By Bob Livesay Special to the Herald I have been following politics for many years. The first election I voted in was 1954. My first presidential election was 1956. I voted for Eisenhower, and he won. You had to be 21 then, and I was not 21 for the 1952 presidential election. So as you […]
Bob Livesay: Not all endorsements are necessarily equal
By Bob Livesay Special to the Herald As we approach the Labor Day holiday, the City Council election scramble starts to move very fast. Signs will be out all over town and residents can expect in-home endorsement meetings, venue meetings, mailers, newspaper ads, social media overtaken by comments and more. For this article, I will […]
Bob Livesay: Where have all the voters gone?
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 […]
Bob Livesay: ISO vote was win for voters, residents
By Bob Livesay Special to the Herald Mayor Patterson must be in shock. Why would I say that? The mayor and her gang of 12 just got the shock of their life. Their attempt to hijack the City Council meeting went down in a big defeat, that being the Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO). Backed by […]
Bob Livesay: Benicia is losing an unsung hero
By Bob Livesay Special to the Herald That unsung hero is Sue Fisher Jones. Sue is retiring as the public affairs/community relations manager for Valero and going home to Oregon. Sue was a very important part of the community of Benicia. She will definitely be missed. In her position, Sue has been very well-known and […]
John Sparacino: A model of what every mayor should be like
By Bob Livesay Special to the Herald Martinez just lost a legend. Former mayor and the first elected mayor of Martinez John Sparacino died at 93. I have known John for most of my life in Martinez and after I left to pursue my career. I would always stop by and see John at his […]
Bob Livesay: Finally, the city takes up budget
By now, you must know that I will not give up on the city budget. The mayor takes a cavalier approach to the budget. This is not new, but this time it is very serious. Mayor Patterson’s sidekick, Vice Mayor Young, seems to side– no pun intended– with he approach. Meanwhile, the three other members […]
Bob Livesay: Potential revenue opportunity for the city
By Bob Livesay Special to the Herald I would like to talk about the mayor’s favorite subject: clean air. Gov. Jerry Brown just opened the door for a very big opportunity in Benicia. It is all about revenue to the city of Benicia, which is badly needed. Gov. Brown just signed a new initiative to […]
Bob Livesay: No change in council thinking in 2018
By Bob Livesay Special to the Herald A very happy new year to all. Yes, 2018 will be a challenge for the city of Benicia. The biggest thing to look forward to is the City Council election in November. The biggest issue is water/sewer rates. Economic development will be a major issue too. At that […]
Bob Livesay: Safety is the most important duty of the City Council
By Bob Livesay Special to the Herald Tonight is the night the City Council will decide on cannabis in the city of Benicia. As a council, their most important issue is safety. When folks are looking for a place to move or set down their roots, safety is the single most important issue. The city […]