Cash is flowing for 21-only campaigns

Money is pouring into Iowa City's 21-only debate.

21 Makes Sense, the campaign committee supporting the law, received nearly $34,000 in contributions since mid-July, according to a report filed late Tuesday with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board.

As The Gazette previously reported, the Iowa City Safety Committee, which opposes the law, raised $17,603 in a little more than a month since it formed.

Another anti-21-only group, Yes to Entertaining Students Safely, had not yet filed a report as of earlier Wednesday morning. Campaign manager Matt Pfaltzgraf said he believed his organization had brought in between $5,000 and $7,000 in the most recent filing period, from July 15 to Oct. 14.

Even if it didn't bring in a penny, the three committees have already far outraised their counterparts in 2007, when a 21-only proposal was defeated by voters. This spring, the City Council passed the law itself, banning people younger than 21 from being in a bar after 10 p.m., and voters will again head to the polls on the matter this fall to decide whether to repeal it.

In the 2007 campaign, the Bloc21 group, which opposed 21-only, raised $24,902 total, nearly all of that from bars. Bloc21 gave $15,855 to the anti-21-only Student Health Initiative Task Force, which was all the money that group received.

The pro-21-only Committee for Healthy Choices had received $7,970 total during the campaign.

21 Makes Sense raised $33,862 this filing period. It had $9,341 remaining from the last period.

Nick Westergaard, campaign manager of 21 Makes Sense, said with 21-only supporters so greatly outspent in 2007, the campaign put an emphasis on fundraising this year.

“Not to say money buys these (elections), but it's a key organizational strength and it's a metric of community support,” he said.

Donations came from about 400 people and a few organizations. Some notable contributors were University of Iowa President Sally Mason and her husband Ken ($2,000 each), Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz ($100), Iowa City Mayor Matt Hayek ($100) and the Johnson County Medical Society ($1,000).

21 Makes Sense listed expenditures of $23,361, with $10,000 of that going to Westergaard's advertising agency and much of the rest for advertising, yard signs, and printing and mailing costs.

The committee has $19,842 in cash remaining.

Much of the Iowa City Safety Committee's financial support came from restaurants and bars, owners of those establishments and land owners, according to its report.

Gerry Ambrose and Casey Boyd, the co-owners of Ambrose and Boyd Realtors, gave the largest donations. Boyd, who is part of a group with plans to build a high-rise building just south of downtown, contributed $3,000. Ambrose, who rents property to several liquor-serving establishments downtown, gave $2,500.

The campaign's expenditures totaled $10,514, much of it for advertising and yard signs. It has $7,089 cash on hand.

Campaign chairman Jim Mondanaro was not immediately available for comment.