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Three wealthy San Diegans are doubling down on their support of William Ponder against teachers union-endorsed Marne Foster in their race for San Diego school board.
The two candidates, vying for the sub-district E seat being vacated by Shelia Jackson, are viewed by some insiders as virtual proxies for two of the city's most politically powerful interests, the teachers union, and a small, well-heeled group of those seeking to increase outsourcing of local education to charter schools and private corporations.
According to a filing dated October 2 and posted online late yesterday by the county registrar of voters, a group calling itself Alliance for Quality Education in Support of Bill Ponder for School Board 2012 has so far raised $90,500. It has spent $25,547, and as of September 30 had $65,359 of cash in the bank.
The largest donor is CAC Advisory Services LLC, a firm run by Rod Dammeyer, an investment manager and charter school backer.
The company has given a total of $40,500.
Dammeyer and Democratic La Jolla billionaire Irwin Jacobs, now backing GOP city councilman Carl DeMaio for mayor, last year teamed up on a well-financed, but ultimately failed ballot bid to remake the school board by adding non-elected members.
Another donor to the Ponder cause is long-time charter school advocate R.B. "Buzz" Woolley, who has so far given $15,000, according to yesterday's filing.
Woolley is founder and chairman of the board of the Voice of San Diego; both Dammeyer and Jacobs have financially backed the online news website, according to disclosures made by the non-profit organization.
Yet another deep-pocketed Ponder contributor is William Lynch, the Rancho Santa Fe financier and investor who also has taken a long-time interest in school board affairs, having been one of former superintendent Alan Bersin's most ardent supporters.
The William D. Lynch Company gave $5,000.
Finally, the Sacramento-based California Charter Schools Association Advocates Independent Expenditure Committee kicked in $25,000.
Woolley and Dammeyer have both been big contributors to that committee, as has New York's billionaire mayor Mike Bloomberg, who gave $75,000 in June.
Three wealthy San Diegans are doubling down on their support of William Ponder against teachers union-endorsed Marne Foster in their race for San Diego school board.
The two candidates, vying for the sub-district E seat being vacated by Shelia Jackson, are viewed by some insiders as virtual proxies for two of the city's most politically powerful interests, the teachers union, and a small, well-heeled group of those seeking to increase outsourcing of local education to charter schools and private corporations.
According to a filing dated October 2 and posted online late yesterday by the county registrar of voters, a group calling itself Alliance for Quality Education in Support of Bill Ponder for School Board 2012 has so far raised $90,500. It has spent $25,547, and as of September 30 had $65,359 of cash in the bank.
The largest donor is CAC Advisory Services LLC, a firm run by Rod Dammeyer, an investment manager and charter school backer.
The company has given a total of $40,500.
Dammeyer and Democratic La Jolla billionaire Irwin Jacobs, now backing GOP city councilman Carl DeMaio for mayor, last year teamed up on a well-financed, but ultimately failed ballot bid to remake the school board by adding non-elected members.
Another donor to the Ponder cause is long-time charter school advocate R.B. "Buzz" Woolley, who has so far given $15,000, according to yesterday's filing.
Woolley is founder and chairman of the board of the Voice of San Diego; both Dammeyer and Jacobs have financially backed the online news website, according to disclosures made by the non-profit organization.
Yet another deep-pocketed Ponder contributor is William Lynch, the Rancho Santa Fe financier and investor who also has taken a long-time interest in school board affairs, having been one of former superintendent Alan Bersin's most ardent supporters.
The William D. Lynch Company gave $5,000.
Finally, the Sacramento-based California Charter Schools Association Advocates Independent Expenditure Committee kicked in $25,000.
Woolley and Dammeyer have both been big contributors to that committee, as has New York's billionaire mayor Mike Bloomberg, who gave $75,000 in June.