Category Archives: Benicia City Council

Benicia City Council, Christina Strawbridge, Kari Birdseye, Lionel Largaespada, Local elections, Negative ads, Negative campaigning, Organized labor, Valero Benicia Refinery, Valero Services Inc.

Anti-Birdseye spending increases again today…

October 25, 2018 Roger Straw

By Roger Straw, October 25, 2018

Yet more anti-Birdseye expenditures

News gets old fast around here… Just yesterday, the City of Benicia posted on its website, three new Valero/labor PAC Expenditure Reports.

Today we learned that Valero/labor submitted three MORE expenditure reports in their bid to buy a seat on Council! The PAC is up to 17 expenditure reports now (and the original 5 income reports).

The three new reports today show additional expenses for robo calls (with script by former police Lieutenant Scott Przekurat) and new digital ads (LL & CS smiling-faces alongside an unfounded put-down of Kari Birdseye.

One expenditure report also shows new income of $800 from Alfred Conhagen Inc., a Benicia hydraulic repair service that I assume must do a huge business with Valero.

The reports show cumulative totals for LL $28,874, CS $20,586, and Anti-Birdseye $18,836. Lots of money left – they have amassed a total of $155,000 now, more than five times what an individual candidate is allowed to spend on a campaign.

PAC_Working_Families_for_Benicia_Form_496_15 For LARGAESPADA: Additional expenses for robo calls and new digital ads, also new income of $800 from Alfred Conhagen Inc.
PAC_Working_Families_for_Benicia_Form_496_16 For STRAWBRIDGE: Additional expenses for robo calls and new digital ads.
PAC_Working_Families_for_Benicia_Form_496_17 Anti-BIRDSEYE: For a pro-Largaespada, pro-Strawbridge, anti-Birdseye mailer.

Benicia City Council, Christina Strawbridge, Kari Birdseye, Keeping Watch on Earth News, Lionel Largaespada, Local elections, Negative campaigning, Organized labor, Valero Benicia Refinery, Valero Services Inc.

Anti-Birdseye outside money – 3 new expenditure reports

October 24, 2018 Roger Straw

By Roger Straw, October 24, 2018

Valero / Labor PAC alters its telephone script and shows new video ads

Three NEW Expenditure Forms 496 were posted on the City of Benicia website Tuesday, showing amended costs, new negative phone calling scripts and new tv ads bought by the anti-Birdseye PAC.

This round of phone calls focuses on local jobs, and makes unsubstantiated claims against Kari Birdseye while praising her opponents. The ads show Birdseye’s opponents’ faces along with a positive message rather than Birdseye’s face with negative message. They must believe the damage is done – or that the blatantly negative ads were not helping their cause.

The reports posted by the City are simply listed by number without much guidance for voters. I’ll try to sort it out below, with new totals. (I confess, however, that I have no idea why the PAC’s costs are less now than in previous reports – it makes no sense…)

In summary, the PAC is still absolutely LOADED for more big campaign expenditures during these final weeks before election day.

TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS:	$154,200
LESS EXPENDITURES TO DATE:	$25,124.81
YET TO BE SPENT:	$129,075.19

NEW EXPENDITURE REPORTS – AMENDMENTS (as of Oct. 24)

Anti-Birdseye_PAC_Form_496_12.pdf
EXPENDITURE AMENDMENT PRO-LARGAESPADA: Winning Connection calls $8,288.75 on 10/16 (showing a new telephone script) (cumulative to date $25,124.81) as amended on 10/22
Anti-Birdseye_PAC_Form_496_13.pdf
EXPENDITURE AMENDMENT PRO-LARGAESPADA (but actually showing photocopies of new digital ads for STRAWBRIDGE): Digital Turf media buy $4,689 on 10/13 (cumulative to date $25,124.81); Digital Turf ad production $2,000 on 10/13 (cumulative to date $25,124.81)
Anti-Birdseye_PAC_Form_496_14.pdf
EXPENDITURE AMENDMENT PRO-LARGAESPADA (showing photocopies of new digital ads for LARGAESPADA): Digital Turf media buy $4,689 on 10/13 (cumulative to date $25,124.81); Digital Turf ad production $2,000 on 10/13 (cumulative to date $25,124.81)TOTAL EXPENDITURES TO DATE: $25,124.81

CONTRIBUTIONS (as of Oct. 24, no change since Oct. 18)

Anti-Birdseye_PAC_Form_497_1.pdf
Heat @ Frost PAC, $30,000; Boilermakers PAC $30,000; Valero Svcs $14,200, all on 10/10
Anti-Birdseye_PAC_Form_497_2.pdf
CA Bldg & Construction Trades PAC $30,000 on 10/11
Anti-Birdseye_PAC_Form_497_3.pdf
CA Pipe Trades PAC $30,000 on 10/15
Anti-Birdseye_PAC_Form_497_4.pdf
NEW AMENDMENT TO 497-1: Heat & Frost $20,000 (not $30,000)
Anti-Birdseye_PAC_Form_497_5.pdf
NEW CONTRIBUTION Iron Workers PAC $30,000 on 10/16
TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO DATE: $154,200

PREVIOUSLY REPORTED EXPENDITURES (through Oct. 18)

Anti-Birdseye_PAC_Form_496_1.pdf
PRO-STRAWBRIDGE: Winning Connections calls $5,166.67 on 10/10; Valero Use of Poll $4,733.34 on 10/10
Anti-Birdseye_PAC_Form_496_2.pdf
PRO-LARGAESPADA: Winning Connections calls $5,166.67 on 10/10; Valero Use of Poll $4,733.34 on 10/10
Anti-Birdseye_PAC_Form_496_3.pdf
ANTI-BIRDSEYE: Winning Connections calls $5,166.67 on 10/10; Valero Use of Poll $4,733.34 on 10/10
Anti-Birdseye_PAC_Form_496_4.pdf
ANTI-BIRDSEYE: Digital Turf media buy $4,689 on 10/11 (cumulative to date $16,589); Digital Turf ad production $2,000 on 10/11 (cumulative to date $16,589)
Anti-Birdseye_PAC_Form_496_5.pdf
PRO-STRAWBRIDGE: Digital Turf media buy $4,689 on 10/13 (cumulative to date $16,589); Digital Turf ad production $2,000 on 10/13 (cumulative to date $16,589)
Anti-Birdseye_PAC_Form_496_6.pdf
PRO-LARGAESPADA: Digital Turf media buy $4,689 on 10/13 (cumulative to date $16,589); Digital Turf ad production $2,000 on 10/13 (cumulative to date $16,589)
Anti-Birdseye_PAC_Form_496_7.pdf
AMENDMENT TO 496-1 PRO-STRAWBRIDGE Winning Connection calls $5,413.73 (not $5,166.67) and (cumulative to date $16,836.07); Heat & Frost contribution of $20,000 (not $30,000) on 10/16
Anti-Birdseye_PAC_Form_496_8.pdf
AMENDMENT TO 496-2 PRO-LARGAESPADA: Winning Connections calls $5,413.73 (not $5,166.67) and (cumulative to date $16,836.07) on 10/16
Anti-Birdseye_PAC_Form_496_9.pdf
AMENDMENT TO 496-3 ANTI-BIRDSEYE: Winning Connections calls $5,413.73 (not $5,166.67) and (cumulative to date $16,836.07) on 10/16
Anti-Birdseye_PAC_Form_496_10.pdf
AMENDMENT TO 496-4 ANTI-BIRDSEYE: Digital Turf media buy and ad production (and cumulative to date $16,836) on 10/15
Anti-Birdseye_PAC_Form_496_11.pdf
NEW EXPENDITURE PRO-LARGAESPADA: Winning Connection calls $9,000 (cumulative to date $25,836.06) on 10/16
TOTAL EXPENDITURES REPORTED AS OF OCT 18: $25,836.06

Air Quality, Air Watch Bay Area, Benicia City Council

Constance Beutel – educational videos on Benicia Air Quality and Valero

October 22, 2018 Roger Straw

From Constance Beutel, Youtube

Benicia videographer and educator Constance Beutel has a stellar history of advocating for sustainable clean energy in Benicia. The former chairperson of Benicia’s Community Sustainability Commission recently made five short educational presentations before our City Council during the Open Comment period. The presentations are about 5 minutes each, and were videotaped, as follows below. (Don’t miss the last one, on Valero and our Benicia air!)

Air Quality – August 21, 2018

Air Monitors – September 4, 2018

Air Quality and Health – September 18, 2018

Air Quality and Benicia’s Health – October 2, 2018

Valero and Benicia

Benicia City Council, Kari Birdseye, Local elections

Two weeks from Election Day – write a letter, volunteer … and VOTE!

October 22, 2018 Roger Straw

By Roger Straw, October 22, 2018

There’s still time to help – local democracy is important!

We’re coming down to the wire… Some of us have been really busy during this campaign season. Now’s the race to the finish!

If you can, please write a letter to support your candidate. By now, you all know that my first choice for City Council is Kari Birdseye. Volunteer for Birdseye, ask for a yard sign, offer to make calls, send in another donation… and send in your mail-in ballot TODAY! And if you’re like me – I’ll see you at the polling place on Tuesday, November 6.

Still deciding who to vote for? See letters from your neighbors and friends below…

10/21/2018	Lisa Reinertson The Inconvenient Truth in Benicia
10/21/2018	Vicki Byrum Dennis An Artist for Kari Birdseye
10/21/2018	Larnie Fox Questioning Largaespada for Benicia City Council
10/21/2018	Andres Soto Benicia deserves better
10/19/2018	Jan Cox-Golovich Unprecedented special interests
10/13/2018	Constance Beutel Kari Birdseye – courage, heart and commitment
10/13/2018	Roger Straw City Records show Valero, others pooling 104,200 for negative ads
10/12/2018	Roger Straw My Life in Perspective, Climate Change and This Election
10/8/2018	Gigi Giblin For the health of our community – Kari Birdseye
10/7/2018	Bob Berman Valero trying to influence our election
10/7/2018	Jan Cox Golovich Kari Birdseye for transparent & honest local government
10/7/2018	Kathy Kerridge Kari Birdseye for City Council
10/7/2018	Mayor Elizabeth Patterson Water questions for candidates
10/7/2018	Roger Straw Valero should be ashamed and called out
10/6/2018	Susan Street Valero undermining our democratic process
10/4/2018	Larnie Fox Why vote for Kari Birdseye?
10/3/2018	Craig Snider A few thoughts on endorsements
9/30/2018	Nikki Basch Davis A clear choice for health
9/28/2018	Constance Beutel I’m voting for Kari Birdseye
9/28/2018	Elaine Eisner Informed, talented, experienced
9/28/2018	June Mejias Kari Birdseye dedicated and experienced
9/26/2018	Susan Street Misleading poll calls
9/23/2018	Steve Young Outside corporations interfering
9/21/2018	Monica Brown Birdseye for Council
9/9/2018	Pat Toth-Smith Birdseye puts safety first

SEND YOUR THOUGHTS TO THE NEWS MEDIA:

Benicia Herald, 820 First St, Benicia, CA 94510, or by email to the editor at beniciaherald@gmail.com
Vallejo Times-Herald, P.O. Box 3188, Vallejo, CA 94590, Fax: 643-0128, or by email to Editor Jack Bungart at jbungart@timesheraldonline.com.
Benicia Independent – send to Roger at rogrmail at gmail dot com.

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