The 2008 City Council election is rapidly shaping up as a contest of the titans between the old establishment and the harbingers of change.

The establishment – the Chamber of Commerce (a surrogate for Chevron), the Council of Industries and Chevron itself are solidly behind re-electing Bates, Marquez and Sandhu. These are the three incumbents who marched in lockstep to approve flawed permits and agreements for the Chevron project, dismantled neighborhood participation in design review and rejected openable windows for City employees. They have also joined the Council of Industries and Chevron in opposing Measure T, the manufacturing tax that could raise $26 million a year to pay for streets, crime prevention, law enforcement, job training and parks in Richmond. I guess Bates, Marquez and Sandhu don’t think we need these things.

The September-October newsletter of the Chamber of Commerce editorializes against Measure T and lauds those Councilmembers who approved flawed permits and agreements for the Chevron project. Included in the newsletter are flyers opposing Measure T and supporting Bates, Marquez and Sandhu. The flyers tout Bates, Sandhu and Marquez as supporting “business” while other candidates would “hurt Richmond’s economic development by raising taxes and creating unnecessary government red tape that will drive businesses and the good jobs they create form our community.” What do Bates, Sandhu and Marquez know about business? They have never worked in business; they all had careers as public employees.

The Measure T flyer has false and unsubstantiated statements in that are outright lies. For the truth, see Mythbusting Measure T, September 17, 2008.

The flyers are paid for by “Committee to Oppose Measure T” and “The Committee for Quality Government,” both run out of the San Francisco Sutton Law Firm, 150 Post Street, Ste. 405, San Francisco, CA 94108, (415) 732-7700, fax: (415) 732-7701, email: jsutton@campaignlawyers.com.

The Sutton Law Firm is not a real law firm; it specializes in fronting for corporations and organizations who don’t want to be identified in political campaigns. Some of its clients include Committee on Industrial Safety (an industry group), Comcast, Cox Communications, Mattel, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and the San Jose Chamber of Commerce. They played the same role in the 2006 Richmond election (see http://www.tombutt.com/forum/2006/061019a.htm). The form’s namesake, Jim Sutton, is Past President of the California Political Attorneys Association.

Tell the Sutton Law Firm to butt out of Richmond’s business. Simply click on “reply to all,” and tell Jim Sutton to stop peddling lies in Richmond and let us run our own election based on facts and truth.