Jing Di Zhi Wa

By Tom Campbell, The Benicia Herald, September 18, 2026

Jing di zhi wa is a Chinese idiom that means you know as little about the real world as a frog at the bottom of a well. I think this might well describe Justin Zollars. From what I’ve been reading from his posts, candidate debate, and candidate’s statement, he seems to be a one trick pony focused on Flock cameras. I haven’t seen him post anything on how he’ll address what are monumental generational issues that are in front of the City Council right now. Issues like, “What are we going to do with the Seeno property” where a billionaire developer does not seem to be on the same page as the City Council. Or “What are we going to do with the port which after 62 years Benicia finally gets back in four years.”

A port that due to poor judgement in 1964 by a Benicia City Council the City has not gotten a penny in port operations for 62 years and counting, even though Benicia owns the wharf and all land accessing the water. Or how about the closed refinery that looks more and more like the State wants to keep as a gasoline tank farm even if it means Benicia will have to forsake any future development. The State seems to want Benicia to fall on its sword and ignore its future for the sake of keeping the rest of California’s drivers happy with a large supply of cheaper gas. Am I wrong? Then show me a time line for the clean-up and development of the refinery land. Afterall it’s been a year and a half since the announcement of the refinery closure and still nothing.

Those three big issues in front of the City Council right now are going to decide what the lives of the next generations in Benicia will be. Same as the decisions of the 1964 City Council decided the lives of the last three generations of Benicians after the Arsenal closed. There are very big issues at stake in this election. When you would rather talk about Flock cameras instead, it’s no different than if your house was on fire and you’re running around and you stop in the dining room and go “that silverware on the table just doesn’t go with the dishes’ floral pattern.” There’s a lot bigger issue staring you in the face at that particular moment than floral patterns. The same holds true for the generational challenges facing Benicia at this very moment.

So given the gravity of the challenges Benicia faces right now there is no time for an untested rookie with no civic history to navigate a steep learning curve immediately. I was on the City Council for 21 years and before that the Planning Commission, over 30 years total in Benicia City government. In that entire time, I can say the best Council I was ever on was the last City Council I was on. That Council had both Terry Scott and Kari Birdseye on it. What they showed me was that they could look at what had to be done and do it even if it meant a huge blowback. You have to put what’s best for the community ahead of your own ambitions. Not every Council could do that.

Kicking the can down the road is just a nice way of saying you don’t have the backbone to face unpopular but necessary votes. I never saw Kari or Terry back away from what had to be done. This is important because in the next few years the next City Council will have to deal with the State of California and billion dollar corporations that are going to try and throw Benicia a bone and say “Hey what’s the problem, we’re doing you a favor.” This Council is going to have to have the backbone to tell these corporations and the State what they can do with that bone.

I want someone on the City Council who knows and understands these generational issues and will protect our future. That’s why I’ m voting for Terry Scott and Kari Birdseye. I’m sure in that burning house that I mentioned above they would have been looking for a fire extinguisher and not a useless floral dish pattern.

Tom Campbell

More on the candidates:

• The Vallejo Sun, “Meet the three candidates running for Benicia City Council” by Isidra Mencos, Sep 16, 2026