Benicia City Council, Corporate influence, Local elections, Valero

Benicia election – a flood of letters for Kari and Terry, and blasting Valero’s corrupt influence

Letters for Kari in the media and on this website have taken a huge turn – see below.

By Roger Straw, November 4, 2022

RECENT LETTERS OF SUPPORT & CONCERN
EARLIER LETTERS OF SUPPORT

More letters, news & links about the 2022 election, Kari Birdseye and Terry Scott here on the BenIndy

And best of all – Kari’s website!

Big Oil, Negative campaigning, Toxic pollutants, Valero PAC

Clean Politics and Valero – video from 2019 and 2022

Valero spokesperson refused to promise fair campaigns, Air District exposes Valero’s multi-year toxic emissions

At 2019 public presentation by Valero in Benicia, Paul Adler, Valero Benicia’s Director of Government Affairs and Community Relations, declined to respond to a question regarding the refinery’s interfering in local Benicia elections.

Benicia resident Andrés Soto was in the audience, and posed a question during Q&A. Recalling Valero’s malicious attacks in Benicia’s 2018 election, Mr. Soto posed a question: “You say you want to be a ‘good neighbor.’ Will you pledge not to conduct a similar negative campaign in the local elections in 2020, and let Benicians make their own decisions?” Mr. Adler’s refused to make the pledge.

The Valero funded PAC went on to mount a massive effort to buy the Mayor’s seat in 2020 – including misleading and demeaning ads, and has once again in 2022 spent large sums on phone polling, mailers and social media.

This video shifts midway to a March, 2022 Benicia City Council presentation by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. At that meeting, air quality experts informed the city leaders and residents of serious huge multi-year toxic emissions violations heretofore unreported by the Valero Refinery.

See also, “City Leaders in Benicia not happy to learn recently that the Valero was emitting excessive amounts of hazardous chemicals for over a decade.“

 

Benicia elections, Fair elections, Valero PAC

Excellent media coverage of Benicia Protest – and video of the event

Benicia residents gather in City Park, hold up signs on sidewalks to protest Valero meddling in local elections

By Roger Straw, November 4, 2022

Roger Straw, The Benicia Independent

Media coverage of this quickly planned protest was excellent. Even better is the video summary by local videographer Constance Beutel. I’ll post links to them all below.

Personal comment: as a longtime Benicia watchdog activist, I am impressed with the new leadership arising in town. They organized this rally in no time, with a turnout of around 75 and better media coverage than any event I can remember over the last 15 years! Kudos!

Video Coverage by Constance Beutel

Valero makes late entry into Benicia City Council race

Vallejo Sun, by Scott Morris, Nov 03, 2022

Texas-based oil manufacturer Valero is making a last-minute push to re-elect incumbent councilmembers Christina Strawbridge and Lionel Largaespada.
Benicians held a rally against oil manufacturer Valero’s influence in city politics on Wednesday, co-organized by Stephen Golub, seen speaking. Photo courtesy Kathy Kerridge.

BENICIA – Texas-based oil manufacturer Valero is making a last-minute push to re-elect incumbent councilmembers Christina Strawbridge and Lionel Largaespada to the Benicia City Council, spending thousands of dollars on mailers and social media ads.

According to expenditure reports filed with the city of Benicia on Wednesday, Valero had spent $89,507.71 supporting the two candidates as of Monday. That included $38,096.43 with Los Alamos-based Trusted Messenger Marketing on mailers and social media ads. That firm spent $10,000 on Facebook ads. Valero also spent $35,000 with Columbus, Ohio, polling firm EMC Research Inc.
[…continued…]

Benicians protest Valero’s campaign tactics

The Benicia Herald, November 4, 2022

Protesters gather at City Park on Wes. to protest the recent election flyers maiiled by a Valero-sponsored PAC, called Progress for Benicia.
[BenIndy Editor: Sorry the Benicia Herald doesn’t publish online. The editor, Galen Kusic, had a great page 1 story, photocopy available here.]

Vallejo Times-Herald: Benicia residents protest Valero’s role in local elections

Residents fed-up with the energy corporation’s slanted advertising campaigns, calling them deceitful, shameful, and confusing.
[BenIndy Editor: This front page above-the-fold Vallejo Times-Herald story is excellent, great photos and quotes. However, there are a few errors in the article.  >> Valero has spent $519K over the last 3 election cycles, not $678K. In our 2022 election, the Valero PAC has reported so far funneling $89K of its $232,000 into the effort to buy Benicia council seats, not the total. We won’t know how much more until required post-election reporting. – RS]
Nikki Basch-Davis, left, talks with Susan Street as dozens of Benicians took to the streets on Wednesday to speak out against the influence of the Valero Benicia Refinery in the local 2022 election. (Chris Riley/Times-Herald)
Vallejo Times-Herald, By Troy Sambajon, November 3, 2022
[Also carried by East Bay Times and  SiliconValley.com]

It’s the small town versus big business fighting over the voice of local democracy.

Concerned Benicians gathered at City Park on Wednesday afternoon to protest the Valero corporations’ role in local city council and mayoral elections. […continued…]

Residents Rally Against ‘Deceptive Campaigning’ By Valero In Nov. 8 Election

SFGate, by Katy St. Clair Bay City News Foundation,  Nov. 2, 2022

Dozens gathered at Benicia’s town center on Wednesday evening to decry what they are calling “malicious” campaigning by the owners of the town’s refinery, Valero, which they say is trying to influence Tuesday’s election.

Carrying signs that read “Valero: Big Bucks Run Amok” and “Stop Polluting Our Elections,” residents rallied in support of two council candidates not backed by Valero, Terry Scott and Kari Birdseye. They also cried foul about big oil money in small-town races.

“We are not paid lobbyists!” said local refinery pollution watchdog Cathy Bennett at the rally. “We’re not even public figures. We are your neighbors… We know this community. We are this community! A corporate giant in Texas does not know this community!” […continued…]

 

Benicia elections, Progress for Benicia PAC, Valero PAC

Valero PAC lays out $10,000 for big social media buy, total now at $73K

By Roger Straw, November 1, 2022

Roger Straw, The Benicia Independent

Late today, Benicia City Clerk Lisa Wolfe posted two more campaign finance reports submitted by the Valero PAC.  These reports shed light on the expenditure of an additional $18,698.61 to elect their preferred candidates for Benicia City Council.

$10,000 of this amount is for a massive social media campaign. The PAC has already set up a Facebook page.

The remaining amount, approximately $8,700, is for another misleading mailer.

With this additional outlay, the PAC has spent a total of $73,095.83 just in the last week of October.

Disclosed in these two reports are the actual images – 8 new full color ads, once again including subtly deceptive positioning of photos of Benicia’s Mayor and Vice-Mayor, suggesting that they support Valero’s chosen candidates.  Mayor Young and Vice-Mayor Campbell have not supported Valero’s candidates.  Both have endorsed Kari Birdseye and Terry Scott.

The ads all portray Valero’s chosen two as significant players in a City Council that gets things done.  “Christina Strawbridge, Lionel Largaespada, and City Councilmembers led Benicia through COVID-19.” “Christina Strawbridge, Lionel Largaespada, and City Councilmembers  Support our first responders.”

Valero seems to have learned a lesson in 2020: wait to spend your fortune in the last few weeks, and don’t bash your opposition directly – only by hint and suggestion.

The PAC has now spent over $73,000, twice what any legitimate human resident candidate’s campaign can spend. And that leaves about $160,000 in their war chest. Who knows how much they will pay out in the final week before the November 8 election?

>> And that’s a question with no forthcoming answer. The PAC will not be required to file another report until after the election, covering the period 10/31/22 – 11/8/22. This form will be due in the Benicia City Clerk’s office on 11/11/22.

The following links go to the City of Benicia website, displaying the PAC’s 2 latest reports, including images of their ads:

Note that others in Benicia are keeping an eye on Valero’s meddling in our elections – check out Benicians For Clean Elections at https://www.beniciansforcleanelections.org/

See also my page of support for candidate Kari Birdseye here on the BenIndy.

Stay tuned. I’ll let you know if/when we learn more.

Roger Straw
The Benicia Independent

Previously on the BenIndy…

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