Do you buy political fundraiser tickets?

[FRT]

A non-political friend of mine told me he just bought 2 tickets for $125 each to a political fundraiser. I asked him why he would do that, and he told me that he needs to "get connected" to do business with the city. I was a bit surprised to hear this comment. Don't city contract's go out to bid ? And aren't they awarded to the company that offers the best value at the lowest price? I find it very difficult to believe that a couple hundred bucks worth of political tickets could influence any city business. Doe's being "connected" with any particular administration give you an inside track on city business?
I'd like to hear from people that buy political tickets and their reasoning behind it.

[BeenThereDoneThat]

Here's how it works:

The politician's "inside crew" reaches out to everybody that's ever come in contact with "their guy" to put the squeeze on them for tickets. The records of who "supported us" and who "stiffed us" are the guidelines for any future dealings. There are hundreds (probably thousands) of ways that these "supporters" are paid back. Forget the department heads, every job in the city has to be ok'd by the Mayor's office. The city is an enormous consumer of products and services, not all of which go out to bid.
I've seen people that complain about the cost of movie tickets, spring for political tickets at $100 a head. Guess why? They want something. These are successful people that find themselves kissing the ass of some flunky that has attached himself (or herself) like a tick, to a political leader.
In summary, the purpose of buying political tickets is three-fold:

a) Get recorded as "on the team".(that means you came up with some $$)
b) Go to the function and push like a linebacker to get those lips firmly planted on the politicians ass.
c) If you can't get the ear of "the man" himself, it's important to get in the face of his flunky's. These are the people you'll probably get brushed off on anyway, so you may as well make the best of it. It helps to remember that when "their guy" gets his ass thrown out someday, they'll be looking for a job (if their guy didn't set them up before he left office). Generally at these events the politician himself is like a wind up monkey being sent to out to kiss and shake hands of anyone he bumps into. He has no idea who he's talking to and is focused on keeping that ear-to-ear grin on his happy face while shaking every sweaty germ-infested hand that comes his way. It's amazing the ability the politician has to keep that stupid grin on his face and keep "yessing" you, when he has absolutely no idea what the f*#k your talking about. And than comes that strategic moment when he dumps you and moves on to reel in the next fish that's waiting in line. It's like this.. "Well nice to see you (sucker), thanks for coming (paying), call the office next week (get lost you loser)". Helloooooo...nice to see you, how have you been? and on. and on.. and on.....

As a rule, after you've ponied up your several hundred dollars for Venus chicken wings, and your lips are chapped from ass kissing, the best you'll end up with is the standard "call the office next week". That's issued to about 75% of the people at the shakedown (uh... fundraiser). Next week when you call..the political jerk-a-round begins. Get back to us, we'll get back to you..we've got a lot on our plate right now, go see so-and-so, we've got to wait till the spring, after the summer, We'll look at it again in the fall, etc. etc. etc. By then it's time to see if you are still loyal.."are you coming to the next fundraiser?".

Most of the action always goes to a select core group of supporters that generally get what they want with just a phone call. These guys always get thru on the 1st call. These are the same old faces and names that you've seen for years. Generally successfull well known business people, lawyers, or politicians. They are always appointed to the boards, committee's, and whatever else can be thrown their way. Have you ever seen a cashier at Stop & Shop appointed to anything? Anyway... this group of "power players" have their own groups of supporters that need to be taken care of. These are the people that do favors and buy tickets from the "power players", and in return expect that when they need something, it will be taken care of with a phone call to "the man". That's how a "power player" remains a "power player". He's able to sell a lot of tickets, and deliver a lot of support for "his guy". But he also has to come thru for his supporters when he gets a call. Are we starting to get the picture here?

See you all at the Venus... Pucker up !!!:D

[RadioKeri]

This is so true! LOL!

[Coder]

I dont know how it works in Fall River, but here in my little backward town it goes something like this.

An ad is placed in the paper that the city is accepting contracts for whatever work needed done. Then they usually give about a week to draw something up and turn it in.

Then about a week later they'll annouce that they are having a meeting to discuss contracts and everyone is invited to attend, 2-3 of us that put contacts in usually show up. Then next they let us give a short presentation or what we'd do, and yada yada just something to waste our time, get our hopes up and give the person they want to do the job ideas.

After that and they make it look all nice and offical, they say okay thank you everyone for coming, and the next thing you know people who didn't even bother to show up and take the extra step, are sitting there doing the contract for insane amounts of money.

So I guess it depends, some places and times it probably pays to be connected. But i dont think buying $125 tickets to get connected is the best way to go about it. Try sleeping with the councilmens wifes instead :D

[backyard]

LoL BOING!

[unfortunate_son]

wow, you always suspect it's happening, but to actually hear it does from people who know, man, it just gives me a spinning headache! But I imagine it happens everywhere to varying degrees; unfortunately FR is no different, just as corrupt as the next place. Depressing.

[Builder]

Ok, I admit it, I went to the Mayor's Xmas party last night at the Venus. $125 a ticket and it was wall-to-wall packed. There had to be over a thousand people there. Most were like me, and got "hit up" to buy tickets. It's very difficult to refuse, if you are in business in this area. I bumped into a lot of people in my industry and allthough things are really ruff right now, and very few builders can afford it, you just can't say "no" when you get tapped to buy the tickets. You can't help but think that if you refuse, you'll have a much more difficult time with permits in the future. Maybe it's a misconception, and I have no proof one way or the other. But that's how most people in my business feel about these expensive tickets. I remember when these things were $35 or $50 bucks. $125 each really hurts.

[unfortunate_son]

wow, I hope you got a lobster!

[daisy]

Ok, I admit it, I went to the Mayor's Xmas party last night at the Venus. $125 a ticket and it was wall-to-wall packed. There had to be over a thousand people there. Most were like me, and got "hit up" to buy tickets. It's very difficult to refuse, if you are in business in this area. I bumped into a lot of people in my industry and allthough things are really ruff right now, and very few builders can afford it, you just can't say "no" when you get tapped to buy the tickets. You can't help but think that if you refuse, you'll have a much more difficult time with permits in the future. Maybe it's a misconception, and I have no proof one way or the other. But that's how most people in my business feel about these expensive tickets. I remember when these things were $35 or $50 bucks. $125 each really hurts.


So here in Fall River we have a dire economic situation where we are laying off teachers, losing jobs, cancelling city funded parties for the good of the bugdet and children yet the mayor still goes forward with selling a 1000 tickets at $125 a head for himself ?

http://www.mass.gov/ocpf/studies/mayor_rpt07.pdf

Here is a recent report from the Masachusetts Office of Campaign finance for the 2007 mayoral race. You see
you can only donate $500 per year so the croanies that have already maxed out have to get someone else like a
family member or business type associate to buy tickets. You can search on this site as well to see who donated to whom! When you have a few minutes take a look it's pretty interesting reading.

Some findings from the statewide report include

• The top fundraiser among mayoral candidates in 2007 was Mayor Robert Correia of Fall
River, who raised $293,353. Mayor Thomas Menino of Boston topped the list in 2005,
raising $1.3 million. The 2003 top fundraiser was Mayor Joseph Curtatone of Somerville,
who raised $262,218 in a successful campaign to unseat an incumbent.


Top Fundraisers
Former state Rep. Robert Correia of Fall River was the top mayoral fundraiser in 2007 at
$293,353 in his successful bid to fill the city’s open seat. He raised about three times as much as
his competitor, state Rep. David Sullivan. Mayor Thomas Menino of Boston raised $1.3 million
in 2005. The top ten fundraisers for 2007 included three incumbents, two of whom lost, and
seven non-incumbents, four of whom won their elections.


So how many political favors do you think are owed ?!?!?!?

[PearlJammer]

Ok, I admit it, I went to the Mayor's Xmas party last night at the Venus. $125 a ticket and it was wall-to-wall packed. There had to be over a thousand people there. Most were like me, and got "hit up" to buy tickets. It's very difficult to refuse, if you are in business in this area. I bumped into a lot of people in my industry and allthough things are really ruff right now, and very few builders can afford it, you just can't say "no" when you get tapped to buy the tickets. You can't help but think that if you refuse, you'll have a much more difficult time with permits in the future. Maybe it's a misconception, and I have no proof one way or the other. But that's how most people in my business feel about these expensive tickets. I remember when these things were $35 or $50 bucks. $125 each really hurts.

I went a certain bar in Fall River last night to watch the Chargers-Raiders game. Later on a bunch of well dressed people walked in (the bar in question is an upscale bar, but you still rarely see a group of men in suits and ties). A friend of mine, who's a local business owner, was among them. I asked him "Where are you all coming from all dressed up?" He told me the mayors Christmas party. The Venus was a popular location last night.

[FRCBlog3]

i had this thought . . . How many people of the 1000 that attended the Mayor's event do you think are NOT going to vote for him?

According to the report that Daisy provided the link, in 2007 Mayor Correia spent $31.65 per vote. That means if you paid $125 for the Mayor's party, you essentially contributed 4 votes for the Mayor. (125 / 31.65 = 3.95). That leaves you with a net loss of 3 votes!

Of those 1000 people, once they are on "the list" they have to stay on "the list," so don't expect them to actively campaign. It's a good thing that voting is secret.

[unfortunate_son]

Voting isn't secret. There's a number attached to each vote that corresponds with a number next to your name on their list. The can find out how you voted, don't think they can't.

[daisy]

Voting isn't secret. There's a number attached to each vote that corresponds with a number next to your name on their list. The can find out how you voted, don't think they can't.

u2 said...
Tim McCoy has a new job with the Fall River Housing Authority????

December 5, 2008 8:11 PM

Do you think this school committee person who missed most of the budger school committee meetinga with no explanation voted the way he was told recently and will when the next superintendant comes in?

[FRCBlog3]

Voting isn't secret. There's a number attached to each vote that corresponds with a number next to your name on their list. The can find out how you voted, don't think they can't.

Unfortunate son,

What are you talking about?

Even if the voting list was numbered, how would it correspond with the ballot.For example, if I was number 75, they don't give me ballot 75. They check people off, and then they handout the next ballot.