The Arnold Index: Top 100

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Jun 18, 2004 - 12:00 PM

The Arnold Index: Top 100

by David Fink & Douglas Heller

On August 7, 2003 Arnold said: "I will go to Sacramento and I will clean house. I don't have to take money from anybody. I have plenty of money."

On August 31, 2003 he added: "Any of those kinds of real big, powerful special interests, if you take money from them, you owe them something."

The latest campaign finance reports show Arnold has received approximately 2,740 donations, but most of his money has come from a few big corporate and special interest donors. ArnoldWatch has compiled the TOP 100 list at: http://www.arnoldwatch.org/special_interests/index.html . Here's a new Arnold Index for some context on how a candidate who came to office claiming he didn't need anyone else's money has outpaced the cash register politics of his predecessor.

Amount of contributions to Schwarzenegger from 100 largest donors: $12.2 million

Ratio of donations from Top 100 to total donated by the other 2,640 donors: 2:3

Average contribution by the Top 100 donors vs. average donation of the other 2,640 contributors: approx. $122,113: $6,750

Percentage of all Arnold's donors that the Top 100 account for: 3

Percentage of total dollars Arnold has raised that come from the Top 100: 40

Percentage of donors in the Top 100 which are big businesses or their executives: 87

Percentage of donors in the Top 100 who are individuals and not currently a corporate executive: 4

The Top 25 Donors to Arnold:
1 A. G. SPANOS COMPANIES $614,700
2 EMULEX/ CEO PAUL FOLINO $488,764
3 THE NEW MAJORITY COMMITTEE/ The New Majority PAC $473,500
4 WILLIAM LYONS HOMES, INC. $466,200
5 WILLIAM A. ROBINSON $450,000
6 AMERICAN STERLING CORPORATION $436,200
7 AMERIQUEST CAPITAL CORPORATION $407,400
8 CASTLE & COOKE, INC./ DOLE FOOD CO. $352,000
9 JERRY PERENCHIO/ CHARTWELL PARTNERS $322,500
10 KLEINER, PERKINS, CAUFIELD & BYERS $277,836
11 HEWLETT PACKARD $271,200
12 TOYOTA USA/ TOYOTA DEALERS $258,133
13 ANHEUSER BUSCH COMPANIES $250,000
14 DRAPER, FISHER, JURVETSON/ TIMOTHY DRAPER $232,400
15 TARGET CORPORATION $220,000
16 P G & E CORPORATION - PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC $200,000
17 THE IRVINE COMPANY $188,200
18 MERCURY GENERAL CORP. $160,000
19 TRUST COMPANY OF THE WEST/ CHAIRMAN ROBERT A. DAY $151,200
20 KAISER FOUNDATION HEALTH PLAN, INC. $150,000
21 CLEAR CHANNEL $145,000
22 CAPITAL PACIFIC HOLDINGS, INC./ CEO HADI MAKARECHIAN $145,000
23 H & S VENTURES, LLC $142,400
24 CALIFORNIA DENTAL ASSOCIATION $125,000
25 CHEVRONTEXACO CORPORATION $122,200

ArnoldWatch is a project of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a non-profit, nonpartisan organization. FTCR does not endorse or oppose candidates.