Excise tax foes lead in fundraising; opponents have 3½-to-1 lead over supporters

2005-11-02
by ALAN CHOATE
Peninsula Daily News

SEQUIM, WA-- The combined effort for and against the buyer's excise tax on the Nov. 8 general election ballot in Clallam County has garnered more than $180,000 in donations, according to campaign finance documents filed Tuesday.

The documents detail contributions and expenditures through Monday.

Opponents of a proposed excise tax on real estate purchases have maintained a 3.5-to-1 overall fundraising advantage over the measure's supporters, but have not raised as much money from local donors.

Foes raise $143,700

Stop Taxing the American Dream is the group opposing the tax. It has raised $143,700 through Monday, according to a filing with the state Public Disclosure Commission.

The largest contributions are $75,000 from the Washington Association of Realtors and $50,000 from the National Association of Realtors, leaving $18,700 from other sources.

Clallam Citizens for Food Security, meanwhile, raised almost $29,200 through Oct. 11 and has increased that total to about $40,000 since then, said tax proponent Bob Caldwell.

Those funds come from small, individual donations, he said.

``I've been fairly critical of the fact that $125,000 of their total came from totally outside the area,'' said Caldwell.

``They had almost no support locally.

``Ours came in in dribs and drabs, especially at the beginning. Yet still it came in and it's still coming in.''

Sequim real estate agent Mike McAleer, though, cautioned against using fundraising amounts to gauge support for the tax.

``We haven't attempted to raise money locally,'' he said, noting the time it takes to build a campaign.

``We're full-time employed. We're not a bunch of retirees.''