School and College Board Candidates Race for Funds

By Lookout Staff

School and College Board candidates are relying on their own money during the first phase of their campaigns, according to campaign finance disclosure statements submitted to the City Clerk.

The statements, which cover the period from July 1 to September 30, showed a dearth of funding, with School Board candidate Jose Escarce, one of the few hopefuls who did not lend himself money, leading the pack

Escarce, a researcher for RAND Corporation, counted on the support of civic leaders, who were among the contributors pumping $6,961 into the political novice's campaign. Contributors included First Federal Bank CEO William Mortenssen, former City Councilman Bob Gabriel, Board of Education member Julia Brownley, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James Bascue, Malibu City Council member Sharon Barovsky, and fellow RAND employees Brian Stecher, Jean Gebeman (a member of the Airport Commission) and vice president Michael Rich.

Running second to Escarce in the fundraising race for three School Board seats was trial attorney Gleam Davis, who raised $5,374, $2,799 of the total in the form of a personal loan.

Pediatrician Eleanore Meyer raised $4,464, lending her campaign $605 (former City Council member Asha Greenberg donated $150). Pepperdine University professor Mike Jordan counted on a $2,325 personal loan to raise $4,460, while Maria Leon-Vazquez, a paralegal and longtime education advocate, lent herself $200 of the $750 she raised.

As part of the Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights' slate, Escarce, Jordan and Vazquez can count on the powerful group's hefty war chest, which held $108,451 at the end of last month. The money will be used to send election mailers and canvass voters on behalf of the endorsed candidates, who according to election law cannot have a say in the SMRR effort.

In the race for three open College Board seats, student Joe Weichman lead the early fundraising battle with $6,700, all of it in the form of a personal loan. Margaret Quinones, a member of the School Board, raised $3,830, $2,000 of it in a loan to her campaign.

Incumbents Annette Shamey and Pat Nichelson, who raised less than $5,000 combined, can count on SMRR's war chest, along with Quinones. Shamey, an educator, raised $3,609, $1,000 in the form of a personal loan, while Nichelson, a professor, raised $949, $550 as a personal loan. Msgr. Lloyd Torgerson, the pastor of Saint Monica's Catholic Church, donated $200 to Shamey's campaign.

Margaret Carroll, a prosecutor, raised $1,900.00, $1,000 in the form of a personal loan. Torgerson donated $100 to her campaign.

Candidates Pat McGuire, an educator and businessman, and Robert Klepa, an attorney and university instructor, did not report any contributions.

Proposition Y, the popular school bond measure, has raised $59,381.79, with several dozen civic leaders contributing to the campaign. Contributors include three Board of Education members, the Santa Monica Association of School Administrators, the Santa Monica Malibu PTA Council and Superintendent Neil Schmidt.