,000 to Rice, who spent $242,016 in the election. Will Banks and DeLeo waste their money to beat Sposato? I think not.

Among other area aldermen, O'Connor raised $370,463 even though he was unopposed, and Moore raised $344,950. Lang, who has been Illinois' premier cheerleader for gambling expansion and who raised $571,605 during 2010-11, had $770,265 on hand. Message to other state legislators: Find a hungry constituency, and the money flows copiously.

There is always an exception, and it's county Commissioner John Daley (D-11), the 11th Ward Democratic committeeman, the Cook County Board Finance Committee chairman and the ex-mayor's brother. Daley raised $370,653 during 2010-11, but he had only $7,413 on hand as of June 30. But not to worry: The Rich Daley campaign fund had a balance of $1,055,303, and it has to be spent somehow and somewhere.

The chain linkers: A good example is the 39th Ward, where Laurino raised $243,265 and had $117,889 on hand. She won reelection this year against desultory opposition with 76 percent of the vote. Her nephew, D'Amico, who was unopposed in 2010, has accumulated $202,171 in his campaign account.

And, lastly, the cardboard boxers. That's the 45th Ward. Levar intends to seek reelection as committeeman, even though his choice to succeed him as alderman lost. The new alderman, John Arena, may run for Levar's post. With just $3,893 in his campaign war chest, Levar is firmly ensconced on Fantasy Island. Where will he get the $50,000 he needs? Who will give him their money? And Lyons has just $43,059 on hand; he's in the House leadership, but compare his haul to Lang's.

This much is certain: It takes money to beat money, and only the cardboard boxers are at any risk.