Money Well Spent?

This is something which I am a bit mixed on, but here we go...

In today's Bible, buried on the website (I haven't seen the print version), is this article about Ware Disposal getting the nice contract to pick up trash in Newport Coast until 2017. Since I am a big fan of having Newport Beach OUTSOURCE many of it's functions, for many many reasons, I am glad to see Newport Beach going in that direction, if only in Newport Coast. Here's an excerpt from Alicia Robinson's article:

"Council members did some haggling Tuesday with Ware Disposal and CR&R, the company staff recommended for the contract, but ultimately went with Ware because its bid was lower. CR&R was recommended because it met the requirement to use vehicles approved by the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Ware officials said they will have approved vehicles, but a mix-up in their proposal led the city to determine Ware didn't meet the requirement."

So considering that they ultimately went with Ware Disposal because the bid was lower, that is how taking services private will provide. The City will be the best service for the best price or else the City goes to the many other companies who are lined up for the business.

But here's the issue/problem (and this is taken directly from Public Records). Ware Disposal and it's executives are VERY active in City Politics, donating $1000 to Michael Henn, $500 to Steve Rosansky (in 2004), $258.60 to Don Webb, $500 to Leslie Daigle, $500 to Ed Selich, $250 to Nancy Gardner, and $491.40 to Keith Curry. (To be fair, they also donated $100 to Jack Wu in his unsuccessful 2006 campaign, Rainbow Disposal donated $2000 to Team David Ellis/Delta Partners (Curry, Henn, Daigle and Selich $500 each) and CR&R donated $500 to Daigle (from what I could find)). More interesting is that Ware Disposal also paid a whopping $13,000 to an Independent Expenditure Committee on 10/27/06 and 11/4/06 which spent $18,497.92 to send out Hit Pieces against Leslie Daigle's 2006 opponent, Barbara Venezia. So Ware Disposal, and its executives, spent a total of $16,500.00 on our current Newport Beach City Council.

Now, I know enough to know that contributions typically DO NOT buy political favors (especially with the paltry $500 contribution limit), but what contributions do buy is access. Access which normal companies and people typically may not receive with such gusto. Without going through all the City Council minutes, I do not know how often the City Council go against the City Staff recommendations, but they did this time and they did it for a Company they are all very familiar with.

However, since they went with the lower bid, are saving the Newport Beach taxpayers money, and are not increasing the ever bulging City Employee nut, I really have nothing to complain about. If fact, I applaud them. I just thought that their choice of Ware Disposal was interesting and perhaps coincidental. Maybe CC&R should have donated more...