Several Bay Area churches will be among dozens statewide participating this Sunday, Oct. 19 in a live simulcast event called the “ABCs of Protecting Marriage” urging voters to support Proposition 8, the proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. According to an online list, participating churches include:

Berkeley – Progressive Missionary Baptist Church, 3301 King St.
Brentwood – Golden Hills Community Church, 2401 Shady Willow Lane
Danville – Community Presbyterian Church, 222 W. El Pintado Road
Menlo Park – First Baptist Church, 1100 Middle Ave.
Milpitas – Mount Olive Lutheran Church, 1989 E. Calaveras Blvd.
Oakland – Kaleo Christian Fellowship Church, 7700 Mountain Blvd.
Richmond – Hillcrest Baptist Church, 3469 Hillcrest Road
San Jose – Willow Glen Baptist Church, 1292 Minnesota Ave.
San Jose – Crossroads Bible Church, 1670 Moorpark Ave.

The news release says special guests will include “families and professionals who have had personal and religious freedoms attacked because of the passage of gay marriage in their states and countries,” including a Swedish pastor who was sentenced to prison for preaching from the pulpit that homosexuality is a sin; a New Mexico photographer fined by that state’s Human Rights Commission for refusing to photograph a commitment ceremony; and Liberty Counsel attorney Mat Staver, who unsuccessfully argued to the California Supreme Court against the right to same-sex marriage.

It’s hard to believe these are even for real. I don’t speak the language, but I think both ads make themselves ludicrously clear… or clearly ludicrous…

For the first, does anyone still believe that tired, ridiculous old meme that recognizing same-sex marriage opens the door to incest, polygamy and child marriage? And for the second… shoes? It’s comparing two people’s committed love for one another to a mismatched pair of shoes? Really?

This is amateur-hour stuff, and I think it creates an impression — an entirely unfounded, and rather offensive impression — that Chinese-American voters operate at this lowest common denominator of political thought.

Both of these were uploaded to YouTube by Familykeepers, which appears to be a City-of-Industry-based conservative Christian organization. According to one of its archived, translated Web pages, Familykeepers’ main goals “are to provide effective and specific expertise services, coorporate [sic] with churches, related organizations and experts in the field, helping Chinese and their descendants to keep the love in their families.”

But not gay and lesbian families, I guess.

Topping this week’s roundup of big ($25,000 or more) spenders on California campaigns and committees is Arizona education and communications magnate Peter Sperling’s $1.75 million Thursday for Proposition 7, which would require California utilities to procure half of their power from renewable resources by 2025. This brings Sperling’s stake in the measure to $9 million so far.

Bob Wilson of Brooklyn, N.Y., gave $1.4 million Tuesday to the campaign for Proposition 5, which would expand state funding and oversight for treatment and rehab programs for nonviolent drug offenders and parolees while reducing criminal penalties and limiting courts’ authority to lock up offenders who violate probation or parole. (This donation double’s Wilson’s prior investment in the measure to a total of $2.8 million so far; I’m pretty sure this Bob Wilson is the same retired hedge fund manager and philanthropist Robert W. Wilson who has given substantially to the campaign against Proposition 8.) Meanwhile, the Police Officers Research Association of Califorina (PORAC) political action committee put up $50,000 Wednesday to oppose Proposition 5.

Natural gas giant Chesapeake Energy of Oklahoma City, Okla., put up $1 million Tuesday to support Proposition 10, a $5 billion bond measure called the California Alternative Fuels Initiative that would provide cash incentives to buyers of certain high-fuel-economy and alternative-fuel vehicles as well as to companies researching and developing renewable energy and cleaner cars.

Ponying up this week for the campaign against Proposition 2 — which would prohibit confinement of certain farm animals in ways that don’t let them turn freely, lie down, stand up and fully extend their limbs — were Demler Enterprises of Wasco, with $182,827.10 Monday; the Demler-owned Pine Hill Egg Ranch of Ramona, with $105,000 Monday; the Washington, D.C.-based American Farm Bureau Federation, with $50,000 Wednesday; Norco Ranch Inc. of Norco, with $35,967.95 Tuesday; and McAnally Enterprises of Norco, with $25,631.74 Tuesday. Meanwhile, the San Francisco-based Caufield Family Foundation gave $50,000 Wednesday and the New York City-based Humane Society of the United States gave another $33,000 Monday to support Proposition 2.

Healthcare supply heir and billionaire philanthropist Jon Stryker of Kalamazoo, Mich., gave $200,000 Wednesday (bringing his total so far to $550,000); UNITE HERE’s New York City-based issues fund put up $100,000 Saturday; the Oakland-based Service Employees International Union United Health Workers West PAC coughed up $100,000 Wednesday; Jonathan Lewis of Coral Gables, Fla., gave $100,000 Wednesday; “Grey’s Anatomy” star T.R. Knight of New York City sent $50,000 Tuesday; the PAC of SEIU Local 1000, representing state workers, gave $50,000 Wednesday; and firedoglake.com editor Susan McIntosh of Menlo Park gave $30,000 Wednesday for the campaign against Proposition 8, the proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. Equality California shifted $500,000 it had collected into the main “No on 8″ fund Thursday. Meanwhile, Dr. Josephine Templeton of Bryn Mawr, Pa., gave $100,000 Tuesday and Laguna Niguel businessman Richard Jordan gave $25,000 Tuesday to support Proposition 8.

The Democratic State Central Committee of California gave $185,000 Monday to Manuel Perez’s 80th Assembly District campaign; $184,000 Tuesday to Fran Florez’s 30th Assembly District campaign; and $35,960.42 Wednesday to former Assemblywoman Hannah Beth Jackson’s 19th State Senate District campaign. The Merced County Democratic Central Committee kicked in $60,000 Tuesday to Jackson’s campaign, too, and the San Diego County Democratic Party gave her $50,000 Wednesday. The Yolo County Democratic Central Committee gave $50,000 Wednesday to Assemblywoman Lois Wolk’s 5th State Senate District campaign.

Across the aisle, the California Republican Party gave $100,000 Thursday — after the Republican Central Committee of Orange County had given $30,200 and the Republican Party of Riverside County had given $27,600, both Tuesday — to former Assemblyman Tony Strickland’s 19th State Senate District campaign. The state GOP also handed over $90,000 today for Gary Jeandron’s 80th Assembly District campaign; the Fresno County Republican Central Committee had given Jeandron $30,000 Tuesday. And Livermore businessman and rancher Robert Rao must’ve had some debt left over from his unsuccessful bid in the 15th Assembly District’s GOP primary, because he put $93,818.19 of his own money into his campaign fund Tuesday.

The construction industry’s California Alliance for Jobs Rebuild California Committee gave $300,000 Thursday to support Proposition 1A, the $10 billion bond measure for high-speed rail.

Crime Victims United of California gave $100,000 Saturday to the campaign for Proposition 6, a tough-on-crime package including adult prosecution for gang-related criminals 14 and up; annual criminal background checks for public housing residents; harsher bail conditions and penalties for certain crimes; and so on. Meanwhile, the California School Employees Association’s political action committee put up $50,000 Tuesday to the joint campaign against Proposition 6 and Proposition 9, the latter of which would expand crime victims’ rights including restitution.

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles gave $107,900 Tuesday and the UCSF Foundation in San Francisco gave $35,000 Saturday to support Proposition 3, the Children’s Hospital Bond Act, which would authorize almost $1 billion in bonds to be repaid from state’s General Fund to pay for construction, expansion, remodeling, renovation, furnishing and equipping of children’s hospitals. Also, the California Association of Hospitals and Health Systems dumped $83,333 into its own issues fund Wednesday, presumably on its way somewhere else… wanna bet where?

Venture capitalist Vinod Khosla of Portola Valley gave $50,000 Wednesday and Judith Koch of Mountain View gave $25,000 Tuesday to oppose Proposition 4, the proposed state constitutional amendment which would require doctors to inform the parent or guardian of a minor 48 hours before providing an abortion to that minor.

Well, not exactly.

The ad shows you California Education Code section 51933(b)(7), which says, “Instruction and materials shall teach respect for marriage.” But perhaps it also should’ve cited this one:

51240. (a) If any part of a school’s instruction in health conflicts with the religious training and beliefs of a parent or guardian of a pupil, the pupil, upon written request of the parent or guardian, shall be excused from the part of the instruction that conflicts with the religious training and beliefs.
(b) For purposes of this section, “religious training and beliefs” includes personal moral convictions.

“(I)nstruction in health” includes sexual health education, and that’s what the section cited in the ad governs. So California parents always have had the right to opt their children out of this curriculum, and they still will whether or not Proposition 8 passes.

That’s why Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley this August shot down the “Yes on 8″ campaign’s challenges to opponents’ ballot-pamphlet assertions that Proposition 8 “doesn’t have anything to do with schools;” that Proposition 8 “won’t affect our schools;” and that “no child can be forced, against the will of their [sic] parents, to be taught anything about health and family issues.” The State Court of Appeal denied proponents’ request for a fast review, and they dropped the matter. Case closed… until this ad.

One also could argue that public schools should be teaching the law of the land, and if a majority of voters decide same-sex marriage should remain the law of the land, so be it. But that’s a whole other discussion.

Topping this week’s roundup of big ($25,000 or more) spenders on California campaigns and committees is the $4 million that T. Boone Pickens‘ Seal Beach-based Clean Energy put Wednesday into the campaign for Proposition 10, a $5 billion bond measure called the California Alternative Fuels Initiative that would provide cash incentives to buyers of certain high-fuel-economy and alternative-fuel vehicles as well as to companies researching and developing renewable energy and cleaner cars. This was Pickens’ idea; he stands to make a bundle from it; and his company has put up about $7 million of the almost $7.75 million collected for the campaign to date.

Next up is the $2 million that Arizona education and communications magnate Peter Sperling sank Monday into the campaign for Proposition 7, which would require California utilities to procure half of their power from renewable resources by 2025. This brings Sperling’s stake in the measure to $7.25 million so far.

Lots of money continued to roll in this week for the campaign against Proposition 8, the proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. Healthcare supply heir and billionaire philanthropist Jon Stryker of Kalamazoo, Mich., gave $350,000 Wednesday; International Flavors and Fragrances heir and philanthropist Henry Van Ameringen gave $100,000 Tuesday while the Democratic State Central Committee of California gave $100,000 Wednesday; the Proteus Fund’s Civil Marriage Collaborative of Amherst, Mass., gave $80,000 Monday; the Human Rights Campaign PAC gave $75,000 Tuesday; billionaire Dreamworks CEO David Geffen gave $50,000 Monday; and it was $25,000 each from bank president’s wife and retiree Mary Judith Meelia of Walpole, Mass., on Monday, the San Diego-based Center Advocacy Project Issues PAC on Tuesday, Good Green Home founder and CEO John Barabino of Chevy Chase, Md., on Tuesday, and Bubble Factory founder and film producer Sid Sheinberg of Beverly Hills on Wednesday. There’s also a $50,000 contribution listed as coming in Wednesday from Fall Out Boy of Point Richmond — is this the Chicago-area pop-punk band, and if so, why the East Bay address? Elsewhere, Equality California moved $500,000 Tuesday and Californians Against Elimination of Basic Rights moved $100,000 Friday of the money they’d collected into a central No on 8 account. Meanwhile, J. Cliff Johnson of Yuba City gave $25,000 Sunday to support Proposition 8.

The Democratic State Central Committee of California was busy this week, putting another $210,676.40 Monday into Manuel Perez’s 80th Assembly District campaign; $164,500 Thursday to Fran Florez’s campaign for the 30th Assembly District; $80,000 Tuesday into former Assemblywoman Hannah Beth Jackson’s 19th State Senate District campaign; $41,248.14 Tuesday into Marty Block’s 78th Assembly District campaign; and $33,886.68 Monday into Lois Wolk’s 8th Assembly District campaign. Meanwhile, the a different California Democratic Party account gave $30,000 Tuesday to Joan Buchanan’s 15th Assembly District campaign.

On the other side of the aisle, the California Republican Party gave $250,000 today to former Assemblyman Tony Strickland’s 19th State Senate District campaign. Republican Bill Berryhill put $100,000 of his own money into his 26th Assembly District campaign Monday, and the Fresno County Republican Central Committee did pony up $116,675 Thursday for Gary Jeandron’s 80th Assembly District campaign.

Childrens Hospital Los Angeles anted up $435,000 Wednesday for Proposition 3, the Children’s Hospital Bond Act, which would authorize almost $1 billion in bonds to be repaid from state’s General Fund to pay for construction, expansion, remodeling, renovation, furnishing and equipping of children’s hospitals.

Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside Counties gave $150,000 while Concord-based Planned Parenthood Shasta-Diablo gave $100,000 Tuesday and the Democratic State Central Committee of California gave $100,000 Wednesday to the campaign against Proposition 4, the proposed state constitutional amendment which would require doctors to inform the parent or guardian of a minor 48 hours before providing an abortion to that minor. The Sacramento-based Campaign for Teen Health and Safety moved $200,000 of what it has collected against Proposition 4 into Planned Parenthood’s No on 4 account. Meanwhile, Irvine attorney Timothy R. Busch’s Lenawee Trust gave $25,000 today to support Proposition 4.

Egg producer Moark LLC of Norco gave $280,803.20 today to oppose Proposition 2, which would prohibit confinement of certain farm animals in ways that don’t let them turn freely, lie down, stand up and fully extend their limbs. In support of Proposition 2, retired hedge fund manager Michelle Thomson of Philadelphia gave another $25,000 Sunday and Houston entrepreneur and investor William W. Nicholson, a former Amway executive and Ford Administration official, gave $25,000 Monday.

Gap Inc. chairman Emeritus Donald G. Fisher of San Francisco gave $100,000 Monday to support Proposition 11, the legislative redistricting reform measure.

Crime Victims United of California gave $100,000 Monday to support Proposition 9, which would expand crime victims’ rights including restitution.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) gave $30,200 and the California Council of Laborers PAC gave $25,000 today to the Merced County Democratic Central Committee.

My nomination for mystery contribution of the week is the $50,000 that former Los Angeles Mayor, 2002 GOP gubernatorial primary candidate and former California Secretary of Education Richard Riordan gave Tuesday to Protecting California’s Children. That’s a Los Angeles-based, statewide ballot-measure committee which said in its initial filing that it supports increased funding for foster care and child-welfare programs; it had collected only $2,500 earlier, so this marks a sudden money infusion.

STV Inc., a Rancho Cucamonga-based engineering, architectural and planning firm, gave $30,000 Tuesday to support Proposition 1A, the $10 billion bond measure for high-speed rail.

And the Lakeside-based Barona Band of Mission Indians gave $25,000 Thursday to the campaign against Proposition 5, which would expand state funding and oversight for treatment and rehab programs for nonviolent drug offenders and parolees while reducing criminal penalties and limiting courts’ authority to lock up offenders who violate probation or parole.

The campaign for Proposition 8, the proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, launched its first television ad today:

Said Yes on 8 co-campaign manager Frank Schubert: “For weeks, the No on 8 campaign has had the field to themselves, with thinly veiled ‘issue advocacy’ ads and an outrageously biased rewriting of the ballot Title & Summary by the Attorney General. Despite this, internal polling for both campaigns shows the race is very much up for grabs. Now, with the launch of our first television ad, voters finally get to hear the rest of the story. The debate will begin to shift to the very real consequences to California because of the Supreme Court’s action.”

A Field Poll of 830 likely voters conducted Sept. 5-14 found voter opposition to the measure had increased since July, with 55 percent intending to vote no and 38 percent intending to vote yes; the poll had a 3.5-percentage-point margin of error. And a Public Policy Institute of California poll of 1,157 likely voters conducted Sept. 9-16 found similar numbers — 55 percent yes, 41 percent no 55 percent no, 41 percent yes — with a 3-percentage-point margin of error.

The No on 8 campaign launched its first ad a week ago.

Topping this week’s roundup of big ($25,000 or more) spenders on California campaigns and committees is the $1.25 million that Equality California dumped Wednesday into the campaign against Proposition 8, the proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

Other notable No on 8 contributions this week included $500,000 Tuesday from GeoCities cofounder, venture capitalist and philanthropist David Bohnett of Beverly Hills; $250,000 Wednesday from the Service Employees International Union’s California State Council; $100,000 Monday from San Francisco’s Robert Haas, chairman emeritus of Levi Strauss Inc.; $70,000 Saturday from the National Center for Lesbian Rights; $50,000 Saturday from Anita May Rosenstein of Beverly Hills, a philanthropist and and founder of AR Asset Management Inc.; $25,000 Monday from Vinik Asset Management CEO Mark Hostetter of Boston; $25,000 Tuesday from Johnson Family Foundation chairman James Johnson of New York City; and $25,000 Wednesday from Angle Slate Inc. of Los Angeles.

Fieldstead & Co. — the personal philanthropic organization through which banking heir Howard Fieldstead Ahmanson Jr. funds conservative causes — put up $300,000 Wednesday to support Proposition 8, bringing its total thus far to $900,000. Other contributions supporting Proposition 8 this week included $100,000 Monday from the Brea-based Evangelical Christian Credit Union; $100,000 Tuesday from Los Altos retiree Joseph Moran; and then $25,000 each Tuesday from former teacher Susan Facer of Rancho Palos Verdes, retired Safeway executive and former Oakland Mormon Temple president Lorenzo Hoopes, Atherton property manager Parley Livingston, and Jaquetia Zinn of San Jose. Laura Armstrong of Irvine gave $25,000 Wednesday to support the measure.

The Democratic State Central Committee of California gave a total of $288,473 Monday and Tuesday to Manuel Perez’s campaign for the 80th Assembly District seat; $164,500 Thursday to Fran Florez’s campaign for the 30th Assembly District; and $130,000 Tuesday to former Assemblywoman Hannah Beth Jackson’s campaign for the 19th State Senate District seat. The Santa Barbara County Democratic Central Committee kicked in $28,000 Thursday for Jackson’s campaign.

The Burlingame-based California Teachers Association gave $350,000 Monday to oppose Proposition 4, the proposed state constitutional amendment which would require doctors to inform the parent or guardian of a minor 48 hours before providing an abortion to that minor. That same day, the New Haven, Conn.-based Knights of Columbus gave $200,000 Monday to support the measure.

Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital anted up $347,812.50 Monday to support Proposition 3, which would authorize almost $1 billion in bonds to be repaid from state’s General Fund to pay for construction, expansion, remodeling, renovation, furnishing and equipping of children’s hospitals.

The New York City-based Fund for Animals and the Washington, D.C.-based Humane Society of the United States each gave $250,000 Tuesday to the campaign for Proposition 2, which would prohibit confinement of certain farm animals in ways that doesn’t let them turn freely, lie down, stand up and fully extend their limbs; Gil Michaels of Beverly Hills, owner of GNM Financial Services, gave $50,000 Monday, while retired hedge fund manager Michelle Thomson of Philadelphia and Merriman Curhan Ford & Co. of San Francsico each gave $25,000 Thursday. Ponying up against Proposition 2 this week was the California Grocers Association, which gave $25,000 Wednesday.

The Service Employees International Union’s California State Council gave $200,000 Tuesday to the joint campaign to defeat Proposition 6 and Proposition 9. Proposition 6 is a tough-on-crime package including adult prosecution for gang-related criminals 14 and up; annual criminal background checks for public housing residents; harsher bail conditions and penalties for certain crimes; and so on. Proposition 9 would expand crime victims’ rights including restitution.

The campaign for Proposition 1A, the $10 billion bond measure for high-speed rail, got two big contributions this week: $25,000 each Tuesday from the American Council of Engineering Companies California and from the Members’ Voice of the State Building Trades, a “section 527″ group set up by the State Building & Construction Trades Council of California.

And billionaire former Univision chairman and CEO Jerry Perenchio gave $25,000 Wednesday to the campaign for Proposition 11, the legislative redistricting reform measure.

The campaign to defeat Proposition 8, the proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, this morning launched its first television ad:

Julia and Samuel Thoron, the couple in the ad, live in San Francisco and are longtime members of Parents, Families, & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG); she co-chairs the San Francisco chapter and he’s on the national steering committee after serving on the national board of directors from 1992 to 2002, including some time as president.

The biggest spender in this week’s roundup of big ($25,000 or more) spenders on California campaigns and committees was the Democratic State Central Committee of California, giving $250,000 Monday to Assemblywoman Lois Wolk’s state Senate campaign; $250,000 Thursday to Shafter Mayor Fran Florez’s Assembly campaign; $135,000 Wednesday to former Assemblywoman Hannah Beth Jackson’s state Senate campaign; and $65,930 Tuesday to Manuel Perez’s Assembly campaign.

Equality California gave $500,000 Wednesday while the National Center for Lesbian Rights in San Francisco; the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) in New York City; and Google senior technical recruiter Carrie Farrell of San Francisco each gave $50,000 Monday to help defeat Proposition 8, the proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. Also opposing the measure, 1994 U.S. Senate candidate and former Rep. Michael Huffington of Marina Del Rey gave $100,000 Wednesday; Equidex Inc. chairman and former U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg James Hormel of San Francisco gave $100,000 Thursday; and Malibu consultant Chuck Williams gave $25,000 Wednesday. (Like everyone else on the planet, I heard actor Brad Pitt gave $100,000 this week to oppose Proposition 8, but I couldn’t find it in the state’s database.) Meanwhile, supporting Proposition 8, Stephanie Sorenson of Laguna Niguel and Intuitive Surgical Inc. director Bob Sundstrom each gave $30,000 Sunday while Ventura-based Lassen’s Health Food gave $25,000 the same day. On Tuesday, Tulare Rotary Club president Sherrie Bell; BAE Systems engineer Robert E. Culbertson of Pleasanton; Whittier Realtor Jeanne Muhlestein; Nancy Schindler of Encinitas; Modesto real estate broker Ronald Stone; Redlands dermatologist Dr. J. Robert West; and Cheryl Wilde, wife of Community Memorial Health System CEO Gary Wilde, of Ventura each gave $25,000 to support the measure. And on Wednesday, William A.G. Wilde’s Wilde Investments SC LLC of San Carlos gave $50,000 and Jana L. Mullen of Alamo gave $25,000 to support the measure.

The El Cajon-based Sycuan Band of Kumeyaay Indians gave $175,000 and the Santa Clarita-based California Narcotics Officers’ Association gave $60,000 today to the campaign opposing Proposition 5, which would expand state funding and oversight for treatment and rehab programs for nonviolent drug offenders and parolees while reducing criminal penalties and limiting courts’ authority to lock up offenders who violate probation or parole.

Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander of Houston gave $100,000 Monday to the campaign supporting Proposition 2, which would prohibit confinement of certain farm animals in ways that doesn’t let them turn freely, lie down, stand up and fully extend their limbs. Los Angeles billionaire surgeon Gary Karlin Michelson gave $25,000 to support the measure Wednesday, while Demler Egg Ranch of San Jacinto gave $30,000 Monday to oppose the measure and BNSF Railway Co. of Fort Worth, Texas, gave $25,000 today to oppose it.

Packard Bell founder Beny Alagem of Beverly Hills, now chairman and CEO of the Alagem Capital Group and owner of the Beverly Hilton Hotel, gave $100,000 Tuesday to support Proposition 11, the legislative redistricting reform measure.

And the Women’s Political Committee of Los Angeles gave $25,000 Wednesday to the campaign opposing Proposition 4, the proposed state constitutional amendment which would require doctors to inform the parent or guardian of a minor 48 hours before providing an abortion to that minor.

Topping this week’s list of big ($25,000 or more) spenders on California campaigns and committees are the power utilities stepping up to oppose Proposition 7, which would require California utilities to procure half of their power from renewable resources by 2025: Rosemead-based Edison International and affiliated entities put up $3 million Monday (bringing its total so far to more than $13.7 million), and San Francisco-based PG&E Corp. and affiliated entities put up $1 million the same day (bringing its total so far to almost $13.9 million).

Equality California put up $1 million Tuesday (bringing their total so far to more than $6.5 million — $5.2 million from this committee and the rest from other affiliated PACs) to oppose Proposition 8, the proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. Palm Desert retiree Murray Kors (related to Equality California executive director Geoffrey Kors?) gave $25,000 Tuesday to oppose the measure. Meanwhile, in support of the measure, Irvine-based Fieldstead & Co. — the personal philanthropic organization through which banking heir Howard Fieldstead Ahmanson Jr. funds conservative causes — put up $100,000 Monday; Bosco Legal Services private investigator R. Scott Jones of Riverside gave $45,000 Tuesday; Intel Corp. finance specialist Richard Patterson of Folsom gave $40,000 Sunday; and Escondito homemaker Dran May-Reese gave $25,000 Tuesday.

Brooklyn, N.Y. retiree Bob Wilson put up $700,000 Tuesday in support of Proposition 5, which would expand state funding and oversight for treatment and rehab programs for nonviolent drug offenders and parolees while reducing criminal penalties and limiting courts’ authority to lock up offenders who violate probation or parole. And New York City financier George Soros, among the nation’s top drug-reform funders, gave $400,000 Thursday.

The Washington, D.C.-based Humane Society of the United States gave another $55,000 Tuesday (bringing its total so far to almost $3.42 million) to support Proposition 2, which would prohibit confinement of certain farm animals in ways that doesn’t let them turn freely, lie down, stand up and fully extend their limbs.

The California Correctional Peace Officers Association anted up another $250,000 Thursday to oppose Proposition 11, the legislative redistricting reform measure; the prison guards’ union previously had given state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata’s Leadership California Committee $602,000 with which to fight the measure, but this was its first donation directly to the “Citizens for Accountability - No on Prop. 11″ committee. The Democratic State Central Committee of California had given $75,000 to oppose the measure a day earlier. In support of Prop. 11, former state Senator Rebecca Morgan of Los Altos Hills gave $50,000 and Marketing Investors Corp. of Dallas gave $25,000, both Monday.