In part 1, Get to Know Your Local Northshore Land Speculators, March 13, 2010, we detailed how a prominent Marin family is holding undeveloped Northshore property for speculation under the name JHS properties and has contributed nearly $10,000 to four City Council members who are the staunchest supporters of shoreline development.

In Northshore Stew Continues to Boil, March 14, 2010, we responded to an outraged Josh Genser, a principal in the Richmond Development Company that shares ownership of what the Richmond Planning Department calls the “JHS Property.”

Richmond Development Company also invests heavily in the Richmond City Council, having donated:

• $2,500 to Maria Viramontes
• $2,500 to Nat Bates
• $2,500 to Jim Rogers
• $2,500 to Ludmyrna Lopez

In addition, Josh Genser personally donated $2,500 to Jim Rogers.

Combined with the donations of JHS Properties, that makes a whopping $21,250 donated to the same four shoreline development supporting City Council members from the owners of a 26-acre, undeveloped shoreline property. That’s nearly $1,000 per acre and more than even the total that most candidates raise from all sources for a City Council race.

Once again, I am not suggesting that any City Council member would be influenced by this, because I know they are all independent thinkers with the City’s best interests at heart. This is not about City Council members; it is about land speculators and the way they use money to protect their perhaps ill-conceived development plans.

There is an interesting article in today’s Contra Costa Times headlined “Poll reveals deep suspicion of money's political influence.”