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Election 2012: How Much Has Been Given to Obama and Romney?

Search the FEC-provided interactive campaign contribution database. Are you listed?

Patch has created an interactive database so you can see whether your public officials, employer, church, husband or neighbor are donating to the presidential campaign candidates.

We’ve included communities across California, so if you want to see what the campaign contributions in nearby towns are like, go right ahead.

Tell us in the comments what you've spotted among the donations.

The information in the database was downloaded from the Federal Election Commission’s website, and unfortunately the FEC's spelling errors are theirs and can't be fixed by Patch. The data is based on quarterly reports, and is current through July. The data will be updated in mid-October.

Gayle M. Montgomery October 3, 2012 at 05:37 pm
Ask yourself why gas prices did not go up in June at start of travel season as they usually do. The current gas price spike comes as no surprise whatsover. I predicted that big oil would do exactly this this summer. You can get 27 published excuses as to why they are skyrocketing, but I'm not buying them. This was planned some months ago. When gas prices got ugly a few years ago and folks got really mad, Congress threatened an investigation. POOF, the gas prices collapsed. Only we cannot complain to Congress now because the ninnies voted down jobs for Vets and then went off on recess. Time for recess appointments to back fill their spots. They totally abrogated their responsibilities to our Veterans who have honorably served. And, they should be checking out gas spikes, but that would mean they'd need to get big oil out of their pockets.
Gayle M. Montgomery October 3, 2012 at 07:22 pm
Holly could you clarify on the China comment. I think you may have been interrupted because I'm not sure the sentence reads as you wanted it to say. What is the last part, and to whom were you asking the question.
Carol Elliott October 3, 2012 at 07:36 pm
Happily voting FOR prop 32 and against 30. Not one more dime of my tax money. Love Super pac's. They even the playing field against the big union money that has been buying and selling politicians for years. Viva Citizens United.
Tim Sole October 3, 2012 at 07:39 pm
Prop. 32 on it's face would be a great law. As with all things political, a bunch of "People" want an exemption. Which makes Prop. 32, bad law. Remove the exemptions and I'm in. Leave the exemptions in, I'm out.
T. L. Shryock October 3, 2012 at 08:34 pm
I have read the proposition. What "exemptions" do you want taken out exactly?
Ivan G October 3, 2012 at 08:49 pm
Considering how public employee unions have managed to bankrupt the state, a proposition that limits their ability to buy legislators is needed. And the state is so inhospitable to businesses that giving business more power to influence legislation would be a good thing.
Marcus October 3, 2012 at 09:05 pm
@Margeaux Rox: Sure the President is one part of the equation - but if Romney were President, and the Congress was still run by Republicans - they would easily push through the removal of home mortgage interest as a deduction.
They would also defund many government departments as well. Our government wouldn't be able to oversea that companies and banks followed much approved regulations put in place for years. If the SEC hadn't been defunded by G.W. Bush, and ran by a Bush crony, we might have not fallen into the recession as badly as it did. And your comment about Egypt seems muddled. @Niles: Hardly a lie. Quite clearly an observation.
Marcus October 3, 2012 at 09:12 pm
It's a good thing that we can see who donated. It might seem like snooping but our country is based on freedoms, but also, based on a certain level of distrust as well. That's why we have three branches of government.
So if we see distrust as a way of maintaining those checks and balances, its good to see who donated to all political parties no matter how small, or how big. Super Pacs need to be transparent just like political parties.
Marcus October 3, 2012 at 09:13 pm
Maybe Prop 32 is a good law, but I agree with Tim. This is a tactic to use law to sideline one side of our community. In the end, Prop 32 deserves a 'No'.
Ivan G October 3, 2012 at 10:33 pm
The government labor unions deserve to be sidelined. Their buying the state legislature has got us into the financial predicament we are in now, The legislature is so beholden to the unions that Gov. Brown could not his pension reform package through.
Buzlightyear aka marty October 4, 2012 at 02:18 am
Gayle,
I dont think the unions should be able to use dues for political purposes. I think some states have an opt out option for the political part of union dues. I know that elections and props are skewed by both union, and biz donations. And by the way, don't ever listen to any prop commercial ever. No matter what side of any proposition one is on, I don't think their has been an honest ad about one in twenty years. Hey......how about that debate tonight eh...Chris Mathews looks like he just threw up inside himself and swallowed it. Not glotin----just sayin......
Holly Hale October 4, 2012 at 02:37 am
@Gayle: You're right, I was interrupted and by the time I saw your message I forgot the rest (I hate being over 50, d*mmit). So I deleted it. LOL
@Marty: Got the booklet with the props in it a couple days ago. I'll be analyzing them and let's confer.
Holly Hale October 4, 2012 at 02:38 am
PS: Chris Matthews is the worst of the biased news "men." What happened to guys like Walter Cronkite?
Holly Hale October 4, 2012 at 02:52 am
Gayle: They did go up at the first of summer then came down a little. I don't get it. My son told me at the Chevron (Myrtle and Fwy) the prices jumped significantly since yesterday. I refuse to put Arco in my car but I'll bet their sales will go up during this time.
Gayle M. Montgomery October 4, 2012 at 03:04 am
Marty, word on the Twitterverse was that the only winner in tonight's debate was Big Bird. It was also cited that Lehrer did a crappy job as moderator (no lights, no on topic, not time outs, etc.). I was at a huge party with a ton of Obama supporters here in Monrovia. Every time Romney said he was going to do something, we asked, "How?" He has a lot of lofty goals but no specifics behind them and even Rand, when questioned, said he didn't have time to go over the math. See next post for 32.
Gayle M. Montgomery October 4, 2012 at 03:07 am
So, my question to you about the unions not using dues for political purposes, do you believe corporations should be able to? It's hypothetical because the Supremes have already ruled yes. Fact of the matter is that 32 discriminates against one group of people to the benefit of others. That is called UnConstitutional. Exempted from the constraints of 32 are its sponsors that include a super Pac out of OC (I think I just read the Lincoln Club, but I'm exhausted--long day).
Here's what is reported about those exempted: Prop 32 creates special exemptions for wealthy donors and corporate special interests, allowing them to keep spending unlimited amounts through business front groups. Prop 32 does nothing to restrict secretive Super PACs and their undisclosed donors from spending millions to influence elections in California. Prop 32 singles out everyday heroes like teachers, nurses and firefighters, by limiting their ability to speak out about critical issues in our communities that matter to us all.
Gayle M. Montgomery October 4, 2012 at 03:13 am
But I am going to take this back to basic Constitutional law, not just the wish thinking of those who want to shut down unions. In order to implement a law in a state, it must be equal to or better than that which is afforded by the Constitution. You cannot abridge any aspect of the Constitution and hope to find that law legal in the long run. As I mentioned before, the Supreme Court ruled that political donations are an expression of the First Amendment, and it is for that reason that Corporate personhood was legitimized. A Corporation, or group of indiividuals banded together were determine to have the right to make political donations unfettered, and largely anonymously. If you do not afford that same right to other groups in the US (like Patch readers), you effectively show preferential treatment and discriminate. It will never hold up in the law.
If we strip corporate personhood and then include these other options, I might be good with the law. That still would not make it Constitutional. All I see on the Patch are Conservatives caterwauling about waste of public money. Well this law, because it will ultimately be ruled unConstitutional, is a waste of money, and if Conservatives want to go Ya, Boyyo on this one, they cannot come back and twitch about it later. It will go to trial. Of that I am certain, and the law will be overturned. It's just a dumb thing for that reason if nothing else.
Gayle M. Montgomery October 4, 2012 at 03:17 am
Holly, you don't have to be over 50 to forget, but it certainly gives cover. I've got 60 candles coming in just over a month. I'm the eldest of my siblings, and the only joy in this slippage, is they're having trouble too (LOL). The way I figure it is attributable to 2 things: 1. Candles burn holes in your brain. 2. There are just so many file drawers in your cranium. The older you get, the more you probably know, and the greater the chance that stuff will just fall out. That is my story, and I am sticking to it.
Gayle M. Montgomery October 4, 2012 at 03:23 am
Holly, if you do not have a Costco card and can afford to get one, by all means do, simply for the price differential on gas. The other day I paid $4.299 at the Shell on Shamrock and Huntington. I had no choice, I was on fumes. A few days later (I've been trotting one or both of my daughter's grandkids around over the last week or more), I filled up at Costco. It was $3.959. Now I'm not suggesting that is cheap, but the price differential adds up. Here is the 8-year trending of gas prices, Holly. You can back into other windows to see the dip in early summer. But that dramatic spike on this chart is when Congress threatened and investigation. POOF, prices just slammed to the floor. Where is Congress when you need it? Oh, yeah, on recess. http://www.gasbuddy.com/gb_retail_price_chart.aspx?time=24
Gayle M. Montgomery October 4, 2012 at 03:25 am
Oops, I AM tired. My daughter better not have grandkids, LOL. It's her two teenagers that have needed help with things like homecoming expenses, food, clothing, homework, you name it. And I wonder why I'm tired.
Holly Hale October 4, 2012 at 03:32 am
Touche. I'll buy that one.........ha ha ha
Gayle M. Montgomery October 4, 2012 at 03:37 am
BTW, Holly, I reread your gas posting. Something we agree on. I'd rather eat a bucket of dung than put BP/Arco gas in my car. It's crummy in quality, they add that silly transaction fee over the top of your purchase meaning the price per gallon is not advertised, and then they brazenly damaged the ocean and didn't much care about it at all. When the Gulf was nastified by them, that was the absolute coffin nail for me.
Buzlightyear aka marty October 4, 2012 at 07:37 pm
Gayle,
I don't like the influince of big money interests from anyone. But the unions are taking UNION DUES and using it for political purposes. Both should be eliminated. If all unions had an opt out option for that portion of dues it would soften my stance. And i have to confess....I didn't see the debate in real time. I am so adicted to running that I actually have withdrawel symptoms after 48 hours. Had to go running. Just me, the music, and five or six miles running through the Griffith Park hills in the darkness of early evening is magic.
Buzlightyear aka marty October 4, 2012 at 07:48 pm
Holly Hale,
I just got the booklet yesterday. As for Chris Mathews. If you ever watch him, you will see that he can't EVER let his hour go by without the race card, no matter how he has to stretch to slip it in. I watched a lot of MSNBC when I had some time just to find out what the points are. OH....Way to much intellectually dishonest filth to even begin. However I think Mr. Ed is the worst. And Martin Bashir is mostly ....well....Now I am thinking that Michael Jackson might of been innocent, and set up by the Bashir. ( (if you ever saw his M.J. special). marty
Gayle M. Montgomery October 4, 2012 at 08:13 pm
The Griffith Park hills are lovely, Marty, especially at Twilight. Save for the last two years when my arthritis has been giving me fits, and many of the artists at the Bowl are ones I have already seen, or conflicted with vacation plans (can't skip out on trips to Hawaii, LOL), I used to take the shuttle from the Zoo lot. We're fortunate to live in an area so full of beauty.
I understand that the unions are using dues for political purposes, Marty, but you have to be in the game to win, and they use the money to lobby for protections for their memberships in terms of benefits and labor protections. It's unfortunate they have to, but what would you suggest the dues be used for. Remember, they were organized to find protections from egregious employment practices. I've never been a union worker myself. When I worked at another major corp, because there were unions, we got some great benefits as fall-out. Both of my kids are union workers. They have to be for their jobs. I worry if there's a strike call. My boy just went through a 2-day one. My daughter was on the picket line every day for 5-months when her employer locked them out. The employers used illegal practices during the strike and wound up having to pay big fines to the government for violating the law. That strike was costly to us all.
Gayle M. Montgomery October 4, 2012 at 08:17 pm
Marty, who is Mr. Ed? Are you talking about the talking horse? I loved Mr. Ed. And Francis the Talking Mule. Now those were movies!
Buzlightyear aka marty October 5, 2012 at 02:28 am
Gayle,
"Wiiiilbuurrr" Said Mr. Ed OK everyone sing......a horse is a horse of course, of course, but no one......... In the last post I was refering to:... Mr Ed is ed schultz. He is the guy that said about dick cheney "They should rip his heart out". About Republicans. "They want to see you dead! They'd rather make money of your dead corpe! They kind of like it when that woman has cancer and they don't have anything for her." And according to him republicans are evil racists ......and have a war on woman, minorities, old peeps, unions.......blah..... His whole show stirs up hate and resentment. Thats all. Nothing of value. he only stirs up and angers the very people he pretends to be on the side of. The end result however is the opposite. Sorry to go off on this but that kind of show just has to leave the air. The only one worse than he is Mike Malloy. He is so bad it is worth listening to just to be amazed that he is on the air. I don.t hang this stuff on you. And some right wing shows are not angels either. OK I am done now Peace, love, and happiness
Gayle M. Montgomery October 5, 2012 at 04:03 am
You know I'm going to be singing Mr. Ed song in my sleep, Marty, LOL. I forgot the words, but I will wake up in the wee wee hours singing them now. LOL. I don't watch those kinds of shows. I don't like the extremism. Plenty of hate stirring going round, way too much of it. I don't think I could pick Schulz out in a lineup to save my soul.
Gayle M. Montgomery October 5, 2012 at 03:42 pm
Holly, hold up on my Costco gas advice for a while if you don't already have a card. The one in Azusa was not selling gas this morning, one of the 14 or more stores they have that stopped selling because they cannot meet the demand. Gas at the Shell across the street from CostCo was $4.599. I have half a tank but was going to fill cause I've got errands this weekend. Oh, well, this was a good day to explain history to my 16-year old grandson who wanted to know about the Gas Crisis of the 70s. Got a chance to explain to him Odd/Even Gas Days. Who knows, maybe that's where we're headed again.
Buzlightyear aka marty October 15, 2012 at 01:23 am
What I didn't know on October 1st was that. When you click reply after you comment it simply closes the box----it does not vanish. Should of hit submit.

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