Roots of Richmond Violence Run Deep
by Gayle McLaughlin
West Contra Costa Times, June 25, 2005

IN THE GUEST commentary of June 11th, Richmond Mayor Irma Anderson reflected on the June 4th Black on Black Crime Summit held in Richmond. This event was organized by African-American, Christian, and Muslim ministers, to readdress the endemic problem of violent crime that has decimated Richmond for at least 25 years and cost hundreds of young lives. In her commentary, the mayor pledged to support youth programs, citing an upcoming initiative funded by private contributions that will give 200 young people part-time jobs for the summer.

More recently, other members of the council have called for a “state of emergency,” insisting that only a larger police presence will solve the ongoing violence problem.

I respectfully disagree with my fellow city councilpersons. We are not currently going through a violence “crisis” in Richmond, but continuing to suffer from chronic violence, several decades in the making. Richmond’s chronic street violence is largely drug- and/or gang- related. The availability of drugs to be traded and the use of guns to secure turfs are key causal factors.

Even deeper roots lie in our decimated educational system and lack of jobs, which create a giant surplus of desperate and angry unemployed young men. When young men in the drug trade are confronted, countless times they tell us: “You want my gun? Give me a job!”

I profoundly believe that most of our troubled young men would chose a better life if given the right opportunities and the appropriate guidance. How do we make significant and long-lasting opportunities exist for alienated and underserved young people? Not through greater police repression.

Mayor Anderson’s summer job program is certainly well-intentioned, but it is insufficient, and the impact of such a small program on Richmond’s street violence will be, I believe, minuscule. Mayor Anderson and many of my colleagues on the Richmond City Council would love to have the money to invest in youth employment and education-strengthening programs.

Let us be clear: the money is within reach, but most of my city council colleagues are unwilling to pay the political price to access those funds. I refer to closing the corporate loopholes that allow multibillion corporations like Chevron to get away without paying millions of dollars of taxes to the city every year. Repealing the utility users’ tax cap granted to Chevron more than ten years ago would generate millions of dollars of revenue to support Richmond youth programs.

The cycle of violence in Richmond also has another difficult mechanism: the fewer resources we utilize to prevent violence with employment and education, the more dangerous is the job of repressing the local violence, and police and firefighters officers expect more compensation for the work they perform. The public safety unions swallow the bulk of the city’s budget, and take the lion’s share of any new initiative that the citizenry may vote into effect, such as Measure Q.

Chevron and the public safety unions directly influence the decisions of the Richmond City Council. Chevron spent approximately $150,000 in the last elections to support its candidates. The “Keep Richmond Safe” PAC of the Richmond Police Officers Association and the Richmond Firefighters Association spent close to $120,000. It is very hard for Richmond elected officials to ignore the weight these powerhouses exert on their political futures.

The special interests will attack anyone who questions their priorities and calls for a fairer distribution of resources. And so, youth programs are chronically under funded, and the cycle of violence continues.

The city of Richmond needs to remove the utility users’ tax cap and collect the millions in additional dollars due to our city. The city of Richmond needs to allocate millions of dollars every year to a year-long youth part-time employment program that hires, trains and educates several thousand young residents.

The life of one Richmond child is certainly more valuable than the profits of Chevron stockholders, and infinitely more valuable than the political careers of any city council member.

Positive Steps in 2005

Richmond Toxic Sites Got Oversight
One of the most toxic sites in California, the Zeneca-UC Field Station, is now under the clean-up supervision of the Department of Toxic Substances Control (Cal EPA). I was glad to participate in the grassroots effort that led to this victory and to introduce a Richmond City Council resolution demanding the public's protection. I was able to bring together the entire Richmond City Council for a unanimous vote in defense of the community’s health.

The Air Just Became a Bit Cleaner
Toxic refinery “flaring” was finally regulated and stricter controls were imposed. The Chevron refinery in Richmond will have to obey these new groundbreaking flare control regulations adopted by the Area Air District under pressure from Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) and the community. I actively supported CBE's legal action.

Casino Point Molate Less Likely
This bad idea is losing steam and facing increasing opposition. I continued to advocate against bringing urban gambling into Richmond and other urban communities. I gave testimony against urban gambling to state and federal agencies.

No Sales Tax Hikes in Richmond

Richmond already has a high sales tax (8.75%). Sales taxes are regressive, they lean on the consumer and they hurt local business. Instead we need fair taxation and the end of loopholes and tax perks for big industry. The voters of Richmond agreed and rejected measure ‘Q” in a 2 to 1 vote. I was the only council member opposing a new sales tax hike.

“Yes” to a New Park for North Richmond

The North Richmond Shoreline Open Space Park is good for Parchester Village and it is good for Richmond. I continued to show support for this community aspiration, and championed, on the Richmond City Council, the East Bay Regional Park District’s plan to purchase and create a regional park on the Breuner Marsh property, next to Parchester Village.

An Injustice to One is an Injustice to All
Sentences must fit the crime. I introduced and successfully passed a Richmond resolution calling on the Governor and the Legislature of California to review the Three-Strikes law and correct the inherent injustices that particularly affect Latinos and African Americans.

"Solar Richmond" is Launched

A new not-for-profit grassroots initiative has been launched to educate and encourage more solar energy on residential, business and public properties in Richmond. I am a co-founder of Solar Richmond (www.solarrichmond.org) because I believe that it can bring to Richmond energy cost savings, environmental preservation and solar jobs and training for Richmond youth.

End of Self-Inspection for Chevron
The fox will not guard the hen house anymore. From now on, Chevron’s construction work will require permits and fees, and certifications will be done by the City and an independent third party working for the City. I was a co-sponsor of a directive, unanimously approved by the Richmond City Council on November 15, to repeal the 12-year-old practice of allowing Chevron to self-permit, self-inspect and self-certify its own work.

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