• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Influence From Outside; 527 Group Looks to Raise Money for D-11 Board Race

Posted on: Thursday, 29 September 2005, 03:00 CDT

By SHARI CHANEY GRIFFIN and ED SEALOVER THE GAZETTE

It's a familiar scenario: money from around the state coming into the Colorado Springs School District 11 school board race to push a slate of candidates.

This time it's not the "reform" slate benefiting from the cash. It's the other group of candidates -- John Gudvangen, Tami Hasling and Sandra Mann.

Cynthia Nimerichter, spokeswoman for a newly formed 527 committee that recently launched several ads on this year's reform slate, said the group is trying to raise money statewide and will take it from outside the state if offered. The number 527 refers to a provision in federal election law that allows groups to educate voters but not endorse candidates.

Where the money comes from isn't the issue when you're trying to keep public education public and after you've witnessed the behavior of D-11 board members throughout the past two years, Nimerichter said.

Two years ago, a four-candidate, pro-voucher slate swept to victory in D-11 largely on the strength of big contributions from Denverarea donors.

Again this year, money is paying for radio ads, and beginning next week, cable TV ads, Nimerichter said. She would not name the group's major donors. It has some ties to the Colorado Education Association and a consultant from Aurora.

How much advertising the group can do depends on how much money it raises, she added.

The radio ads attempt to link candidates Carla Albers, Bob Lathen and Reginald Perry to controversial board member Eric Christen, who has personified the infighting that's occurred on the board the past two years.

But at least one of those candidates says he has never met Christen.

"I have not even met Mr. Christen," Perry said. "I think they're trying to align us with him because he's explosive... But I've never met the gentleman."

Albers said she is not one of "Christen's cronies" as one commercial alleges.

"I guess they've decided that Eric is a negative. But this election is not about Eric Christen. It's about me and what I want to do," Albers said.

Said Christen: "I think a lot of people are going to be shocked when they walk into the ballot booth and don't find my name on the ballot box."

The group paying for the ads is RISE, Rally in Support of Public Education. Nimerichter said the group grew out of community discussions of people who want to restore credibility and respect to local school boards, especially in D-11.

"Some of us are embarrassed by the discord of the past board," she said.

The group is not endorsing candidates, Nimerichter said, but educating people about school board issues.

Members of the nonpartisan group are from throughout the community; Nimerichter is a resident of Cheyenne Mountain School District 12.

Warren Conner, the Aurora consultant, is listed on an Internal Revenue Service form as RISE's contact person, but when reached by The Gazette, he declined to comment, saying only, "I'm purely the bookkeeper."

Nimerichter said Conner has done similar work before, was recommended to RISE and serves as the group's bookkeeper. Conner also was the registered agent for The Allegiance Fund in 2002 and for Senate District 21 Democratic candidate Deanna Hanna in 2004. The Allegiance Fund received a $100,000 contribution in 2002 from the Colorado Fund for Children and Public Education, a political action committee of the Colorado Education Association, according to an article in the The Durango Herald.

CEA spokeswoman Deborah Fallin said she didn't have any information about The Allegiance Fund. She said RISE is a group that supports pro-public education candidates and "we have become involved in that process of electing pro-public education candidates."

In general, local unions request assistance, such as funding, from CEA's political action committee.

"We give money to a lot of different kinds of groups," Fallin said.

"I don't know who they are, but I'm excited because RISE looks like they are for D-11 and public education," Hasling said.

Most of the reaction she and Gudvangen have received, they said, is not opinion about the ads but that people have heard their names on the radio.

"Name identification is very important," Hasling said.

Hasling and Gudvangen said they have not heard the radio commercials.

Albers and Lathen said the focus should be on specific D-11 issues.

"I dislike 527s in general because there's no control over what's said. And I think people with agendas do it... It's not talking about District 11," Albers said.

Lathen said it doesn't matter where the money is coming from, the opposing candidates should address the issues.

"Whether the money's coming from Maine or Security, it doesn't matter. They're not addressing any of the issues," he said.

Christen said things could get worse before the election.

"It's just part of politics," he said. "I'm just looking forward to Nov. 2."

CONTACT THE WRITERS: 636-0394 or schaney@gazette.com or 636-0184 or sealover@gazette.com

THE RADIO ADS

These are the scripts from the two radio ads paid for by RISE.

"RISING"

Children rising. It's been our hope for District 11. But Eric Christen and his enemies of public

education smashed our hopes. Our schools can rise again. Sandra Mann, John Gudvangen and Tami

Hasling. Public education champions. Devoted to their children. Committed to ours. Focused on learning. Respectful of faith. Mann, Gudvangen and Hasling. Let's all rise, so our kids can shine.

"GUNNING #1"

November 2003. A moment was lost. Led by Eric Christen, three school board

members promised reform. They gave us

ruin. Now Christen's got three more recruits to help

dismantle public education. Bob Lathen, Reginald Perry and Carla Albers. Public school demolition, masquerading as

reform. Lathen, Perry and Albers. They're Christen's cronies. And they're

gunning for public education.

SOURCE: www.cspringsrise.org

Source: Gazette, The; Colorado Springs, Colo.

More News in this Category