Wal-Mart - Bordonaro - City Hall Connections

A Brief on the Politicization of Policy in Atascadero
for Reporters, Commentators & the Public

Both Wal-Mart and the SLO County Tax Assessor have brought major players in the Republican Party political machine into the debate over placing a Super Wal-Mart in Atascadero. Two operatives in that machine work simultaneously for Wal-Mart and the Tax Assessor's new pro-Wal-Mart advocacy group. An operative from that group and Wal-Mart's chief PR man met with top City Hall Staff in July to discuss Wal-Mart's public campaign to promote a super-store at the "Annex" project.

Individuals Involved:

• Tom Bordonaro (SLO County Tax Assessor, Central Coast Taxpayers Association [CCTA] President, former chair of SLO County Republican Central Committee and candidate for Congress).
• John Peschong (CCTA Vice-President, Meridian Pacific Partner, Cardinal Communication Strategies Partner, New Majority PAC Political Director, former chair of the California Republican Party, Republican National Committee Regional Political Director, Northwestern Bush-Cheney campaign Director and Reagan advisor with Karl Rove connections to Bill Simon's 2002 gubernatorial campaign as a peer of Ed Rollins and Lyn Nofziger).
• Paul Santiago (CCTA agent registered with Calif. Secretary of State, Meridian Pacific Account Executive, PR professional, met with City Staff 7-18-06).
• Rene Bravo (CCTA Secretary Treasurer, former chair of SLO County Republican Central Committee and candidate for state Assembly).
• Wade McKinney (City Manager, met with Kevin McCall [chief Wal-Mart PR man] and Paul Santiago [CCTA/MPI] on 7-18-06).
• Warren Frace (Community Development Director, met with Kevin McCall [chief Wal-Mart PR man] and Paul Santiago [CCTA/MPI] on 7-18-06).
• Marcia Torgerson (Assistant to the City Manager/City Clerk, met with Kevin McCall [chief Wal-Mart PR man] and Paul Santiago [CCTA/MPI] on 7-18-06).

Wal-Mart hires Meridian Pacific, Inc.

Meridian Pacific, Inc. (http://www.meridianhq.com)

• Sacramento-based Republican Party consulting company with operations in Nevada, Hawaii, California, SLO County and an office in Templeton.
• MPI runs CalRaces (http://www.calraces.com) "Insider commentaries about California politics from the principals of Meridian Pacific, a Republican political consulting firm in Sacramento."
• MPI is also linked, through Peschong, with Cardinal Communication Strategies (http://www.cardinalhq.com) "a leader in automated and live voice messaging, inbound and outbound marketing services, and Internet communications, serving both businesses and political organizations. … Specializing in automated and live telephone calls and Internet services... California's premier communications and telemarketing company since the early 1990s... delivered millions of successful phone calls to voters throughout the nation, from Presidential and U.S. Senate campaigns to City Council and Fire Board campaigns.".
• MPI is also linked, through Peschong, with the New Majority PAC (http://www.thenewmajority.com) "an organization founded on a vision of bringing a Republican majority to California... Since 2000, the New Majority has contributed more than ten million dollars to Republican candidates and causes.".

MPI Personnel:

• John Allen Peschong (Partner).
• Paul Santiago (Account Executive)

Bordonaro initiates Central Coast Taxpayers Association campaign.

SLO County Tax Assessor's new group (CCTA) mailed brochures to 10,000 Atascadero residents and launches the CCTA web site (http://www.cctaxfighters.org) promoting a Wal-Mart in town. Bordonaro signed the brochure as the "San Luis Obispo County Assessor" and wrote that "Welcoming new stores and restaurants into the community like Best Buy, Applebees and Wal-Mart will strengthen the local economy." The brochure declared that "The Annex Project is Good for Atascadero" and urged recipients to "Support the Annex Project by returning your postage paid response card today." The response card declared that, "I believe that Atascadero should have quality places to shop and eat – places like Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Applebees."

Bordonaro's "President's Message" on the CCTA web site states that, "If Atascadero were to reject Wal-Mart and the Annex, then the city would be saying no to an increased sources of revenue, jobs and other economic development."

Peschong gave an as-yet undisclosed amount of money to the CCTA (according to Bordonaro).

CCTA mailed a questionnaire to candidates running for elected office throughout SLO County inquiring about tax & land-use policy and large retailers like "Wal-Mart". CCTA contact information is located at the bottom of each page of the questionnaire. NOTE: "Fax: 805/434-0700" is identical to MPI's "Fax: 805.434.0700".

CCTA Personnel:

• Tom Bordonaro (President)
  

CCTA Personnel Not Identified on Brochure or Website:

Significant people involved in the CCTA were not identified in either its brochure or on its web site. These individuals include:

• John Peschong (Vice-President)
• Rene Bravo (Secretary Treasurer)
• Paul Santiago (Agent for Service of Process [Calif. Secretary of State Corporate Records])

Atascadero City Staff meet with Wal-Mart / Bordonaro operatives.

The final entry in the "Draft Chronology of events regarding the property at the Southeast corner of Del Rio Road/ El Camino Real" issued by the City Manager and City Attorney on 7-24-06 (http://www.atascadero.org/media/home/Del_Rio_Chronology_-_Final_Version%20_3_.pdf) reveals a 7-18-06 meeting among top City Staff and Wal-Mart & CCTA/MPI operatives regarding Wal-Mart's planned propaganda campaign: "Warren Frace, Marcia Torgerson and Wade McKinney met with two gentlemen, Kevin McCall Senior Manager, Public Affairs for Wal Mart and Paul Santiago, Account Executive for Meridian Pacific Inc. Mr. Santiago has been retained to assist Wal Mart in public outreach. ... They wanted to get information about their company out to the public and address community concerns."

To-date, the City Council and public have yet to receive any report about this meeting during any City Council meeting.