Who needs her money?

credit: Mile Square View

The buzz is that Beth Mason has offered to underwrite her allies' political campaigns if they bring her the votes for Hoboken Democratic Chair.

Putting aside that paying for committee votes is illegal, two questions come to mind:

1.  Is it worth 'war' with Mayor Fulop and his camp?
2.  Who actually needs Beth Mason's money? 

Aside from Beth Mason, no one (yet) openly opposes the Jersey City mayor.   The incentive to do so might be a 'money problem,' which begs the question: who would really need the cash to run?

A look at the spending habits and funding sources of the incumbent candidates' 2011 campaigns tell quite a story.   

GA looks at the last 2011 campaign ELEC filed for Michael Russo, Theresa Castellano, Tim Occhipinti and yes, Beth Mason (who may decide to run.)

3rd Ward

RUSSO spent $33,160, account balance $0-- funding: 56% monetary contributions (over $300), 8% small monetary contributions, 17% in-kind contributions, 19% loans.
Campaign HQ: Yes

Result: 844 votes

Cost : $39.20 per vote

Russo for Council, October 15, 2012 ELEC

1st Ward  

CASTELLANO spent $24,595.54, account balance $0--funding: 92% loans (self-funded),   7.1% in-kind, 0.9% small monetary contributions
Campaign HQ: No 

Result: 633 votes

Cost: $38.85 per vote

The Committee to Elect Castellano 2011, Oct 15 2011 ELEC

4th Ward

OCCHIPINTI spent $63,015.40, account balance $0 ($3,947.02 transferred to 2015 account)-- funding:  70% monetary contributions (over $300), 25% small monetary contributions, 3% in-kind contributions, 2% loans.
Campaign HQ: Yes 

Result: 747 votes

Cost: $84.35 per vote

Timothy Occhipinti, Oct 15, 2011 ELEC

2nd Ward

MASON spent $364,759, account balance $979.94-- funding:  49% in-kind contributions, 40% loans, 10% monetary contributions (over $300), 0.9% other (transferred from prior campaign), 0% small monetary contributions,
Campaign HQ: Yes

Result: 644 votes

Cost: $566 per vote

Elizabeth Mason, April 15, 2015 ELEC

Conclusion (GA's Two Cents):

Castellano almost entirely self-funds, and in 2011 ran the most efficient campaign, spending the least per vote in her Ward.  Castellano doesn't need Mason's money.

Russo gets 64% of  campaign funds from monetary contributions, and a large amount of in-kind. His 2011 base of operations, the Russo Civic Association has closed. Still, he runs a lean campaign and came in second place for budget efficiency at $39.20 per vote.  Russo would be happy to take Mason's money.

Occhipinti got 95% of his 2011 campaign funds as large and small monetary contributions. Whooosh. He ran an indulgent campaign with paid consultants, and we know who was indulging him.  Wheel-y.  Timmy is in trouble in 2015.  He desperately needs Mason's money, but she appears to have cut him off.  

Mason is fully self-funded, ran the least efficient and most expensive campaign. Mason spent nearly 15 times more than Castellano per vote, and almost 7 times as much as Timmy.  A comic  self-parody of  excess, waste, and poor financial management, if the alleged 'deal' to buy the Dem Committee chair fails, it's time for Mason to disappear from New Jersey politics.