The Benicia Independent

The thoughts and comments expressed on the Letters Page belong to the authors alone, and do not represent the editorial position of The Benicia Independent.

The Benicia Independent will be happy to post views not consistent with our own editorial perspectives.

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November 19, 2007

Editor:

[Regarding your story, "Mayor Elect Patterson reflects on tomorrow's Council Meeting", 11/19/07] The problem with the Willow Glen Skate park is that many youngsters there are doing drugs. I don't know how many times we interviewed the skaters and found them high. And these kids were in their mid teens.

Of course, drug use is not exclusive to Willow Glen Skate park, and I can only wonder if the problem has just transplanted itself to the new skate park.

Les Mahler
Livermore, CA
Former Editor, The Benicia Herald

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November 19, 2007

Editor:

[Regarding your story, "Benicia Emergency Response Training Teams, 300 strong and ready", 11/19/07, by Constance Beutel] Good going, Constance. Good article. On a side note....

The Benicia Herald has never been better since a new editor took over. And it gets better every day. We're seeing so many more community related items. They've brought back the clubs and groups activity notices, it's finally showing how active the city really is. Even the layout of the paper has improved. The best thing that happened in this election is we got rid of the editor. In my opinion, he was not very good at his craft and the paper as a whole, suffered.

How is the Independent distributed? What are its goals? How will it be supported? Is it going to be a true news source? And will it be a neutral and balanced publication, or will it be pro-Patterson, delivering what basically will be just the views of her and her supporters? Do we have another "Fox News Channel" here or something a bit more balanced?

After checking out www.beniciaindependent.com/, I think I have my answer.

Art Mayoff // hopes dashed
Benicia

Editor's response: Art - Thanks for your thoughtful note. You may be surprised to learn that I agree with you about the Benicia Independent's disappointing tilt to the left. My goal is to be a more balanced publication with regard to news and opinions, although we will take strong editorial stands.

The Independent is indeed in its infancy. The momentum of recent events and the people who have supported the start-up are mostly in a certain "progressive camp," and I've had very little time to cultivate the variety of views and news stories that I hope to cover.... I am chomping at the bit for improvement, and must lecture myself to be patient. I'll not lecture you. But I will invite you to send contrary opinions or news stories, and HELP me make the Independent a second source of information for ALL Benicians.

I do not personally disparage the coverage or content of the Benicia Herald -- the Independent has a long ways to go to even come close to competing. I'd say at this point in time, competition isn't my focus. But I truly believe a town should have more than one news source, as we did in the "old days."

One last comment - although I was very much a Patterson supporter in the campaign, today's article about her reflections as Mayor-elect should not be taken as a pro-Patterson piece. She is, after all, OUR mayor-elect now, and her thoughts and agenda will be of interest to all Benicians.

Roger Straw

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November 16, 2007

Editor:

Congratulations on your effort at providing responsible news to the citizens of Benicia!

During the past few years it has been quite frustrating to me that many people in the community, who might otherwise become involved in some of the issues that concern us all, don't have a clue about what is happening in town because they find the Benicia Herald so ridiculous as a newspaper that they can't be bothered subscribing to it and reading it. Some people even send letters to the editor but don't ever follow up to find out if their letters have been published.

At this time, I would be interested if someone could write up a brief history of the Herald, focusing on the various owners/publishers - past and present - so that we can all see how it has evolved into such an exceptionally lousy paper. The quality of the Library and the Bookstore in Benicia suggest that there are a substantial number of literate, reflective people in town. But the Herald and the Magestic as a theater are hardly representative of who we are as a community - are they!

The other thing I have been hoping for is some sort of follow-up regarding Les Mahler. Indeed his weekly columns, especially regarding his illness, were a bit unusual. But he was forthright and courageous in his discussions about what was unfolding in respect to his health, and I wonder if there is some way we can include him and offer him support in the coming months.

I think you are establishing an appropriate vehicle for delivering the local news, and I hope people catch wind of it quickly and use it respectfully.

Ruth Pierce
Benicia

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November 15, 2007

Editor:

The ramifications of Attorney General Jerry Brown's speech to the "counties conference" held this week in Oakland, (as reported in the CC Times article (11/14) and reprinted in part today in the Benicia Independent) are highly significant to our own local planning endeavors.

Brown's advisories were directed to city governments as well, and they are certainly pertinent immediately to any further discussion of the draft environmental impact report (DEIR) for the Seeno business park--the "master plan" for a 25 year build-out project currently proposed for 527 acres of our northern hills.

As early as January, our new council will also be addressing the yet-to-be approved Arsenal Specific Plan DEIR, which describes future visionary development options for the next 25+ years for the lower Arsenal historic district. Amazingly, both the Seeno proposal and the Arsenal Plan invoke rosy economic scenarios that do not account for rising construction costs, energy constraints or potential effects of the climate crisis that might very likely impact such plans, even thwart their successful realization, within their plans' time-frames. This is especially worrisome since both plans are designed to bring new revenue to the city eventually.

Obviously, "costs" to the city and community of such plans have to be carefully assessed and weighed against potential benefits. But if the plans haven't been accurately assessed in the first place for "hidden costs", we, as a community are done a disservice. Thus, we're banking on entertaining significant risks if we're relying on "business as usual" models for development.

You don't have to be a professional planner or a rocket scientist to know that such plans as we are now in the process of reviewing are hatched with vested imaginations that would rather deny some of the ominous signs on the horizon that would ask of us to be more prudent (more conservative) in our forecasting.

There's no doubt that Jerry Brown, as top state legal enforcer, doesn't mean "business as usual" with regard to the uses of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Many more Californians now have heightened concern about the climate crisis and the prospect of conventional oil supply depletion (energy constraints) and the real -time economic and social impacts that can shudder through entire communities with devastating and chronic effects. According to scientists, we don't have time anymore to talk 'til the cows come home if we're going to meet the monumental challenges civilization everywhere now faces.

The best place to begin making relevant changes is at the level of municipalities and local government, where public attention provides reckoning and demands immediate accountability. Strengthening CEQA through enforcement of new state requirements is what Attorney General Brown is promising he'll do. As Brown sees it, the only way to get significant greenhouse gas emissions reductions by 2050 is to actually require counties and municipalities to comply with state law: thus, to adapt and update general plans and any other envisioned master-plans to conform to new mandates to protect the climate and reduce energy consumption. Cities in California, across the country and all over the world have begun to assess their "carbon footprints", and CEQA is a law that allows us to evaluate impacts of newly proposed developments accordingly.

Right now, the Seeno project as described in the draft EIR not only fails our current General Plan on 67 counts, but the so-called 'master plan' can be given an "F" for mostly dismissing or ignoring any responsibility toward energy conservation, respect for ecology of the area, and "smart" green design principles. The Seeno project would absolutely fail the Attorney General's tests under CEQA. Now it's our responsibility to ensure that our General Plan is updated, to get "sustainability criteria" described and in place, to provide up-to-date policy guidelines that conform to tough new state mandates for greenhouse gas reductions. It's our job to assess Benicia's carbon footprint and develop options to "green" Benicia. This could be accomplished in the context of taking a fresh new look at our General Plan, whose overarching guiding principle goal is "sustainability". We can't bandy about that word without understanding its ramifying meanings in light of what science is now telling us about our future prospects... The new council, with public support, can turn a new leaf.

Marilyn Bardet
Benicia

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[Editor's note: the following letter was submitted and published here on November 11. Certain errors were corrected by the author, who resubmitted the letter today as follows.]

November 14, 2007

An open letter to Benicia Chief of Police Sandra Spagnoli:

I'd like to ask chief of police Sandra Spagnoli if it's now the policy of the Benicia Police Department to arrest, book and transfer to the Solano County Jail in Fairfield, anyone walking past a business in Benicia?

According to Joe Kearns, an Elizabeth Patterson for mayor supporter, that's exactly what happened to him on Election Night. Or, is it that certain politicians, who are in bed with the rank and file in the Police Department, have that much sway over Benicia's finest?
According to Kearns, he had noticed Albert Seeno and Sal Evola going to a second-story business off First Street. While he admits he wanted to videotape them either going in or coming out, he said he never got that chance. Instead, Joe Kearns walked past Realtor Richard Bortolazzo's secondary office, which Kearns said was next door to a friend's music store. After visiting for a few minutes at the music store, Kearns said he left and again walked past Bortolazzo's office where he had earlier seen Seeno and Evola going in.

Kearns said in both instances, going up and back, the blinds were drawn so as to block any view of those inside. If that's the case, how could he be arrested for being a peeping Tom? If you're a peeping Tom, doesn't that require someone inside seeing Kearns peer through the window? How could they see him if the blinds were drawn?
Yet believe it or not, an hour and half after he left the music store and was with Patterson celebrants, he was arrested based on the identification of a woman sitting in the dark of a police cruiser. What's more amazing is that Benicia's finest were having a difficult time deciding on an arrest. And it took all the available police cars (four) in Benicia to do so.

To make matters worse, Kearnss wasn't just arrested, cited and released. Nope, once again Benicia's finest, perhaps under the direction of a certain politician, had Kearns transported to the county jail in Fairfield where he was held on bail. And the reason? "We don't want any more trouble," was the response Kearns said he got from the arresting officer.

Drug offenders and drunken drivers are routinely cited and released in Benicia, why was Joe Kearns treated like a felon on Election Night after merely passing by a business? Why wouldn't you provide Joe Kearns an explanation when he spoke to you from the holding cell at the Benicia Police Department? I think it imperative that you, as the representative of the Benicia Police Department, make public the police report regarding the arrest of Joe Kearns on Tuesday, Nov. 6, for disorderly conduct.

Mr. Kearns saw Albert D. Seeno and his cousin Sal Evola, an executive with Seeno's Discovery Builders, bringing in and eating pizza in the Real Estate Office of Richard Bortolazzo. Mr. Kearns thought this might have been a newsworthy event as Bortolazzo was a big supporter of Whitney for Mayor and Strawbridge for the Benicia City Council. The Seeno companies have a major project that will be decided by the Benicia City Council. Joe Kearns and others called local media to report on the meeting. When questioned by the Benicia Herald reporter, Evola, who's from Pittsburg and a member of the Pittsburg City Council, claimed his name was Neal and that he had just voted in Benicia's election. He didn't have to be truthful with the reporter, but it seems strange he would use this particular subterfuge, doesn't it?

Was Joe Kearns a peeping Tom? Of course not, after all, all he did was walk past the business without looking in. Did Joe Kearns do anything inappropriate? Unlikely, but if so, just what had he done? Don't you, Chief, owe the community an explanation? I think so. In fact, I demand you provide, immediately, a full explanation of this arrest. I, like other Benicia residents, merely stroll past businesses all the time. Suddenly, that's become a crime? Please provide our citizens with the laws which were broken in this case. Let us know how we must act so as to not be arrested as we shop in downtown Benicia.

George Delacruz
Benicia

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November 12, 2007

Hi friends,

Would you like to see the antiwar movement expand into a widespread (and very visual) mass movement? The monthly Iraq Moratorium campaign has the potential to trigger such a national response - IF people hear about it and learn how easy it is to participate.

This Friday, Nov. 16, is the third Moratorium Day in the nation-wide monthly Iraq Moratorium campaign. (It is a Third Friday recurring event which began on Sept. 21). It is a national grassroots movement that is gaining momentum and spreading through communities across the country with the goal of encouraging very broad based public displays of opposition to the war in Iraq on the third Friday of each month until the occupation is brought to an end.

The only suggestion is for people everywhere to wear a black ribbon on the third Friday of the month (or a black armband, or black clothing), and to commit to taking some action, either individually or in a group, to spread this movement and convey to the government your opposition to a prolonged continuation of the U.S. presence in Iraq (the action can be as simple as passing out more ribbons and calling Congress).

This simple campaign provides an opportunity for busy Americans to easily participate in a national mass action and to make a visible statement for peace each month.

Below is a description of what a group of us in Benicia plan to do this Friday (we have already done this on the two prior Moratorium days, with positive responses).

I heartily invite you to come down to First and D St. for 15 minutes this Friday and join us if you can!!

............................................

November 16, Benicia

Iraq Moratorium 15-Minute Vigil at Noon at First St & D. St., (outside of Kinders), Benicia

(Try to wear black ribbon, or armband, or clothing); During the 15-minute vigil, we will hold IM signs, & provide ribbons, Congressional call sheets, & flyers to pedestrians.
Later, those who wish may gather with us to call or write Congressional offices.

Contact: beniciavallejo@hotmail.com
Sponsored by http://www.solanopeaceandjustice.com

................................................

You can read more about the Iraq Moratorium Campaign, find other events, and other creative ways to participate, at these links:
http://www.iraqmoratorium.org
http://www.iraqmoratorium-sfbay.org/faq/faq.htm

PLEASE, If you can’t join us at First St. & D St. this Friday, PLEASE consider calling Congress on that day if possible to demand they take BOLD action to end the war (cut off the funding!! the only way to force them to bring the troops home).

Here are some handy phone numbers:
Rep. George Miller, 202-225-2095 (Washington DC); 925-602-1880 (Concord); 707-645-1888 (Vallejo)
Senator Diane Feinstein, 202-224-3841 (Washington DC); 415-393-0707 (S.F.)
Senator Barbara Boxer, 202-224-3553 (Washington DC); 415-403-0100 (S.F.)

(P.S. One way to create a black armband is to cut off the top of a black sock!)

Norma Fox
Benicia

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November 12, 2007

[In response to Les Mahler's letter of Nov. 10, below] I am really surprised that there haven't really been more hue and cries about the sacking of the editor of the Benicia Herald. In my small mind this is really a First Amendment of the Constitution violation and wonder why more people and organizations haven't stepped up to help. Freedom of the press is very important in this country and it is one of the things which keeps our civil society going and somewhat honest. We can cancel our subscriptions and that only denies us a local printed newspaper, which may be on the way out anyway. But it doesn't take care of the basic problem, which is freedom of the press. Is something being done locally legally to preserve our freedoms?

Mary Frances Kelly Poh
Benicia

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November 11, 2006

Editor:

The veterans who attend The Vigil at Military West and First (every Thursday afternoon 4-6pm) are all unbelieving that congress chooses to ignore our entreaties to end this disastrous war. We also deplore our detractors (across the street) who feel we are lacking in patriotism. Is it wisdom to sacrifice our treasure,our young, to the folly of a war fostered by lies? We want our children home now, not in a body bag or coffin.

Matthew Silverman
WWII Veteran, Weekly participant in the Benicia Vigil for Peace
Vallejo

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November 10, 2007

Editor:

First, I wanted to say congratulations to Elizabeth Patterson for winning the mayoral race. I know how hard-fought the victory was, and how gratified many of you are with the final results.

I only regret that I could not have been there to lay the newspaper to bed declaring Patterson the winner. Unfortunately, as many of you know, things happened and I was removed as editor of the Benicia Herald.

Throughout my 10 months at the Benicia Herald, my goal was to make it into a newspaper that reflected the special quality that is the town and its people. Sadly, some people just didn't want to see that happen. I'm not talking about the naysayers, the small minority who trashed me in the Herald and also on BeniciaNews.com.

For now, I'm dealing with my health; it's my No. 1 priority. I'm trying to take it easy, rest and work on hopefully, keeping this cancer in abeyance as long as possible. Although I've been told that I will eventually die from this cancer, I'm not dead yet. There's still a lot of life in me and I don't expect to go very easily.

After my disability ends, I plan to continue in journalism. Funny, I thought after my nightmare with the Benicia Herald, I would walk away from journalism. But I believe that there are still so many stories to be told, and through journalism I hope to tell them all, or as many as I can.

By the way, just to let you all know, my firing made CBSNews and Publisher's and Editors blogs as well as a few other journalism blogs, and the Peninsula Press Club web site. One thing that's true about journalists, we stick together. And we honestly believe in ethics. Also, because the story went national, it might be hard to find a replacement. After all, the word has gone out that the Benicia Herald is nothing but bad news. If they find a replacement, and they eventually will, I hope the new editor stays true to the Benicia Herald being a community newspaper and doesn't buckle under management's rule. If that person does, it's up to the readers and the community to force change. After all, it really is your community newspaper. It serves the people of Benicia, not the advertisers. Without the readers, the advertisers wouldn't advertise. If you allow it to revert to what it was in the past, you have no one to blame but yourself. Force the change.

Take care and thanks for everything.

Les Mahler
ex-editor,
Benicia Herald

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November 7, 2006

A few notes about the election…..

One, it seems evident that all releases, bulletins and letters from Benicia First must be copyrighted, lest their content be pirated by Seeno and/or its various satellite companies and/or its various candidates for use in political campaigns. It is true that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but surely humility alone would dictate that we forego the honor.

Two, and related to One, any reasonable interpretation of BLGAC’s last mailer, containing Whitney’s fervent plea to Whitney not to vote on Seeno until Whitney takes office as Mayor and his eloquent commentary on Benicia’s hills and small town ambience makes imperative his immediate elevation to the office of Mayor of Benicia First.

Three, the after election comments of the Seeno officers, as reported in the Herald, regarding their clearly non-partisan effort to do a little telephoning simply to help Benicia get out the vote reveals an admirable altruism and dedication to grass roots democracy found seldom in such organizations. Coupled with Evola’s point that Discovery Builders clearly did not get involved in the election and had no dog in this hunt, he noted that some family businesses did set up a pac, which appears to have been BLGAC which did put out hit mailers. This conclusive documentation that Discovery Builders, the family businesses and Bill Whitney were floating in quite separate universes also documents a rather remarkable, almost startling, eagerness to underestimate the intelligence of the citizens of Benicia.

Jerome Page
Benicia

November 5, 2007

Reporting more expenditures by the Political Action Committee BLGAC (so-called "Benicians for Local Government Accountability Coalition") on 11/4/07:

Just checked the financial statements on the city website.
(As of 3PM today)
New reports have been posted for Ben. Loc. Gov. Acct. Coalition:

No website. Small time operator, just happens to have $5k to throw at an unknown race in Benicia .
Also new expenditures on 11/4/07 of $11,662 -- in support of Whitney and oppose Patterson.

Has anybody called these contributors and asked them if the know the candidates? And Who invited them to contribute?

I read with much interest Norman Koerner’s article letter in the Benicia Herald on Sunday November 4, 2007 claiming to lay out the “facts” on Amports operations in Benicia. He claims to have “visited” with an official from Amports. I must ask three things: Just who is Norman Koerner? What is his connection to Amports? And which supposed official of Amports did he speak with? I believe these are questions that need to be answered if we are to get an objective review of Koerner’s knowledge of Amports business practices and how it acquired the Arsenal.

In going over the so called “facts” Koerner lays out, I found nothing that could be called the truth. I found half truths and a general twisting of the truth by someone who quite obviously has a connection to Amports, and by someone who did no research but says he relied on statements from an alleged official of Amports. Mr. Koerner, I wrote each and every one of the articles laying out the actual facts regarding the lack of a Port Tax, which I think would solve many of Benicia’s financial woes. I researched the articles I wrote. The documentation I have is very clear and none of Koerner’s unobjective hyperbole will change the facts. Amports should pay a Port Tax on each and every car or ton of freight it loads or unloads at the Port of Benicia! Every other City with a Port has a Port Tax, why not Benicia?

November 5, 2007

Reports turned in to the City Clerk as of Friday, Nov. 2, showed that three PAC committees had spent a total of $57,000 in out of town money (so far) in our election.

In addition to the outside money poured into our elections by the independent PACs, keep in mind that Council candidate Scott Strawbridge received $64,400 in contributions, of which $61,000 was from out of town (95%), mostly from trade unions and some corporations.

An additional $15,200+ in out of town money was contributed to the other candidates.

Thus, the total out of town money contributed to candidates for Council and Mayor was over $76,200.

Add to that the total of $57,000 in out of town money (so far) spent by the three independent PACs.

Total spending so far in our election = $194,000; over 2/3 ($134,000) from out of town (69%).

"This is about whether a small town can own its own elections or whether outsiders own our elections." (Elizabeth Patterson, CCTimes article, 11/4/07)

(I had sent this letter into the Benicia Herald by 11:28 a.m. on Friday, [11/2/07]. It wasn't printed on Sunday, so I'm certainly glad we now have an independent press in town, thanks to you, Roger!)

Whenever people get involved in local politics for the benefit of “the greatest good for the greatest number”, democracy is strengthened, better decisions can be made and better solutions found. Leadership can become a shared responsibility, not the exclusive right of a few power-brokers. What we do in our town truly matters. This is a time like no other: according to NASA scientists, global warming is real, and they know by multiplying evidence, especially, the alarming rate at which the Greenland ice-sheet is currently melting. Our way of life IS contributing to climate change. All across America, we're learning that it can’t be “business as usual”.

So, right here in River City, when we’re talking about ways to reduce energy consumption, let’s imagine a city-wide local conservation initiative that goes beyond the first step of screwing in energy-efficient light bulbs at City Hall. If we’re talking about “filling pot holes” let’s try to forecast the true costs of re-surfacing our roads in 5 years or 10—beyond our two-year budget cycle. If we’re talking about SEENO, a 25-year project currently proposed for a business-as-usual business park and commercial strip mall along I-680 and East 2nd, let’s envision a project whose “carbon footprint” answers the challenge-- a project, therefore, that doesn’t invite thousands of commuters driving 50 miles for jobs here, with more cars clogging up our freeways and city roads.

Valero agreed in 2003 to install a $40 million sulfur scrubber on their main stack--the first to be installed by a refinery in California, thus to comply with the Clean Air Act, to filter out the greater amounts of sulfur that will result from processing dirtier types of crude oil (what’s now available on the market). I’ve learned another scrubber is now planned for a second stack; certainly, this is a good faith effort by Valero that anticipates further regulatory obligations of a major polluter. Similarly, it’s our job to find ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions city-wide, to encourage and increase use of local public transit, bicycles, and walking in town. There is so much to be done and so many people with good ideas, talent and know-how who can help make a difference. We’re all in the same boat together, yet we need leadership that is awake to the challenges ahead--a leader thinking ahead about all the possibilities and alternatives.

Why not imagine “greening up” Benicia, so that our city shines as an example in Solano County and beyond? Why not attract green tech businesses here for an outstanding "green business park"?

So, imagine leadership in this crucial decade: elect the candidate for mayor who embraces the pre-eminent challenge of our time as she looks ahead right here, with the knowledge and professional experience—and heart in Benicia’s community—to lead. Elect Elizabeth Patterson for mayor!

November 4

Here's another one: how is it that the police and fire unions/orgs/workers----are able to so entwine themselves in local politics?

isn't there some decorum rule on employees behavior?

The more the p.d. and fire people get involved, the less respect I have for them.

at a "car wash" benefit the fire department did at Raley's a couple years ago, a guy approached the car to see if I wanted to whatever---and I told him: you messing with our city politics turns me off totally.

today a county sheriff person called about donations to a something or other---and I told the woman that the p.d. messing in local politics turns me off their projects totally. I cannot support such rabble rousing----------so why are we tolerating this?

For me: the more the p.d. union supports it, the less I care to.

if we havent got a rule, we need one.

even worse----when it's the p.d. and fire from Vallejo! and if it is from Vallejo----why doesn't the sign say so?

Is Bill Whitney running scared or what? On Friday, I received a despicable flier criticizing Elizabeth Patterson for an alleged run in with one of her neighbors.

This is another of those last minute hit pieces the recipients of large corporate donations are known for and it points out exactly why we don’t want Whitney in any elected capacity. How inappropriate to falsely allege that Elizabeth can’t get along with anyone. It just doesn’t compute. Elizabeth Patterson is one of the nicest, most ladylike, elected officials I have ever met.

Please, make your mark for Elizabeth Patterson for Mayor of Benicia. She will help us put a stop to these obscene corporate payoffs to our City Council.

I see there are a number of reader comments posted now in the benicianews.com Forum. Should get interesting.

But this online Forum is so hidden, nobody would ever see Whitney's repudiation by just going to www.benicianews.com .
If Whitney really wanted the (few) people who read BeniciaNews.com to see it, he couldv'e easily posted his message in a 'Citizen Jounalism article' that would have appeared on the home page....

Anyhow, the Ethics Ordinance that the Council passed (Chap. 1.36, Title 1), and the Fair Campaign Practices Pledge that they signed, requires them to: 'immediately and PUBLICLY repudiate in the media any support deriving from any individual or group which resorts, on behalf of my candidacy or in opposition to that of my opponent, to the methods and tactics which violate this code.' (He know this HIDDEN and seldom read online forum is NOT what the ordinance and pledge means by PUBLIC!)

Let's see if he IMMEDIATELY and PUBLICLY repudiates the hit pieces in the print NEWSPAPER(s) by Sunday. If his repudiation doesn't post in the print newspapers, he can split legal hairs all he wants, but in the eyes of the common sense voters, he's in violation of the intent of the Ethics Code and Pledge that he signed.

The first hit piece was in mailboxes on Friday morning. He should've submitted his repudiation on Friday to both VTH and BH. It could've printed in VTH on Saturday, but it's not there (at least not in the online VTH paper).

If it doesn't print in both papers by Sunday, we should send out a very big HOWL, exposing his pretense, and call him down for noncompliance with Ethics Code - (that he so heartily approved last March). (Contact newspapers, email networks, post story in BeniciaIndependent.com , and BeniciaNews.com, etc., file legal complaints, etc.)

How about that piece of Whitney trash that came in the mail today. It can't be responded to in time in the Herald The Whitney disclaimer won't be read in the Benicianews com by a tenth of the recipients.

I told Bill at the CAC event that he should be careful with whom he allowed himself to be "lumped in mailers". i.e. Strawbridge and Iokemedes. He said something about these mailers reaching many residents. He later stopped by my table and thanked me for the input. If he is to be believed, today is the result of giving up pieces of one self to expedience and ultimately to tyranny.

I am so glad we have a clear choice in Elizabeth

Beverly Sherman
Benicia

To Whom It May Concern;

My wife, Joan, and I have often openly criticized the collusion, corruption, and strong-arm tactics of individuals and businesses, large and small, who have opted to usecoercion to obtain concessions in order to gain unwarrantedfiscal gain. The expose of the recent debacle at the BeniciaHerald is only one of a myriad of attempts by moneyedinterests to corrupt the democratic, political process.

We would like to go on record that we oppose such unscrupulous tactics and forward our support for a free and independent press which appears, initially,to provide an alternative forum for a free and uncorruptedlocal press for this wonderful community called Benicia.

You may quote the above statements when- and whereverare necessary to counter the implications of the recentevents at the Benicia Herald, especially if it may influenceBenicia citizens as they go to the polls this coming Tuesday.

In all sincerity,

The Rev. Richard and Joan von Grabow
Benicia CA residents

Benicia Election will set the direction of the Seeno Project and the Future of Benicia

A major issue facing Benicia in the year ahead, is the Benicia Business Park (also known as the Seeno Project because it is owned by developer Albert Seeno). Important decisions will be made by our future City Council regarding the scope and direction of this project. Yet many Benicians still do not know much about this project.

To get a thorough overview of the Seeno Project, as well as citizen concerns regarding the project as currently proposed, I recommend a visit to the Benicia First! Website at: http://beniciafirst.googlepages.com or simply, http://www.beniciafirst.org

At that site you will find a link to the Environmental Impact Report of the currently proposed project, a slide presentation, and other related documents.

Then, to get a sense of where the various Council and Mayoral candidates stand on this issue, I suggest a visit to the Benicia League of Women Voters website, where you can view the entire Oct.6 Candidates Forum online and see the candidates’ responses to how the city should proceed with the proposed Seeno project (as well as other issues): http://www.lwvbenicia.org

Don’t rely on second hand opinions, or deceptive campaign literature; these decisions are too important for the long term future of Benicia! Go see and decide for yourself.

Bill Whitney, one of the councilmen who has been pushing the Seeno Project, has sent out a fascinating mailer. In a remarkable display of what money and advertising can produce, Mr. Whitney is portrayed as Benicia’s stalwart rendition of a Sierra Club’s David Brower, a bulwark against the environmental excesses and potentially unfortunate impacts of, well, gosh, of the Seeno Project! That it was his vote that moved that flawed draft environmental impact report and the project ahead, over the strong objection of his opponent for mayor, Elizabeth Patterson, is a reality that the designer was unable to fit into that mailer. A Benician awash in outside campaign propaganda can be forgiven for confusion. But a Benicia that succumbs to that engineered confusion and fails to recognize and support Elizabeth Patterson in her long-standing battle for development that enhances our lovely town could awake after the election to great regret.

Bulletin: As I was just finishing this letter, my wife handed me todays installment of what huge infusions of outside money can do to warp elections; four (4!!) Whitney mailers, including two hit pieces on Patterson in one day, to join yesterdays sickening piece. Three of these again by the “Benicia local government accountability coalition,” which, as noted below is neither local or, in any real sense, accountable.

What is looking increasingly like the biggest election heist by outside money in Benicia history is underway. Whether this is successful or not is dependent on whether it is publicly exposed before election day. Isn’t this a major story? Candidates Whitney and Strawbridge, thanks to that money are papering this town with daily mailers, sometimes two a day, three from Whitney yesterday. The latest to hit us is a hit piece against Patterson, petty and inconsequential as to issues, but a personal attack. This paid for, hold your hats, by the “Benicia Local Government Accountability Coalition”, which quite logically has no Benician or Benicia group in its membership. Essentially it appears to be funded by contractors.

In all of Strawbridge’s huge contribution list largely from individuals and groups outside Benicia, in the group above, in the huge labor contributions from outside Benicia, there is, of course, not one dollar from Seeno. Just an outpouring of money from contractors and unions deeply concerned with getting a Mayor and Councilman who will respond to the poignant plea Benicians addressed to Bill Whitney (in his words), “Bill, protect our hillsides, open spaces and small town flavor, keep a close and critical eye on the Business Park Project and help take care of our kids.” !

That Whitney has been one of those pushing this project; that his was one of the crucial three votes that advanced the Draft EIR, in spite of its major inadequacies and conflicts with the general plan, and that he recently sought in an election debate to reassure Benicians that, after all, this Seeno project will take twenty years to reach full buildup, is now buried in this avalance of mailers. The morphing of Whitney from Chamber of Commerce booster to the new Friend of the Earth and protector of the young over the past six weeks has strangely enough paralleled the success of the effort to highlight the dangers of the Seeno project. Even the very language is borrowed! One would be forgiven for assuming that Whitney was one of the founders of Benicia First.

But after such an election, funded by these obscene amounts of money, what can we anticipate?

What a disgusting piece of campaign mail I received today (Friday). The Good Old Boys apparently feel so threatened that they have resorted to swift-boating Elizabeth Patterson.

Those enormous posters around town touting three candidates who claim to have the endorsements of the BFD and BPD are what - supposed to threaten us into voting for Hughie, Dewie and Louie? As a citizen police volunteer when I was younger, and as a present member of BERT, I yield to no one in respecting our police officers and fire fighters in their professional capacities.

BUT, I doubt that they got together as Benicians and held serious debates over which candidates would protect the voter-approved General Plan, or provide clean and open government, or encourage the right businesses and jobs for Benicia.

It is an established fact that the police are gamely functioning in a 1940's high school annex. I was a BHS senior in 1945; the police have had to use what were the practice cubicles in our band room as prisoner holding cells, for lack of proper facilities. They are obviously seeking a friendly ear, but the rest of the citizenry deserves equal consideration for the welfare of the general populace.

The mayor of a city is responsible for advancing programs to benefit all residents equally. Elizabeth Patterson is beholden to no special interests, and promises to be such a mayor.

Editor,

Benicia is in the final days of an intense and expensive election, and many citizens are frustrated about the lack of in-depth news articles exposing the sources of the enormous amount of outside special interest money that is flooding our town in these last days. Many are also concerned about the recent suspension of the Benicia Herald editor and the chilling effect that has had on full public information about this issue.

To address this constriction of information, a group of citizens have been monitoring the campaign finance reports (including reports from the candidates and from the independent PACs) and we will be posting their articles and letters on a daily blog at: http://beniciaelection2007.blogspot.com

Citizens are invited to check it out and inform themselves about how much of the money in our election is coming from the actual voters, where all this special interest outside money is coming from, and who they're backing.

The Benicia Independent Letters Page

The Benicia Independent

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