Pro-Miramar Campaign Group Lands Most Funds

A first look at the political campaign treasuries for November's airport ballot measure has the most money going to a yes-on-Miramar group.

The committee supporting a proposed commercial airport at the Miramar Marine Corps Air Station collected $46,000. The bulk of it came from real estate magnate Malin Burnham and contributions from a business co-owned by a San Diego County Regional Airport Authority board member, a business owned by his sister and from his son.

The two groups opposed to a commercial airport at Miramar collected nearly $27,000 combined, with the largest contribution for one of the groups from the head of a high-tech company in Carmel Valley.

The reports, filed this week with the San Diego County Registrar of Voters, document contributions and spending through June 30. Opponents have stepped up their fundraising efforts since then.

As a government entity, the authority can release voter-education material but is prohibited from explicitly campaigning for the measure's approval.

The Airport Authority's Nov. 7 measure asks voters whether the agency and government officials should try to obtain a portion of Miramar for a future commercial airport, provided military readiness in unaffected. Opponents say the idea can't be accomplished unless the Marines pull out or get pushed out.

There are no limits on campaign contributions to ballot-measure committees, and donations can come from any individual, business or organization. Neither side expects the proposition to break records on spending, which is likely to focus on direct-mail pieces.

The "Coalition to Preserve the Economy," the yes-on-Miramar campaign group, got some of its early support from the Sycuan Band of Kumeyaay Indians ($10,000). Burnham, who contributed $20,000, said his donation helped fund a poll on the Airport Authority's ballot text.

The contribution from the business owned by board member William D. Lynch, a business owned by his sister and from his son, a college student, totaled $15,000.

Lynch said the donations reflect his personal conviction that Miramar is the only suitable site to replace Lindbergh Field. He also said he considers his four years of service on the board a greater contribution, noting he donated his salary to charity the first two years and for the past two years, declined any compensation. His salary would now be $150,696.

Of the two opposition groups, "San Diego County Taxpayers for Responsible Planning" had raised the most as of June 30, some $16,469. The group formed in late January, before the Miramar site was chosen. Consultant T.J. Zane said it was possible then to see "where we were headed."

Alexander Barron, committee chairman and CEO of an information technology services company in Carmel Valley, contributed $5,000, the largest donation in the committee's campaign finance report.

The committee received contributions from the president of Jimsair, which services private aircraft at Lindbergh Field (J.F. Bracamonte, $2,500) and a Qualcomm manager (David Brezic, $1,000).

It held one major fundraiser last week in Scripps Ranch since the close of the campaign-finance reporting period.

The other group, "Support Our Military -- No on Miramar," drew $10,420 through June 30. Its largest contribution ($5,000) came from Epsilon Systems Solutions, a professional and technical services company whose president and CEO, Bryan Min, is heading the fundraising effort. A member of its executive committee, Frank F. Hewitt, president of ComGlobal Systems, contributed $2,000.

The group has a major fundraising event scheduled for tonight and is soliciting contributions of up to $10,000 to defeat the airport measure.

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