Category Archives: Local elections

ENDORSEMENT: Elizabeth Patterson for Mayor of Benicia

By Roger Straw, May 26, 2016

Elizabeth Patterson – “Experience You Can Trust”

Elizabeth Patterson, Benicia Mayor 2007 - present
Elizabeth Patterson, Benicia Mayor 2007 – present

I helped elect Elizabeth Patterson for Mayor of Benicia in 2007 and 2011.  I co-chaired her campaign in 2011 and I’d be hard at work on her campaign again this year, but I am juggling too many other responsibilities.

My endorsement of Elizabeth Patterson could not be stronger or more heart-felt. She has led our community and taught us all about environmental sustainability, stewardship of water, the importance of diversification in our local economy, how to get things done in local government and much more.

Elizabeth has served the entire state of California as a water expert, and has contacts throughout the state that work to Benicia’s advantage.

As her campaign slogan puts it, she has “Experience You Can Trust.”

Please vote for Elizabeth Patterson for Mayor in November!

Here are a few excerpts from Elizabeth’s website, ElizabethForMayor.com:

I am running for reelection because I want Benicia to thrive. I have been on the council since 2003 and as Mayor since 2007. I saw us through the Great Recession by working with the city manager and council to avoid cutting city services and ensuring sound fiscal policies.

The greatest job growth in California is clean tech. We need to double our efforts to diversify our economic activity to transition from too much dependence on the refinery and gas stations and more clean tech companies. We need to protect the businesses we have and upgrade the Business and Industrial Park with fiber optics, and repurposing “warehouse” buildings for more revenue generating businesses. We need to invest and modernize this economic engine that provides the revenue for city services – parks, police and fire, human services, arts and culture and a livable, walkable historic town.

The General Plan is our “constitution” and its overarching goal is to be a sustainable city. We are the little city that can – we have a public energy provider with 50 or 100% renewable energy sources; we exceeded the Governor’s emergency 25% water savings by averaging about 33%; we defied two governors from closing our State Parks; we are at the top as one of the best places to raise children with great schools, safe community and small town place.

This was made possible by forward thinking leadership knowing the community’s values, staying focused on our goals and being bold and forthright.

I have even stood up to City Hall when they tried to stop my sending information about Crude by Rail safety issues and seeking state action on providing greater safety to our town. I will continue to be vocal and not gamble with Benicia’s safety.

I work for you from the annual delivering Meals on Wheels, supporting our historic preservation community and arts community, collaborating with Vallejo and the County to keep our State Parks, promoting biking to work and school, energy and water conservation, and not gambling on clean air and water and a healthy Benicia.

Experience you can trust . . . another four years!

BENICIA HERALD: Steve Young running for City Council

Repost from the Benicia Herald
[Editor:  The Benicia Independent endorses Steve Young for City Council. Learn more about Steve’s campaign kickoff party this Friday, April 27, and RSVP here.  – RS]

Planning Commissioner Steve Young will make bid for City Council

Planning Commissioner Steve Young will be running for City Council. Among the biggest issues in his campaign are opposing Valero’s Crude-By-Rail Project, diversifying the city’s economic base, modernizing the water and sewer system, improving the roads and maintaining the parks. (Courtesy photo)
Planning Commissioner Steve Young will be running for City Council. Among the biggest issues in his campaign are opposing Valero’s Crude-By-Rail Project, diversifying the city’s economic base, modernizing the water and sewer system, improving the roads and maintaining the parks. (Courtesy photo)

Steve Young, a current member of Benicia’s Planning Commission, is looking to make the leap to City Council.

Young’s decision to run was partly influenced by the Council’s decision to delay Valero’s Crude-By-Rail Project rather than deny the refinery a permit to have its crude oil delivered by railroad rather than by boat.

The project was announced in 2013 and drew concerns from residents over its environmental impacts. On Feb. 11, the Planning Commission unanimously rejected a permit from Valero, but the company sent a letter of appeal to the city. City Council held hearings in April, and in a 3-2 decision, the hearings were delayed until September as Valero asks the Surface Transportation Board for a decision on the issue of federal pre-emption.

That was the final straw for Young, who had been considering a bid for City Council.

“I had a lot of people approaching me after the Planning Commission meetings, urging me to run,” he said. “I put off making a decision until I knew which way the Council was leaning, and once it became obvious which was the Council was leaning, I felt it was important for me to throw my hat in the ring and give people who were anxious about this project an alternative way to express their opposition.”

Young does not feel the project is necessary and proposes that the refinery just keep its delivery operation as is.

“Tankers, to me, are much safer, much less polluting and doesn’t require massive potential traffic problems that we already see happening down in the Industrial Park,” he said.

Young acknowledges the economic benefits of the project but feels the environmental risks are far greater.

“It increases their profits, but I think the tradeoff is too great to justify,” he said.

Young has a long history with politics, dating back to his tenure as student body president at his high school in Burbank. He received a bachelor’s degree in political science from UC Berkeley in 1973 and a master’s in urban policy and administration from San Francisco State. He served in various government management positions in California and Virginia and was also the community development director for the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency from 1999 to 2008. After his retirement from that position, he and his wife Marty moved to Costa Rica so that their daughter Cora could attend high school in a different culture. After Cora graduated in 2012, the Youngs moved back to Benicia where Steve was appointed to the Planning Commission that year. He says that being retired gave him a lot more time to research documents for the Crude-By-Rail Project.

“I had the time to dig through all those documents and do three years of research on it,” he said. “When the Planning Commission started on the Final Environmental Impact Report, I was well-prepared and I had three years’ worth of questions to ask.”

Young also proposes examining the Seeno project, which would construct a 528-acre business park development by East Second Street and Lake Herman Road.

“The idea of straight suburban-type development on that property is problematic for a lot of reasons,” he said. “I’d like to give that a close look.”

Young also supports transparency regarding the recent water and sewer rate increases, diversifying the Industrial Park and turning the Majestic Theatre on First Street into a live music venue to generate revenue for the city.

“Overall there is a challenge that the city is a full-service city, but it doesn’t have a lot of different ways to raise revenue,” he said. “They’re trying to serve a lot of functions with a limited source of money, and I think that’s something that’s going to have to be looked at going forward. Either raise your money or limit your cost, because it’s not sustainable the way it’s going.”

More information on Young’s campaign can be found at SteveYoungForCityCouncil.org. There will also be a campaign kickoff event from 5:50 to 9:30 p.m., Saturday, May 27 at Ruszel Woodworks, located at 2980 Bayshore Road. Food, drinks and live music will be provided. If you go, please RSVP to SteveYoungForCityCouncil@gmail.com.

ENDORSEMENT: Mariko Yamada for California State Senator

By Roger Straw, May 21, 2016

June 7 primary election – Yamada for Senate, District 3

Benicia Independent joins Mayor Elizabeth Patterson and the California League of Conservation Voters in endorsing Mariko Yamada for State Senate District 3

Mariko Yamada State Senate 2016As a member of the State Assembly, Mariko Yamada took notice of Benicia and represented us well.  Now, having termed out of her Assembly seat, she is in a tight race for California Senate.

I once told Mariko I’d vote for her for President – she’s that good! I made an early financial commitment and helped sponsor one of her first meet and greets here in Benicia last December.  Please vote for Mariko Yamada in the June 7 primary!

Her opponents are being heavily supported by independent groups representing oil interests and other big money lobbyists.

See her campaign site (YamadaForSenate.com/) for details on her rich personal background and her plain-spoken progressive stance on the issues.  Here’s a map of District 3 – its huge, including the cities of Benicia, Martinez, Napa, Petaluma, St. Helena, Fairfield, Vacaville, Davis, Dixon, Woodland, etc.

ENDORSEMENT: Mae Torlakson for California Assembly

By Roger Straw, May 21, 2016

Whose “hit pieces” to believe?  Support Mae Torlakson for State Assembly

I have about 10 huge full color mailers that arrived in my mailbox from Mae Torlakson’s opponent, and half of them are nasty hit pieces. Unfortunately, I have about the same from Torlakson’s campaign. Who to believe?

I met Mae here in Benicia early in her campaign, and I stand behind her. She is endorsed by nurses, teachers, the California League of Conservation Voters, most of our current elected officials and the Democratic Party.  The issues page on her website does not mention crude by rail, but she has a strong position on environmental issues, beginning with the following:

Environmental protection is a global issue. We need to collaborate with other states and other nations to tackle this pressing need. We need to take decisive action to combat global warming and other forms of environmental degradation. We want a world where our children and our grandchildren can be outdoors and breath fresh air and enjoy the beauty of our majestic mountains, our fertile valleys, and our astoundingly scenic and rugged coastlines.

California has been a leader in environmental protection through progressive policy, regulations and laws. We must do all what we can to reduce our carbon footprint and protect our environment.

In the Assembly, I will work to invest in alternative energy and transportation to greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Torlakson’s opponent Tim Grayson is a minister of a very conservative church and former Mayor of Concord with a questionable ethical record there.  His website issues page mentions global warming and assures us he thinks it’s real (he thinks this is an issue?), but he was a Republican when he stood with climate change deniers and big oil when they tried to repeal California’s landmark Global Warming Solutions Act.

Assembly District 14 includes the southern portion of Solano County, including Vallejo and Benicia, and much of Contra Costa County.  Here’s a map:

California Assembly District 14 map

 

Please vote for Mae Torlakson in the June 7 primary.