Palco pours another $85K into recall effort [Times-Standard]
Arkleys give $12,000 to Gallegos campaign
By James Tressler, The Times-Standard
EUREKA -- Pacific Lumber Co. continues to bankroll the recall effort against District Attorney Paul Gallegos.
According to financial statements filed late Thursday afternoon, the timber company, which is being sued by Gallegos, put nearly $85,000 into the recall effort in February. More than half the money was used to pay Fifty Plus One, an Arizona company that has been conducting polls on behalf of the recall committee. Another $4,000 went to Sacramento-based Flanigan Group, with which new recall spokesman Rob Flanigan is affiliated.
Palco now has contributed more than $150,000 to the recall campaign since it began last spring. Overall, the Safety Yes, Recall Gallegos committee has raised about $100,000 since mid-January. Besides Palco, other major contributors include: Fortuna-based Lewis Logging, $5,000; Palco contractor Columbia Helicopter Inc., $2,350; and Blue Lake-based Rasmussen Wood Products, $1,000.
Efforts to reach Palco for comment were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, the Friends of Paul Gallegos raised just over $76,000 between mid-January and mid-February from roughly 1,800 individual contributors. The largest single donation came from Rob and Cherie Arkley who this week gave $12,000 to the Friends of Paul Gallegos, according to a financial statement filed Thursday. Two other large donations also came into the Gallegos campaign this week: $2,173.75 from Bayside resident Barbara Carolan and $1,000 from Eureka residents Kay and Charles Fitts. Most of the other donations were far less than $1,000.
The Arkleys, who own Race Investments LLC in Eureka, were strong supporters of Gallegos in 2002, when he defeated then-incumbent District Attorney Terry Farmer. The Arkleys also own Security National Servicing Corps in Eureka, were substantial contributors to the city of Eureka's waterfront boardwalk a few years ago, and most recently they bought the Daly Building Complex downtown.
Ironically, Arkley's father, Robin Arkley Sr., is a staunch Gallegos critic. Last year he offered $5,000 to anyone willing to run against Gallegos. Arkley Sr. is a former operator of Blue Lake Forest Products.
"There are lots of fathers and sons who disagree on political issues," offered Richard Salzman, Gallegos' campaign manager.
Rob Arkley was out of town Thursday and unavailable for comment.
The senior Arkley expressed surprise at the size of his son's latest donation to Gallegos.
"Wow! He's richer than I thought he was," Arkley Sr. proclaimed.
When asked if he and his son are far apart on the Gallegos issue, Arkley Sr. responded:
"We're a long ways apart -- by about $12,000," he joked.
Arkley Sr. said he doesn't plan to spend any more money on the recall campaign, saying he's done his part.
The three recall replacement candidates, Worth Dikeman, Gloria Albin Sheets and Steve Schectman, did not turn in financial statements on Thursday, the deadline to turn in timely reports.
