Category Archives: Valero Benicia Refinery

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

Anti-Birdseye PAC spends another $8,400

By Roger Straw, October 30, 2018

The latest campaign finance reports posted by the City of Benicia show that the Anti-Birdseye (Texas-Valero/Labor “Working Families”) PAC has spent additional funds on the following:

  • nearly $600 on 10/25 for “Walking Cards” in support of Birdseye’s opponents, and paid to the Firefighters Print and Design here in Benicia.
  • nearly $7,800 on 10/29 for “Estimated Live Calls” opposing Birdseye and in support of her opponents, and paid to Winning Connections of Washington, D.C.

The reports show cumulative PAC totals spent:

  • For Strawbridge, $24,474.60
  • For Largaespada, $31,763.33
  • Against Birdseye, $21,432.31
  • TOTAL OF $77,670.24

Compare these totals to those spent by the individual campaigns:

  • Strawbridge campaign, $24,354
  • Largaespada campaign, $14,348
  • Birdseye campaign, $17,076
  • TOTAL OF ALL THREE CAMPAIGNS, $55,778

And the PAC still has over $100,000 to spend in this last week before the election!

REMEMBER: Corporations can throw their money around for and against candidates, but they don’t get to VOTE.  Living, breathing humans cast ballots and make all the difference.  Please vote for Kari Birdseye!

Click here to go to Kari’s campaign website, BirdseyeForBenicia.com

 

 

Benicia City Council, Local elections, Negative ads, Negative campaigning, Organized labor, Valero Benicia Refinery, Valero Services Inc.

Anti-Birdseye PAC receives another $25,000, total now $180,000

By Roger Straw, October 30, 2018

Another Southern California labor PAC for Largaespada and Strawbridge, against Birdseye

The Anti-Birdseye political action committee (PAC) filed a new contribution report yesterday.  This report shows another receipt of $25,000 on October 26.  The contributor is listed as “Building California Together PAC.”  This raises the total fund to $180,000 in stated opposition to Birdseye and in support of two of her opponents.

So who is this new outside California PAC?

The CA Secretary of State identifies Building California Together PAC as a relatively new entity, with no contributions received earlier than May of this year.  $30,000 was received in July from the Electrical Workers #11 in Pasadena and another $25,000 was received in October from California Resources Corporation of Los Angeles.  Note that California Resources Corporation is “an independent company and leading producer of oil and natural gas focused exclusively on California.”

The CA Secretary of State shows that Building California Together PAC made small contributions in Southern California races and only the one large contribution to our Anti-Birdseye PAC.

DATE PAYEE CONTEST POSITION AMOUNT
10/25/2018 WORKING FAMILIES FOR A STRONG BENICIA OTHER SUPPORT $25,000.00
10/11/2018 IBARRA FOR SCHOOL BOARD 2018, LEANNE OTHER SUPPORT $1,500.00
10/11/2018 LARA FOR ERUSD SCHOOL BOARD 2018, JOSE OTHER SUPPORT $1,500.00
10/11/2018 DINO FOR PALMDALE WATER DISTRICT 2018, VINCENT OTHER SUPPORT $1,000.00
10/11/2018 HOFBAUER PALMDALE MAYOR 2018, COMMITTEE TO ELECT STEVE MAYOR SUPPORT $1,000.00
10/11/2018 SMITH FOR PSD BOARD 2018, NANCY OTHER SUPPORT $1,000.00
10/11/2018 VELADOR FOR PALMDALE SCHOOL BOARD 2018, COMMITTEE TO ELECT RALPH OTHER SUPPORT $1,000.00
10/11/2018 WILSON FOR PALMDALE WATER BOARD 2018, DON OTHER SUPPORT $1,000.00

For previous reports of contributions and expenditures of the Anti-Birdseye PAC, see Anti-Birdseye outside money – 3 new expenditure reports.

Benicia City Council, Kari Birdseye, Lionel Largaespada, Local elections, November election, Organized labor, Valero Benicia Refinery, Valero Services Inc.

New totals for $ spent by Valero/labor’s Anti-Birdseye PAC

By Roger Straw, October 27, 2018

Reports reveal cumulative totals for Largaespada and Strawbridge, and against Birdseye

The Anti-Birdseye committee filed three separate reports with the City of Benicia on October 25, showing its expenditures through October 20, 2018.

TOTAL OF $58,857

Seems the PAC favors Largaespada as its top priority.  Buying a seat, placating Strawbridge, dumping on Birdseye.

Most interesting: all three reports show expenditures of $4,733.33 (or $4,733.34) for “USE OF POLL, Received from Valero Services, Inc. and its affiliated entities, 3400 East Second St., Benicia.”  The total of the three is $14,200 – the exact amount previously reported donated by Valero Services.  The BIG QUESTION: is this referring to data gathered in the secret and possibly illegal “push poll” conducted by EMC and Research America?  Background, see benindy.wpengine.com/benicia-will-file-push-poll-complaint-with-fair-political-practices-commission/

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…

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.