Vote No on Richmond Measure P
When Rent Control and Just Cause was placed on the ballot by the RPA in 2016, it was titled Richmond Fair Rent, Just Cause For Eviction and Homeowner Protection Ordinance. The “Homeowner Protection” part was a sop to small landlords renting out single family homes to...
Final Dispatch from Japan – Part 5 Kyoto
We spent all day Friday in Kyoto, taking a few local trains but mostly walking some 7 miles. We started with the Arashiyama Sagano Bamboo Path, which is a park with a bamboo forest where the bamboo is as much as 4-6 inches in diameter, tightly spaced. The path...
Dispatch from Japan – Part 4, Nara and Kyoto
On Thursday morning, we were driven from Hakone to Odawara Station where we caught the bullet train to Kyoto. I first rode this same train in 1970 (http://www.tombutt.com/pdf/letters%20home.pdf, pages 126-131). It’s amazing that the Japanese have had this for some 60...
Dispatch from Japan – Part 3, Tokyo and Fuji
In a word, Tokyo is – overwhelming. Trina, Demnlus, Shirley and I spent the day with our guide on subways and over 5 miles of walking. Tokyo is spotless. The trains are clean and always have a place to sit. I did not see a single homeless person. Everyone is either...
Dispatch from Japan, Part 2, Back to Tokyo
Sunday was the big festival day, and Shimada seemed like Mardi Gras. There was not a parade in the traditional sense but instead a variety of performances along the main parade route and side streets. There were two types that we saw. One consisted of “floats” used as...
East Bay Times Richmond Endorsements
I’m not sure anyone reads the East Bay Times anymore because there is rarely any Richmond news in it, if any news at all. Dan Borenstein does the endorsements, and he did a pretty good job except for District 2. He recommended Cesar Zepeda over Andrew Butt for the...
Richmond Races -Voting Starts in One Week
I will leaving tomorrow to lead a delegation from Richmond to our sister city, Shimada, Japan, to participate in the Shimada Obi Festival, so this will probably be my last political post until the middle of October. I have already provided my voting recommendations...
Santa Fe and Point Richmond Neighborhood Councils Forum
The following was provided courtesy of Don Gosney: On Monday the 3rd of October the Santa Fe and Point Richmond Neighborhood Councils hosted two candidate forums. One was for the District 2 seat on the City Council and the second was for the Mayoral race. Here are the...
PRNC Candidates’ Forum and Debate
A last minute reminder that this evening between 6 and 9 there will be a face to face gathering of candidates at the Washington School Auditorium (entrance on East Richmond Avenue). The evening will be divided between the two District Two candidates for City Council...
City Manager’s Weekly Report for the Week Ending 09/30/2022
You can view the current City Manager's Weekly Report here: City Manager's Weekly Report 09/30/2022
Dispatch from Japan -Part 1, Shimada
The purpose of a Sister City relationship is to exchange information, arts, culture, resources and assistance between the two cities. The City of Richmond has established three Sister City relationships: Shimada, Japan in 1961; Zhoushan, China in 1993; and Regla, Cuba...
Takeaways from MCE Retreat
Yesterday was the annual MCE Clean Energy Board Retreat where staff and board members reviewed progress, achievements and challenges. Richmond was the first MCE expansion city outside Marin County, and I have represented Richmond on the MCE board for a decade. I...
LWV/KCRT Candidate Forums
Courtesy of Don Gosney, here is the link to the forums for Richmond Mayoral and City Council candidates hosted by the League of Women Voters and KCRT: MAYORAL FORUM https://youtu.be/9P-f6nAVe_A The video for the Council forum will be forthcoming. As of 8:11 AM,...
Richmond’s Next Mayor
In less than six weeks, Richmond voters will choose Richmond’s next, and seventh, elected mayor. They have four choices: (1) Councilmember and current Vice-mayor Eduardo Martinez, (2) Councilmember Nat Bates, (3) Shawn Dunning and (4) Mark Wassberg. Wassberg will not...
Richmond City Council Candidate Endorsements
After a majority of Richmond Progressive Alliance (RPA) members were elected to the City Council in November of 2020 and took office in January of 2021, Richmond residents now believe the City is headed in the wrong direction. In a 2019 poll, only 30 percent of...
Atchison Village Candidate Forum Video Links
The following provided courtesy of Don Gosney: On Wednesday the 21st of September, the Atchison Village Neighborhood Council hosted a forum for the District 3 and Mayoral candidates. Links to the videos are below. For those wanting downloadable videos, the videos can...
Senator Skinner Caught Flouting Legislative Open Records Act
After finding out that Senator Nancy Skinner secretly conspired with the East Bay Regional Parks District, Supervisor John Gioia and others to undermine an approved mixed-use development at Point Molate, a document request was made for pertinent documents from or to...
Failed Legal Tactic by City Muddies Point Molate Waters
In a failed attempt to shortcut litigation by Winehaven LLC (SunCal) against the City of Richmond, the City Attorney’s Office filed a demurrer, which is, according to the legal dictionary, “An assertion by the defendant that although the facts alleged by the plaintiff...
Remembering the Year of Covid
It was about two years ago this month (actually September 14, 2020), that Covid the Corvid said his final goodbye and flew off the be a full-time crow. If you ever see him out there, let me know. It was also the week of the orange skies. Figure 1 - September 9, 2020...
The Cost of Rydin Road
` Figure 1 – RPA member, Vice-mayor and mayoral candidate Eduardo Martinez is in charge of Rydin Road Figure 2 - Rydin Road RV Camp The RPA City Council members continue to fritter away public funds on unsuccessful efforts to remove the Rydin Road homeless encampment....