Chevron: Global Bandit, Local Bully

[unhappycamper]

http://smirkingchimp.com/thread/bill-berkowitz/57954/chevron-global-bandit-local-bully

Chevron: Global Bandit, Local Bully
Big Oil
by Bill Berkowitz | August 29, 2014 - 9:06am

Perhaps one of the lesser predictable outcomes of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision is that it would open the floodgates to corporations having their way in local elections. That seems to be a significant part of an ongoing story in Richmond, California, a city of a little over 106,000 residents, where the Chevron Corporation -- the city's main employer and taxpayer – is using a Political Action Committee to back a Chevron-friendly mayoral candidate, and several City Council candidates.

Although the Political Action Committee, called Moving Forward, claims it is made up of "labor unions, small businesses and public safety and firefighters associations," in reality, it is Chevron, headquartered in San Ramon, which makes its engine run. According to San Francisco Chronicle columnist Chip Johnson, Chevron is "the biggest spender on political campaigns ... set(ing) aside $1.6 million" for Moving Forward.

Johnson pointed out that "The campaign contribution limit in Richmond for both individuals and companies is $2,500, but political action committees can spend unlimited amounts of money on 'in-kind' support – money not given directly to a candidate but spent on that candidate's behalf." The Contra Costa Times' Robert Rogers noted that according to documents, "All of the (PAC's) money came from Chevron."

The beneficiaries of Chevron's contributions are "Richmond City Councilman Nat Bates, (83) who's running for mayor and Donna Powers, Charles Ramsey and Al Martinez, all candidates vying for seats on the City Council," Johnson reported.

[FreakinDJ]

1. Meh ... $1.6 Million is chump change

Chevron gave 60 times that to the community of Richmond

As part of the agreement, Chevron is also giving $90 million in money and land for community investments. The money would go to scholarships, job training and greenhouse gas reduction programs in the city. The land is a 60-acre in-kind donation of Chevron’s property, to be set aside for a solar farm.

http://blogs.kqed.org/science/2014/07/30/richmond-approves-contentious-chevron-project/