Over the next week, we’ll be digesting local campaign finance reports. We’re starting off the with the examination of Mayor King Tom Henry’s report for 2009.

Contributors to Henry’s campaign war chest reads like a “Who’s Who of Engineers, Lawyers and Consultants.”

Bingham McHale is the lead law firm representing Fort Wayne in it’s ridiculous fight against I&M. They also work on Fort Wayne’s combined sewer overflow project, and the long-running battle with Aqua Indiana. In 2008, Bingham raised more than $30,000 for Greg Ballard’s mayoral campaign committee. They also worked on Indianapolis’ CSO project.

Ironically, almost of of these contributions arrived on the same day, February 20, 2009. One can only imagine that Larry Kane walked around with his fedora and asked everyone to drop into the hat for King Tom.

Robin Babbitt – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $250
Daniel Byron – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $150
David Campbell – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $500
Joseph Champion – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $250
Paul Corsaro – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $250
Anne L. Cowgur – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $200
Steven Cracraft – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $250
Duane Denton – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $150
Daniel Fagan – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $200
Donald Graham – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $500
Gerald L. Gregerson – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $500
John R. Gregg – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $300
Dwayne Isaacs – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $500
Larry Kane – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $1000
J. Richard Kiefer – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $750
Scott Leisz – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $250
Jeffery Mallamad – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $1000
John McCauley – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $200
David McGimpsey – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $250
Kevin P. McGoff – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $500
Karl Mulvaney – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $1000
Thomas C. Scherer – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $250
Randolph Seger – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $500
Katherine Shelby – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $400
Mary Solada – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $1000
Hans Steck – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $250
Amy Stewart – Attorney with Bigham Mchale $200

That’s a total of $12,650.

Speaking of firm’s representing the city on the I&M case, Tim Haffner’s firm, Baker & Daniels who last year received almost $200,000 for work on the case gave the king $17,500, (as a firm) last year.

Steve Brinegar, Vice President at Donohue & Associates in Indianapolis gave $2,250. His firm does what?

Donohue & Associates is an employee-owned consulting firm specializing in municipal and industrial wastewater, transportation, drinking water, and general municipal engineering services.

Brian Brown is Vice President of D.A. Brown Engineering Consultants. Among their specialties is the design of sanitary sewer, water supply and storm sewers. Brian gave Henry $2500 in 2008.

And who said Tom Henry doesn’t like architects? William E. Hall, Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of United Consulting in Indianapolis gave King Tom a whopping $8,500 last year. United specializes in among other things, wastewater engineering planning and design. Can you say “combined sewer overflow?”

Christopher B. Burke of Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd. in Naperville, IL generously handed over $1000 to Henry. His firm is into crap and water and stuff. Go figure.

Gary Cline of Brecksville, OH found it in his heart to contribute $500. His firm, Malcolm Pirnie is focused on environmental stuff, like too much poop in too few pipes. His co-worker, William P. Dee found an extra $500 and gave it to Henry. Another MP guy, Richard Erhardt of Indianapolis gave $1000, wow. Patrick Flannelly of Hoover, AL is senior vice president at Malcolm Pirnie and gave $500. Jerry L Frieling, of Scottsdale, AZ, another poop expert at MP gave Henry $1000. Eileen Kraekel of Easton, CT whose husband works at MP gave $1000.

Poop must be a good line of work to be in, huh?

Patricia Doody of Columbus, OH works for Burgess and Niple, and gave $200. Her firm is also into environmental excrement kind of stuff.

Buddy Downs is a partner and chair of the Municipal Finance Group at Ice Miller, a big-ass Indy law firm that mayor Henry kind of likes. He gave $500, but his alter-ego Thomas Downs gave $1000, (see below). Bonnie L. Gallivan, another Ice Miller attorney gave $250. Another legal beagle with IM, Brenda S. Horn contributed $250.

Robert Earls is from Fort Wayne, OMG. His firm, CH2M HILL is into guess what again? Water. Bob gave the King $750.

Gary Fisk is yet another environmental type, and works for DLZ, which is into engineering, architectural stuff and other government interest kind of things. He gave Henry $2000. Another DLZ employee, Brian L Glaze gave $3250. Wow.

Timothy George is Vice President at RW Armstrong, a management consulting firm based in Indianapolis. He knelt to the king with a $2500 contribution.

Donnie Ginn is a vice president with Black & Veatch in Indianapolis, (yeah, I thought the same thing, just add a “B”), an engineering, consulting and construction company. She gave Henry $1250.

Michael Gouloff is Chairman & CEO of Schenkel Schultz Architects here in Fort Wayne. He contributed $1500.

John Guingrich is Vice President of Government Solutions at Briljent Llc, a Fort Wayne firm that milks the government teet because it’s a woman-owned business. Their web site has to be the slowest POS I’ve encountered in quite a while. He contributed $500.

Kurt Heidenreich is the owner of Engineering Resources, Inc, based in Fort Wayne, which as they say on their web site is a “disciplined consulting firm specializing in Structural Engineering, Civil/Site Design, Stormwater Services.” Another poop specialist. Gee, everyone wants in on the crapola stuff. Heidenreich bequeathed the king $1000.

Gordon Hendry is the Director of Asset Services at CB Richard Ellis in Indianapolis. The cheap bastard only gave Henry $100. No poop for you!

Gregory Henneke is the executive vice president at American Structurepoint in Indianapolis. They design things like like race tracks and waterparks, as well as municipal centers, war memorials, park master plans, civic auditoriums, courthouses, and criminal justice facilities. Greg saw his way clear to contribute $8500 to his majesty. James A Kovacs also works there and gave henry $8000. Maybe they want to design a casino?

Are we making a point here yet? No? Okay, we’ll continue.

Lori Kaplan is the Business Development Manager at JFNew, an ecological services firm that’s into plants and the environment. Maybe just a democrat loving tree-hugger. She gave Tommy $100.

Jacobi and Jorge Lanz of Jacobi, Toombs & Lanz, Inc from Clarkesville, IN collectively gave $500. JTL is another sewer specialist.

Jordan Lebamoff, of Lebamoff Law Offices in Fort Wayne, IN gave $1000.

Okay, that’s enough for now. This will be an ongoing peek inside of local campaign finances, and we’re not done with Henry’s report.

You can learn more about Pay-to-Play and upcoming legislation across the country at the Pay-to-Play Law Blog. It will soon be introduced here in Fort Wayne by Fort Wayne Councilman Mitch Harper, [Facebook link].

If you find this article informative? Consider donating any amount you choose.

Related posts:

1. Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry’s Pay-to-Play War Chest Part III One thing is becoming clear. Engineering firms...
2. Purcell rides into the sunset By Jim Sack Fort Wayne will miss...

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 at 8:01 pm and is filed under City & County Government. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.