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Siegfreid Fundraiser Invites Special Interest Money
Siegfreid Fundraiser Invites Special Interest Money to Pour In
$150 Per Plate Lunch Held Outside District With Only Special Interests Invited
OLATHE, KANSAS -- October 12, 2008 -- State Representative Arlen Siegfreid's campaign has invited lobbyists to a luncheon with him and U.S. Senator Sam Brownback at a privately owned golf club outside District 15 in Olathe, the district Siegfried represents.
The luncheon's location and venue leave Siegfreid's constituents to wonder when and where they will be allowed to voice concerns about his leadership in the Kansas House of Representatives. The event is Oct. 16 at Shadow Glen Golf Club, in northwest Olathe south of Kansas Highway 10.
Sean Tevis spokesperson Andrew Blobaum questions any event held outside the district that is restricted from public access.
"Mr. Siegfreid has once again made a decision that Topeka lobbyists' interests come before his constituents' interests," Blobaum said. "His lobbyist-first agenda has only hurt the people of the 15th District, and his first major public event of the campaign is a fundraiser that excludes his constituents from attendance without a large contribution."
Blobaum noted the Tevis campaign's commitment to the voters of the 15th District.
"As we move forward toward election day, Sean Tevis holds a public town hall meeting every Thursday at the Pizza Shoppe in his district where any citizen is welcome to come ask Sean the tough questions. We are not afraid to talk with voters and hear their concerns because we have taken no special interest money."
Blobaum also noted a discrepancy in the flier sent out to lobbyists.
"Representative Siegfreid's claim that he has accepted no 'out of state special interest money' is absolutely false. Unless our state has changed its borders since January 1, 2007, Mr. Siegfreid has accepted $5,675 from out-of-state special interest groups according to his campaign finance report filings."
The public is invited to voice concerns with Siegfreid's fundraising at Tevis' free public forum at 7 p.m. every Thursday at Pizza Shoppe, 736 W. Park St., Olathe.
About Sean Tevis
Sean Tevis received national media attention by asking 3,000 people to donate $8.34 each to his campaign so that he would not have to accept lobbyist's money. He set the Kansas State record for the must number of individual donors to a State Representative campaign with more than 6,200 donors.
He has been named one of five of Kansas City's "Top Innovators of the Year" by 435 South Magazine (November 2008 issue) and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, and NPR's Morning Edition.
Sean Tevis was raised in Johnson County, Kansas, and is running for State Representative in District 15. He loves Olathe.
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PRESS
Contact: Andrew BlobaumTelephone: 913-752-7573
E-mail:
Comments
Well, maybe in the tradition of AIG, Mr Seigfried can throw himself a huge concession party with all the dough he raised. Yay you!
Well, I know where the money has gone. In the last two days I’ve gotten calls from a person from his campaign taking a survey on who I’m going to vote for. When I say you, they give me a long list of reasons why you are bad and ask if I’ve changed my mind.
You still have my vote. I really hope you win
Sean, best of luck today! Been following you since the comic and made a small donation. Hope it helped and hope your day ends in success.
Interesting that my comment appears to have been deleted.
Hi Michael. You used a fake email address.
Of course I did, I did it blatantly so as there’d be no doubt. While I support many of your goals and issues, there’s no need to give out my email address wantonly.
Since you now seem to be okay with my reluctance to give out my email address, please allow me to resubmit my deleted comments.
While you were correct about Rep. Siegfreid’s fundraiser being outside the district, it was less than five miles outside it. In fact, according to Google, it was 3.8 miles from Ernie Miller Nature Center. You can even see the golf club on your own map at http://seantevis.com/kansas/map/. Contrasted against your own widely distributed donor list, this attack seems a bit hypocritical.
Also, I wondered about the basis of claim that the fundraiser was for lobbyists. There isn’t anything in what you presented that backed that claim, and in my experience lobbyist solicited for money with full color mailers.
I make these comments because while Rep. Siegfreid’s “family values” sicken me, this petty attack seems to lower you to his level. Politics can be better than this.
BTW - Thank you for the personal response.
Hi Michael
I guess you’re not local. Denver? One of the reasons why I prefer a valid email address is to get some context.
My opponent decided to make an issue that raising money outside the district was a bad thing. He sent several direct mail pieces about where he went on and on about how I was supported by “outsiders” while insinuating he was not.
For him to hold a huge fundraiser outside the district contrdicted everything he was saying publicly.
As for the attendees, one of them sent the invitation to me as an FYI. My opponent failed to BCC the invitee list so I could easily see that it was pretty much every lobbyist in Kansas he could find an email address for. At the luncheon itself, our source recorded the entire event on audio and provided us with a full attendee list, all of whom were lobbyists representing AIG, payday loan stores, big oil companies, coal power, and health insurance conglomerates, just to name a few.
It is important to mention here that Mr. Tevis had a weekly town hall meeting where the PATRONS OF DISTRICT 15 were sent an invitation or personally invited by phone. As a patron I was invited (numerous times) and asked to discuss my concerns. I received NO invitation from the Siegfreid campaign to attend any of his functions nor ever contacted to discuss my concerns. Mr. Tevis even paid for the food at his meetings unlike Siegfreids luncheon. A big turn off for me was in viewing Siegfreids web site. The headline immediately points out about Mr. Tevis’ contributors. Yet Mr. Tevis did not stoop to Siegfreids LOW level and publish Siegfreids contribution list. And I’m glad he didn’t! That negative campaigning is a turn off. I found in talking to voters that campaign funding really was no concern. I believe it was the Siegfreid campaign that brought up the funding issue. Mr. Tevis has some excellent qualities and does not need to stoop to such LOW class campaign antics. I HOPE HE RUNS AGAIN and focuses on his excellent qualities,leave the negativity,dirty tricks, LOW class ways to the opponents campaign.
