Westland Development Spent More Than $232,000 on SunCal TIDD Advertising

According to a report filed with the New Mexico Secretary of State, Westland Development of Irvine, CA spent a total of $232,540.64 on advertising and ad agency services during the Legislative Session trying to convince the public and lawmakers that the SunCal TIDDs proposal was the best thing since sliced bread. Click for a copy of the Lobbying Advertising Campaign Report (pdf) dated March 19 and submitted by Westland on March 31st to the Secretary of State.

Despite the big PR push, SB 249, the SunCal TIDDs bill, in the NM House by virtue of a tie vote on the last day of the 60-day Session that ended on March 21, 2009. The legislation would have used state tax dollars to pay for infrastructure at the massive SunCal development site on Albuquerque's West Side for up to 28 years.

The biggest sum paid by Westland outside of TV time went to Albuquerque-based PR firm DW Turner, which got almost $50,000 for creative services during January and February. (No wonder folks connected to DW Turner made a number of positive comments about SunCal on my posts about their TIDDs.) Billboard ad space from Lamar Outdoor and Clear Channel Outdoor totaled $24,200. Comcast Communications got the biggest chunk of TV ad revenues at $55,000, with KOAT getting paid $40,000 and KOB and KRQE receiving $20,000 each for TV time.

No word on how much the developer (and SunCal) spent on the eleven lobbyists they sent to the Roundhouse and other expenses, but it's a good guess they laid out around a half a million dollars total or more trying to get their hands on $408 million in public funds. They can't be happy. I'm sure they have more to spend, though, so watch out if Governor Bill Richardson calls a Special Session. They might just be back.