Wondering about the latest updates on Point Molate?

You may have heard of the Richmond City Council’s recent decision to approve the sale of remaining parcels of land at the site to the East Bay Regional Park District. The move was widely celebrated across RPA, whose members have spent decades advocating for conscious stewardship.

According to Gayle McLaughlin, City of Richmond Councilmember and Former Mayor, “This regional park and its amenities will provide enormous environmental, cultural, historic, and recreational benefits…The historic and environmental richness of the site provides great learning opportunities, including enhancing education about the climate emergency we are all facing...This [letter of intent] LOI clearly sets the stage for an inspirational project. We are saving this land for the public.”

City Council Secures $550 Million For General Fund

Today, the Richmond City Council voted unanimously to approve a $550 million settlement with Chevron, to be paid out over the next ten years. This funding is a significant win for our community, which has experienced a disproportionate share of pollution — directly leading to a higher risk of asthma, heart disease, cancer, and other chronic health conditions.

Special thanks are due to Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) Action and the Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) Action. These organizations have worked tirelessly to ensure the Make Polluters Pay measure would pass in November — knocking on doors, making phone calls, and calling on elected officials to act.

“We look forward to working with the city to ensure that these funds are used both to meet immediate needs and to invest in a just transition that builds a future beyond oil for Richmond.” — Megan Zapanta, Richmond Organizing Director, Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) and The Polluters Pay Coalition

What Our Elected Leaders Have To Say

“I say this is a historic moment because we...the community of Richmond has created a movement that will echo across the nation. What's happened here has demonstrated to the community, to the nation, to the world, that when we as people pull together, we can create change.” — Eduardo Martinez, Mayor, City of Richmond, CA

This article was originally published on claudiajimenezforrichmond.com on August 14, 2024

Today, the Richmond City Council voted unanimously to approve an agreement in which the Chevron Corporation will pay the City of Richmond more than a half BILLION dollars in taxes over the next ten years! 

I am proud to have served alongside Councilmember Doria Robinson and Mayor Eduardo Martinez on the ad-hoc committee that negotiated the terms of this historic settlement. Our committee bargained with Chevron until they raised their initial offer of $300 million to the final offer of $550 million and agreed with us that all decisions about spending will be made by the City Council alone. This is a victory for Richmond and a testament to what people can do when we organize.

This article was originally published on melvinwillis.com on August 14, 2024

The Richmond City Council voted unanimously to approve a settlement in which the Chevron Corporation will pay the City of Richmond more than a half BILLION dollars in taxes over the next ten years. I was proud to vote in favor of this historic settlement, and in favor of the refinery tax measure that inspired Chevron to start negotiating fairly with the city over taxes. 

Topic: Expanding our Reach at RPA 

We have upgraded our office to have the ability to host hybrid meetings. And though we were going to learn how to set up that technology, our guest speaker was not available so we shifted our conversation to assess our Roundtable format, what is working well, what hasn’t worked well, and what we might do next. Our aim has been to build community at RPA and discover how our Roundtable discussions might evolve.

This article was originally published on BeyondChron on July 8, 2024

Curious about the difference between instant runoff and ranked-choice voting? RPA member Steve Early covers how different municipal election rules can result in distinct outcomes for Richmond voters. 

Why This Matters

Primaries for local elections are not backed by any recognized voters’ rights organization and are not used by the great majority (95%) of California cities. The change is not good for democracy in Richmond.

Follow RPA for more information as these two campaigns progress.

City Council Moves Critical Ballot Initiative Forward

Making Chevron and other polluting industries pay their fair share of taxes has been a cornerstone of the Richmond Progressive Alliance (RPA) since its founding 20 years ago. 

June 18, 2024, marked a bold step towards progress for our community. The "Make Polluters Pay" measure is officially on the November ballot!

By Eduardo Martinez

Earlier this month, my team and I celebrated our first month in office. I am so proud my office is fully staffed with Chief of Staff Shiva Mishek, Deputy Chief of Staff Tony Tamayo, and Policy Director BK White. We’ve started strong! Our accomplishments as of our one month in office include:

• over 250 meetings with constituents and city staff held
• over 20 applications to boards and commissions processed
• over a dozen community events attended

By Jamin Pursell

George Washington Carver 

George Washington Carver did not invent peanut butter. America has a habit of creating myths about itself that hide the actual work of black people in building America. While Carver is widely known for his work with peanuts, he did not invent peanut butter, which traces back to the Aztecs. Carver, however, is recognized for his pioneering work in promoting the cultivation of peanuts as a profitable crop for farmers and his research into the many uses of peanuts and other crops, including over 300 products made from peanuts. While not primarily known as a political figure, Carver used his position and influence to advocate for important issues, such as education and the empowerment of African Americans. He was a member of the Commission on Interracial Cooperation. This organization worked to promote better race relations in the United States, and he used his platform to speak out against racism and discrimination.

By Justine Burt

Block Island Wind Farm

California has ambitious environmental policy goals in place. By 2030, 30% of our land and waterways will be conserved. After 2035, 100% of in-state sales of new passenger cars and trucks will be zero emission. By 2045, 100% of electricity will come from renewable sources.

Closing the gap between our goals and where we are today will require millions of new green jobs. Building offshore wind turbines, retrofitting buildings for all electric, and recycling waste materials into new products are just a few examples of the kinds of projects that will build a just, equitable, resilient and sustainable future.

The Richmond Green-Blue New Deal Workforce Development Plan team is currently seeking input from Richmond residents about which green-blue projects to prioritize.