Elvis playing 'green' fundraiser,Atherton,Calif.,Oct. 22 '10

[johnfoyle]

http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ ... ck_check=1



Prop. 23 opponents out-raise supporters

By Dana Hull

dhull@mercurynews.com

10/14/2010


Opponents of Proposition 23, the controversial ballot measure that would suspend California's landmark global warming legislation, have long argued that supporters were prepared to flood the state with money for the initiative.

But with little more than two weeks until the Nov. 2 election, that flood has yet to materialize. And the No on 23 campaign -- a coalition that includes environmentalists, venture capitalists, social justice groups and some of Silicon Valley's hottest cleantech companies -- is outpacing Yes on 23 in fundraising by more than a 2-1 ratio.

Donations of $1,000 or more must be filed with the California Secretary of State's Office within a 24-hour period, so fundraising tallies fluctuate daily. As of 1 p.m. Thursday, Yes on 23 had raised $9.1 million, while the various committees working to defeat Prop. 23 had raised $19.6 million, according to MAPLight.org, a nonpartisan research organization that tracks the influence of money on politics.

If you subtract the $2 million that Yes on 23 had to spend to gather signatures to put the measure on the ballot, the disparity is closer to 3-to-1.

A Sept. 26 Field Poll showed most voter blocs lining up on the "No" side, with many voters undecided.

The fundraising disparity is all the more noteworthy because many Californians have begun to cast their ballots by mail, and the window of opportunity to influence public opinion is closing.
And with California awash in television ads for the hotly contested gubernatorial and Senate races, it's increasingly hard to buy airtime.

"Most of the available airtime for political ads is locked up," said Barbara O'Connor, emeritus director of the Institute for the Study of Politics and Media at Cal State Sacramento.

"It's pretty late in the game for a surge, especially since votes are already being cast," added Jack Pitney, a political-science professor at Claremont McKenna College. "Yes on 23 may have underestimated how much it would cost, and how intense the opposition would be."

Anita Mangels, a spokeswoman for Yes on 23, declined to talk specifically about the campaign's fundraising strategy and sought to put the focus on the deep pockets behind No on 23, including Thomas Steyer, a hedge fund executive with Farallon Capital Management in San Francisco who has donated $5 million and is co-chair of the No on 23 campaign.

"It appears that the billionaire hedge fund manager and the venture capitalists -- some from California, some from other states -- who are bankrolling the No on 23 campaign have decided that defeating Proposition 23 is a good investment that will reap them huge returns," Mangels said. "Investing in No on 23 is the ultimate self-interested political ploy that will help the rich campaign contributors get richer and make it even harder for struggling California families to make ends meet."

Steve Maviglio, a spokesman for No on 23, stressed Thursday that large, multimillion-dollar donations from the petrochemical industry could come in at any time, and he cautioned that No on 23's current fundraising advantage, while welcome, should be viewed as tenuous.

"These companies can write a check whenever they want, and they have a history of coming in late and heavy," Maviglio said. "We're still girding for battle and being very aggressive. Our supporters are galvanized because they don't like the idea of Texans coming in and trying to buy a ballot measure."

Supporters of No on 23 include some of the most prominent names in Silicon Valley. Vinod Khosla, one of the nation's top cleantech venture capitalists, donated $1,037,267 this week. Tesla Motors of Palo Alto donated $25,000 -- the company's first political contribution. Other fundraisers are planned: Alan Salzman of VantagePoint Venture Partners is hosting a No on 23 fundraiser featuring Elvis Costello at Salzman's Atherton home next Friday.

Proposition 23 seeks to suspend AB 32, a groundbreaking law that seeks to limit the state's production of the emissions that cause global warming. Proponents of Proposition 23 say that when AB 32 is implemented, energy prices will rise and businesses will be forced to lay off workers or move out of state.

The largest contributor to Yes on 23 to date is Valero, a San Antonio company that operates two refineries in California.

"Valero is monitoring the situation closely, and we remain enthusiastic and proud supporters of Prop. 23," said Bill Day, a spokesman for Valero. "We're not pulling back in any way."

Contact Dana Hull at 408-920-2706. Follow her at Twitter.com/danahull.



http://greenagenda.info/silicon-valley- ... -23-fight/

(extract)

Alan Salzman, a leading Silicon Valley green tech investor who is chief executive of VantagePoint Venture Partners, is hosting a No on Prop 23 fundraiser at his Atherton home on Oct. 22 that features a performance by Elvis Costello. Get out your wallets, though. Tickets are $500 and for $100,000 you’ll score four backstage passes, 10 VIP seats and 10 general
admission tickets.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atherton,_California

[bambooneedle]

What a ripoff, man.

[And No Coffee Table]

An "opening performance by Jackson Browne" has been added to this event. No word on whether the Brave Brothers will reunite.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/nov ... y_id=75194

[johnfoyle]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/nov ... y_id=75194

[johnfoyle]

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/ ... d-Prop-23/

Eric Wesoff

October 23, 2010

( extract)

So Aside From the Proposition, Mrs. Lincoln, How Was the Music?

Jackson Browne looked great, his voice was in great form and he played a short 30 minute set including a Warren Zevon cover. I spent a lot of time in college pretending to like Jackson Browne in order to meet girls.

Elvis Costello led off with Red Shoes and was also in good form. They're both doing their thing for a good cause. Hats off to them.

I have to admit though, it was the least rock-and-roll audience and setting I've ever attended. Very little visible drug use, nudity or projectile vomiting. Only one fistfight.