Time for a change? I feel compelled to write this letter about the water rates and outrageous maintenance charges the city of Benicia charges the homeowners who live in Benicia. In the 27 years that my wife and I have lived here, we have been subjected to pay the all-time rates this city has imposed […]
Letters: Small Business Saturday, water rates and ISO
Small Business Saturday is big for Benicia Benicia is home to dozens of unique small businesses where natives and neighbors can find antiques & collectibles, furniture & home goods, art, music & books, high-fashion & vintage clothing, hand-crafted glass & ceramics, toys for kids and pets, family-owned bakeries & restaurants, and many providers of the […]
Letter: Making enemies out of friends
Making enemies out of friends Over the past 14 years (this will end in 2020), Mayor Patterson has had great success in making enemies out of friends. Her biggest achievement on this has been Valero. You know, that refinery in Benicia that has been called by many a very good neighbor? I have to give […]
Letter: Misplaced blame
Misplaced blame The Herald published a snide ad from Valero on Tuesday, unbecoming to a corporation, stooping to accusations of our city officials who work so hard to represent the electorate and assure us that the city is governed by good stewardship. There is no need to take on our Mayor, as though she alone […]
Letters: Harold Bray and ISO
ISO town hall discussion panel tonight The city of Benicia is the only refinery town in the Bay Area not protected by an Industrial Safety Ordinance. In Contra Costa County, the Hazardous Materials Division of the Health Department is responsible for enforcing an ISO that governs the three refineries in the county’s unincorporated areas – […]
Letters: ISO and water woes
We need an ISO As a Benicia resident I found out about the May 5 Valero refinery near-catastrophic emergency shutdown and major flaring incident in real time, when I drove through the large black cloud of smoke looming over Interstate 680 which was headed directly toward the Suisun Marsh and the city of Fairfield. The […]
Letters: Submariners and ISO
Benicia needs an ISO As a long-time advocate for local measures and policies that aim to protect public health and safety, I urge everyone who shares this concern to attend the panel discussion, to be held this coming Tuesday, Nov. 14 at the Benicia Public Library, about what adoption of an Industrial Safety Ordinance [“ISO”] […]
Letters: LWV forum and ISO
Learn about open government at LWV forum Current local news and discussion is rife with concern about elected officials being “paid off” by corporate interests or wealthy donors. While our election system has some definite flaws, it does have required procedures and penalties for reporting campaign financing. Just last week, the Fair Political Practices Commission […]
Letters: ISO, cannabis and more
Why Benicia needs an ISO On Nov. 14, we all have a chance to learn more about the need for an Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO) for Benicia. At 7 p.m. there will be a panel discussion at the Benicia Library with experts from Cal/OSHA, Cal/EPA, and Contra Costa County ISO officials on why and how […]
Letters: ISO panel and kudos to Peter Bray
Come to ISO panel at Library The May 5 major flaring event at the Valero Refinery in Benicia was another indicator of the continuing need for local oversight and verification of safe refinery operations. Benicia is the only refinery town in the Bay Area without the protection of an Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO) that protects […]