Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Chevron Shut-Out in Richmond
Politics / People / Business Robert Gammon — Wed, Nov 3, 2010 at 9:51 AM
Chevron Corporation pumped an unprecedented $1 million into to Richmond political races this fall, but all three of its candidates appear to have lost. The oil company’s mayoral candidate, Councilman Nat Bates, is losing to Gayle McLaughlin 37 percent to 40 percent. And Chevron’s city council candidates, Councilwomen Myrna Lopez and Maria Viramontes are tied for fourth place with 11 percent in a contest in which only three candidates will be elected.
Candidate Corky Booze (15%), Councilman Jim Rogers (14%), and candidate Jovanka Beckels (13%) are leading the council race, and all three are progressives. And with progressives Tom Butt and Jeff Ritterman already on the council, that means Chevron, a company that has dominated Richmond politics for years, likely will have very little influence inside City Hall in the years to come.
Comments (3)
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I wonder what Richmond will do when (NOT if) Chevron pulls out of Richmond. The new council and mayor will be put to the test to find alternate ways to fund the projects that this refinery has funded since before the city existed. Plan B had better be amazing.
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I wonder what Richmond will do when (not if) Chevron pulls out. Better get a Plan B in place- and soon.
Richmond, I'm just so happy for you and proud of you! Having been a Richmond resident for 5 years or so, I miss the strong upward trajectory in the ethics of your government you have engineered, along with your ever loyal guide and friend, Tom Butt. When I first moved there I was fooled by the pretty face and false promises of Ms Lopez, as I hadn't yet learned the ropes of Richmond politics and I am ashamed to admit I voted for Ms Lopez the first time around. It took a few months of watching the city council meetings for my slow brain to see the pattern (obvious now in hindsight), that for Lopez, Viramontes and Bates there is little consideration of what is best for Richmond citizens, but that everything revolved around their patrons and financiers. Only when there was no competing interest did they seem to do the right thing, and whiloe it took a while for me to figure that out, it did eventually become clear.
Now Chevron throws a good $1 million into the fray to confuse you during this last election, and what do you do - you ignore them completely, or even use that abusive, antidemocratic spend as a reason on its own to reject the Chrevron slate across the board! Wow! I used to hope just for a majority of good governance candidates in Richmond, who put the long term interests of the community first, but now you've bounced out the bums on their bums across the board. Again, wow!! Your clarity of vision is beyond commendation. In saving yourselves, you save Richmond for you and your children too.
I've left now for Oakland, as my fiance works in San Ramon and this was the best in between place we could find, but given the utter lack of concern for ethics in government or good governance out this way, I can only stand in awe and appreciation. You have done what maybe 1 community in 100 does in standing up to the moneyed, self serving interests and seeing through the lies and corruption for the truth. Congratulations, I tip my hat to you, friends of Richmond! Well done, well done. mfraser
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