Big boss bucks

Contributions to the coming campaign to make San Diego’s so-called strong mayor form of government permanent have been streaming in from big business. Foes of the measure, now set for the June ballot, raised nothing and hadn’t even registered a campaign committee with the city clerk, continuing a long local tradition of lopsided spending and organization on behalf of city ballot measures favored by business interests.

“San Diegans for Accountability at City Hall,” as the campaign committee calls itself, according to a recent disclosure filing, has raised a total of $59,450, including $6700 in nonmonetary contributions, through the end of last year, spent $14,711, and had $47,963 cash left in the bank. Donors included the AT&T California Employee PAC Small Contributor Committee, with an address in San Francisco, $10,000; real estate mogul Malin Burnham, $10,000; attorney John Davies, who has stewarded the measure as chairman of a task force appointed by Mayor Jerry Sanders, $10,000; developer Tom Sudberry, $10,000; the Carlsbad desalinization plant developer Poseidon Resources, backed by Sanders, $5000; and Gen-Probe, Inc., $2000. Monger Company, the political consulting and lobbying outfit that is handling the campaign, was paid a total of $5275.