No pot in Rachel’s lobby

Rachel Laing, the ex-media handler for GOP mayor Jerry Sanders who later went to work for political consultant Tom Shepard only to quit during the sexual harassment scandal of his top client, fallen Democratic mayor Bob Filner, is no longer officially a medical pot lobbyist for the “Alliance for Responsible Medicinal Access,” per a termination statement filed with the city clerk April 21. The filing says that termination was necessary “because organization registration was inadvertent.”

Be that as it may, Laing managed to make contact with 14 city officials, including councilman Scott Sherman, during her brief career as a pot alliance influence peddler, the statement shows. Meanwhile, registered lobbyist Sherm Harmer Jr. of Urban Housing Partners got an impressive $37,500 last quarter from controversial client Kilroy Realty of Los Angeles, battling irate neighbors to build its One Paseo project in Carmel Valley. Going right to the top, the veteran developer contacted GOP mayor Kevin Faulconer and Democratic councilmen David Alvarez and Todd Gloria to get his message across. City campaign-finance records show that since 2007, Harmer has given at least $20,725 to a variety of candidates, including $5000 last year to Faulconer’s mayoral bid.

Meanwhile, Assembly speaker–elect Toni Atkins has come up with $10,000 from her reelection fund for the campaign in favor of Propositions B and C, the Barrio Logan community plan opposed by military contractors and their supporters, including Faulconer. On the revenue side, the Democrat received $4000 from the Solar Industries Association California PAC.