Subject: Election Influence - Follow the Money
Date: 2007-11-04
Do you know where the money is coming from to pay for flyers about the candidates? Read below (from http://beniciaelection2007.blogspot.com) for some hint. All of this information is available from public records of the campaign expenditures and contributions reports required by law.
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Notes about the independent PAC, “Benicia Local Government Accountability Coalition” that is producing some of the Attack Ads against Elizabeth Patterson:
Info gleaned from Late Contributions Report-filed 10/31/07-city clerk's office.
Total contributed to the PAC: $22,000
The four contributors are:
- Bay Area Drainage- Moraga- They have contributed $6 thousand.
- Black Diamond Electric-Pittsburg- $6 thousand.
- George Shimboff , Fairfield Water Dept. empl.,-Vacaville- $5 thousand.
- Legacy Renovations-Antioch- $5 thousand.
RED ALERT! All of them (except Shimboff) also contributed $5 thousand each just last year, Oct. 2006, to the Pittsburg City Council candidacy of Salvatore Evola, who is the V.P. of Discovery Builders and the cousin of the company's President, Albert Seeno lll.
So they are all Contra Costa/ Solano County people/businesses in the construction trade. At least 3 of the 4 contributed large sums just last year to the Pittsburg City Council candidacy of Sal Evola, cousin of Seeno lll, and V.P. of Discovery Builders. (Have they worked on some of Seeno's development projects in the past? And are they hoping to win favorable subcontracts from him through these political contributions?).
But why do these outsiders want to interfere in OUR election? And why do they want to attack Elizabeth? Do they even know Bill Whitney?
Do you suppose it has anything to do with Seeno's 527 acre Business Park that he's trying to develop on the edge of town (read all about that project at http://www.beniciafirst.org), which does not comply with the requirements of the General Plan? This past August, Whitney flip-flopped on his earlier vote, and voted to give Seeno's Draft EIR a green light, while Patterson maintained her refusal to approve the DEIR until they come back with a project that comports with the General Plan.
Who do you think Seeno favors for Mayor? Do you wonder if this money they're donating is really from their own pockets??
(These and additional details about the attack ads, the PAC that produced them, and financial contributors are available at http://beniciaelection2007.blogspot.com) |
