Category Archives: Benicia elections

2020 elections, Benicia elections, Benicia Mayor, Campaign finance, Negative ads, Negative campaigning, Steve Young, Valero Benicia Refinery, Valero PAC

Valero PAC – Expenditures of over $135,000 Sept 20 to Oct 17, now over $200K for the year

By Roger Straw, October 23, 2020

Valero Refinery’s commercial PAC, which is out to buy Benicia’s mayor’s seat in our 2020 election, filed its latest income and expenditure reports yesterday.

The reports are required by law and cover the period September 20 to October 17, as well as totals for 2020.

Form_460_Pre_Election_2.pdf shows income of $25,000 for the period, cash payments of $63,844 and unpaid bills of $71,275.  The form shows an ending balance of $173,779 as of October 17.

INCOME for the period September 20 to October 17
This period Year to date
Monetary Contributions (International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, forgers & Helpers Local 549) $25,000 $25,000
Total Contributions $25,000 $25,000
EXPENSES for the period September 20 to October 17
This period Year to date
Cash payments $63,844 $99,333
Accrued, unpaid bills $71,275 $101,567
TOTAL EXPENDITURES $135,119 $200,899
Current Cash Statement
Beginning Balance $212,623
Cash receipts $25,000
Cash payments $63,844
Ending Balance $173,779

The Valero PAC’s Form_465_2.pdf is a Supplemental Independent Expenditure Report.  This very important form carries detailed individual payments made to named companies for mailers, Facebook and other digital ads,  live phone calls and robocalls.  I must apologize for not presenting the information here.  The form is complicated, seems to overlap with previous reports, doesn’t total up accurately as far as I can tell, and so can’t be properly interpreted here.  Suffice to say, Valero has been busy spending tons of money to pick up the Benicia Mayor’s seat.  Check out their Form_465_2 on the City of Benicia website for details.

2020 elections, Benicia elections, Benicia Mayor, Campaign finance, Fair elections, Steve Young, Valero Benicia Refinery, Valero PAC

City of Benicia now posting copies of Valero PAC ads and phone scripts

Now available on the City of Benicia website: pictures of Valero’s disgusting ads, copies of robocall messages, and the phone scripts used by live callers

In emails on Tuesday with City of Benicia officials, the Benicia Independent confirmed that Benicia’s campaign finance ordinance requires independent expenditure committees like the Valero PAC to submit for public review copies of the literature and scripts used in their promotions.

“An independent expenditure committee that makes an expenditure for 200 or more recorded telephone calls or any other forms of electronic or facsimile transmission of substantially similar content, or that makes an expenditure of $1,000 or more for a radio or television advertisement, or that mails or otherwise distributes more than 200 substantially similar pieces of campaign literature in support of or opposition to any candidate for mayor or city council, shall give a copy of the literature or script used for each communication to the city clerk within 24 hours of the first time the mailings, calls, transmissions, or advertisements are made or aired.” (Benicia Municipal Ordinance 1.40.110).

Valero has been submitting these copies, but until now the City had inadvertently not been posting them along with the required financial forms.

The City quickly amended previous postings of Valero’s financial disclosure reports to include photocopies and scripts used to promote their candidate for Mayor and to run down mayoral candidate Steve Young.  If you have the stomach for it, head over to our VALERO PAC FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES page.  (Note that the first four documents do not have any such attachments.)

2020 elections, Benicia elections, Campaign finance, Negative ads, Negative campaigning, Steve Young, Valero Benicia Refinery, Valero PAC

Valero PAC – Those 2 new mailers: $9,844 …and $11,000 more for ROBOCALLS

By Roger Straw, October 20, 2020

Valero PAC spending for purchase of the Benicia Mayor seat now at $91,688

VALERO’s sick attempt to buy the Benicia Mayor seat has disclosed it’s latest expenditures:

  • $11,000 for more ROBOCALLS
  • $9,844 for 2 recent ugly campaign mailers

In emails earlier today with the City of Benicia, the Benicia Independent confirmed that Benicia’s campaign finance ordinance requires the Valero PAC to submit for public review copies “of the literature or script used for each communication to the city clerk within 24 hours of the first time the mailings, calls, transmissions, or advertisements are made or aired.” (Benicia Municipal Ordinance 1.40.110).

The City posting of Valero’s newest report does indeed include photocopies and ROBOCALL scripts.  If you have the stomach for it, see Working_Families_for_a_Strong_Benicia_496_7.

The City of Benicia will be revising previously posted campaign financial reports that were posted without the required photocopies and scripts.  Stay tuned for links.

See also:

2020 elections, Benicia elections, Campaign finance, Valero Benicia Refinery, Valero PAC

Valero’s pet labor union kicks in $25,000 to help buy the Benicia Mayor’s seat

By Roger Straw, October 20, 2020

Labor finally gets around to contributing to this year’s Valero war chest- total now nearing $300,000

Reporting on forms required by Benicia ordinance, the Valero PAC that is attempting to buy the Benicia Mayor race detailed a new contribution of $25,000 on  October 15.

The new money comes from an independent expenditure committee (PAC) formed by the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, forgers & Helpers Local 549.  It is interesting that this ultra-conservative labor group has been convinced to jump in with Valero, which is a non-union corporation.  It’s not the first time – this PAC contributed heavily to Valero’s 2018 smear campaign against Kari Birdseye.

I wonder how many of the Sacramento-based Brotherhood PAC’s decision-makers live in Benicia or even work at Valero?  I’d guess the decision was made by a small group of highly-paid executives who have rarely if ever set foot in Benicia.

Cumulative Valero PAC contributions to date: over $273,000.  (COMPARE: All candidates running for Benicia mayor and Council who pledge to run fair campaigns may not spend over $34,200 on their own campaigns.)

Cumulative Valero PAC spending to date: $70,844.  (AGAIN COMPARE: All candidates running for Benicia mayor and Council who pledge to run fair campaigns may not spend over $34,200 on their own campaigns.)

I am tracking DETAILS of the Valero PAC’s 2020 campaign disclosure reports combined in a single Excel spreadsheet.  The sheet contains 2 tabs:

    • “VALERO PAC Form460 CpgnDisclosr” is a record of Valero’s SUMMARY reports, showing 2020 income, expenses and cash balance.
    • “Forms 465 & 496 IndExp” is a more interesting 2nd tab, showing in detail the Valero PAC’s individual expenditures.

REFERENCE: Valero PAC Financial Disclosures – City of Benicia website

Source: from the City of Benicia website, 2020 Campaign Finance Reports