Bob White strikes it rich

California Strategies and Advocacy, founded by Bob White, the nattily attired top aide to Pete Wilson during the latter’s rise from San Diego Assemblyman to mayor of the city and then on to the United States Senate and governorship of California, has being doing very well for itself in the halls of the state capitol. Last week the Sacramento Bee reported that the firm, known fondly among political insiders as Cal Strats, was number eight on the list of California’s top ten lobbying firms, with a gross of $1,792,146.

Though only about half the size of top lobbyist KP Public Affairs at $3,508,620, the White firm’s Sacramento haul was still impressive, drawing from a well-moneyed clientele, including Tesla Motors, Lennar Homes, Accenture, and the National Football League, among others. The money White’s crew made lobbying the state legislature doesn’t include cash pulled in elsewhere, including the city of San Diego, where a July 31 quarterly lobbying disclosure filing shows the company got $15,000 from giant apartment investment manager Aimco for influence peddling regarding extending its lease on Point Loma property owned by the San Diego Housing Commission, as well as “issues regarding Broadway lofts located at 1007 5th Avenue,” including “noise, traffic, and parking.”

Among other San Diego clients were national rental car giant Enterprise Holdings, which is seeking “maintenance of rental car tax/fees at current rate.” The company also wants to be allowed to “bid on [a] car sharing program within City limits,” and needs to take care of “code compliance for Enterprise facility located at 1691 Hancock Street between Bean Street and Emory Street.”

Kilroy Realty, the Los Angeles outfit that spread lots of money around San Diego’s lobbying community during its battle over North City’s One Paseo complex, paid Cal Strats $15,000, as did paramedic vendor Rural/Metro, and Airbnb, the San Francisco firm that is fighting with the city over short term rental regulation. In addition, White’s company got $12,000 from LaSalle Hotel Properties of Bethesda, Maryland for lobbying on behalf of lease extensions for the Hilton Mission Bay Hotel and the Paradise Point Resort Hotel nearby.