Valero & Its “Progress for Benicia” PAC Should Play Fair in Benicia’s Elections!
It’s time for Texas-based Valero and its PAC to play fair in Benicia’s elections, but they are back to their old tricks.
Benicians deserve clean air and clean elections.
CHECK THE FINE PRINT
As political activity ramps up in the 2022 Benicia City Council election, it is essential Benician’s pay attention to who is sending them what, and why.
What does Valero want?
Why is Valero supporting certain candidates over others?
Why is Valero using misleading ads and tactics to confuse Benicia voters?
Benicians for Clean Elections as a group does not want Valero to shut down its Benicia Refinery and we have nothing against its hardworking staff.
We just want Valero out of our elections.
MISLEADING ADS IN 2022
In late October 2022, Valero’s local PAC sent thousands of unsuspecting Benicians large mailers that support its preferred candidates, Lionel Largaespada and Christina Strawbridge. These mailers featured big pictures of Mayor Steve Young and Vice-Mayor Tom Campbell.
The inclusion of these photos is misleading because they imply Mayor Young and Vice-Mayor Campbell endorsed Largaespada and Strawbridge, when they did not endorse either candidate. (They both endorsed opposing candidates Kari Birdseye and Terry Scott.)
This ad was so misleading that one benefiting candidate felt compelled to issue a statement to help Benicians get the facts straight! Read more . . .
How can I tell if it’s from Valero?
As of September 1, 2022, Valero is the sole funder of the most recent version of the “Working Families” PAC, which is named “PROGRESS FOR BENICIA” this year.
This means that if the ad, mailer or phone call is from the “Progress for Benicia” PAC, it was mostly paid for by the Texas-based Valero Corporation.
So how can you tell who sent you which pieces of political mail, who paid for the call you received or how you got a targeted political online ad? Read more . . .
Yet again, Texas-based Valero Energy, a major corporation worth more than $40 billion and raking in record-breaking profits from high gasoline prices, has poured at least $200,000 into the innocently named
“PROGRESS FOR BENICIA” PAC, previously known as the
“WORKING FAMILIES” PAC.
Why? If recent mayoral and City Council elections are any guide, to persuade Benicians to elect Valero’s preferred candidates for Benicia City Council.
So far Valero’s PAC has already spent more than $54,000 on this one small election!
Valero’s massive spending is legal, but it is also unfair, undemocratic, and unwelcome in Benicia. Read more . . .
Our request is very simple.
We respectfully request that Valero:
dissolve their variously named PACs; or
at the very least, follow the same spending and ethical rules that every other Benician business and resident respect.
Until we have that promise, elections in Benicia will never be fair or clean. Read more . . .
What does Valero want?
We Benicians are tired of this Texas-based, multinational corporation's massive spending on our elections and history of unfair campaign tactics, including misleading attack ads, misrepresentation of candidates’ records and photo manipulation.
Why is this Texas-based corporation worth more than $48 billion and ranked #30 on the Fortune 500 list trying so hard to influence your vote? What does it want? Read more . . .