Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Vargas reaps Filner's sweetest fruit

Vargas fingers financial fruit from former foe Filner’s funders Falic and Feldman.
Vargas fingers financial fruit from former foe Filner’s funders Falic and Feldman.

When Democrat Bob Filner was a congressman, he could always count on plenty of campaign cash from the Falics, a well-heeled Florida family who own a string of duty-free shops along the U.S.-Mexico border all the way from the Gulf of Mexico to San Diego. Come campaign season and even in between, Jerome, Leon, and Simon Falic, the three brothers behind Duty Free Americas, regularly anted up for the Filner cause; in 2010, they were his biggest donors, producing $16,800, according to the website OpenSecrets.org. And a company of theirs gave $10,000 to an independent Filner for mayor committee. (The brothers also put up $12,000 last year so GOP then-mayor Jerry Sanders could put on a grandiose “border summit” featuring Obama ex–border czar Alan Bersin.) However, all that was yesterday. Filner’s replacement congressman, also a Democrat, is Juan Vargas. The two often were at odds, and Vargas once unsuccessfully challenged the incumbent in the primary. But on June 16, the Falic trio each chipped in $2600 to the Vargas campaign war chest.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Another recent Vargas donor also has a Filner connection, though not as friendly. Aaron Feldman, who presides over Sunroad Enterprises, contributed $2100 on June 13, bringing his total pro-Vargas tally for the year to an even $3000. Sunroad, of course, was at the heart of the alleged pay-to-play Filner scandal that has since been largely eclipsed by the mayor’s purported sexual harassment peccadilloes.

In the category of out of town money, in April, the Border Health Federal PAC came up with $10,000 for Vargas. According to its website, “The Border Health Political Action Committee (BHPAC) was established in an effort to promote the issues of the medical profession along the border of the State of Texas. To that end, BHPAC will support the nomination and election of candidates to Texas state offices who seek, through responsible means, to further the mission, goals, and objectives of this profession.” According to a report by the Houston Chronicle, the committee is associated with Doctors Hospital at Renaissance in McAllen, Texas, which “has been fighting with the state and other hospitals about how federal payments for indigent care are distributed.” Texas Monthly has reported that a major donor to the PAC is wealthy real estate developer, healthcare facilities owner, and Hillary Clinton backer Alonzo Cantu of McAllen. “No longer just friendly to Democrats, the PAC gave generously to [Texas governor Rick] Perry in 2010 to ensure that the Valley would have a seat at the table with Dallas and Houston when important decisions are made concerning health care spending.”

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Thanksgiving Lunch Cruise, The Avengers and Zeros ‘77, Small Business Saturday In Escondido

Events November 28-November 30, 2024
Next Article

Pedicab drivers in downtown San Diego miss the music

New rules have led to 50% drop in business
Vargas fingers financial fruit from former foe Filner’s funders Falic and Feldman.
Vargas fingers financial fruit from former foe Filner’s funders Falic and Feldman.

When Democrat Bob Filner was a congressman, he could always count on plenty of campaign cash from the Falics, a well-heeled Florida family who own a string of duty-free shops along the U.S.-Mexico border all the way from the Gulf of Mexico to San Diego. Come campaign season and even in between, Jerome, Leon, and Simon Falic, the three brothers behind Duty Free Americas, regularly anted up for the Filner cause; in 2010, they were his biggest donors, producing $16,800, according to the website OpenSecrets.org. And a company of theirs gave $10,000 to an independent Filner for mayor committee. (The brothers also put up $12,000 last year so GOP then-mayor Jerry Sanders could put on a grandiose “border summit” featuring Obama ex–border czar Alan Bersin.) However, all that was yesterday. Filner’s replacement congressman, also a Democrat, is Juan Vargas. The two often were at odds, and Vargas once unsuccessfully challenged the incumbent in the primary. But on June 16, the Falic trio each chipped in $2600 to the Vargas campaign war chest.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Another recent Vargas donor also has a Filner connection, though not as friendly. Aaron Feldman, who presides over Sunroad Enterprises, contributed $2100 on June 13, bringing his total pro-Vargas tally for the year to an even $3000. Sunroad, of course, was at the heart of the alleged pay-to-play Filner scandal that has since been largely eclipsed by the mayor’s purported sexual harassment peccadilloes.

In the category of out of town money, in April, the Border Health Federal PAC came up with $10,000 for Vargas. According to its website, “The Border Health Political Action Committee (BHPAC) was established in an effort to promote the issues of the medical profession along the border of the State of Texas. To that end, BHPAC will support the nomination and election of candidates to Texas state offices who seek, through responsible means, to further the mission, goals, and objectives of this profession.” According to a report by the Houston Chronicle, the committee is associated with Doctors Hospital at Renaissance in McAllen, Texas, which “has been fighting with the state and other hospitals about how federal payments for indigent care are distributed.” Texas Monthly has reported that a major donor to the PAC is wealthy real estate developer, healthcare facilities owner, and Hillary Clinton backer Alonzo Cantu of McAllen. “No longer just friendly to Democrats, the PAC gave generously to [Texas governor Rick] Perry in 2010 to ensure that the Valley would have a seat at the table with Dallas and Houston when important decisions are made concerning health care spending.”

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Barrio Logan’s very good Dogg

Chicano comfort food proves plenty spicy
Next Article

East Village Tree Lighting & Holiday Market, Holiday Gondola Cruise

Events November 30-December 4, 2024
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader