AES-backed political action committee Protect Redondo, NO on Measure A, Funded by Donations from AES Redondo Beach has outspent NoPowerPlant.com by a magnitude of about 10:1 to defeat the anti-power plant measure on the Redondo Beach municipal election ballot March 5.
Measure A would rezone the AES property on North Harbor Drive to a mixture of 30-40 percent commercial and institutional uses, with the remaining 60-70 percent of the property remaining open space and parkland. Passage of Measure A would require the California Energy Commission to complete a power needs assessment before approving the AES' application to rebuild the aging Redondo Beach Generating Station.
AES submitted its application to the CEC in November.
Opponents of Measure A call it an illegal taking of land from AES. If passed, the measure would lead to costly lawsuits that could possibly bankrupt the city, according to opponents.
AES is spending big bucks—it donated $200,000 to the NO on Measure A PAC between Jan. 20 and Feb. 16—to encourage residents to vote against the measure.
According to a California Form 460 filed last week by the PAC, NO on Measure A has spent $214,072.76 on campaign literature, a website, television commercials, advertising and more between Jan. 20 and Feb. 16. The money used was all contributed by AES.
All expenditures were payments to Sacramento-based public relations firm McNally Temple Associates Inc., which specializes in coordinating political campaigns.
Those payments sent to McNally Temple included $67,770 eventually spent on television advertising, $1,430 spent on advertising on Redondo Beach Patch, and $2,641.32 paid to CBS Outdoor for billboards.
A second political action committee—Redondo Beach United for a NO Vote on Measure A—received $220 in cash contributions between Jan. 20 and Feb. 16. The PAC paid its treasurer, Doug Rodriguez, $234.69 for miscellaneous campaign paraphernalia.
Over the same time period, NoPowerPlant.com spent $24,019.26 on campaign literature and lawn signs ($21,318.19), contributions to Councilman Bill Brand's re-election campaign ($212.50) and activist Jim Light's campaign for District 1 ($136.25), lawn signs and print advertising in the Beach Reporter ($1,415) and Easy Reader ($1,200).
The PAC raised $11,354.50—$4,295.50 from nonmonetary contributions—during the filing period.
For complete coverage of the March elections, visit our Redondo Beach Municipal Elections page.
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