Friday, December 14, 2018

Most East Bay Cities Rejected Bridge Toll Hike, But Their Politicians Supported It

Bridge tolls on seven Bay Area bridges will increase by one dollar on January 1, 2019.  Voters in the vast majority of East Bay cities and every Solano County city opposed the bridge toll hikes in the Regional Measure 3 (RM3) election in June 2018.  RM3 diverts much of the revenue that East Bay and Solano drivers will pay to places like Santa Clara County, where few drivers use toll bridges.  The working class in the East Bay and Solano County will pay for projects in the wealthy Silicon Valley.  Nevertheless, many East Bay and Solano County politicians voted against their constituents' interests and supported RM3.

Alameda County: Although Alameda County voted in favor of RM3, voters in just six of the county's fourteen cities supported RM3.   Voters in seven Alameda County cities opposed RM3.  The six cities supporting RM3 are all clustered in the northern portion of the county: Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland, Piedmont and Alameda.  RM3 lost in all five southern Alameda County cities: San Leandro, Hayward, Union City, Newark and Fremont.  RM3 also lost in all three eastern Alameda County cities (Livermore/Amador Valley): Dublin, Pleasanton and Livermore.  A majority of the county's five supervisorial districts voted no on RM3.

Contra Costa County: RM3 lost resoundingly in Contra Costa County.  It lost in all four of the county's subregions: West County, Central County, San Ramon Valley and East County.  Voters rejected RM3 in fourteen of the county's nineteen cities, including Richmond, San Pablo, Pinole, Hercules, Martinez, Pleasant Hill, Concord, Clayton, Danville, San Ramon, Pittsburg, Antioch, Oakley and Brentwood.  Just five Contra Costa County cities supported RM3: El Cerrito, Orinda, Moraga, Lafayette and Walnut Creek.

Solano County: Voters throughout Solano County thoroughly and wholeheartedly rejected RM3.  Countywide, RM3 won just 30 percent Yes, with a resounding 70 percent voting No.  RM3 lost in every city and in every supervisorial district.  RM3 won less than one-third of the vote in every jurisdiction.  In Vallejo, RM3's strongest city, it won just 32.5 percent Yes votes.  Yet, as discussed before, many Solano County politicians disavowed their voters' wishes and supported the bridge toll increase.

East Bay and Solano County Politicians Who Endorsed RM3 Bridge Toll Increase Whose Constituents Voted No:

The following East Bay and Solano County politicians endorsed RM3, but their constituents voted NO:

Congressman Mike Thompson: YES on higher bridge tolls; all cities in Solano County and Contra Costa County in his district voted NO.  Benicia: 75% NO. Hercules: 63% NO. Martinez (citywide): 59% NO.  Pinole: 61% NO. Vallejo: 68% NO.

Congressman Eric Swalwell: YES on higher bridge tolls; his Alameda County constituents voted 57% NO.  Voters in Dublin, his hometown, voted 55% NO.  Every city in his congressional district rejected higher bridge tolls.

Congressman Ro Khanna: YES on higher bridge tolls; his Alameda County constituents voted 57% NO.

State Senator Bill Dodd: YES on higher bridge tolls; the voters of his district rejected RM3 with a more than 60% NO vote. His Solano County constituents voted 70% NO.  RM3 lost in every city in Solano County and every city in Contra Costa that is in his district.  RM3 lost in Rohnert Park in Sonoma County with 55% NO.  RM3 lost in American Canyon in Napa County with 63% NO.

State Senator Bob Wieckowski: YES on higher bridge tolls; the voters of his district rejected RM 3 with a 51% NO vote.  His Alameda County constituents voted 57% NO.  RM3 lost in all Alameda County cities in his district.  Voters in his hometown of Fremont voted 56% NO.

Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry: YES on higher bridge tolls; the voters of her district rejected RM3 with a 52% NO vote. Her Solano County constituents voted 70% NO and her Sonoma County constituents voted 50.2% NO.

Assemblymember Tony Thurmond: YES on higher bridge tolls; voters in his hometown (Richmond) voted 52% NO.  RM3 also lost in the communities of San Pablo, Pinole, El Sobrante and Hercules in his district.

Assemblyman Bill Quirk: YES on higher bridge tolls; his constituents voted 57% NO.  RM3 lost in all cities in his district.  Voters in Hayward, his hometown, voted 57% NO.

Assemblyman Kansen Chu: YES on higher bridge tolls; his Alameda County constituents voted 57% NO.

Alameda County Local Elected Officials Who Endorsed RM3 Whose Constituents Voted NO:

Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty: YES on higher bridge tolls; his constituents voted 57% NO.  RM3 lost in every city in Supervisor Haggerty's district.

Alameda County Supervisor Richard Valle: YES on higher bridge tolls; his constituents voted 58% NO.

Dublin Councilmember Arun Goel: YES on higher bridge tolls; Dublin voted 55% NO.

Fremont Vice Mayor Rick Jones: YES on higher bridge tolls; Fremont voted 56% NO.
Fremont Councilmember Vinnie Bacon: Fremont voted 56% NO.
Fremont Councilmember David Bonaccorsi: Fremont voted 56% NO.

Hayward Councilmember Elisa Marquez: YES on higher bridge tolls; Hayward voted 57% NO.
Hayward Councilmember Marvin Peixoto: Hayward voted 57% NO.
Hayward Councilmember Mark Salinas: Hayward voted 57% NO.
Hayward Councilmember Francisco Zermeno: Hayward voted 57% NO.

Union City Councilmember Emily Duncan: YES on higher bridge tolls; Union City voted 57% NO.

Contra Costa County Local Elected Officials Who Endorsed RM3 Whose Constituents Voted NO:

Contra Costa County Supervisor Diane Burgis: YES on higher bridge tolls; every city in her district voted NO. Oakley, her hometown, voted 70% NO (the strongest NO vote among East Bay cities).

Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia: YES on higher bridge tolls; three of the four cities in his district voted NO.  Richmond voted 52% NO.

Contra Costa County Supervisor Federal Glover: YES on higher bridge tolls; every city in his district voted NO.  Pittsburg, his hometown, voted 61% NO.

Antioch Councilmember Tony Tiscareno: YES on higher bridge tolls; Antioch voted 64% NO.
Antioch Councilmember Monica Wilson: YES on higher bridge tolls; Antioch voted 64% NO.
 
Brentwood Mayor Robert Taylor: YES on higher bridge tolls; the people of Brentwood voted 62% NO.
 
Clayton Councilmember Julie Pierce: YES on higher bridge tolls; the people of Clayton voted 61% NO.

Concord Councilmember Carlyn Obringer: YES on higher bridge tolls; the people of Concord voted 60% NO.

Danville Mayor Newell Arnerich: YES on higher bridge tolls; the people of Danville voted 56% NO.

Hercules Mayor Chris Kelley: YES on higher bridge tolls; Hercules voted 63% NO.
Hercules Councilmember Gerard Boulanger; Hercules voted 63% NO.
Hercules Councilmember Roland Esquivas; Hercules voted 63% NO.
Hercules Councilmember Myrna De Vera; Hercules voted 63% NO.

Martinez Mayor Rob Schroeder: YES on higher bridge tolls; Martinez voted 59% NO.
Martinez Councilmember Noralea Gipner: YES on higher bridge tolls; Martinez voted 59% NO.
Martinez Councilmember Mark Ross: YES on higher bridge tolls; Martinez voted 59% NO.

Pittsburg Mayor "Pete" Longmire: YES on higher bridge tolls; Pittsburg voted 61% NO.
Pittsburg Vice Mayor Salvatore Evola: YES on higher bridge tolls; Pittsburg voted 61% NO.

Pinole Councilmember Tim Banuelos: YES on higher bridge tolls; Pinole voted 61% NO.

Pleasant Hill Councilmember Michael Harris: YES on higher bridge tolls; Pleasant Hill voted 56% NO.
Pleasant Hill Councilmember Matt Rinn: YES on higher bridge tolls; Pleasant Hill voted 56% NO.

Richmond Mayor Tom Butt: YES on higher bridge tolls; Richmond voted 52% NO.
Richmond Councilmember Jael Myrick: YES on higher bridge tolls; Richmond voted 52% NO.
Richmond Council Candidate Cesar Zepeda, President West County Democratic Club; Richmond voted 52% NO.

San Pablo Mayor Genoveva Calloway: YES on higher bridge tolls; San Pablo voted 58% NO.

San Ramon Councilmember David Hudson: YES on higher bridge tolls; San Ramon voted 57% NO.
San Ramon Councilmember Philip O’Loane: YES on higher bridge tolls; San Ramon voted 57% NO.

Napa County Local Elected Officials Who Endorsed RM3 Whose Constituents Voted NO:

Napa County Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza: YES on higher bridge tolls; his constituents voted 51% NO.

Napa County Supervisor Belia Ramos: YES on higher bridge tolls; her constituents voted 54% NO.

Napa County Supervisor, Ryan Gregory: YES on higher bridge tolls; his constituents voted 51% NO.

American Canyon Mayor Leon Garcia: YES on higher bridge tolls; his constituents voted 63% NO.

American Canyon Councilmember Mark Joseph: YES on higher bridge tolls; his constituents voted 63% NO.

American Canyon Councilmember David Oro: YES on higher bridge tolls; his constituents voted 63% NO.

Solano County Local Elected Officials Who Endorsed RM3 Whose Constituents Voted NO:

Solano County Supervisor Erin Hannigan: YES on higher bridge tolls; her district voted 66% NO.

Solano County Supervisor Jim Spering: YES on higher bridge tolls; his district voted 69% NO.

Solano County Supervisor John Vasquez: YES on higher bridge tolls; his district voted 69% NO.

Fairfield Councilmember Rick Vaccaro: YES on higher bridge tolls; the people of Fairfield voted 69% NO.

Suisun City Mayor Pete Sanchez: YES on higher bridge tolls; the people of Suisun City voted 71% NO.

Vallejo Councilmember Pippin Dew-Costa: YES on higher bridge tolls; the people of Vallejo voted 68% NO.

Sonoma County Local Elected Officials Who Endorsed RM3 Whose Constituents Voted NO:

Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore: YES on higher bridge tolls; his district voted 51% NO.

Cloverdale Council Vice Chair Carol Russell: YES on higher bridge tolls; the people of Cloverdale voted 51% NO.

Rohnert Park Councilmember Gina Belforte: YES on higher bridge tolls; the people of Rohnert Park voted 55% NO.

Rohnert Park Councilmember Jake Mackenzie: YES on higher bridge tolls; the people of Rohnert Park voted 55% NO.

Windsor Mayor Bruce Okrepkie: YES on higher bridge tolls; the people of Windsor voted 54% NO.

Windsor Councilmember Debora Fudge, SMART Chair: YES on higher bridge tolls; the people of Windsor voted 54% NO.

Windsor Councilmember Sam Salmon: YES on higher bridge tolls; the people of Windsor voted 54% NO.

Windsor Councilmember Mark Milan: YES on higher bridge tolls; the people of Windsor voted 54% NO.