After a couple of years of acting like a responsible legislative body providing good stewardship of public funds, the Richmond City Council, sometimes aided or at least enabled by staff, seems to have taken a turn for the worse, returning to the type of practices and...

The second item acted on irresponsibly by the City Council on March 21, 2006, was a contract with DP Security for Point Molate security. DP Security is a small Richmond business owned by Michael Davenport that has provided security under various contracts, totaling...

At least one member of the State Board of Equalization thinks oil refineries deserve a tax break. This is an email I received from Bill Leonard, member, State Board of Equalization (See Tax Break For Chevron May Hit Home, March 7, 2006. You may recall that proposed...

Actually, the Richmond Wastewater Treatment Plant smelled remarkably sweet as some 20 City officials including Mayor Anderson and Councilmembers Butt, Rogers and McLaughlin sipped coffee and munched donuts last Tuesday morning while gathering for an up close and...

The Contra Costa Watershed Forum will host a regionally focused creek and watershed symposium on April 5, 2006, 7:00 to 9:00 PM at Contra Costa College Liberal Arts Building, Room 100. The symposium will focus on activities in West Contra Costa related to creeks and...

There will be a public hearing on the Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for the proposed casino on land owned by the Scotts Valley band of Pomo Indians on the Richmond Parkway just north of the Richmond city limits at the Richmond...

The Richmond Environmental Defense Fund Annual Meeting will feature a presentation from Richmond native Suzanne Jones, Ph.D.,"Facing the Urgent Challenge of Global Climate Change" When: March 26 4:00-5:30 PM WHERE: First United Methodist Church, Martina & W....

As the Contra Costa Times editorialized against massive proposed property tax reductions for local refineries (see story below), the City of Richmond took the unprecedented step of notifying Chevron that its now routine request to use the alternative "maximum tax...

The Contra Costa Watershed Forum will host a regionally focused creek and watershed symposium on April 5, 2006, 7:00 to 9:00 PM at Contra Costa College Liberal Arts Building, Room 100. The symposium will focus on activities in West Contra Costa related to creeks and...

In 2002, Richmond had the worst pedestrian safety record for a city of its size in the U.S. for children 15 years and younger. In 2004, Richmond improved its ranking to No. 16 in that category, but clearly a lot more needs to be done. Contra Costa County is teaming...

We City Council members received yesterday five volumes that constitute the FY 2003-2004 audit by Caproricci & Larson. These include: City of Richmond Basic Financial Statements and Independent Auditors" Report for the year ended June 30, 2004. Richmond Joint...

The following editorial appeared in today"s Contra Costa Times. There are those in City Hall who would have you believe that the sewer problem is the fault of City employees who have already departed and that today"s new proactive administration is doing everything...

Betty Reid Soskin who currently heads up community outreach projects for the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historic Park in Richmond is one of ten women nationwide being honored in 2006 by Lifetime Television and The National Women"s History...

According to an article in today"s San Francisco Chronicle, the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) is moving ahead to use eminent domain to acquire the bulk of what has become known as the "Breuner Property" or "Breuner Marsh." This move would leave approximately...

As the City of Richmond continues to take no substantive action on the two illegal quarries in Richmond, the State Mining and Geology Board meets in Sacramento to consider ordering each of them to correct illegal conditions (see attachment). Apparently, no one...

A looming property tax break for Chevron of gargantuan proportions may translate into reduced library hours (again) unfilled potholes on your street or fewer cops in your neighborhood. In the midst of the highest gas prices on record and the profits that go with them,...

"From Finland to Australia, a dazzling selection of lighthouse retreats guaranteed to leave you positively beaming." Richmond"s East Brother Lighthouse was featured in the December 2005 issues of Holland Herald, the inflight magazine of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (see...

City Attorney John Eastman finally went too far last night. During a discussion of a draft ordinance I placed on the agenda to bring Richmond"s Mining and Reclamation Ordinance in line with state law, Eastman stated that the City Council could not vote on the...

Free tax preparation program for low to moderate-income residents continues All sites are now open for the annual free tax preparation program helping hard-working, low to moderate-income families and individuals file their taxes and claim refunds owed to them, such...

I don"t know what it is about lawyers. My father and grandfather were lawyers (as well as judges). My brother is a lawyer. I have some fantastic lawyer clients. I even have friends that are lawyers. I just seem to be continually in conflict with the ones that work for...