According to today’s Contra Costa Times, California Lt. Governor
John Garamendi is one of 14 persons running for the congressional seat
formerly held by Ellen Tauscher. Richmond residents should remember that
Garamendi is one of three members of the California State Lands
Commission who, despite pleas from hundreds of Richmond residents and
the entire City Council, voted against requiring Chevron to pay for the
Bay Trail gap as a condition for renewing the Chevron Long Wharf lease.
Following the vote, TRAC wrote (More
on State Lands Commission Approves Chevron Long Wharf Lease Without Bay
Trail Funding Mandate, January 30, 2009):
“The Lt Governor's questions
indicated that he thought the City of Richmond and East Bay Regional
Park District should fund the entire $13 million cost themselves.
Chevron's lobbyists had been very effective in teaching Commissioners
the ABC's, i.e. Anywhere But Chevron as a source of funds for closing
the trail gap. The Commission's priority was getting Chevron's money
now for the state's general fund.”
Garamendi is no friend of Richmond. He sucks up to big business and is
insensitive to the needs of cities. No one in Richmond, or anywhere else
for that matter, should vote to send him to Congress.
If you
would like to let Garamendi know what you think, contact him at email
info@garamendi.org or call 916-863-6881.
Contact Us
Fourteen to seek congressional
seat
By Lisa Vorderbrueggen
Contra Costa Times
Posted: 07/20/2009 07:42:08 PM PDT
Fourteen people will run in the Sept. 1 special
primary election for the opportunity to replace Ellen Tauscher in the
10th Congressional District.
The candidate slate promises a lively Democratic showdown between
California's lieutenant governor, a state senator and an assemblywoman
plus a handful of political neophytes and members of minor parties.
Despite the steep odds against success coupled with a grueling and
compressed summertime special election schedule, the large number of
candidates comes as no huge surprise.
Tauscher's departure — she was appointed Undersecretary for Arms
Control and International Security — left a rare opening in a
prestigious political office with no term limits.
Members of Congress must run for re-election every two years, but
once they survive a couple of cycles, voters rarely turn them out.
At the close of the filing deadline Monday night, the following 14
people had submitted the necessary signatures and paid the $1,740 filing
fee:
·
Democrats: Assemblywoman and educator Joan Buchanan of Alamo, state Sen.
Mark DeSaulnier of Concord; California Lt. Governor and rancher John
Garamendi of Walnut Grove; investigator Adriel Hampton of Dublin; and
economic policy analyst Anthony Woods of Fairfield.
·
Republicans: Small business owner Christopher Bunch of Fairfield;
retired law enforcement officer Gary Clift of Vacaville; businessman
David Harmer of Dougherty Valley; small
business owner Mark Loos of Livermore;
accountability system founder David Peterson of Walnut Creek; and
physician John Toth of Pleasant Hill.
· Peace
and Freedom: Office worker Mary McIlroy of El Cerrito
· Green:
Community college professor Jeremy Cloward of Pleasant Hill
·
American Independent: Insurance agent Jerome Denham of Walnut Creek
Under California law, a congressional special election is held as a
blanket primary, where all candidates appear on the same ballot
regardless of party designation.
If a single candidate receives 50 percent plus 1 vote, he or she will
win the seat outright in the special primary.
If not, the top vote-getter in each party will advance to the Nov. 3
general election.
The large number of candidates will make it very difficult for any
one candidate to collect enough votes to win in the primary.
But the 10th District is heavily Democratic, which means the top
vote-getter among the field of Democrats will become the prohibitive
favorite in the general election.
Reach Lisa Vorderbrueggen at
lvorderbrueggen@bayareanewsgroup.com or 925-945-4773 or
www.ibabuzz.com/politics. |
