Richmond’s Mayor – A Choice Between Moving Forward and Moving Backwards
In the race for Richmond mayor, two leading East Bay newspapers, the East Bay Times and the East Bay Express, have both endorsed me. The East Bay Times is part of the Bay Area News Group, the largest publisher of daily and weekly newspapers in the Bay Area and, for...
October 23, 2018, Regular Richmond City Council Agenda/Packet – CLOSED SESSION BEGINS AT 5:00 P.M.
The agenda/packet for the Tuesday, October 23, 2018, Regular Richmond City Council Meeting is on the web. Follow the link below to view: http://sireweb.ci.richmond.ca.us/sirepub/meet.aspx PLEASE NOTE: CLOSED SESSION 5:00 p.m. RICHMOND HOUSING AUTHORITY BEGINS AT 6:25...
New York Times – Why Rent Control Is a Lightning Rod
“And yet economists from both the right and the left are in almost universal agreement that rent control makes housing problems worse in the long run. Here’s what’s behind their thinking and the nuances of the debate. “ Why Rent Control Is a Lightning Rod Proposition...
October 16, 2018, Regular Richmond City Council Agenda/Packet – CLOSED SESSION BEGINS AT 5:30 P.M.
First meeting for new city Manager Carlos Martinez! The agenda/packet for the Tuesday, October 16, 2018, Regular Richmond City Council Meeting is on the web. Follow the link below to view: http://sireweb.ci.richmond.ca.us/sirepub/meet.aspx PLEASE NOTE: CLOSED SESSION...
Recycling Ain’t What it Used to Be
Two recent cataclysmic changes in the international recycling market are having a dramatic impact on the world of recycling. Asian markets are drying up, and prices are dropping. See article below, “Market Forces Put America's Recycling Industry in the Dumps,” “It all...
ROV Light Off Celebration and Appreciation Dinner on October 20 from 3 to 6 pm
A big THANK YOU to all that helped! . Please accept this personal invitation to our Light Off Crew Appreciation Celebration on October 20 from 3 to 6 pm aboard the SS Red Oak Victory. Dinner will be served as well as premium wine and beer, and refreshments. We would...
Meet and Greet – New City Manager Carlos Martinez
Please Support Measure T – Alleviate Homelessness and Dumping
Here is a simple decision tree about Measure T: Do you want to make a significant impact on alleviating homelessness in Richmond and stopping dumping and blight without increasing your taxes? If YES, then go to No. 2. If NO, then vote NO on Measure T Do you own a...
East Bay Times Endorsement – Thank You
I really appreciate the East Bay Times endorsement, which states: In the mayoral race, Butt understands the problem. Although he hasn’t been as forceful as we would like in addressing it, he stands head and shoulders above his competitor, Councilman Melvin Willis, who...
RPA Mailer Violates City Law
Right out of the gate, the Richmond Progressive Alliance, Team Richmond, and their supporters flouted Richmond Municipal Code Section 2.42.075 (Required disclosure on mass mailings) by East Bay Working Families (see mailer below). The purported disclosure is inside...
October 2, 2018, Regular Richmond City Council Agenda/Packet – CLOSED SESSION BEGINS AT 5:00 P.M.
The agenda/packet for the Tuesday, October 2, 2018, Regular Richmond City Council Meeting is on the web. Follow the link below to view: http://sireweb.ci.richmond.ca.us/sirepub/meet.aspx PLEASE NOTE: CLOSED SESSION 5:00 p.m. REGULAR CITY COUNCIL BEGINS AT 6:30 p.m.
Richmond’s “Pothole Index” Inching Up Again
Richmond’s Pavement Condition Index (PCI) has made a slight improvement in 2017 and should continue to improve unless Proposition 6 passes and rolls back the gasoline tax increases put into place by SB-1. The new taxes approximately doubled the funds available to...
Will We Litigate Point Molate Until it Bankrupts the City?
An article at the end of this email from Richmond Confidential is a reasonably accurate summary of Point Molate discussions at this week’s City Council meeting. Earlier this week, I distributed the transcript of the hearing before Federal Court Judge Gonzales on the...
Q and A About Measure T
A NextDoor poster suggested a decision tree about Measure T. Here it is – it’s pretty simple. 1. Do you want to make a significant impact on alleviating homelessness in Richmond and stopping dumping and blight without increasing your taxes? If YES, then go to No. 2....
Polluters should bear a fair share of the costs of responding to climate change
Polluters should bear a fair share of the costs of responding to climate change By Robert D. Bullard, Sept. 14, 2018 On the one year anniversary of Hurricane Harvey, voters in Harris County approved a $2.5 billion flood bond measure to protect the area from future...
Mayoral Candidate Debate
2018 Hilltop/Fairmede Mayoral Forum September 28, 2018 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJNuaXg8Fnk. Video courtesy of Don Gosney. A spirited debate between mayoral candidates at Hilltop Community Church tonight. I noted that my opponent stated in his filing...
Transcript from Point Molate Hearing on Motion to Dismiss
For weeks we have been subjected to various parties’ interpretations, typically radically different, of what happened at the hearing before Federal Court Judge Gonzales on the motion by the City of Richmond to dismiss the Point Molate lawsuit brought by SPRAWLDEF et...
This Saturday: join me and Buffy Wicks to GOTV on Election Day
This Saturday, my campaign joins with AD 15 candidate Buffy Wicks to walk local neighborhoods to get the word out about our vision and goals for Richmond. If you don't already know Buffy, she is a grassroots organizer, progressive leader and an advocate for kids. She...
“Whiskey’s for drinking, and water’s for fighting.”
I will be withdrawing Item K-1 from the Agenda tonight. K-1 CONSIDER comments to be made by the public at open session, and consider whether to PUBLICLY REAFFIRM the Point Molate settlement agreement between the City of Richmond, and Guidiville Rancheria of California...
RPA Picks a Fight Over Planning Commission Appointment
Blaming it on hostility and retaliation, the RPA is taking issue with my decision to appoint a person other than Marilyn Langlois to the Planning Commission. The Richmond City Charter (Added at the election November 2, 2004) gives the mayor sole authority to make...