By Bob Livesay
In my opinion, the voters just got a big wake-up call. They will not let Mayor Paterson, Vice Mayor Young or other progressive groups make their decisions for them. The “Dear Gov. Brown” letter was the last straw. You know, that letter that says “End the issuance of permits for new fossil fuel projects”?_ This group does not care about local residents/voters, jobs, economic development, our good neighbor Valero or the future financial situation of this fine city. Get rid of Valero, and your problems are solved. No, if that is the case, it is just the beginning and the results will not be pleasant.
Is this the type of leadership on our City Council this fine city needs? A great big “NO.” It needs forward-thinking candidates with a vision for the future and the understanding of economic development as well as the future– or should I say “near future”?– financial condition of this fine city. Both of those issues must be addressed by any candidate for the 2018 council seats. Kari Birdseye, the candidate backed by progressive groups, is not the one to do that important job.
The financial situation of this city gets very difficult with every new budget cycle. Yes, we did squeak through during the last two-year cycle, but that may not be complete at this time. The CalPers yearly charge will be about $800,000 to $1 million each and every year for a number of years on top of what we are already paying.
Trying to bring both sides of the political spectrum together will not happen because the far left-leaning progressive Democrats in this fine city do not appear to want that. The steering committee of that group has Vice Mayor Young and council candidate Birdseye as members. Additionally, they are both members of the Democratic Central Committee District 2, which covers Benicia. The odds are stacked, so trying to get political unification of any degree will not happen. When all of these folks are anti-fossil fuel and against Valero, it can put the financial situation of this fine city in jeopardy. Is that their motive? All evidence point in that direction, but without a sound plan to cover any budget shortfalls. Who suffers? I can assure you the residents/voters will suffer. How are we going to pay for infrastructure when Measure C will shortly all go to keep the doors open. Services that the residents/voters are entitled to will suffer a great deal also.
I see no desire of this group wanting to work together to resolve these issues. Their only goal is to bring Valero down. They will deny that but have not shown any evidence to the contrary. The only solution is to vote them out and deny anyone they back for the City Council in 2018 and then finish the job in 2020. Patterson and Young will be up for re-election along with Councilmember Tom Campbell, if he chooses to run. This city can live with Campbell but not Mayor Patterson and Vice Mayor Young. It will be up to the voters. I do have a great deal of confidence they will do the right thing. Then we can start building for the survival of this fine city. I will be watching and writing. Stay tuned.
Bob Livesay is a Benicia resident.
Sharing is caring!
Well, Bob, I think you may be engaging in some wishful thinking. Nothing wrong with hoping for a different and better future for our community. It would be nice if the town stopped being against progress and big corporations (ie, money in the city coffers). After 40 years here, though, I doubt it can happen. It still is daunting to drive around the industrial park and see all the “Available” signs and know that no takers are likely given the town’s adamant stance against business.
Thanks for the comment “Speaker to Vegetables”. This town is not an never will be called “City of Mayor Patterson”. It still is “City of Benicia” and will continue to ,be called that. Birdseye says she is against name calling on her blog. Being labeled as something is not name calling it is political identification.., Birdseye is way to thin skinned to understand that and falls right into the anti fossil fuel and anti Valero pack. As she stated she voted against CBR and her big backer Vice Mayor Young unloaded on city staff during that long drawn out sessions. As did Mayor Patterson just do the same on City Staff, City Manager and City Attorney. I do not think that is who we want on the City Council. She has no vision and that is not name calling.
Somehow Das Mayor believes we can increase Benicia’s revenues by closing down Valero.
Das Mayor thinks Benicia will be a better place to live after it loses 50% of its revenue.
She is a financial loon and needs to be voted out immediately. But until that time, the sane voters of this town must … “RESIST”!!!