(October 30)  A number of San Bernardino County’s incumbent politicians have amassed absolutely stunning amounts of money in their  campaign war chests in the current election cycle, raising the specter of pay-to-play politics dominating much of the local governmental landscape.
In Ontario, the county’s fourth largest city, and in Fontana, the county’s second largest city according to the 2010 Census, current officeholders have been particularly well fortified with money, i.e., campaign cash, which former California Assembly Speaker Jess Unruh called “the mother’s milk of politics.”
According to California Form 460 filed at the City of Ontario’s City Clerk’s Office, Mayor Paul Leon has received $218,000 in political donations so far this year. Leon was given $10,000 by the Craig Meredith S.P. Trust of Newport Beach. He received $5,000 from PD Transport Inc. if Costa Mesa, $7,000 from the Lewis Investment Company of Upland, $2,500 from Majestic Realty,
$1,250 from Sam Longa of Seachrome Corporation and the Sares-Regis Group, $1,250 from Barbara Emmons Perrier of La Canada Flintridge, $1,500 from Peter Rooney of the Sares-Regis Group, $1,500 from Cleanstreet of Gardena, $2,500 from the San Bernardino Public Employees Association, $2,400 from Archibald’s Restaurants, $2,000 from Main Street Fibers $4,500 from J.O. Oltman II of Oltman’s Construction, $2,500 from West Valley MRF,
$2,000 from dentist Ronald Cunning, $10,000 from Reggie King, $2,500 from JC Horizon of Arcadia, $1,500 from Waste Management of Houston, Texas, $2,500 from John Hagestad of the Sares-Regis Group, $2,500 from Geoffrey Stack of the Sares-Regis Group, $1,500 from William J. Thormahlen of Sares-Regis Group, $2,500 from Beneficial AG Services of Ontario, and $2,500 from Parkcrest Construction of Ontario. Leon also  transferred $6,100 from his Paul Leon for Assembly 2013 account into his current campaign fund. He was also provided with a $5,000 loan from the Skropos For Ontario City Council campaign fund.  He had several dozen donors who provided $1.000.
Leon’s receipts were topped by councilman Alan Wapner’s. Wapner has been provided with $274,000 in 2014. Wapner received $5,000 from Carol Plowman, the senior vice president of Lee & Associates, $3,000 from Main Street Fibers of Ontario, $2,375 from Patton Sales Corporation of Ontario, $2,000 from Residuals Recovery Group of Anaheim, $7,500 from Richland Management of Irvine, $6,099 from Lee & Associates Real Estate Broker Michael Wolfe, $2,000 from Stratham Properties of Irvine, $2,000 from West Valley MRF, $4,000 from Waste Management of Houston, Texas, $2,500 from John Hagestad of Sares-Regis Group, $2,500 from Carl Noble, Inc. of Santa Ana,$5,000 from Cleanstreet of Gardena, $10,297 from Craig Meredith S. P. Trust, $2,500 from Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis Commercial Broker Darla Longo, $2,500 from Geoffrey Stack of the Sares-Regis Group, $4,000 from GH Dairy, $2,500 from Geoffrey Stack, $1,500 from Larry Lukanish of the Sares-Regis Group, $1,500 from William Thormahlen of the Sares-Regis Group, $2,000 from AG concepts of Anaheim, $5,000 from bmbay Partners of Ontario, $10,000 from Brookfield Land Services of Costa Mesa, $1,500 from Burrtec Waste Industries, $4,500 from John Gormly of Oltman’s Construction, $2,500 from John Hagestad of the Sares-Regis Group,$2,00 from Main Street Fibers, $13,500 from Storagecontainer.com of Ontario, $2,000 from Stratham Homes of Irvine, $2,000 from West Valley MRF of Fontana, $12,500 from Westates Holdings of Corona, $2,500 from NMC Grove Ontario LL   c of Woodland Hills, $5,000 from Bhatia J & J Inc of Ontario, $5,000 from Hagestad Enterprises of Irvine, $5,000 from the Ontario Police Association,
$2,500 from Pepe’s Towing, $6,000 from Caltrop of Rancho Cucamonga, $12,500 from SJC II 4th & Haven LLC of San Juan Capistrano, $5,000 from the Wiener Family Survivors’ Trust  and $7,500 from Richland Management.
Wapner received nonmonetary contributions in the amounts of  $2,878.07 from the Ontario Firefighters for Responsible Government and $5,000 from JM Realty Group of Ontario, $2,600 in from the Ontario Police Officers Association Political Action Committee, another $3,038 from the Ontario Firefighters for Responsible Government and $14,925 from Young Homes.
Councilmember Jim Bowman has been given $130,000 by his supporters to campaign with, including $1,500 from Wasste Management of Houston, Texas,  $1,500 from Peter Rooney of Irvine, $1,500 from William Thormahlen of Coto De Caz  $3,000 from Brookfield Land Services of   Cost Mesa, $2,000 from Niagara Bottling of  Onatrio, $2,000 from Lewis Pacific Partners of  Upland,  $2,000 from RCCD of Anaheim Hills, $5,000 from Craig Meredith S. P. Trust, $4,500 from Antonio Perez of the Seres-Regis Group, $1,250 from Sam Longa of the Seres-Regis Group
$1,250 from Barbara Emmons Perrier of La Canada Flintridge, $5,000 from the Ontario Police Officers Association, $2,500 from Reggie King, $2,000 from Christopher Leggio of Upland, $10,000 from the Firefighters For Responsible Government, $2,500 from Geoffrey and Nancy Stack of Irvine, and $5,000 from Richland Construction
$1,500 loan from Wapner  Wapner also received in kind contribution in the amounts of $2,876.06 and $3,038.44 from Firefighters For Responsible Government.
Bowman also made a total of 32,401 in loans to himself and claims he is entitled to accrued interest of $9,909.22 as of September 30.
In Fontana, the three incumbents in this year’s race have made a run for the money, too.
Mayor Acquanetta Warren has pulled down $173,622 in donations for her reelection bid this year. That includes $10,000 from Hae Park, the owner of the Bel Air Swap Meet, $50,000 from Reggie King, $10,000 from YKA Development Group President Yoon Kim, $2,500 from Lewis Investment Company of Upland, $5,000 from Frontier Finance Company of Rancho Cucamonga, $,3,000 from Burrtec Waste Systems, $5,000 from the San Bernardino Professional Firefighters Association, $1,5000 from F.F. Gomez, Inc. of Whittier, $10,000 from Richland Management of Irvine,  $10,000 from David Wiener, and $2,500 from Kirk Jensen of Upland.
Councilman Michael Tahan has received $213,865.45 into his campaign coffers. Reggie King, the owner of Young Homes, put up $26,562.09 of that sum. Hae Park provided $5,000. Tahan, the senior vice president of Hill International made loans of $156,886.56 to his campaign. He has paid back $30,000 of that, and forgiven $16,886.56, but remains $110,850 in arrears to himself. He has spent $156,886.56 on his campaign so far.
Councilman John Roberts has collected $90,768.06 for this year’s campaign. Roberts took $22,500 of that from a trust controlled by developer David Weiner. Reggie King provided him with another $10,000. The San Bernardino County Professional Firefighters Association gave him $7,500. Hae Park donated $5,000 to him.TAB Communications of Fair Oaks provided him with 2,188.20.