The New Definition of Charitable Giving

The Walnut Creek Library Foundation, the Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation, the Diablo Regional Arts Association and other similar “friends” groups are all well-intentioned, publicly-minded volunteers banding together to raise money from benevolent donors who support their cause.  Right?   That may not be the whole story.

Cindy Silva’s Puppet Show

With Mayor Kristina Lawson’s announcement that she will not seek re-election this November, the first new Walnut Creek City Council hopeful has stepped forward… Rich Carlston.  His qualifications: a career at the Regalia law firm, past chairmanship of the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce, and past campaign manager for Cindy Silva.  In other words … someone who can be counted upon to put the interests of the business and development community ahead of the neighborhoods, and someone who will vote the way Cindy tells him to.

Investing in the future ...

A San Francisco firm called BRE Properties contributed $15,000 to the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce PAC in order to get an incumbent Council woman and a Chamber-backed newcomer elected. After their candidates were elected (but before they were seated), BRE appeared at a public hearing to share their plans for a huge "transit village" project at the Walnut Creek BART station ...