Millionaire puts $200,000 into his council race

Kevin McCrea, the only self-proclaimed millionaire in the Boston City Council race, yesterday sunk $200,000 of his own money into his campaign, saying he's rolling the dice for a victory in November.

''It's a time issue," he said. ''It's easier for me to make $200,000 than for me to try to go around and collect $200,000," said the 38-year-old South End developer, who has made no secret that he is a millionaire. The loan to his campaign makes him one of the most well-financed candidates running for one of the council's four at-large seats. Only City Council President Michael F. Flaherty has more.

Including the money he loaned himself, McCrea has raised a total of $212,450, ranking him second after Flaherty, who has more than $382,000 in his campaign accounts. Challenger John R. Connolly, an attorney whose father and uncle have held public office, has raised $201,750.

With the exception of $1,950 McCrea received from donors, all of McCrea's money has come from the candidate himself. In a business that often measures a candidate's strength by the amount of financial support he or she receives from others, McCrea says he isn't worried about his failure to attract financial support through donations.

''Frankly I abhor money in politics," said McCrea. ''I haven't been asking for donations. I ask for people to spread the word, to put up signs and tell people to look at my website. Of course we're not not taking donations. We haven't had a fund-raiser in two months and I haven't asked anyone in a month and a half."

He looks skeptically at some of his opponents' contributor lists.

''What does it say when a bunch of lawyers from the suburbs give someone money or a bunch of ethnically similar people from L.A. or New Jersey give someone money," he said, referring to Connolly, who has attracted donations from around the country, and to Sam Yoon, a Korean-American candidate who has been collecting money from Asians around the country.

''I'm spending my own money," said McCrea. ''One of the things that differentiates me from the other candidates is I've been in business for 17 years. I have $200,000 I can put in the campaign and I didn't have to take a mortgage out on my house to do it. I'm committed to winning this race. It's important to the citizens of Boston to have an open, honest dialogue about the issues. From what I've seen so far, we haven't been getting it out of the candidates."

McCrea said he plans to spend on mass mailings and TV spots to be launched after Labor Day. So far, beyond making the rounds at candidate forums and other civic events, McCrea said he has dispatched four Boston public school students to dog his opponents.

''We've put together a list of 10 questions to go ask the other candidates -- like where do you stand on the open meeting laws or what book would you recommend to a high school student to prepare for college. So far, everyone has stonewalled us," he said.

McCrea said he plans to share his financial expertise with the community at large if he wins.

''I've already made more money in the last six months than I would in two years working on the City Council," he said. ''I can turn anyone into a millionaire in five years. There will be a financial literacy class."