Here's something you might be interested in.
The Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee has entered the local election with big league support. According to a recent filing, county supervisor Greg Cox through Friends of Greg Cox for Supervisor 2012 gave the chamber PAC $7,500.
The committee has collected a total of $22,300. As of October 21 the PAC had spent $9,610.86 to support city council candidate Pamela Bensoussan and $4,819.86 to oppose Proposition B.
Bensoussan is a Democrat who was elected to city council in 2008. The Lincoln Club, a conservative organization, endorsed Bensoussan in 2012.
Bensoussan recently voted in favor of continuing a controversial Tourism Market District tax although the majority of local hoteliers opposed it. A 2011-2012 grand jury report found that the most of the money collected had gone to chamber of commerce salaries. County supervisor Cox, through his discretionary neighborhood reinvestment funds, gave $25,000 in start-up funds to the chamber to establish the tourism market in 2008.
In Cox's 2012-2013 neighborhood allocation budget, he dispensed $20,000 to the chamber for operating expenses. The chamber has endorsed Bensoussan as have supervisor Cox and mayor Cheryl Cox.
Chamber of Commerce PAC money was also used to oppose Proposition B.
The proposition would change the city's election system from "at large" to "by district." It would also change the run-off procedure. If the proposition passes, the mayor, city attorney, and council members will be unable to win in the primary; they will have to proceed to the general election.
Had a proposition like B been in place in 2010, mayor Cheryl Cox would have been obliged to proceed to the general election. Sixteen percent of Chula Vista's registered voters re-elected Cox in the primary.
The Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee has entered the local election with big league support. According to a recent filing, county supervisor Greg Cox through Friends of Greg Cox for Supervisor 2012 gave the chamber PAC $7,500.
The committee has collected a total of $22,300. As of October 21 the PAC had spent $9,610.86 to support city council candidate Pamela Bensoussan and $4,819.86 to oppose Proposition B.
Bensoussan is a Democrat who was elected to city council in 2008. The Lincoln Club, a conservative organization, endorsed Bensoussan in 2012.
Bensoussan recently voted in favor of continuing a controversial Tourism Market District tax although the majority of local hoteliers opposed it. A 2011-2012 grand jury report found that the most of the money collected had gone to chamber of commerce salaries. County supervisor Cox, through his discretionary neighborhood reinvestment funds, gave $25,000 in start-up funds to the chamber to establish the tourism market in 2008.
In Cox's 2012-2013 neighborhood allocation budget, he dispensed $20,000 to the chamber for operating expenses. The chamber has endorsed Bensoussan as have supervisor Cox and mayor Cheryl Cox.
Chamber of Commerce PAC money was also used to oppose Proposition B.
The proposition would change the city's election system from "at large" to "by district." It would also change the run-off procedure. If the proposition passes, the mayor, city attorney, and council members will be unable to win in the primary; they will have to proceed to the general election.
Had a proposition like B been in place in 2010, mayor Cheryl Cox would have been obliged to proceed to the general election. Sixteen percent of Chula Vista's registered voters re-elected Cox in the primary.
"When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic."
~Benjamin Franklin
The 16% of the electorate that elected Cheryl Cox Mayor did just that!
Vote "YES" on Prop B.
~Bob Castaneda
So, county supervisor Cox gives $20,000 (of taxpayer money) to help fund the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce. Then, the Chamber financially supports his wife's lap dog city council partner Pamela Bensoussan in her bid for reelection, as well as aiding the defeat of Prop B which would further democratize the way we elect our city officials. How much more corrupt can it get?
Is this in violation of any statute? A complaint or suit should be filed ASAP!
Chamber of Commerce is a gift that keeps on giving to the Coxs'. In today's mail, we received a large glossy hit-piece from the Chamber of Commerce against Larry Breitfelder in an effort to elect Pamela Bensoussan. Now we know what makes Greg and Cheryl Cox the "power couple" -- using our tax money!
It is disgusting.
We must bind together and see to it that this city has leaders with the publics interest in mind and not padding their own pockets or holding a position because they love the power! Anyone named Cox must go, Bensoussan must go, vote for anyone but them. We need Larry and Linda in seats 3 and 4. They have the people's interest in mind. They both listened to my issues. Proof? When I talked to them again weeks later, they remembered what we talked about the last time we met and asked if anything had changed.
This setup looks like a dynasty. Is the chamber of commerce nothing but a political appendage of the city's rulers? I wonder what the FPPC thinks of this money sloshing around.
I feel sorry for Greg and Cheryl. The crowns they wear are so very heavy. It must be hard work to cobble together taxpayer funds to allow their anti-community and anti-resident campaigns! In the past, Greg has spent his slush money for things like the drop hammer in memorial Park. Now, it looks like Cheryl has turned him to the dark side. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. It will be two long years before mayor Cox moves back to a school system where she will have little opposition to her views. We have to put up with Greg for a while longer. Please join the residents in voting YES on prop "B" and YES on new faces at city hall.