Government
On Saturday night in downtown Richmond, the unmistakable beats of Latin Jazz, followed by cheers and laughter, poured out of a small office tucked away in a row of other non-descript offices. The little space on Macdonald Avenue by the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts was illuminated with ambient lighting and filled with people. In the back corner the band played while people twirled on the dance floor. This is how the Richmond Progressive Alliance (RPA) was helping two of its own candidates—Marilyn Langlois and Eduardo Martinez—raise money.
During a heated meeting on Tuesday night, Richmond council members tackled two items that drew out many members of the public: the teachers’ union’s concerns about Teach for America members employed in Richmond and the formation of the city’s first business improvement district. But the most heated exchange of the night came when council members Corky Booze and Jovanka Beckles got into a dust-up over Booze’s request for a legal opinion regarding his concerns about the possible civil rights violations of public speakers during past meetings.
In the Hilltop Ballroom at the Courtyard Marriot in Richmond Thursday night, leaders from around the city gathered to help Ella “Bea” Roberson kick off her campaign for Richmond City Council.
Richmond resident Cordell Hindler is already taking shorter showers and turning off the lights. He said he’s tired of seeing his water and heating bills shoot through the roof. “I live in a house where everything is not up to date,” Hindler said about his heater, stove and light fixtures. “My bills are getting out of control. I’m here trying to learn how to keep my utility bills down.”
It was a long meeting of the Richmond City Council Tuesday night, and it lasted into early Wednesday morning, filled with passionate debate regarding where the SS Red Oak Victory Ship should be berthed—and at what cost.
Richmond’s regressive and indiscriminate sugar tax promises a bitter outcome for our most underserved residents and struggling businesses.
The proposed tax is extraordinarily broad, impacting much more than the high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) sweetened sodas suspected of causing much of the nation’s obesity
The grand opening of the campaign headquarters for the West Contra Costa County Democrats attracted hundreds of Richmond residents on Saturday morning. Fresh fruit and breakfast burritos were served as people walked into the back parking lot of the office building in order to do tour the new headquarters, and meet with contenders for the November election. The day’s events consisted of introducing candidates to the voters, promoting healthcare, and showing party unity as they prepare for November.
A study of the average weight of students in middle schools throughout California reveals that cities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties have a high number of children who fall into the category of overweight or obese, including nearly half of the kids in Oakland and Richmond.
On Monday and Tuesday Saffron Strand, a Point Richmond non-profit focused on helping the homeless find meaningful employment and achieve economic independence, hosted its third annual conference to generate ideas about how to end homelessness. Topics included health care, housing, transitional employment and the hiring of ex-offenders.