Politically Active Unions, Politically Partisan Groups Among Early Money In Herlinda Chico's 4th Dist. Council Campaign; See Who Gave Money And How Much

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(Feb. 10, 2015) -- Politically active unions and politically partisan groups are among early contributors in Herlinda Chico's campaign to become Long Beach's next 4th district Councilmember.

Whoever prevails in the "no runoff" April 14 special election that includes candidates Daryl Supernaw and Richard Lindemann will have a co-equal Council vote with incumbents who have voted without major dissent on items including budgets (not restoring previous police/fire staffing levels for taxpayers), development (new Civic Center without seeking bids for City Hall seismic retrofit) and other policy issues (five voting to triple, three to double, size of officeholder "slush fund" accounts) affecting residents citywide.

Below are salient campaign contributions (as of Feb. 6) to "Herlinda Chico for City Council 2015." The first listed are large contributions since Jan. 1 on which "24-hour" notice is required, followed by salient contributions [that we found noteworthy] prior to Dec. 31 reported on the campaign's regular filing schedule.

[Scroll down for further.]

	Amout/Date reported	Info via filed report [bracketed material by LBREPORT.com]
District Council of Iron Workers, Political Action League	$2,000 (Jan. 27)
Angel Gonzalez	$1,000 (Jan. 27)	Political consultant, Angel Gonzalez consulting
Int'l Longshore Workers Union Local 13 PAC	$1,000 (Jan. 27)
Yvette Silva (Bell Gardens)	$1,000 (Jan. 27)	Graphic designer, Yvette Silva designs [former Bell Gardens City Council candidate]
Laborers Int'l Union of North America Local 1309 PAC (Lakewood)	$1,000 (Feb. 2)
Long Beach Lambda Democratic Club	$1,000 (Feb. 2)
Long Beach Police Officers Ass'n Political Action Committee	$2,500 (Feb. 5)
Wayne Chaney	$100 (Dec. 31)	LBFD Firefighter
John McGinnis	$100 (Dec. 31)	LB School Board member
Rex Richardson Corp	$100 (Dec. 31)
Ronald Sylvester	$100 (Dec. 31)	Producer/Director. [Mr. Sylvester is President/Board chair of the LGBTQ Center Long Beach]
Sunny Zia	$100 (Dec. 31)	Auditor, Port of LB. [Ms. Zia is a member of the LBCC Bd of Trustees]

Since the Chico campaign ended 2014 with a cash balance of $8,375.45 with unpaid bills of 940.51, then received $9,500 in large contributions after Jan. 1, our unofficial tally indicates her campaign had roughly $17,800+ cash as of Feb. 6 less some amount, not currently known, for what the campaign may have spent after Jan. 1.

As in previous races, LBREPORT.com has requested, and LBPOA's PAC has again declined to provide, the recording it made of the endorsement interview it conducted with its endorsed candidate (in this race, Ms. Chico.) In previous election cycles, LBPOA PAC-endorsed Council candidates went on to approve budgets recommended by Mayors (also endorsed by LBPOA's PAC) that have left Long Beach taxpayers with roughly 200 fewer citywide budgeted deployable officers than the city had five years ago. In September 2014, a newly elected Council majority approved without dissent a budget recommended by Mayor Robert Garcia that no longer funds LBPD's field anti-gang unit. Three current Councilmembers who joined in the Sept. 2014 budget vote -- Gonzalez, Richardson and Price -- have endorsed Ms. Chico (Feb. 10).

Ms. Chico is currently employed by the City of Commerce as a (title on city's website) media specialist and was previously an executive assistant for an L.A. business improvement district funded by assessments approved by propery owners in the industrial area between 3rd-8th streets b/w Alameda and San Pedro Sts. (east of "skid row.") Ms. Chico, who has lived in Long Beach for roughly 15 years, previously worked for 7th district Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga, moved into the 4th district in late 2010 and announced a run for the 4th district Council office less than a year later. She abandoned her 2012 run and endorsed Council incumbent Patrick O'Donnell when he pursued a write-in for a third Council term...and in December 2014, Ms. Chico began seeking campaign contributions (which appear on the campaign reports reported above) to seek the seat vacated by O'Donnell who sought and won a vacated Sac'to Assembly seat roughly two years into his Council term.

The other candidates in the April 2015 4th dist. special election, Daryl Supernaw and Richard Lindemann, have no reportable campaign contribution on file as of Feb. 10, indicating their fundraising didn't occur during the 2014 filing period or hasn't included large sums yet that require 24-hour reports at this point.

Mr. Supernaw, a long time Los Altos resident who led successful efforts to cover the detested "Atherton ditch," sought the 4th dist. Council seat in 2012. He finished first in the April 2012 initial election, with incumbent O'Donnell second as a write-in, but finished second in a June 2012 runoff with O'Donnell on the ballot and backed by organized labor and then-Mayor Bob Foster's political allies. Mr. Supernaw, a business consultant, currently chairs LB's Sustainable City Commission, an advisory body to the LB City Council on [Muni Code text] "issues relating to the environment, a sustainable city plan, efforts or programs to address environmental issues such as air quality, water quality, resource conservation relating to the protection and integrity of the natural environment..."

Mr. Lindemann is also a ballot candidate in the April 2015 special election but didn't submit a candidate statement for inclusion in voters' election pamphlets.