Parsing Iowans for Tax Relief fundraising, Part II

Ed Failor, Junior, of Iowans for Tax Relief called this afternoon about this blog post noting contributions to the Iowans for Tax Relief PAC were down in 2009 compared to 2007 (2009 and 2007 are both "off years" meaning there's no election in November, thus it's comparing similar donation periods).  Contributions to the Iowans for Tax Relief PAC were down 43 percent from 2007 to 2009. 

Failor suggested I had failed to point out there had been a leadership change at the organization in the recent past. Jeff Boeyink, the current executive director of the Republican Party of Iowa, had been ITR's president in 2007. Failor is now the president of Iowans for Tax Relief. Eric Branstad also joined ITR's team last November as an "organizational" fundraiser. 

Failor also suggested I should have pointed out the economic conditions in 2009 are far worse than they were in 2007 and he suggested I look at the contribution reports for several other organizations which have PACs — and which raised less in 2009 than they had in 2007.

Justice for All — the Iowa Trial Lawyers PAC — saw its fundraising decline 20 percent in 2009 compared to '07 and the Realtors PAC saw a 22 percent decline.  The Iowa Industry Political Action Committee — the Iowa Association of Business and Industry's PAC — saw a slight increase in contributions, as did the PAC for the Iowa chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business, although Failor notes the total contributions for the NFIB were "really small" as it raised $3531.00 in 2009 compared to the $2460 is raised in 2007. 

Failor also suggested I look at the contribution records for the Associated General Contractors of Iowa PAC.  According to a document emailed by Katie Koberg, a vice president at Iowans for Tax Relief, the Associated General Contractors of Iowa PAC reported receiving $24,551.92 in cash contributions in the first six months of this year compared to $26.704 in cash contributions in 2007, so there was a slight decline.  The group, however, has fundraising events for its PAC as well. In 2007, the Associated General Contractors of Iowa PAC raised $237,700 from events in the first half of 2007, whereas they raised much less — $163,300 — at a January 15, 2009 fundraiser, the only event listed on the AGC's report Koberg provided.