Support Viramontes and Jenkins for Richmond City Council

Vote for Gayle McLaughlin for mayor

The Sierra Club endorses Maria T. Viramontes and Jim Jenkins for Richmond City Council, and Gayle McLaughlin for mayor.

Maria T. Viramontes

Sierra Club first endorsed Maria Viramontes for Richmond City Council five years ago based on her regional and statewide record. Her City Council work has justified our trust.

She has successfully championed a range of initiatives:

• to prevent rezoning the Breuner Marsh area;
• reversing the policy that allowed Chevron to write its own permits and inspect its own projects;
• studying Chevron's utility use to ensure that the company was honest in how much utility tax it paid.

Her training in finance and her willingness to spend hours in detailed negotiations have brought Richmond millions of dollars for transit and trails.

The environmental community is grateful for her (unfortunately unsuccessful) opposition to the casino at Point Molate and to various other projects with insufficient mitigations.

We can count on her to be a strong voice for protecting the environment without our having to talk to her about every issue. She is one of the few environmental voices we have on the Richmond City Council.

Jim Jenkins

The Sierra Club hopes to enable James "Jim" Jenkins to add his voice to the environmental minority on the development-minded Richmond City Council. Now a member of the city's Parks and Recreation Commission, Jim is an active member of the Green Party.

Jim will work to:

• ensure that new development proposals are well-planned and meet all environmental standards;
• keep the shoreline natural and open spaces free from overdevelopment - in particular, Jim opposes a casino and hotel complex on Point Molate;
• make sure that new business includes solar energy where possible.

His professional experience in finance should aid the city in its financial recovery, making developers' siren songs less enticing. Jim is running a grassroots campaign and accepts no corporate money.

Gayle McLaughlin for mayor

The Sierra Club asks you to help elect Gayle McLaughlin as mayor of Richmond.

Richmond faces critical environmental issues, such as the future of its shoreline and the updating of its General Plan. How the city deals with these will shape the environment and quality of life in Richmond and our region.

In 2004 Gayle McLaughlin was elected to the City Council. A lifelong activist for the environment and social justice, she has been a leader in the fight against irresponsible development of the toxic Zeneca site and in championing solar power in the city.

Gayle opposes a casino at Point Molate. She feels that it is essential to keep Richmond's shorelines open for public access and recreation and the health of residents.

Now she is running for mayor, so that she can help shape the Council's agenda, frame discussion, and promote needed actions.

Gayle's election to the City Council depended on widespread grassroots support, including the support of Sierra Club volunteers who went door-to-door for her. This is the Sierra Club's strength: organizing and activating the members of the community. This is your opportunity to put Gayle in the mayor's chair.

WhatYouCanDo

Contact or call (510) 848-0800, ext. 312 to sign up for precinct-walking, phone-banking, and other activities. Talk to your friends and acquaintances and get them to work and vote for Gayle. To learn more, visit Gayle's web site at www.gaylemclaughlin.net