Casino Supporters Lose in Court

"Casino developers too often make outrageous claims to win community approval. Raising false hopes about local hiring with empty promises is an insult to Richmond workers."

-Gayle McLaughlin, one of the signees of the argument agaisnt Measure U, and Mayor of Richmond [for ID purposes only]

Opponents of a casino at Pt. Molate won an important court victory Monday August 30.

Measure U on the November Ballot asks whether Richmond voters favor a Casino on Pt Molate. (The vote is advisory only). Both supporters and opponents of the Casino filed arguments to be printed in the official ballot guide all voters receive. In an attempt to get the upper hand and intimidate opponents with threats of monetary penalties Don Gosney, sued the signers of the NO argument. Gosney, an open casino supporter and building trades operative in Richmond claimed the phrases, "no guarantees of jobs for Richmond residents" and "low wage jobs" in our ballot arguments were false and misleading.

Contra Costa Superior Court Judge Barry Baskin, after hearing arguments from both sides and reviewing the evidence, denied Gosney's petition and ordered our original written arguments to remain.

Signers of the ballot arguments sued by Gosney were Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, Councilmember Jeff Ritterman, Andrés Soto, Rev. Ken Davis, and Citizens for a Sustainable Pt. Molate's Joan Garrett.

Gosney's key evidence were the unsigned "agreements." Gosney claimed the "First Source Agreement" and "Living Wage Ordinance agreement" mentioned in their proposed agreement proved the Guideville Pomos had agreed to guarantee 40% of jobs for Richmond Residents and 70% for Contra Costa residents and to pay a living wage of more than $15/ hr. Gosney also claimed the unsigned "agreements" were an indication that the Guideville Pomos "would" abide by these.

Our side showed that in addition to being unsigned, these agreements also contained numerous contract loopholes that rendered them meaningless. One loophole gives the tribe the right to hire tribal persons over any local hiring agreement and the tribe plans on calculating wages by including estimated tips as part of the workers' wages.

Judge Baskin gave Gosney's side a chance to rebut, but they could not. Judge Baskin had no choice but to deny Gosney's petition.

This victory is important because we now have an independent court decision saying the casino promoters cannot actually guarantee Richmonders casino construction or operational jobs with good wages. And this was in a case that the Casino promoters themselves chose and prepared.

Vote No on Measure U

Vote for Candidates willing to take a stand against the Casino

Gayle, Jovanka, Eduardo

For news and pictures of the campaign in the rest of the state see the ACCE web site

Why Are  Property Taxes Too High?
Because corporations don't pay their share.

May 2010 report (click here): System Failure: California's Loophole- Ridden Commercial Property Tax prepared by the California Tax Reform Association (CTRA) , in collaboration with the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE)

Sham Hearing on Pt Molate Casino Alternatives

Richmond is now going through the motions of soliciting alternative uses for Point Molate. A consultant ($50,000) is gathering and evaluating alternatives. Add to that the thousands of dollars for the salaries of city legal and administrative staffs. It is money wasted to cover the rear ends of city council people who back the casino project.

The reality of this solicitation process came through at the first workshop on Wednesday August 4.

Although the consultants were supposed to be soliciting alternative uses they made no provision for usable maps of the area. They made no arrangements for people to have access to the area. Instead they made clear that alternatives that would pass their preliminary qualifications had to show that they were "financially feasible", implying that any project had to be without city funds. As one person commented at the hearing, the criteria virtually excluded the most likely way that a large public purpose development can take place: initial seed money from public agencies working with private developers with a long term plan. Thus the process was wired so that only developer Upstream's Casino proposals would appear to pass financial tests. See the "idea" form presented at the meeting.

All proposals that were submitted would be passed on to Upstream and City staff before being submitted to the City Council. Any business plan for Point Molate that might be profitable, or at least financially feasible, or was just a good idea, would have to be submitted to Upstream for its possible use. The situation is roughly comparable to the city agreeing tentatively to accept Chrysler's bid for police cars, but telling people who like to see Ford cars considered as well, that Ford would have to submit its designs to Chrysler for consideration.

Why are we wasting city time and money on this charade? You can find the answer by watching the city council meeting of May 18.

The city did not have to extend the LDA. In fact Mayor McLaughlin had placed an item on the agenda to allow the city to begin to entertain alternative uses for Point Molate. But during the previous item on the agenda -extending the LDA for 2 months - council member Viramontes waited until public discussion was closed to make a long confusing amendment to extend the LDA for almost a year. It also created the illusion that the city was going to consider new alternatives by setting up the procedure that put Upstream in the driver's seat. Viramontes claims to oppose the casino but lately every one of her actions has been to smooth the road for it.

For more information on the issues concerning the Casino project at point Molate and alternatives see the Citizens for a Sustainable Point Molate web site.

What you can do.

Richmond residents will have the opportunity to cast an advisory vote on whether we want a casino at Point Molate on November's ballot thanks to a motion at city council by Butt, Ritterman and McLaughlin. Most important is to make sure your neighbors understand what is really going on and vote against the Casino in November.

You can also write letters or call city council members and tell them that you want a process to consider alternative uses for Pt. Molate based on balanced criteria which includes traffic, social impact, and the environment and which allows other developers to present their own proposals.

There are Alternatives

Citizens for a Sustainable Point Molate have been working on alternatives and ways of funding them. But the rules are rigged so that they can not be developed without being used by the Casino developers.

Jovanka Beckles for City Council

We will only move forward as One Richmond.

My priorities include: empowering the community to combat crime and violence by reducing poverty, creating healthy, living-wage, job opportunities, providing support for small businesses, and building unity across cultures, ages, and neighborhoods.

I have worked in Richmond for 13 years as a Children’s Mental Health provider, coordinating multi-disciplinary teams of teachers, probation officers and social workers to improve the lives of children and families. I am a small business owner, a Planning Commissioner, and a former Economic Development Commissioner. I am an African-American Latina, born in Panama, and came to the US when I was nine.

Richmond is hurting from powerful global economic changes and the failure to properly address these internationally and nationally. Courageous leaders with integrity can tackle our chronic problems of poverty, violence and despair. Employing a holistic approach, we can become the beloved community of Dr. King’s dream.

We need leaders who share our aspirations and understand our needs. We need leaders who listen and respond. With your vote, I can be one of those leaders. Because I take no corporate money for my campaign, I am accountable only to the people of Richmond.

Join me in building the prosperous, safe, and healthy city that we deserve.

Key Issues

• One Richmond :Building unity from our diversity, Bringing our communities together to solve our common problems
• A team approach to dealing with the problems at the root of youth violence.
• Rebuilding our commercial corridors, instead of encouraging shoreline commercial development.
• Developing and diversifying our economy with new green technologies and more support for small business. Helping small businesses get through red-tape.
• No Urban casinos. Make our open shoreline a Bay Area Destination
• Promoting community savings and home ownership.
• Supporting local cooperatives, land trusts, public transportation, alternative energy sources, community utilities, and urban farming.

Community Involvement

• Youth and Family Mental Health Specialist coordinating multi-disciplinary team of teachers, probation officers, social services to help troubled youth
• Planning Commissioner, City of Richmond
• Economic Development Commissioner, City of Richmond (2007-2009)
• General Plan Development Advisor, City of Richmond (2007-2008)
• Active member of my labor union
• President of the Richmond Heights Neighborhood Council (2009)
• Member, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
• Member, BMOER Blacks Mobilizing Organizing, Educating Richmond, NAACP
• 2nd Vice-President of Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA)
• Board Member, Citizens For East Shore Parks
• Member Concilio Latino and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
• Small Business Owner, Merchants Association Initiator
• Masters in Business Administration degree
• Rotarian

Eduardo Martinez for City Council

The Richmond Progressive Alliance is proud to announce its endorsement of Eduardo Martinez for the Richmond City Council in November Election. With the re-election of Mayor Gayle McLaughlin and the election of Eduardo and Jovanka Beckles, Richmond has the opportunity to elect a city council which stands for the residents and is independent of the corporations and developers who have so much power in this city. All three candidates pledge not to take any corporate or developer funds.

Eduardo is a long-time Richmond teacher, recently retired so he can serve the community in other ways. He brings to the campaign his expertise on education and ideas about how the city can help in breaking the gridlock which is destroying our public school system and threatening the future of our kids.

He is a firm believer that schools are a major part of the reputation and attraction of a city. “As a Richmond City Council member I see myself leading efforts, policies, and mobilizations that respond to Richmond’s many educational needs that are not satisfied by the School Board." The theme of his campaign will be to a make Richmond a city for children.

• Mobilizing the community to support parents and teachers to improve neighborhood schools.
• Establishing Yearly Popular Education Conventions so students, parents and teachers can be involved in setting priorities.
• Promoting a “Richmond Tutors” program, recruiting tutors, and connecting them to students.
• Supporting Adult Education and especially English as a Second Language Programs to assist immigrant families.
• Organizing “Richmond Learns from Richmond” Sharing the stories of our people.
• Bringing “El Sistema” the now world famous music program developed in Venezuela to Richmond.
• Mobilizing and working in statewide coalitions to demand that the State of California provide real aid to public education instead of dismantling and privatizing it.
• Providing expanded learning opportunities to prepare Richmond’s children for the new jobs and new economy.
• Working to bring good healthy jobs to Richmond so our children will see the possibilities of a healthy productive future.
• Demanding that industry meets guidelines that protect the air we and our children breathe.
• Finding resources for more, safer, parks and recreational programs for our children.

Eduardo can be reached at

Eduardo@eduardomartinez4Richmond.net

or his cell phone at 510-712-4934

For more information see Eduardo's website

About Eduardo

Eduardo taught in the public school system for 18 years. (Downer Elementary and Sheldon Elementary) and has been a Richmond resident for16 years.

He was the co-organizer of Richmond Area March for Education (from Richmond to Sacramento) 2004.

He serves on the West Contra Costa County Unified School District Community Budget Advisory Committee, and on the Steering Committee of the East Bay Sanctuary Committee.

Eduardo is President of the Richmond Chapter of the Mexican American Political Association (MAPA), a member of the NAACP, and a former Steering Committee member of the Parent Leadership Action Team (PLAN).

Beginning the Campaign with Direct Contact

More than 50 supporters of Gayle and Jovanka gathered at the RPA office on Saturday morning June 12 to begin the hard job of insuring victory in November. Many others, who could not make that time have volunteered to help in the campaign.

We expect Chevron and developers to put big money into trying to defeat Gayle in her bid for re-election as Mayor and Jovanka's candidacy for City Council. We all know that every issue from getting good jobs, fair taxation, getting clean air, and stopping projects like the Point Molate Casino, to getting bike paths depends on having a Council that stands up for residents rather than groveling for corporations.

Our strategy is to start early, and work hard to talk to Richmond Residents face to face.Some canvassers are taking areas in their neighborhood. We are providing packets with campaign literature, "walk sheets" based on the official registration lists and other materials. Our aim is not just to drop off literature but to have good discussions and find others willing to help in this important city campaign.

Remember--there is a direct connection between the issues we care about and who gets elected. A pro-Chevron city council could approve just about any revised EIR Chevron submit, shove a casino down our throats, and return us to the days of corrupt Richmond politics

Join Us:
Talking to your neighbors is the key to making Richmond a better place.

You can pickup materials at the office, open most afternoons and Saturdays 9-2. Or email us and we will get you the materials and walk sheets.

Appeals Court Rules against Chevron on Environmental Impact Report

On April 26 the Appeals Court rejected Chevron's main claims.
The court found that the Environmental Impact Report was indeed flawed on the issues of heavier crude and greenhouse gasses. The judges did side with Chevron on the issue of the hydrogen pipeline.

This leaves the injunction standing, the project stopped and 1200 workers not working. The environmental groups, Asian Pacific Environmental Network, Communities for a Better Environment, and West County Toxics Coalition, have demonstrated a willingness to negotiate a way to restart the project and provide for the health of the community and environmental concerns, including taking some major steps at the request of Attorney General Brown's office. Thus far Chevron has refused to budge.

For more detail see:

Press release issued by groups participating in the suit

Environmental Groups accept offer to mediate

Contra Costa Times article

Chevron’s Move to Dirtier Oil:
One Richmond Worker’s Perspective

The California State Court of Appeals ruled against Chevron’s switch to refining dirtier, heavier oil at its Richmond refinery, citing violations of state environmental laws. This is a tremendous victory for Bay Area communities.

My name is James Walker. I live in Richmond and work for a local city agency. My mother immigrated here from Sweden in 1968 and our family has been here ever since. Fortunately, we don’t live next door to the refinery, but I can still see the smokestacks from my house.

Over the course of my life, I have seen far too many children and families suffering unnecessarily from the toxics in our air. Richmond children are hospitalized for asthma at twice the rate of children in the rest of the county. All of us are suffering the consequences of Chevron’s pollution, even those of us on the outskirts.

Is it any wonder that we suffer from these health problems? Chevron is in our backyards, pumping thousands of tons of toxics into the air each year. Chevron’s refinery alone is already responsible for 90% of industrial emissions in Richmond.

That’s why several years ago, when Chevron announced its plans to expand the refinery to process dirtier, heavier crude, workers and community members joined together in protest. The proposed expansion would likely have exposed our communities to even higher levels of toxic pollution. So we made our voices heard by packing city council meetings and courtrooms, putting our stories front and center.

It’s Richmond’s working class and communities of color that are hardest hit by Chevron’s toxic emissions. Nearly 80% of people living within one mile of the Chevron refinery are people of color and the majority are working class. So it comes as no surprise that Chevron’s strategy has been to divide these communities – pitting workers against communities of color, prospective jobs against community health.

These are false choices.

How dare Chevron ask us to choose between our health and the health of future generations, a clean environment, and much-needed jobs? Which among these would Chevron executives choose? We have the right to breathe clean air.

We have the right to raise our children in a clean, healthy environment. And we commend the California State Court of Appeals for recognizing this.

Our victory yesterday shows what’s possible when workers and communities stand together and demand more of our politicians and the corporations that operate in our backyards. Together, we sent a message that Chevron cannot continue profiting at the expense of our health. It’s time for all of us to embrace a cleaner, greener future.

This victory is just the beginning. In coming weeks, I will continue to work in coalition with the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, Communities for a Better Environment, and West County Toxics Coalition toward building healthy, green communities for all. I hope you will join us.

Kick-off to Re-elect Mayor Gayle McLaughlin

About 200 people, from all parts of Richmond attended a meeting where Gayle McLaughlin announced that she was seeking a second term as Mayor. The meeting featured nationally known leaders of change, Van Jones, former green jobs advisor to President Obama, Nativo Lopez-Vigil. National President of the Mexican-American Political Association and Dr. Jeff Ritterman, vice-mayor of the Richmond. Music and poetry were provided by Richmond's Shiloh singers.

See article in Richmond Confidential

Excerpt from Gayle's speech on Youtube

Gayle McLaughlin:

"We are building a better Richmond together and in many ways. We are promoting economic development and jobs. We are fostering community peace and prevention of crime. We are building a community with social and economic justice. We are building a cleaner, greener, healthier community. And we are creating a more democratic, participatory, transparent city."

Jeff Ritterman:

"We have the people who want to work and know how to do the work. We have to restructure economic life, political life, and social life in America and that is the pathway our Mayor, Gayle McLaughlin has taken us on.

We need to change the hearts of ourselves and everyone else to build a trusting, caring, self-reliant community. And Gayle McLaughlin is the one who will lead us in that direction."

Van Jones:

"Sometimes obvious things are not said and when we have world class leadership like we have in this city doing visionary things, doing creative things that meet the moment, we don’t even recognize it.

Richmond is not the only city struggling economically. Richmond is one of the few cities that is meeting the challenge both in the short run and the long run.

Change is hard. It goes up and down. It goes backward and forward. You have good days and bad days. The only way that you will fail to get to the change and fall all the way back to despair is if you let go of your hope.

You have a hopeful leader, you have a hopeful grassroots project, you have hope in Richmond. Keep the hope alive and keep leading us into the new economy."

Van's speech on Youtube:    Part 1     Part2

Nativo Lopez-Vigil:

"There can not be immigration reform until we have Marshall Plan for working people , for African Americans, for Latinos throughout our country to make sure that everyone who wants one can have a job—a good job—and a home … not in danger of being taken by the banksters."

Nativo's speech on youtube

Part1

Part2

Interview

For more pictures see Gayle's website

For more information on the speakers and the event see RPA Newsletter-- Click here.

See Gayle's new election web site www.MayorGayle.net