Losing control of ferryboat operation not so bad. 

City of Vallejo will contract with lobbyists to promote its financial interests as the California Legislature completes laws to seize control of Vallejo’s ferryboat system. The lobbyists will cost the city $100,000. This means that Vallejo residents are hiring a private contractor to represent their interest to state legislators they elected to represent their interests.

For a long time, corporations and other private entities used lobbyists to promote their interests in new laws. However, when local governments use lobbyists this way, it shows a failure in our democratic procedures. When Vallejo officials spend money this way, they show little confidence in State Senator Wiggins and Assemblywoman Evans’ abilities to represent the city’s interests.  The circumstances of the state’s takeover may justify this concern. 

However, if the people must petition the government through lobbyists then citizens will receive only that government they have the money to buy. Wealthy areas that can afford to hire top-level lobbyists will prosper as they convince state government to favor them. Poorer areas like Vallejo will not be able to compete under those circumstances.  

Vallejo already suffers poor representation in state government by how the Legislature assigns senate and assembly representation to it.  By this, I mean how the Legislature weakened the city’s political powers by splitting Vallejo from other Solano County cities and not because of the person representing those districts.

Vallejo is Solano County’s largest city with about 30 percent of its population. It has regional economic interests with Solano County’s other major cities like Fairfield, Vacaville, Benicia, Suisun and Dixon. However, the Legislature placed Vallejo in the Seventh Assembly District with Napa and Sonoma County cities. Then, it placed other Solano County cities in the Eighth Assembly District with small cities from Yolo County.

Politics is about power. Money and the number of voters decide political power. Cities and counties with the most money and the biggest voting population will attract more attention to their interests. Vallejo loses in the money political power category and in the number of voters category. It is a Solano City in the Seventh Assembly District with Napa and Sonoma County cities.

Splitting Solano County into different Assembly District reduces its political power based on the size of the voting population.  Vallejo and Solano County’s weak political position made it easy for powerful people in the Legislature to yank ownership and control of the ferryboat system away from Vallejo.

It is anybody’s guess if lobbyists working for Vallejo can create a better outcome for the city as the state takes control over the ferryboats.  Unresolved issues about the state paying Vallejo for city property seized seem more a court issue than a legislative issue influenced by lobbyist. 

Vallejo officials want the city to have a seat on the proposed Bay Area Ferryboat governing board. However, I suspect the politically powerful people who created this new ferryboat authority already decided its board of governors. I doubt if lobbyist will change the intended composition of this authority. Maybe is organizers already slated Vallejo for a seat.

I do not see what the fuss is all about, except getting the value for seized property.  The state did Vallejo a favor taking control of Bay Area ferryboat service. The city should not have been in the regional transportation service, because it did not have the money or the expertise to run it efficiently.  

It made no sense for Vallejo council members to take money from the city’s general fund to support low commuter fares that did not cover expenses. Many commuters from other cities and other counties took advantage of the low fares and the council’s gift of tax money. Nevertheless, the council could not bring itself to act responsibility and set fares at the level needed to cover expenses. Soon, the new governing board will relieve them if this responsibility.  Ironically, it will probably have to raise fares to pay Vallejo for its property.

Contact Kenneth Brooks  at P.O. B 882, Vallejo, CA 94590