Chamber of Commerce CEO Announces Retirement

Bob Canter

Bob Canter, Emeryville Chamber of Commerce President & CEO, announced at the City's Economic Development Committee today he will be retiring from his position at the Chamber at the end January to seek "a new path" in his life.  In an accompanying  press release, the Chamber noted Mr Canter has been at the helm there for 13 1/2 years but, "the time to retire comes for everyone."
Mr Canter was appointed as the first-ever President and CEO of the Chamber in 2001 and he ushered in a period of growth for the 501(c)(6) non-profit corporation during his tenure.
Mr Canter told the Tattler, "The search for my replacement hasn't begun" but he said the Board of Directors will conduct a search.

Mr Canter noted he is approaching 64 years old and it is in the best interests of Chamber of Commerce and himself and his family for him to step down at this time.
Long a resident of Martinez California, Bob will relocate to northern Florida with his wife upon retirement.

Transit Center: Zombie Redevelopment Rises In Emeryville

Undead Redevelopment Agency Roaming Emeryville

Wareham Continues To Feed At Public Trough Even After The Demise Of The Redevelopment Agency

Opinion

When it comes to Wareham Development in
Emeryville, its funding source, the
Redevelopment Agency, just won't
stay dead.

Call it the government agency that can't be killed.  How else to explain how favored Emeryville developer Rich Robbins, CEO of Wareham Development, recently dealt with his corporate welfare funding problem?  That being; how can he continue to receive taxpayer money for his development proposals after his favorite milk cow, the Emeryville Redevelopment Agency was killed by Sacramento?  Answer:  If Redevelopment is dead, no matter... City Hall can be directly summonsed to fund his projects...use the Emeryville General Fund via tax increment financing, just like the long gone Redevelopment Agency.

Unprecedented
Wareham has been moving forward with its Transit Center project, a contentious office and bio tech tower on Horton Street until the Redevelopment Agency died and so now, Mr Robbins has convinced three council members, a majority, to fund the project with tax increment financing out of Emeryville's General Fund (council members Jennifer West and Jac Asher voted NO).
The way it's going to work is that the General Fund will be tapped for 12 years, for the project's tax increments, to help fund the project.  Wareham puts the money up front but no taxes will be paid by Wareham for the Transit Center for the 12 year term; all those funds that normally would be paid to the city as every other business does will be shuttled back instead to Wareham.  This is an unprecedented move by City Hall that begs the question; why should Wareham receive this public gift?  And why not any other host of businesses in town?

Since Redevelopment Agencies have been shut down by the State, for exactly this sort of abuse, now the city council majority is getting creative in how it gives this favored developer public money.
The council obviously was listening recently when Wareham surrogate and Chamber of Commerce CEO Bob Cantor recently encouraged them, "[Now that the Redevelopment Agency is gone] you have to get a little bold" in giving away public money to Wareham.
Wareham it should be noted, has been on the receiving end of many such agreements with City Hall, having received more than $4 million in taxpayer assistance over the years.  Additionally, Wareham received the entire amount of Federal grant money garnered by Emeryville for toxic waste clean-up, some $1 million, leaving other developers with toxic soils out of the loop.

"Toxic Soup Bubbling Up"

"Toxic Soup Bubbling Up"
Toxins are migrating at the
site according to Wareham...
State officials say BS
to that charge.

The council members were warned by Wareham at the November 6th council meeting that they must move quickly on this project because toxins in the soil under the proposed project are on the move.  "It's a toxic soup, bubbling up" said Geoff Sears, Wareham's point man for squeezing the council over the years. This alarmist claim goes against direct statements from the California Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC), the agency who designed the entombment of the toxins leftover from the years when it was a Westinghouse manufacturing site.  Toxins were left but a containment system including 40 foot subterranean slurry walls and an "engineered cap" were built some years ago to permanently entomb the toxins and stop their movement.  DTSC officials have said the site is safe as long as it is not opened up.
Now Wareham says the containment system is no good and Emeryville must move to approve work on the site because toxins are bubbling up.  We'd like to see Wareham defend this fatuous claim and we challenge the council to question Wareham on this.  We think this was meant to cause alarm by rube council members to wring out a better deal from them.

Irony: Wareham Won't Clean-Up The Site
After all the hand wringing from the city council about how we need to clean-up the site, Wareham now informs us they won't even do that as part of the Transit Center project.  Previously when the Redevelopment Agency was alive, Wareham intended to remove all the toxic soil but now, as part of a redesign to save money, only the top 10 feet of soil will be removed leaving the rest to be entombed under the building. A new engineered cap with slurry walls will be installed to leave the problem to another generation.

This iteration of the Transit Center with it's City Hall give-a-way is but the newest version of Emeryville taxpayers paying a well connected developer for a project of dubious public benefit.  We've already given Wareham over $4 million dollars for other projects around town and for this project we've already changed our General Plan especially to accommodate this building by ignoring our building height mandates.  As the Tattler has noted, the 'transit" part of the Transit Center is a joke; it's really just an office building with four bus bays in the lower parking area.

Readers are invited to use the Tattler's search engine by typing in "Wareham" to peruse all the stories highlighting the give-a-ways this developer has been receiving from the City of Emeryville. We say NO to opening up and putting at risk our General Fund to help Wareham once again, regardless of the interpersonal relationships that have blossomed between Wareham's Rich Robbins and City Councilwoman Nora Davis and City Manager Pat O'Keeffe.  It's a terrible precedent and Wareham has already benefited more than enough at our expense.

California has killed the Redevelopment Agency.  Let's not bring it back to life just to continue to help this politically connected developer.  Let's turn the page and move on past this kind of moribund public policy and develop our town in a more bottom up fashion.

Special Favors For Chamber Of Commerce

Six Point Indictment Against New Chamber Of Commerce/City Hall Deal

Emeryville Chamber of Commerce
CEO & Martinez CA resident Bob Canter.
He's managed to make a living
off City Hall for years.

The Emeryville Property Owners Association has issued a six point indictment of an agreement hammered out between the politically connected Chamber of Commerce and City Hall that favors the Chamber but gives the public short shrift.
City Hall is to give the Chamber $25,000 as part of the agreement, the same amount as from a previous agreement between the two entities.  The agreement is meant to support all Emeryville business interests but critics have noted the Chamber only yielded a 5% response from businesses last time, a point the property owner's group highlight.

The new agreement is but the latest chapter in an on-going attempt to prop up the Chamber, a private membership business, with public funds directed by City Hall.
The Tattler has long reported the cozy relationship between certain city council members and the Chamber of Commerce, a mutually beneficial relationship that involves City money and Chamber endorsements at election time.  Since the onset of the economic downturn, Chamber CEO Bob Canter has noted the dire fiscal straights his organization is in as he has appealed for cash from City Hall.  The city council has obliged Mr Canter's requests.

The Emeryville Property Owners Association casts itself as a more legitimate Emeryville business interest group as it represents all property owning businesses in Emeryville instead of simply those who have paid a membership fee as the Chamber of Commerce requires.  Small business interests are equally represented by the property owner's group unlike the primarily big business serving Chamber, a long time complaint leveled at the Chamber by the smaller businesses in Emeryville.

The EPOA website presents six points illustrating the latest corruption that the special relationship between the private business and public entity embodies.

Among the points the EPOA finds objectionable:

• Public money for the Chamber should not be used to hold closed door business meetings with city staff
• The Agreement prohibits the Chamber from publicly disclosing information about the city
• The Agreement requires no performance requirements, unusual for public monies
• The largest businesses in town, who don't need government assistance, are the primary beneficiaries of the work performed with money from City Hall

For the rest of the story, please click HERE.

Business License Tax: Fortnight of Back Room Deals

Residents Must Wait Two Weeks For A Decision

Will The Council Let The Citizens Decide On Taxes?  

Last night the Emeryville city council voted to postpone for two weeks, a decision over the idea of a business license tax ballot initiative so Pixar/Disney and other large corporations can have time to negotiate more advantageous back room deals with the city staff.  At Pixar's request, the 4-1 (Nora Davis dissenting) council vote gives Emeryville's largest corporations two weeks longer, after more than a year of wrangling about the issue, to lobby the staff regarding the tax raising plan.

At issue is whether the residents should be allowed to vote in November on the infamous business license tax cap; whether it should be done away with and whether the tax rate should be raised.  The tax as it is now puts a cap on taxes owed for any gross income over $146 million and is unique in the entire Bay Area.  Formerly, the city had estimated a revenue enhancement of millions of dollars annually if the cap were to be raised.
The cap now effects only three businesses in town , including Pixar.  The highly regressive tax cap has the net effect of making the small businesses in town pay much more in taxes than the largest businesses.  The existing tax rate, above and beyond the cap, is .08%; also lower than what the neighboring cities charge.

Pixar Threatens City

Should Emeryville's taxes be similar to
other Bay Area cities?
Should the people decide?

Pixar's attorney last night warned the council to "slow down" and urged them not to make a decision yet, raising concerns that the whole tax increase ballot initiative is rash and needs to be more though out, regardless of the previous year of debate about the issue in the council chambers.  Further, the specter of litigation was raised by Pixar when council members were warned that they should take a step back "before this thing becomes divisive".

'Oops, We Made A Mistake!'
Eyebrows were raised when Karan Reid, the city's chief financial officer revised the previous estimations for the city's take from a license cap lifting from millions of dollars annually to now only $152,000 per year.  This is a result of the largest businesses revisions in their reports to the city.  Apparently, now Pixar has found many exemptions and deductions to their gross income, lowering dramatically the amount they would owe in the event that the residents vote to lift the cap.  Pixar, being one of three businesses effected by the tax cap lift would presumably only owe some $50,000 according to the newly revised numbers.  One resident noted last night however if the amount Pixar would owe is now so small, why are they fighting lifting the cap so vigorously?

The Chamber of Commerce announced they are not supportive of allowing the residents to vote on the issue.  Chamber president Bob Canter told the council not to let the rabble put Emeryville at risk.  Emeryville needs to keep everything just as it is to keep and attract business to Emeryville, he said.

The issue is now to be voted on May 17th by the council so Pixar has time to push their interests in the back rooms at City Hall.

City's 'No Bid' Contract Abuse

Chamber Enjoys Council's Gravy Train 

Cronyism In Emeryville: 

Chamber Nets 'No Bid' Contract

Opinion
Consider the fortune of the Emeryville Chamber of Commerce: they produce a newspaper that calls on voters to support certain city council members for re-election and those same council members then direct the City to hire the Chamber to provide a service contract without any competition in the form of a 'no bid' contract.  Its a pretty sweet deal for the Chamber of Commerce but its also a classic example of political cronyism.

The Tattler has reported much recently about how a clause in this service contract directs the Chamber to re-start its defunct partisan newspaper but unreported until now is the fact that the entire contract is 'no bid'; granted without bidding by any service providers other than the Chamber of Commerce.

The work enumerated in the contract includes:

1. Assist with Emeryville's 'Enterprise Zone' implementation (use the Chamber's newsletter) 
2. Support the implementation of the City's Climate Action Plan
3. Assist Emeryville in business attraction, retention & workforce development 

For this work, the City is to pay the Chamber of Commerce $100 per hour, up to $25,000.

There are a host of business consultancy firms that could effectively complete this work, perhaps better than the Chamber for less money but we'll never know because the city council gave their friends at the Chamber of Commerce a no-bid contract.

Martinez resident &
Chamber President
"No Bid" Bob Canter

Chamber president Bob Canter has not hidden the fact that business is off and that the company has experienced financial stress recently.   He said he is "delighted" to receive this contract from what he calls his "friends" on the council: Nora Davis, Ken Bukowski and Kurt Brinkman.  Mr Canter expressed that council member Ruth Atkin would have voted also to grant the contract but she was absent from the December 21st council meeting. For the record, Ms Atkin also received a re-election endorsement from the Chamber of Commerce.


There are no doubt other examples of no-bid contracts extended to private companies by City Hall; perhaps some also nefarious in their scope, some probably are perfectly harmless, but its doubtful any display the appearance of abject largess as this contract granted to the Chamber of Commerce.
This is what cronyism looks like.
It's likely, if pressed, there will be strenuous denials of corruption from these council members but as in Washington with its corporate lobbing efforts netting favorable legislation, there's really no way to definitively prove any quid pro quo.

So what is reasonable for Emeryville residents to expect?
It's reasonable that the city council reverse this contract and put it out to bid to other providers, if for no other reason than to give the appearance that the game is not rigged.  When it comes to the public's money, there needs to be an extra level of expectancy addressed reasonably.  These council members ain't doing it.

In Print, 'Emeryville Connection' Dead & Gone Says Chamber

Chamber Claims It's OK To Receive Public Money: 

'Emeryville Connection' Print Version Gone, To Restart In Digital Form

In the topsy-turvy world of Emeryville politics, apparently it's A-OK for public money to be doled out to a private company for the production of an on-line newsletter nakedly assisting favored council members but a print version could be problematic.  The Emeryville Chamber of Commerce says public monies given to the organization for its newsletter to help promote certain City business does not constitute a "restart" of its formerly printed newspaper the 'Emeryville Connection'.

In response to inquiries from Councilwoman Jennifer West, The Chamber's president Bob Canter insists that the defunct Emeryville Connection, published on newsprint and "mailed monthly to every address in Emeryville", will not be restarted but instead a new on-line newsletter will be produced, maybe with a different name.  For purposes of receiving public money, that, apparently is a critical difference.

The response letter sent to Councilwoman West and forwarded to the Tattler appears to attempt to put to rest concerns that the Chamber will receive taxpayer money to further its partisan politicking displayed by the Emeryville Connection because it will not be printed in "hard copy format", Mr Canter noted.  He said that the Chamber intends on enhancing their digital communications and he stressed, "The fact is that the Emeryville Chamber of Commerce does not have, and never HAS had, any plans whatsoever to restart the Emeryville Connection in any form other than digitally".

A $25,000 contract between the Chamber of Commerce and the City stipulates that the Chamber help forward the business promotion scheme the City has started called an 'Enterprise Zone'.  The contract mandates the Chamber must, "assist with the Enterprise Zone implementation" and to  "Disseminate information about the Enterprise Zone to the business community through Chamber newsletter".

Mr Canter insists the Chamber "does not require any sort of up-front capital investment from any source" to produce the digital newsletter, however the City will, in fact pay the Chamber to do exactly that.  The arrangement provides that the Enterprise Zone promotion earmarked for the newsletter over a one year time span, combined with organizing a seminar, represents 30% of the paid contract work to be performed by the Chamber.

Apparently, president Bob Canter isn't the only one who thinks that the new digital format for the Chamber newsletter is somehow salient to the question of public money supporting a private organization's partisan politicking and influence peddling.  A city staff member who wished to remain anonymous stepped into the fray, "The contract does not include paying for the Connection", the staffer told Ms West in a letter to the councilwoman .  Mr Canter was more definitive, "NO restart of our old newspaper, period".

The Emeryville Tattler first reported the story of the public money going to finance the Chamber's newspaper in a December 27th edition.

The Emeryville Connection: Bringing Anyone Together? Not!

Who's REALLY Trying To Buy Emeryville?

Opinion
Since last week's city council vote to fund the Chamber of Commerce and their newspaper the 'Emeryville Connection' with public money, it's instructive to see just what we're going to be buying.  How far is the Chamber of Commerce willing to go with our money to make sure their candidates for city council are elected?

Below is a story from October 2007 when the Chamber endorsed Ken Bukowski, Nora Davis and Ruth Atkin for the council.  Reading the story, it is readily apparent the Chamber doesn't limit itself only to endorsing candidates, negative attack pieces are part of the agenda as well and they have not shied away from using lies in furtherance of their political goals.

The story below illustrates the Chamber of Commerce's outrage that out-of-town labor interests are behind the election of challenger Shilen Patel.  An interesting comment coming from the president of the Chamber, Bob Canter, himself an out-of-towner from Martinez. What the Chamber isn't telling Emeryville voters is that their candidates are funded almost entirely by out-of-town corporate developer interests.

The Chamber discredits the Emeryville resident grassroots campaign that Mr Patel garnered, not letting on that their candidates truly had virtually no grassroots support.

The Chamber claims Mr Patel is not qualified to be on the council since he had not sat on any committees in town.  They retell this same old concoction from Mayor Davis, heard every election cycle that only "experienced" candidates are permissible.  What they don't say, conveniently, is that only by getting in the good graces of Mayor Davis are residents allowed to sit on any committees.  It's a perfect system for getting only their preferred candidates elected.

Bob Canter thinks
Emeryville is so nice,
he lives in Martinez

Interestingly, while the Chamber of Commerce is telling readers that labor support disqualifies candidates for the city council, they fail to mention that two of their own; Ruth Atkin and Kurt Brinkman both received labor support.  Had they done so, it might have tended to discredit their oft repeated claim that those supported by labor won't work in Emeryville's interests.  At least working people live and work in Emeryville unlike the corporate CEOs the Chamber seems to love so, another fact they don't mention.

We have no problem with the Chamber of Commerce supporting the candidates they want and even denigrating those they don't (as long as they're not engaging in deception).   The problem is they should do it on their own dime.  It is dead wrong for the city council to force the taxpayers to support this naked politicking, regardless whether they think they will be helped in their re-elections by the Chamber.

The Chamber of Commerce asks the readers of the story below to investigate for themselves and then decide, knowing that without a newspaper in town virtually none will.  So we repeat; read the story below for yourself and then decide, is this really where we want our taxpayer money spent?    

Reprint from the Emeryville Connection:

WHO’S TRYING TO BUY EMERYVILLE?

October 2007

It’s no secret that it takes money – often lots of it
to run for political office, so it was no surprise
to see that most of the candidates running
for Emeryville City Council this year are busy
raising funds.

But more than the amounts raised, those who 
care about the future of our City need to 
pay close attention to the sources of the 
monetary, and in-kind help, being funneled 
to the various candidates.

Apart from our inability to endorse Shilen Patel 
for the Emeryville City Council based on his 
lack of experience, lack of community 
involvement and lack of demonstrated 
knowledge of the local community and issues 
facing it, we note something else disturbing 
about his candidacy.

Based on the latest campaign filings, as 
of September 27th, the vast amount of Mr. 
Patel’s funding comes from outside of 
Emeryville. In addition, Mr. Patel has 
received the endorsement of the Alameda 
County Central Labor Council (CLC), and 
should he be elected we believe his actions 
will be directed by outside organizations that 
do not have Emeryville’s best interests at 
heart. To quote from a letter dated September 
26, 2007 and sent to voters in Emeryville, 
the CLC is backing Mr. Patel because he 
will: “…solicit our input, listen to our ideas, 
and promote our values.” We need an 
independent-minded councilmember who will 
vote to keep Emeryville on the healthy and 
prosperous track; NOT one beholden to 
outside organizations which do not have the 
best interests of THIS community at heart. 
Accepting a huge amount of support from 
outside organizations which are looking to 
drive a stake through the economic heart of 
Emeryville is not acceptable. Other than 
incumbent Councilmember John Fricke – who 
has formally endorsed Mr. Patel and is listed 
as an in-kind contributor on Mr. Patel’s most 
recent campaign filing, we can discern no true, 
meaningful grassroots support for Shilen 
Patel from within Emeryville.

Emeryville can take care of itself. We do not 
need outside forces foisting unqualified candidates 
on the electorate. You may have already received 
a letter, phone call, or visit on behalf of Mr. Patel 
for City Council. But beware: The “Friends of 
Shilen Patel” are not friends at all – perhaps friends 
of the Central Labor Council, but not friends of 
Emeryville. Trace the money, letters and phone 
calls, decide for yourself, then decide to whom 
Mr. Patel will owe his allegiance: the Emeryville 
electorate, or his out-of-town supporters.

Post Published: 01 October 2007
Author: editor
Found in section: ViewPoint