The Richmond Progressive Alliance (RPA) has just announced their new 27-person Steering Committee, the people who make policy and speak for the organization. Among the 27 members are four City Council members -- the majority of the Richmond City Council: Jovanka Beckles, Ben Choi, Eduardo Martinez and Melvin Willis.

The Brown Act prohibits more than three members of the City Council from meeting together and discussing public policy, which makes one wonder how this will work.

Also, reelected to the Steering Committee was Millie Cleveland representing SEIU Local 1021, the City of Richmond public employee union that has subsidized rent at the RPA headquarters across from City Hall, bankrolled the Measure M campaign and, among all City of Richmond unions, continues to receive special protection from the RPA.

All this seems pretty unseemly to me, but this is the government that voters of Richmond wanted and now have.

http://richmondprogressivealliance.net/