Group Forms PAC to Support City Council Candidates Not Backed by Chevron

With less than two weeks until the Nov. 4 election, a group of Richmond residents and activists are mobilizing against what they say are attempts by Chevron to buy their votes. About three dozen people gathered at Richmond City Hall Thursday afternoon for a news conference and rally holding signs with the message “Our Election is Not for Sale.”

The attendees included unionized city employees, nurses, community activists and other Richmond residents who have formed a Political Action Committee called “Richmond Working Families.” The PAC was created earlier this month by the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, Service Employees International Union Local 1021 and the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, according to ACCE spokeswoman Amy Schur.

The PAC’s formation came after Chevron - which operates a refinery in Richmond and is the city’s main employer and taxpayer - poured nearly $3 million into three committees created to support longtime City Councilman Nat Bates for Mayor and Donna Powers, Charles Ramsey and Al Martinez for City Council.

The Chevron-funded PAC, “Moving Forward,” is also funding campaigns against their slate’s opposing candidates -- Tom Butt for mayor and Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, Vice Mayor Jovanka Beckles, City Councilman Jael Myrick and City Planning Commissioner Eduardo Martinez for City Council. The Richmond Working Families PAC has raised about $50,000, according to Schur. Bates has acknowledged the support he’s received from Chevron but said he isn’t responsible for how much corporations contribute to his campaign. “

The fact is, PACs under the U.S. Supreme Court have unilateral authority to spend money in elections -- I don’t make the rules,” the councilman said. He also called McLaughlin’s criticisms of Chevron over the years “irresponsible” and said his support for the oil company is for the betterment of the city.

“Whether it’s Chevron, Google or Microsoft or any large corporation who contributes almost 40 percent to your general fund, you must show respect to that company,” he said. Many residents who attended today’s rally cited the onslaught of mailers and phone calls they have received in recent weeks and the seemingly countless yard signs and billboards filled with the faces and slogans of Chevron-backed candidates.

“As a Richmond voter, I’m concerned about the amount of money that’s being spent to buy my vote,” longtime Richmond resident Leon Zhou said at today’s news conference, noting that he’s received about 20 to 30 pieces of mail from Chevron-backed candidates running for the five open seats on the City Council. “I fear these candidates will not feel accountable to regular people like myself and I fear they will not have the courage to stand up to a powerful corporation,” Zhou said. “Fortunately, we have an alternative slate of candidates.”

The PAC is supporting Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, Vice Mayor Jovanka Beckles, City Councilman Jael Myrick and City Planning Commissioner Eduardo Martinez in their runs for City Council and City Councilman Tom Butt for mayor. Many of the PAC members today noted those candidates’ efforts to pass progressive legislation aimed at helping low and moderate-income families, ranging from an initiative to challenge big banks and save Richmond homes from foreclosure to a planned hike in the city’s minimum wage and measures to regulate emissions from Chevron’s Richmond refinery.

“Richmond was once known for its high crime rates and its budget problems, now we’re recognized for our drastic decrease in crime, we’re recognized for our progressive politics,” said Stacey Wilborn, an SEIU member and city employee for over two decades. “We have a City Council right now with our progressive candidates who are running for reelection who stand behind the residents of Richmond,” she said, urging attendees to get out and vote for those candidates on Nov. 4. After today’s news conference, PAC volunteers hit the pavement to knock on doors and spread the word about the committee’s candidates.

The door-to-door campaigning will continue through Election Day, organizers said. The candidates endorsed by the Richmond Working Families are not coordinating with the PAC, Schur said.

—By Bay City News