Regional Council Election Discussion

[Smore]

Now that the election is over, there are two things I will want to know:

- How much did Aissa spend on his campaign?
- What will happen with the facebook cease-and-desist against Soulis and Piatkowski?

At least we won't have to go through a referendum on the you-know-what.

As the campaign finance reporting deadline approaches at the end of this month has anyone heard yet how much Aissa spent on his campaign and from where the donations came from? Are these campaign finance reports publicly available or posted to a website? If so, where?

Also, has Aissa sold his property on Northfield yet?

Any one seen/know any of these answers?

[panamaniac]

Aissa spent $251,034.35 on his campaign, including $226,000 of his own money. Seiling spent $60,306, including $6,835 of his own money.

The spending limit for regional chair candidates was $312,848.90

http://www.therecord.com/news-story/5529...t-seiling/

[taylortbb]

Aissa spent $251,034.35 on his campaign, including $226,000 of his own money.

I've talked to a couple people that know Aissa, and no one thinks it was really his own money. I of course can't say for sure, but that's the rumour.

[greybird]

If it wasn't his own money, then...?

[ookpik]

If it wasn't his own money, then...?

Most of it was his own money. Only about 10% or $25k out of $250k came from elsewhere, presumably donors.

Also I found this snippet to be a bit scary (Seiling running again) and very scary (Aissa running again),

Seiling said he hasn't thought about whether he will run again in the 2018 election, but Aissa suggested the local political scene hasn't heard the last of him. "I can't sleep without thinking about it now," he said.

Maybe by 2018 robocalls will be banned and/or he'll have moved to Woodstock so we won't have to be subjected to another barrage of asinine verbal assaults from Jay.

[mpd618]

Aissa spent $251,034.35 on his campaign, including $226,000 of his own money.

I've talked to a couple people that know Aissa, and no one thinks it was really his own money. I of course can't say for sure, but that's the rumour.

Most of it was his own money. Only about 10% or $25k out of $250k came from elsewhere, presumably donors.

The claim is that the $226K of "his own money" actually wasn't his. And it's pretty ridiculous on its face for a candidate to suddenly materialize into politics with no real clue about anything, and spend nearly a quarter million dollars on a campaign. Does anyone really think that Aissa has that kind of money to throw around?

[ookpik]

The claim is that the $226K of "his own money" actually wasn't his. And it's pretty ridiculous on its face for a candidate to suddenly materialize into politics with no real clue about anything, and spend nearly a quarter million dollars on a campaign. Does anyone really think that Aissa has that kind of money to throw around?

I'm taking him at his word. (Yes, I realize he's a politician who as the joke goes, we can tell is lying by watching when his lips are moving...) 
But my understanding is that these filings are made under oath and on penalty of perjury. Is it worth risking jail time? 
Besides what benefit would he derive by lying? After all, he lost. Had he won I imagine there would be more interest in knowing who really funded him and more incentive for him to obscure that information.
And no, it's not unusual for a successful businessman to have $250,000 to throw at his favourite hobby or passion. We'd all much rather that he'd thrown that sort of money at some sort of charitable undertaking as have many local philanthropists. But it's his money (or so I think) and thus it's his choice on how to waste it.

[Brenden]

Does anyone have a link to the actual spending report? I can not find it on the Region's website.

[ookpik]

Does anyone have a link to the actual spending report? I can not find it on the Region's website.

2014 Regional Candidate Listing Municipal Election - October 27, 2014 (via Andrew Telegdi's letter to editor Real campaign costs in today's Record.)

[BuildingScout]

Wow that is a lot of money from Aissa, and it didn't get him anywhere. It is pretty clear people massively rejected his anti-LRT position.

In terms of external funds, if other elections are any indication lobbyists for both sides surely were working like mad behind the scenes to put their point of view across.

[kwliving]

Wow that is a lot of money from Aissa, and it didn't get him anywhere. It is pretty clear people massively rejected his anti-LRT position.

In terms of external funds, if other elections are any indication lobbyists for both sides surely were working like mad behind the scenes to put their point of view across.

I'm not a fan of Aissa but the money he spent got him name recognition. Not a lot of it for good reasons, but if he runs again name recognition may help get votes.

[nms]

Wow that is a lot of money...

On the other hand, I understand that in both Waterloo and Kitchener that the top spending Mayoral candidates won.  Jaworsky spent $78,000 while Vrbanovic spent $91,000.  I guess that could mean that the top spending candidate wins provided they don't take an inflammatory stand on an election issue.  Sounds easy enough.

[Pheidippides]

There are a number of donors on Aissa's filings from out of region. Why would a person or company from out of region donate to a campaign? What bearing would it have on them?

[ookpik]

1. Influence, albeit not much for only $750.
2. Tax deductions that make the cost of 1. very low.
3. Friendship.

[plam]

1. Influence, albeit not much for only $750.
2. Tax deductions that make the cost of 1. very low.
3. Friendship.

Turns out that municipal donations aren't deductible. The other points, yes.