ACCORDING TO Carol Van Noy, Executive Director of Seattle's Ethics and Elections Commission, this year's city council election represented a first. Never before has a city election generated so many independent expenditure groups: three, to be exact. Independent expenditures allow people to support their favorite candidates financially -- without directly contributing to that candidate's campaign. The only stipulation is that people cannot consult with the candidate they support. Critics of such shenanigans correctly point out that independent expenditures represent a giant loophole in campaign finance laws by allowing big spenders to skirt the $400 city election limit. The most controversial independent expenditure group this election season was Safe Streets and Parks for All -- a group that spent at least $25,000 supporting pro-Sidran candidates with newspaper ads and mass mailings ("Sidran's Minions," Oct 4). We'd like to officially conclude the election season by identifying the group's main backers. We suggest that any anti-corporate revolutionary types in town for the WTO conference cut and save this list.

Richard I. Brass
1726 Howell Place (Microsoft V.P.) $25,000

The Bayley Family L.P.
1411 Fourth Avenue, Suite 1430 $2,000

Ewing & Clark
2110 Western Avenue $1,000

Alhadeff Properties Limited Partnership
615 Second Avenue, Suite 100 $1,000

PTSGE Continuing Political Committee
701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 5000 $2,000

Cleanscapes, Inc.
P.O. Box 4160 $1,500

Gregory S. Stanger
1112 Federal Avenue E. (Microsoft Exec.) $2,000