City Council Election 2012: Eleanor Thompson

Eleanor Thompson is known in the Iron Triangle neighborhood as an advocate for youth and their safety. What’s less known is that she is motivated to work for the young people of Richmond by her own childhood experience. Thompson was born in Arkansas but moved to Arizona when she was six. By the time she…

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City Council Election 2012: Mike Raccoon Eyes Kinney

Mike (Ali) Raccoon Eyes Kinney

Armed with a Ziploc bag full of bookmarks and a compliment, Mike (Ali) Raccoon Eyes Kinney moves quickly from house to house “slinging paper.” As an experienced precinct walker, he gives himself 15 seconds to assess each porch before he decides whether to deliver the thin strip of paper emblazoned with a “WE LIKE MIKE!”…

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City Council Election 2012: Mark Wassberg

Mark Wassberg finishes the knot with his teeth and steps back from the chain-link fence. He stands quietly for a moment and inspects his work as a wave of cars passes by. It’s a warm cloudless afternoon a month before Election Day and two posters emblazoned with the message MARK WASSBERG 4 CITY COUNCIL gleam…

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Candidates appeal to potential first-time voters

Two Kennedy High School students cheer at candidate during political forum.

Candidates for the Richmond City Council, Congress and the West Contra Costa Unified School District school board appealed to Richmond youth at a Kennedy High School candidate’s forum Thursday. Graduating seniors from teacher Jeff Pollock’s AP Government and U.S. Government courses gathered in the school cafeteria for the event. Kennedy High School counselor J.P. De…

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Amendment to campaign filing shows additional funds for Bates

Campaign contributions

A campaign finance amendment filed Tuesday by City Council candidate Nat Bates shows that he has received more than $32,000, far more than the $1,420 he listed in his original campaign disclosure statement on Friday. Campaign disclosure statements filed by the Chevron-funded committee Moving Forward show Bates also benefited from $90,000 on campaign mailings and…

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Cinemark joins American Beverage Association in funding opposition to Measure N

A soda fountain in Century Hilltop 16 movie theater sits near a large "No on N" banner.

The Texas-based movie theater chain Cinemark USA Inc has joined the campaign against Richmond’s Measure N, adding nearly $107,000 in non-monetary contributions against the measure between July 15-Sept. 30, according to campaign statements filed with the City Clerk. During that period, Cinemark was one of two contributors to the Community Coalition Against Beverage Taxes, which…

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Chevron backs Moving Forward coalition

The Chevron-funded campaign committee Moving Forward spent more than $100,000 in support of council candidates Gary Bell, Nat Bates and Bea Roberson between Aug. 9 and Sept. 28, campaign disclosures filed with the City Clerk show. Moving Forward’s money comes solely from a $1.2 million contribution from Chevron.

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Undocumented youth organize for immigration reform, election

Group members jumping

Yazmin Martinez spent her Saturday morning in the Iron Triangle walking sidewalks littered with garbage and weeds, knocking on doors and asking residents who don’t normally vote to show up at the polls this November.  She was encouraging voters to exercise their civic right because she cannot. Martinez is one of an estimated 5,000 undocumented…

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Richmond civic engagement group encourages Latino voters

Cloud canvassing volunteers

With only one month until the election, Adam Kruggel is too busy to stay in one room. On a recent Tuesday he spent an evening racing back and forth from a voter phone bank in the Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization office to a deferred action training session in the building next door. As…

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Langlois replies to critics on tax evasion

LANGLOIS_kanhema_20121002.jpg

Richmond residents received a campaign mailer this week criticizing the taxpaying record of City Council candidate Marilyn Langlois. The mailer, and connected website, add an additional narrative to the campaign for the three open city council seats. Both reveal that Langlois failed to pay taxes to the IRS and that she had two tax liens…

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Booze assault case divides council

City Councilmembers Tuesday night refused to publicly discuss last week’s assault involving Councilmember Corky Booze, saying they would leave the matter to law enforcement. Booze was involved in a fight  with a member of the Richmond Progressive Alliance last week, and the RPA, the NAACP and members of the public gave statements in public comment…

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