Manatee elections office makes it easy to follow the campaign money

Want to know who is contributing how much money to which Manatee County commission candidate?

And how they are spending that money?

The Manatee County elections office makes it easy to track right from your computer.

With a few clicks of a mouse, you'll find a list of donors, amounts contributed, what they do for a living and how the candidates are spending the money to get elected.

That's how we compiled the numbers that served as the basis for the Page 1 story Sunday on contributions so far to candidates seeking one of three seats on the Manatee County commission in this year's election.

As of March 31 -- the end of the most recent quarterly reporting period -- eight candidates had raised a total of more than $225,000 in cash and in-kind contributions. (The total also includes loans some of the candidates have made to their respective campaigns.)

With a limit of $500 per contribution, the total given represents the political preferences of scores of local residents and businesses, as well as the support of interests from outside Manatee.

As for possible connections between the contribution and how the candidate will govern if they win, that's for you, the voter, to conclude.

Aranibar takes fundraising lead in school board race

Julie Aranibar has jumped out to a wide lead over her rivals for the District 3 seat on the Manatee school board, according to finance reports filed with the Manatee County elections office.

As of March 31, Aranibar had raised more than $13,400 in cash and in-kind contributions, and spent almost $3,100.

By comparison, incumbent Jane Pfeilsticker had raised only $450, and a second challenger, Albert Yusko, had raised $2,240.

Aranibar raised all but $100 of her contributions during the first quarter of 2010. Her donors included school board member Bob Gause, who has contributed $100.

The race has also drawn the interest of members of the county commission.

Commissioner Donna Hayes has contributed $100 to Yusko; and Commissioner Carol Whitmore has contributed $150 to Aranibar.

For more, including a complete list of donors for each candidate, go here.

The school board election is Aug. 24, and if no one receives more than half the votes, the runoff will be Nov. 2.

Court's campaign finance ruling won't affect local races

A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling will allow corporations and labor unions to spend unlimited amounts of money to support their favored candidates for federal offices, like president and Congress, with TV ads and the like, while leaving in place prohibitions against them contributing directly to a candidate's campaign.

In politics, the Supreme Court ruled, money is speech - even when spent by a business - so under the First Amendment, you can't restrict it.

The ruling, however, should have no effect on Florida law, which already allows businesses and unions to directly contribute up to $500 per election to candidates for state and local offices, like the Legislature and county commissions. (They can also contribute additional amounts to political action committees that turn around and support candidates of their choice.)

To see the financial role companies, labor unions and the like can play in funding, look at the campaign finance reports filed by candidates for the Manatee County Commission this year.

Out of the more than $80,000 in contributions District 4 Republican candidate Robin DiSabatino - by far, the most prolific fund-raiser among candidates for the commission - had collected as of Dec. 31, almost $50,000 had come from land development firms, small businesses and other companies, according to reports filed with the county elections office.

That does not include contributions that business owners, executives, etc. and their families might have given in their own names. (Of DiSabatino's business contributions, $9,000 came from Schroeder-Manatee Ranch and other business entities with direct ties to the developer of Lakewood Ranch.)

By comparison, the second-biggest fund-raiser in the District 4 race, Norm Luppino had collected $511.75 in business contributions - with all but a single $100 donation coming in the form of in-kind services. Luppino, a former county planner, had collected more than $4,500 in contributions, as of Dec. 31, according to the elections office.

Another beneficiary of corporate giving has been Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore, who as of Dec. 31 had collected $35,600 in contributionsfor her re-election campaign for an at-large seat on the commission. Of that amount, more than $14,000 had come from donors listed as businesses on her disclosure report.

To see the list of DiSabatino's contributors, go here.

To see the list of Luppino's contributors, go here.

To see the list of Whitmore's contributors, go here.

And for information on other candidates for the commission and other local positions, go here.

DiSabatino holds huge money lead in Manatee commission race

If money were votes, the race for the District 4 seat on the Manatee County commission might be over, with eight months to go before the Republican primary.

As of Dec. 31, local Realtor Robin DiSabatino - the favorite of many in the business and development communities - had collected more than $100,600 in contributions, according to reports filed with the county elections office. DiSabatino's donor list includes numerous contributors with ties to real estate development.

Take out the $20,000 she has given her campaign, and DiSabatino still holds a commanding lead over the two other Republicans so far in the race - former county planner Norm Luppino, who has raised more than $4,600; and architect Timothy Norwood, with $175.

Businessman Roger C. Galle, the sole Democrat in the race, has reported collecting $460 in contributions.

Fortunately for the financial also-rans, the Republican primary is not until Aug. 24, and the general election, Nov. 2.

Manatee County District 4 encompasses southern Manatee County. Incumbet GOP commissioner Ron Getman is not running for re-election.

In other commission races on this year's ballot, at-large incumbent Carol Whitmore, a Republican has raised more than $40,000, and her Democratic challenger, Sundae Lynn Knight, an engineer with Sarasota County government, reported raising $585.

In District 2 (Palmetto and east Bradenton), the fund-raising has been a bit more competitive. So far, Democratic challenger Michael Gallen holds an almost 3-to-1 fund-raising lead over the incumbent Democratic commissioner Gwendolyn Brown.

Gallen, an attorney and high school teacher, has raised $3,025; and Brown has collected $1,170 in contributions.

To see who has contributed to whom, go here.