Tag Archives: Benicia elections

2020 elections, Benicia City Clerk, Benicia elections

Here’s what the official ballot box looks like at Benicia City Hall

Benicia official says ballot boxes are only located in two places across town

JohnGlidden.com, by John Glidden, October 14, 2020
[See also here on the BenIndy: Info and links – Where and when to return your mail-in ballot]

BENICIA – With less than three weeks before the Nov. 3 election, there have been reports of unauthorized ballot boxes popping up across the state.

Benicia City Clerk Lisa Wolfe took to social media this week to remind locals that there are only two official ballot boxes in the city.

They include Benicia City Hall, which is located at 250 East L St. Vote-by-mail ballots can be dropped off from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. City Hall will be closed on Oct. 16, and 30.

The second location is found inside Raley’s, situated at 890 Southampton Road. [Every day–6:00a.m. to 11:00p.m. ]

Wolfe also provided pictures of what the official ballot boxes look like and she presented the various ways Benicia can cast their ballots.

“You can either place them in one of the official boxes, mail them in, use the drive through feature the last weekend prior the the election, or vote in person on 11/3,” she wrote.

The fake ballot boxes sprouting up around the state are not authorized and could be illegal, said California Secretary of State Alex Padilla.

“Operating unofficial ballot drop boxes — especially those misrepresented as official drop boxes — is not just misleading to voters, it’s a violation of state law,” he told media outlets. “My office is coordinating with local officials to address the multiple reports of unauthorized ballot drop boxes. Californians should only use official ballot drop boxes that have been deployed and secured by their county elections office.”

The last day to register to vote is Oct. 19. The voter registration form must be either postmarked by this date or delivered to a county elections official by this date.

Voters can track their ballot to see when it is received and counted by first registering on the California Secretary of State website, https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/.

Information on registering to vote, voting options and a link to the state voter guide are available through the Solano County Registrar of Voters at www.solanocounty.com/depts/rov.

2020 elections, Benicia elections, Fair elections, Steve Young, Valero Benicia Refinery, Valero PAC

Paul Adler of Benicia Valero: captured on video refusing to refrain from negative election interference

By Roger Straw, October 14, 2020

Youtube video thanks to Dr. Constance Beutel, Benicia.

At a September 19, 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 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?”

Watch the 2-minute video for Mr. Adler’s refusal to make the pledge.  And see Valero & Friends Attempt to Buy our 2020 Election for Valero’s massive effort to buy the Mayor’s seat in 2020 – including misleading and demeaning, negative ads against candidate Steve Young.

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

Benicia Valero PAC throws in another $7,000 for live phone calls

By Roger Straw, October 13 2020

Valero PAC spending to buy the 2020 Mayor seat now totals $70,844

Reporting on forms required by Benicia ordinance, the Valero PAC that is attempting to buy the Benicia Mayor race detailed the expenditure of another $7,000 on  October 10.

Cumulative Valero PAC spending to date: $70,844.  (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.)

Details of new money spent for Christina Strawbridge and to defeat Steve Young:

  • LIVE CALLS – Another $7,000

Payments was made to WINNING CONNECTIONS, 317 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, 2ND FLOOR, WASHINGTON, DC.  Source: Benicia_Form_496_6.pdf .

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 Valero’s individual expenditures.

REFERENCE: Valero PAC Financial Disclosures – City of Benicia website

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

2020 elections, Benicia elections, Valero PAC, Valero Services Inc.

Where is the Benicia Valero PAC money coming from?

“Working Families” PAC is actually Big Oil money, a mysterious “Coalition to Restore,” and the Republican Party
By Roger Straw, October 13, 2020

The Political Action Committee (PAC), which calls itself “Working Families…Supporting Christina Strawbridge,” is anything but a bunch of working families.  My research shows that the PAC is Big Oil money and other unidentified “Affiliated Entities.”

Valero’s 2020 Benicia PAC was funded last November by a contribution of $200,000 from “Valero Services, Inc. and Affiliated Entities“,  supposedly located in Benicia.  The PAC is promoting Christina Strawbridge for Mayor, but has also engaged in negative campaigning, spreading lies and unflattering images of her opponent, Steve Young.

So the Valero PAC is funded by Valero Services Inc.  But it is unclear who or what are the RECENT financial backers of Valero Services, Inc.  A little history might help:

In 2015, Valero Services, Inc. was funded by the following “entities”

  • California Republican Party $150,000
  • Californians for Jobs and a Strong Economy $35,000
  • Coalition to Restore California’s Middle Class, Including Energy Companies who Produce Gas, Oil, Jobs and Pay Taxes $2,000,000

Valero Services, Inc. makes huge contributions to a variety of political campaigns and PACs.  A June 2019 document shows Valero Services expenditures of $675,579.94 in the first 6 months of 2019, including

  • $500,000 to the above mentioned “Coalition to Restore“
  • $75,000 to the California Republican Party
  • 8 in-kind contributions to Working Families for a Strong Benicia $36,778
  • Contributions to the Western States Petroleum Association PAC and the Valero Energy Corp PAC
  • And contributions ranging from $2,000 to $4,700 to the campaigns of seventeen candidates for California Senate and Assembly, including $2,000 to the campaign for Benicia’s Assembly member, Tim Grayson.

Note that major influencer “Coalition to Restore…” is still going strong: