Swaying the vote

I get a kick out of the campaign season and have for the past 25 years or so. I remember a day when local, city elections were supposed to be free from political parties. Then in the early 2000s, Dan Smith (the first to do so that I remember) mentioned that the people of Benicia should vote for him because he was a registered Democrat and most people in Benicia are registered as Democrats. This didn’t gain a lot of traction at that time but similar comments have been made over the years. Then two years ago, the election for mayor brought this issue up again with someone claiming Mark Hughes was a Republican and Elizabeth Patterson a Democrat. I felt at that time and still do that this was a blatant attempt to encourage voters to make an uninformed decision in a nonpartisan race for a city. Uninformed because instead of looking at the issues and what the two mayoral candidates had to say, it was an attempt to sway people to vote based solely on a party registration.
The same type of thing is happening now. The crude-by-rail issue is settled, yet bringing up a 2-year-old issue is an attempt to sway voters’ opinion. Instead of focusing on the past, how about we focus on the present issues that the city is facing: deficit spending, rising costs associated with pensions and health care for current and retired city employees, water and sewer rates, the condition of our roads, the vastly underutilized Industrial Park with no high-speed internet? I haven’t heard anything concrete from Kari Birdseye on these issues that are current. She is campaigning door to door with the mayor trying to ride her coattails, but at what cost? Where is the money going from the water and sewer rate increases? Where is the money going to come from for the increased pension and health care costs? (Actually, this one is rather easy. We will be told we have to support a fee or revenue increase– notice I didn’t use the  word “tax” -– or city services will have to be cut: fewer police, fire, shortened library hours, etc). What will happen when the gas tax that was recently shoved down our throats is overturned in November? What about water? Is there a final accounting of the missing 25 percent we could not account for, and if so where was it going? What is the unaccounted amount now? What are the maintenance projects that we are paying for and what is the schedule for getting these projects off the ground? What is the budget for these maintenance projects? I personally don’t believe these projects will be funded as sold – the money will go to defray the pension costs I mentioned above.
Not to sound too jaded, but I believe the Progressive Democrats of Benicia is a not so subtle attempt to sway voters in the nonpartisan City Council and school board elections to vote based on party lines and not based on what the candidates’ stances are on various issues.

John McGuire,
Benicia

Hear the candidates speak

We would like to encourage Benicia residents to attend our City Council Candidates’
Forum on Wednesday, Oct. 3, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Dona Benicia Room at the Benicia Public Library, located at 150 East L St. The forum is being conducted by the League of Women Voters Benicia  and the Vallejo-Benicia branch of the American Association of University Women. The candidates are Will Emes, retired carpenter;Christina Strawbridge, small business owner and former councilmember; Lionel Largaestrada, chair of the Economic Development Board; and Kari Birdseye, chair of the Planning Commission. All four candidates will be introduced, and give an opening statement, answer prepared questions, and selected questions from the audience before giving a closing statement.Questions prepared by the League address candidates’  fiscal priorities for the city, water supply and rates, commercial development, and  environmental safety.
Mail-in-ballots will be issued beginning Oct. 9, with Election Day on Nov. 6. Come learn for yourself about the difference between candidates. Help make democracy work!
Hope to see you there!

Gayle Vaughan;
Voter Service
LWV Benicia

Follow the bouncing ball

If you follow Dr. Tom Campbell’s council career, you would know the preparation and thoughtfulness he brings to each issue.  His vote is not cast without balancing both sides and his final decision reflects the homework Tom has completed before announcing his choice.
Tom’s Sept. 19 letter was therefore especially telling.  He cast aside 47 years of Democratic registration over the travesty of three separate Solano County Democratic committee’s biased endorsements.  Tom would certainly not do this without careful forethought, and his resignation is very indicative of the direction the upcoming council election has taken.
Both Christina Strawbridge and Kari Birdseye are talented, longtime registered Democrats.  As Tom pointed out, the three groups chose to endorse only Kari, not Christina, and “dropped the ball” completely.  Why only support one candidate when two qualified women were running for the two seats available?
It is no secret the mayor and vice mayor need one more vote to promote their progressive, liberal agenda in Benicia.  I believe these Democratic groups were heavily influenced to support only their chosen candidate in Kari.  In addition, voters have been solicited to cast only one vote in the election to achieve their desired end result.
I, myself, like balance on the council.  Mark Hughes and Alan Schwartzman provided this outcome.  Dr. Campbell also allowed both sides of an issue to be considered. Now that Mark and Alan are retiring, that process is in serious jeopardy.  I urge all Benicia voters to cast two votes.  Please consider Christina Strawbridge and Lionel Largaespada, my choices in this election.  Our city has many crucial issues to address going forward and these candidates give us the best chance to keep Benicia viable across all these pressing matters.  Please consider what I believe Dr. Campbell was trying to tell us, collusion is not the pathway to proper representation.

Tom Gavin,
Benicia

The dedication of Birdseye

I have been walking voting precincts in Benicia in support of Kari Birdseye running for the City Council.  I have met so many people who feel that she will combine her dedication to the health and well-being of our city and promote positive business growth that is always vital in maintaining a city’s financial success!
I believe Kari’s experience serving as chair of the Benicia Planning Commission and her personal working business history, beyond our city, has provided her with a wide level of expertise that will benefit our citizens.
I know she will be a strong, positive representative on the council!

June Mejias,
Benicia

Why they’re in office

It’s hard to pass up the opportunity to set the ubiquitous author of a letter to the editor straight.  In his Sept. 26 letter, he ranted about the “self-appointed leader” Mayor Elizabeth Patterson.
How in the world did she appoint herself as mayor of Benicia? I believe a number of informed citizens voted for her several times to lead our city. Clearly that writer has no clue about how local governments are run or created.  Mayor Patterson did not appoint Steve Young as vice mayor. He earned that position because he got the most votes for City Council when he ran a few years ago.
How is the above a “takeover” of the Benicia City Council?
We here in Benicia are very lucky to have two informed, talented and experienced women running for the City Council; Kari Birdseye and Christina Strawbridge.  Their campaigns are positive, their donations are transparent and their intentions are to see Benicia the best it can be.
Nov. 6, my vote will be for Kari Birdseye and Christina Strawbridge.

Elaine Eisner,
Benicia

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