Money is what powers Tim Eyman’s initiative factory and permits powerful right wing lobbies to collect hundreds of thousands of signatures in just a few short weeks to force public votes on schemes to wreck government. Eye on Money is Permanent Defense’s tool for tracking contributions and expenditures to harmful ballot measures.
The instruments of direct democracy — put into place a hundred years ago to give citizens a way to combat the influence of robber barons and wealthy tycoons — are now ironically being used by the wealthy and by powerful corporations to trick us into approving measures that benefit them at the expense of our common wealth and our quality of life. It’s a sorry state of affairs, but not one we have to accept.
Tim Eyman’s current sources of funding
The following chart shows where contributions to Tim Eyman’s campaign committee have been coming from since the new year began. This chart is updated monthly.
Last revised: July 2012
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Notes:
- This chart shows the top ten contributors to Initiative 1185. The top nine contributors are responsible for a whopping 84% of the total. All of the other contributors – combined – are responsible for only 16% of the total raised.
- The four oil companies shown on the chart (BP, Shell, Tesoro, ConocoPhillips) each own refineries on Puget Sound. Within the last couple of years, fires and explosions have caused extensive damage, pollution, and loss of life at the refineries owned by Tesoro (in Anacortes) and BP (at Cherry Point).
Who are the wealthy benefactors?
The following chart shows Tim Eyman’s all-time top contributors, ranked by amount given. The chart reflects data from all committees controlled by Tim Eyman, plus committees set up to benefit Eyman’s schemes. This chart is updated every six months.
Last revised: June 2012
Notes:
| Benefactor | Total | Claim to fame |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Dunmire | $3,117,194 | One of the founders of Benchmark Plus, a Tacoma-based hedge fund. He is now retired. |
| Kemper Freeman, Jr. | $1,211,000 | Owner of The Bellevue Collection (Bellevue Square + Bellevue Place + Lincoln Square), well known developer. |
| Beer Institute | $400,000 | A front for giant corporations like InBev that make alcoholic beverages |
| Great Canadian Gaming | $236,293.99 | A shady foreign gambling conglomerate that owns four casinos in Washington and many more in Canada. |
| Michaels Development | $206,422 | Describes itself as a “marketing services, media partnership and advertising agency”. |
| British Petroleum (BP) | $200,000 | One of the world’s largest oil companies, owns a refinery at Cherry Point. Responsible for Deepwater Horizon disaster. |
| Tesoro | $200,000 | One of the world’s largest oil companies, owns a refinery plagued by safety violations in Anacortes. |
| ConocoPhillips | $185,000 | One of the world’s largest oil companies, owns a refinery in Ferndale. |
| Equilon/Shell | $150,000 | One of the world’s largest oil companies, owns a refinery in Anacortes. |
| Wes Lematta | $109,500 | Former chairman of Columbia Helicopters, now deceased (1927-2009). |
| American Beverage Association | $100,000 | Corporate front for Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Dr Pepper Snapple Group. |
