By Larnie Fox, February 22, 2024

It’s generally understood that Benicians really like Benicia ~ maybe a bit more than residents of other towns like their towns.

Why is that? Answering for myself: I like that my wife feels safe walking home after dark. I like that we greet each other on the street. I like that the value of my house is steadily rising. I like that we have a strong arts community here, a gem of a local art center, a good local history museum, and wonderful local events. I like my neighbors, and am grateful that it’s easy to connect with them. I like knowing that the neighbor kids are getting a good education. I like our parks and our library. I like being able to walk to good restaurants, cafés, bars and galleries. I like our vibrant local democracy, where any of us can show up to a City Council meeting and tell them what we want ~ and they will listen! Benicia is an interesting, beautiful, historic place, and I feel safe here.

Why is that? It’s because of Benicia’s community and their government. Government is what we decide to do together. That’s why I’m asking you, neighbors and friends, to vote on or before March 5, and vote YES on Measures A, B and C. None of us will feel much financial pain from these votes, but all of us will benefit. We’ll benefit by maintaining our good schools. If you don’t have young kids, you might own a house that will keep its value, and you might be a bit safer if our kids are well nurtured. That’s Measure C. Measures A and B will directly affect your safety through supporting fire and police. It will keep our library afloat, help support our downtown, and hopefully maintain some support for our hard-working local nonprofits that do so much to take care of our less fortunate neighbors and make this a vibrant community. And, it would be nice to get the roads fixed.

For me this is a no-brainer. Please vote, and vote yes on Measures A, B and C.

Larnie Fox
Lower East Side, Benicia

Solano County Board of Supervisors, Solano County CA

Vallejo resident Cookie Gordon: Supervisor candidate Dr. Rochelle Sherlock is District 2’s choice for a better Solano

February 22, 2024 BenIndy

District 2 Supervisor Candidate Dr. Rochelle Sherlock. | SherlockforSupervisor.com.

By Helen-Marie “Cookie” Gordon, February 20, 2024

I am writing to endorse and encourage you to vote for Dr. Rochelle Sherlock for District 2 Solano County of Board Supervisors. I have had the pleasure of knowing Rochelle for over five years. We’re both members of the Solano Transportation Equity Working Group, and I have worked with her in engaging the community to identify issues and develop solutions. I can confidently say that she possesses the necessary qualities and skills to excel in this position and to continue building relationships to partner with resources for our communities and move forward to a quality of life for all.

As a resident of Solano County and District 2, I believe that it is essential to elect leaders who are committed to improving and bringing real quality equity financial and environmental benefits to support all of our community, and Dr. Rochelle Sherlock is one such leader. She has already demonstrated the commitment to public service through her decades of community work across several causes, and she continues to show up and support community events and initiatives, volunteering her time to build the capacity of the community. I believe she will continue to work tirelessly to make our community a better place.

I strongly recommend your vote for Dr. Rochelle Sherlock in the upcoming election. I am confident that she will make a positive impact and work towards the betterment of our community. Please join me in supporting Dr. Rochelle Sherlock and electing her as our District 2 Solano County Board of Supervisor. My son Christopher Gordon agrees. He represents residents who live with disabilities such as himself who lives with Down Syndrome, however they have many abilities to recognize what they want to see and experience in their communities as well.

Sincerely,

Helen-Marie “Cookie” Gordon
Community Advocate
Chair for Solano Transportation (SOLTRANS) Commissioner VHA

Big Oil, California oil industry, Climate Change, Lobbying, Nielsen Merksamer, The Climate Center

Big Oil (yes, including Valero) enters race to target Climate Dems like State Senate candidate Jackie Elward

February 20, 2024 BenIndy

[Note from BenIndy: Same old dog, same old tricks. The only things that seem to change over the years are the euphemistic PAC names used to attack Climate Dems. This PAC, funded by Chevron, Valero, and Marathon (among others), is called the “Coalition to Restore California’s Middle Class” in short, but it’s the whole name that gives you the whole picture: “Coalition to Restore California’s Middle Class…Including Energy Manufacturing and Technology Companies Who Produce Gas Oil Jobs and Pay Taxes.” So folks, don’t forget to check the fine print on all political mailers before elections. Top funders are often noted in the fine print, but it’s worth some Google sleuthing to see who else is paying for these glossy hit pieces. The nastier they are, the deeper you should look – to assess both truthfulness and your personal alignment with the statements for or against a candidate or measure.]

SPOTLIGHT

An oil pumpjack in Kern County, California. Climate News / Harika Maddala.

Politico, by Blanca Begert, Camille Von Keen, and Ariel Gans, with help from Jeremy B. White and Wes Venteicher, February 15, 2024

BLUE OIL: Like crude from a derrick, oil money is gushing into legislative races as the industry looks to elect its favored Democrats.

The principal industry PAC — funded by Chevron, Valero and Marathon — has spent nearly $1.4 million to influence voters in a handful of races this week, according to the Coalition to Restore California’s Middle Class’ campaign filings. The spending surge is concentrated on safe blue seats. It’s a familiar tactic: with Republicans sidelined in Sacramento, businesses often look to recruit sympathetic Democrats.

That dynamic is most evident in a Stockton-area state Senate race that’s absorbed the majority of the PAC’s spending so far. The battle to succeed outgoing Sen. Susan Eggman in SD-5 has become a proxy for the larger struggle between business-backed moderate Democrats and more liberal members supported by labor and environmentalists.

The oil PAC has spent $700,000 so far to promote Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua — one of the Legislature’s most conservative Democrats — and to suppress former Rep. Jerry McNerney, who came out of retirement to challenge Villapudua. Meanwhile, a pro-McNerney committee funded by unions, consumer attorneys and green groups has spent more than $400,000.

Beyond SD-5, the industry is spending to boost Adam Perez in the 50th Assembly District; Assemblymember Tim Grayson in the 9th Senate District; Jose Solache in the 62nd Assembly District; Ed Han in the 44th Assembly District; and Karen Mitchoff in the 15th Assembly District, while attacking Jackie Elward in the 3rd Senate District. All are open, blue seats. — JW

California State Senate, Christopher Cabaldon, District 3 State Senate

Benicia resident Larnie Fox: Do your homework, then vote for Cabaldon

February 20, 2024 BenIndy

State Senate Candidate Christopher Cabaldon. | Kevin Fiscus / CabaldonforSenate.com.

By Larnie Fox, February 20, 2024

Benicia’s local Democratic Club hosted a Zoom meet-your-candidates event last month. Christopher Cabaldon and Rozanna Verder-Aliga were both present, and I watched and listened carefully. Christopher was attentive, well informed, and answered questions clearly. His values aligned with mine, and most of the other virtual attendees. Rozanna, on the other hand, seemed to be trying to figure out what we wanted her to say ~ a bit cluelessly. Our club easily voted to endorse Cabaldon.

If you want to research Cabaldon, skip his campaign materials and read his Wikipedia profile. He was appointed by Obama to the National Advisory Board of America’s College Promise, chaired by Dr. Jill Biden. He did wonders during his 20+ year stint as Mayor of West Sacramento. He started college savings accounts for their kindergarteners, and he made West Sac the first city in the nation to send a letter of college admission and a scholarship offer to every graduating high school senior. He chaired the Jobs, Education and the Workforce Committee at the United States Conference of Mayors, who also awarded him and his town the “America’s Most Livable Small City” award.

Rozanna, on the other hand, as a Vallejo City Councilwoman supported the Orcem cement plant and marine terminal ~ a project that would have polluted a low-income community, snarled traffic with 100 car trains and hundreds of semi trucks on city streets but would have created only 25 permanent jobs. The project was finally defeated by a fierce public outcry. Orcem helped finance Verder-Aliga’s council campaigns.

On her watch the Vallejo Police Department attracted national attention for their violent culture ~ so bad that the City has declared a state of emergency and is now being sued by the State of California for failure of oversight, and by its many victims.

Rozanna served on the Vallejo School Board for 11 years, and was its president in 2004 when the district went bankrupt. A grand jury found the school board failed in its responsibilities to stay informed and to inform the public.

For me, it’s a pretty easy choice. You probably have been seeing plenty of hit pieces, equating Cabaldon with all things evil. The question is ~ what are they afraid of? Do your homework, then vote for Cabaldon.

*Senate District 3 includes the counties of Solano, Napa, and Yolo as well as portions of the counties of Sonoma, Contra Costa and Sacramento.

Note from BenIndy: The race to become the state senator for District 3 is heating up and we are interested in hearing from you! To submit your recommendations for this or any other office, or ballot measure, please email us. Publication is subject to factchecking and, ultimately, the BenIndy’s discretion.