Learn to live

Before the Tazer posts this op-ed by Mike Ali from today's Times Saturday Extra, we'd like to reiterate that this isn't the place for personal grudges or vulgarity. Banstick used and ready for more, but don't let there be any more. Onto the lesson.

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Michael Ali
* From the community

Teaching the values of peace

As a Cherokee Native American activist and a member of the RIchmond Violence Prevention Movement, I have seen close to 200 homicides in the city of Richmond from 2001 to present.

The ciry government of Richmond has declared a "war on violence" that has failed and been lost several years back.

I have often stated in town hall meetings and on television, that the best way to win the "war on violence" in Richmond is to "teach the values of peace."

In the killing fields of Richmond, most of the victims in homicides are youths or young adults. This is where the teaching the values of peace begins: with our youth and young people.

From a Native perspective to start to win the "war on violence" begins in the home and with a strong, spiritual belief and value system.

We as Natives believe that Creator made all generations of Native people from the past, present and into the future as holy people.

This is what our elders teach us from the time we are born.

Our families and elders teach our young people that they must learn to tear away the images and stereotypes that mainstream society has placed upon them as Native peoples. Violence and killing is not traditional in Native culture, it has been learned from mainstream society.

We teach our youths not to attack, punish or beat themselves for crimes that they never have commited with regards to racism.

Our elders and families teach our young people good self-esteem, self-worth and self-value. For as the original holy people this was Creator's plan.

Native people know that it is both family and community responsibility to teach the values of peace to our young people.

We teach our youth honesty and accountability with regards to violence. The first act they must do is accepting responsibility for self. Acknowledging past use of violence. Admitting being wrong, then communicating openly and truthfully to renounce the use of violence in the future.

We place a heavy emphasis that all life is sacred and that includes human life.

The final lesson in teaching the values of peace is quite simple. it is helping young people understand their relationship to others and all other things in creation.

Being responsible for your role, acting with compassion and respect. Remembering always, that all life is sacred!

Ali lives in Richmond

Funky Friday

Very foggy greetings, Tazer Faithful! A couple thing to cover today, so let's get crackin'!

First, let's file this one under "Careful what you wish for"...

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Utility tax recalculation costs city
RICHMOND: Chevron refinery switches to actual usage method; July's payment is $390,000 less than last year's

By John Geluardi
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

The Chevron refinery's new method of calculating its utility tax could cost Richmond $4.6 million in annual revenue.

For 20 years, the refinery has calculated its utility tax payments by using a "cap rate," or flat rate method, which provided the city with reliable monthly installments of about $1.2 million. Utility taxes are typically calculated according to the actual usage of electricity, gas, water and telephone services, which fluctuates from one month to the next.

Two months ago, the refinery switched to the actual method to calculate its payment. The refinery's first installment under the new method, for the month of July, was $390,000 less than last year's.

The city does not know whether the new, reduced payment is accurate because the refinery, which generates more than 50 percent of its own energy, does not release energy production or usage information, said Richmond Finance Director Jim Goins.

"We received their July payment by wire transfer last week, and it was unaccompanied by any documentation," Goins said. "This is a brand-new experience, and I don't want to speculate what it means. As soon as we get their records, we can give a response."

But that's not likely to happen anytime soon, said Chevron refinery spokeswoman Camille Priselac.

"The city can't audit our energy usage because of business confidentiality," she said. "We don't disclose information about our energy production."

Richmond, which is still recovering from a $35 million budget crisis in 2004, will not feel short-term budgetary pain, Goins said.

"We have been able to set aside $1.5 million in reserves, so it's not going to cripple the city this year," he said. "But over the course of three years, that's $12 million, a significant loss of revenue that will hurt a lot of programs such as capital improvements, road maintenance and other projects."

Goins said it's too early to tell whether city jobs hang in the balance.

For 20 years, Chevron was the only business in Richmond to calculate its utility tax using the cap rate. Some elected officials criticized the special arrangement and speculated it allowed Chevron to underpay the tax.

"This has continued to be made into a political issue by some," Priselac said. "We just hope that by paying the tax on the actual basis, the city can focus on other issues, such as public safety."

City Councilwoman Gayle McLaughlin, a cap-rate critic, said the refinery will have to open its utility usage books for inspection even if it requires legal action.

"That confidentiality clause is something that has been disputed by many," she said. "Corporate responsibility is essential to Richmond and especially for the Chevron refinery, which has such a huge impact on the city in terms of air quality and public health."

The Chevron refinery emitted 457,000 pounds of toxic air pollutants in 2004, according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

Chevron's critics have finally gotten their wish at the expense of the city, Mayor Irma Anderson said.

"McLaughlin and other council members had doubts that previous councils had done their due diligence to ascertain that the cap rate was best for the city," she said. "I've been on the council since 1993, and we were told by our former city attorney that legally Chevron never had to give us the real facts."

McLaughlin remains dubious of Chevron's legal standing.

"This is a door that's begun to open after being closed for 20 years," she said. "It's bound to squeak and make rusty sounds."

Reach John Geluardi at 510-262-2787 or jgeluardi@cctimes.com

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TAZER SAYS: Uh huh, and the squeaky wheel got its grease. Just that there's $390K less grease since demands have come for "actual calculation." Watch Chevron be able to prove that they owe even LESS! Maybe you'd like to quit while you're behind, Gayle...

Don't get the Tazer wrong, because we think that Chevron should pay its fair share. In fact, despite that Irma was waved off by a former city attorney, it doesn't excuse her from 1) finding out for sure if Chevron didn't have to disclose that info, 2) finding out if Chevron was actually paying its fair share, and 3) if Chevron wasn't, that the city had recourse to make things right.

Richmond needs a mayor and city council that can strike a balance with Chevron: cooperation without being bowled over, and extracting taxes without being punitive.

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Mayor stands by Potts decision
RICHMOND: Anderson opts not to ask council to reconsider appointment of activist with criminal record

By Karl Fischer
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

Mayor Irma Anderson stood behind a controversial Richmond Police Commission appointment this week, saying she would not reconsider because of his criminal record.

The president of the city's police union, however, wishes she would -- and says the association will pursue the issue with her and other elected officials.

"Our concern is that we don't think he could remain unbiased, given his prior contacts with law enforcement," said Detective Kevin Martin, president of the Richmond Police Officers Association. "What happens when an officer who arrested him in the past comes before the commission?"

But Cochise Potts has earned the right to serve on the city's police watchdog panel through his dedication to community policing and public service, his proponents said at a commission meeting Wednesday night.

"I don't ever recall a time in my 11 years here that a commissioner has been the subject of such scrutiny," said Bob Sutcliffe, who resigned his commission seat last year. "The way this commissioner was treated was unfair."

Commission chairman Al Martinez asked Potts to resign in July because the Police Department had rejected his request to ride in patrol cars with on-duty officers, a requirement for serving on the mayor-appointed advisory panel that probes police misconduct complaints.

The department screens all ride-along applicants and initially rebuffed Potts because of his criminal record: prior misdemeanor convictions from a 1980s drug charge and a domestic violence charge in the early 1990s, as well as several arrests by Richmond police that never resulted in charges.

Police Chief Chris Magnus gave Potts permission to ride with police whenever he liked once he learned about the situation. Anderson, who learned about Potts' record from the Times, said last month she would ask the City Council to consider whether to change its June ratification vote in light of the new information.

"I added him because I felt ... he is very concerned about the community and about public safety," Anderson said. "I was disappointed that he did not come and talk to me (about his record), but I do feel that he has demonstrated a deep concern for his community, and since the chief has waived the requirement, I don't have any objection."

Potts, 54, has served on several city commissions, including a post with the Recreation and Parks Commission that he resigned in June to accept a spot on the Police Commission.

"Many residents, particularly people of color and lower-income residents, feel a real disconnect with the Richmond Police Department," Potts said Wednesday. "I hope my position on the board will help to bridge that gap."

Several speakers at the commission meeting complained about the treatment Potts received. Sutcliffe said the background-screening requirement for police commissioners to ride along with officers has been waived in the past.

Magnus, who came to Richmond in January, said in an interview last month that anyone who requests a ride-along is subject to a background check.

But he acknowledged he was surprised that his department's policy would dictate who could serve on the Police Commission, which is supposed to be made up of civilians who independently investigate claims of police brutality against city officers.

Martin of the police association, meanwhile, said his membership has serious doubts about Potts' suitability for the post and is concerned about his appointment setting precedent.

"The ethical thing for him to do would be to step down," Martin said. "He's not doing them any justice."

Potts' supporters point out that several former police officers, including Martinez, have sat on the Police Commission. One current commissioner, who is also a founding member of the commission, is the mother of a current Richmond police officer.

"The Police Commission has tolerated three former Richmond police officers and one former Berkeley officer over the years without making the same argument," Sutcliffe said. "It's a one-sided argument. What is the difference?"

The commission has no disciplinary power but advises the police chief about disciplinary matters.

"I'm going to serve in a fair and impartial manner, represent the community at large and foster better communication between citizens and the Richmond Police Department," Potts said.

Reach Karl Fischer at 510-262-2728 or kfischer@cctimes.com.

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TAZER SAYS: In this instance, we believe that Chief Magnus (and by extension, Irma Anderson...yes, really!) knows best. Bias can cut both ways, and the police commission is not only supposed to be a civilian body, it's supposed to be independent.

Did Cochise Potts pay his debt to society? Has he done good works to help the community? Can he set an EXAMPLE of redemption, and how to do what is right? If so, and Potts performs his duties, the Tazer sees no problem with his being allowed to serve.

However, to address RPOA rep Martin's concern (and those of RPD as well, perhaps?), we qualify that Potts might have to recuse himself if an officer he has encountered before comes to the attention of the commission. It would seem a more direct form of bias than merely being a former officer or relative of an officer, as Sutcliffe argues, and so it would only be fair that Potts remove himself from such a case.

The Tazer doubts that our "solution" would make everyone happy, but then perfect compromises are probably based more on all parties being at least a little unhappy.

Interesting Insight

We're pulling open a shade for Tazerville to get a peek at something very grim, murky, and despicable. Read and learn from this East Bay Express article.

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A Window Into Another World
The transcripts of federal wiretaps of suspected gang drug dealers provide a glimpse into the sad economy of North Richmond.

By Chris Thompson

The underground economy of prostitution, day labor, and the drug trade often flourishes in the absence of a formal economy of stores, taxes, and workers' compensation. But you rarely find so extreme an example of this phenomenon as exists in North Richmond, a slice of unincorporated land in west Contra Costa County. Home to just over four thousand impoverished souls, North Richmond has nothing — no factories, no department stores, no start-ups providing e-solutions. Just a few liquor stores, one or two nonprofit organizations, and the North Richmond Missionary Baptist Church.

But Richmond has a silent, invisible economy: illegal dumping and drug dealing. In the mid-1980s, a baseball team called the Project Trojans slowly evolved into one of Northern California's most violent street gangs, and authorities claim its members now control most of the drug trade in North Richmond. Federal officials say the gang was allegedly responsible for 90 percent of all homicides in the area during the 1990s. Numbering around three hundred members, the gang got so large that it splintered into subgroups. According to a report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, members of the Project Trojans deal crack, methamphetamine, and powder cocaine.

The operation has gotten so large that even county workers have to accommodate the gang. According to Supervisor John Gioia, whenever county employees haul away the mountains of garbage people dump in North Richmond, they first alert the Trojans so they can retrieve their drug stashes from the trash; otherwise they might encounter armed men racing over to protect their stash.

In March, more than one hundred FBI officials and local law enforcement raided the homes of several alleged Project Trojans, ultimately arresting fifteen people. The raids were the culmination of a two-year investigation, which included street surveillance and wiretaps of the suspects' cell phones. As part of the criminal complaint, federal agent Richard Davis submitted an affidavit that included partial transcripts of more than forty cell phone conversations. The picture that emerges from these transcripts is a rare glimpse into the real business of North Richmond, an elaborate operation of wholesale drug distribution.

Entire families are involved; suspects keep drugs and guns at their mothers' homes, and daughters pass along their fathers' requests for methamphetamine. While most North Richmond residents are flat broke, the money involved in these purchases exceeds tens of thousands of dollars, all in cash. While most businesses deal with words like commissions, rebates, and marketing, the language of business in North Richmond uses words like "sizoft," "zip," and "thumper."

On October 24, for example, a man named "Cutthroat," identified as a high-ranking member of the Project Trojans, told a man who goes by the name "Squeek," "Shit just hella slow. I don't know, man, I think you snapped up all my sales." At other times, the Trojans seemed ready to get rough with their rivals. On October 31, Cutthroat allegedly called a man who goes by the moniker "G-Money." After Cutthroat told G-Money he was in the hood and "fucking with that goddamn shit," G-Money asked to borrow his gun: "Let me use your thumper for about an hour." Cutthroat replied, "I got it on me right here; where your shit at?" G-Money said, "Cuz, I got my shit on me. Where your gun at?"

Often, the Project Trojans allegedly stashed drugs at the homes of their relatives. On November 9, Cutthroat got a call from "Project Mike," a man who, federal authorities claim, is a senior member of the gang. Project Mike said he needed drugs, and Cutthroat told him to "go down there to my momma's house" and look in the closet next to the baby's bed, where he would find a "trey," or three ounces of cocaine. After Project Mike allegedly secured the drugs, they agreed that the asking price would be "42 cold motherfucking dollars," or $42,000.

Occasionally, the Project Trojans would run afoul of the sheriff's deputies, the "rollers" who patrol the area. On December 1, according to the affidavit, Cutthroat was pulled over by Contra Costa deputies conducting a traffic stop. As they checked his driver's license, Cutthroat got a call. "The police pulled us over, a couple counties pulled us over, and I'm dirty [carrying drugs] like a motherfucker, man," he said. A passenger in the car shoved the drugs into his underwear, and although the deputies impounded the vehicle because Cutthroat's license was suspended, the two men got away. Joking about the incident afterward, Cutthroat told a friend on the phone, "This nigga Steve was nervous as a motherfucking snitch at a gangsta party."

Heavy weaponry. Illegal drugs. Cash in massive quantities. Suborning family members into a criminal enterprise. This, allegedly, was life in North Richmond, the world the Project Trojans controlled. Law enforcement had cracked down on the Trojans once before, in the 1990s, and for a time, crime dwindled in the neighborhood. But a few years later, it was just as bad as it ever was.

Now that so many of the Trojans' alleged leaders have been arrested, it isn't clear whether it has made a difference. The county sheriff's office could not pull together crime statistics by press time. According to Mark Vermeulen, the lawyer for Project Mike, life in North Richmond is still a frightening prospect — but the worst offenders, he suggests, may be the police themselves. "It's a place that just has been completely neglected, and, to a real degree, militarized by the police force there," he says. "I have spoken with folks that have spoken with police out there, and they say if they put every black man in North Richmond in prison, it's no great loss. And that's really sad."

Gioia gamely talks about all the social programs, youth centers, and beautification programs he is trying to put in place, and maybe that will make a difference. But the most telling note about North Richmond was expressed by AC Transit director and North Richmond resident Joe Wallis, who is simply sick of everyone talking about the Project Trojans. "They should know us for the things that are positive, not the things that are negative," he says. "Sometimes people blow up crime so big, but I've been here for 51 years, and I see a lot of positive things happening here. ... I don't know why people keep trying to blow the criminal aspect up. We've got people out here working to lift the stigma off North Richmond."

Indeed, things are finally beginning to change in what is arguably the Bay Area's most impoverished neighborhood. Large numbers of working-class Latinos are moving in, replacing the unemployed poverty that characterizes the African-American population with an entirely different rhythm of life. Middle-class residents of all races are moving into new housing along the Richmond Parkway. As time goes by, and the demographic changes that have swept the rest of the Bay Area finally reach the shores of North Richmond, the lexicon of business may no longer consist of treys, grams, and glizass, and may become intelligible to the rest of the world.

Means, Motive & Opportunity

Dad tells of seeing son after shooting

By Bruce Gerstman
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

MARTINEZ - Landrin Kelly, who sat in court every day for the trial of the teenager accused of gunning down his son, stood up and took the stand Wednesday.

In testimony that was intermingled with many objections from defense attorney Jonathan Laba, the jury saw the grief of a father who, until then, had maintained a stoic exterior in the courtroom.

Kelly told how he arrived at the shooting scene on a Richmond street on Aug. 12, 2004, a short time after his son was shot.

Beginning his testimony in a loud voice, crossing his arms in front of his chest, Landrin Kelly said he tried to duck under the yellow crime tape. But officers pulled him back.

"I said, 'That's my son laying on the ground! Is he alive? Tell me,'" the 37-year-old father testified, his words fading into soft weeping.

Darren Pratcher, now 17, is charged with murder and gun enhancements in the killing of Kelly, a De La Salle football star, days before starting his first day of college on an athletic scholarship.

The teenager faces up to 50 years to life in prison if convicted of all counts.

Pratcher's attorney, Jonathan Laba, has said his client shot Kelly under the mistaken belief that he was defending himself against another man who had made indirect threats against him earlier that day.

Laba asked Landrin Kelly questions on cross-examination focusing on the theory of mistaken identity.

Kelly testified that his son usually drove a dark Ford Mustang. That night he had borrowed Landrin Kelly's white Oldsmobile.

After Kelly left the stand, Richmond police Sgt. Mitchell Peixoto testified that investigators had sought Pratcher for five days when the teenager came to the police station on Aug. 17.

He never admitted that he shot Kelly, Peixoto said. He said he wasn't at the scene at all.

Peixoto asked him about a gray beanie hat investigators found near Kelly's body. Pratcher told him he had lost a similar cap, Peixoto testified.

"As soon as the beanie came up, he became a little bit apprehensive," Peixoto said. "He started talking fast."

Pratcher ended the interview and Peixoto drove him to Juvenile Hall, he said. Pratcher changed his story in the patrol car, saying he was at the scene when Kelly was shot.

"Did he tell you he killed Mr. Kelly because he was afraid?" asked prosecutor David Brown.

"No," Peixoto replied.

Pratcher told Peixoto that he and Kelly "were cool with each other," Peixoto said under Laba's cross-examination.

Jurors on Thursday will watch a video interview and then listen to a separate audio interview investigators had with Pratcher.

Judge Laurel Brady said she will rule on Thursday whether Peixoto can testify to the existence of a central Richmond gang -- known for its hostility to people from outside central Richmond -- and whether Pratcher was affiliated with it.

Pratcher's confirmed affiliation would give Brown the opportunity to show that Pratcher had a motive to kill Kelly, who came from south Richmond.

Reach Bruce Gerstman at 925-952-2670 or at bgerstman@cctimes.com.

Bat attack update

RPD has named a suspect...

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Police look to arrest boy, 15, in bat attack
RICHMOND: Motive still unclear in brutal beating, detectives say

By Karl Fischer
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

Police issued an arrest warrant for a 15-year-old boy Wednesday on suspicion of attempted murder in Monday's baseball bat attack that critically wounded another teen.

The 16-year-old victim, whose name detectives withheld for safety reasons, remained in critical condition at Stanford University Medical Center.

The victim and Manuel Alanis, the suspect, were hanging out with several other teens Monday in a garage on the 2300 block of Emeric Avenue about 5 p.m. when Alanis took up the bat and hit the victim at least twice in the head, police Detective Mike Rood said.

Witnesses said the attack was completely unprovoked. Police have not yet determined the motive, he added.

"We believe this suspect is very dangerous. The attack was unprovoked, and we consider this extremely alarming behavior," Rood said.

Alanis fled after the attack, police said. An ambulance took the victim to Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo, where his condition was deemed dire enough to call for a helicopter to take him to Stanford.

Alanis is a native of Mexico who moved to the United States last year, police said. He came to Richmond about six months ago and lived about a block from where the attack took place. The victim also lived in the neighborhood.

Police say Alanis previously lived in Chicago and may try to return there or to Mexico.

Reach Karl Fischer at 510-262-2728 or kfischer@cctimes.com.

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The Tazer would like to point out three things:

1) The suspect is a juvenile, but this is still a very serious and dangerous crime. He needs to be caught.

2) Karl Fischer and/or RPD sound like they're beating around the bush with the suspect's immigration status: "Alanis is a native of Mexico who moved to the United States last year, police said." Though we are sticklers for law and order, the Tazer won't weight in on the immigration debate. However, we ARE sticklers for the truth and it DOES matter, so is Alanis here illegally or not?

3) This attack didn't involve a firearm, so the Tazer wonders if Richmond would be better served by a citywide "crime free zone" rather than a "[thing] free zone."

You're doing it wrong!

No, Tazer Faithful, this is NOT what you do with a baseball bat...

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Richmond teen hurt in baseball bat attack

By Kelli Phillips
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

RICHMOND - A 16-year-old boy is in critical condition today after police say another teenager attacked him with a baseball bat.

The victim was brought to Doctor's Medical Center in San Pablo with serious head injuries about 5:30 p.m. Monday, said Richmond police Lt. Mark Gagan. He was eventually transferred to Stanford University Medical Center, he said.

Police believe another 16-year-old boy struck the victim with a baseball bat. The attack likely occurred in the 2300 block of Emeric Avenue in Richmond shortly before the victim arrived at the hospital, Gagan said.

Police are looking for the attacker, who Gagan declined to identify. Anyone with information on the attack can contact the Richmond Police Department at 510-620-6655. Anonymous tips can be left at 510-232-8477.

Labor Day Blues

Shooting leaves Richmond man in critical condition

By Ryan Huff
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

RICHMOND - Richmond police are searching for suspects in an early-morning shooting Monday that left a 22-year-old man in critical, but stable condition.

At about 3:30 a.m., a stranger repeatedly shot Alberto Ramirez Gonzales, who was found lying in the street at Cherry Street and Chesley Avenue -- near the city's border with North Richmond. The victim saw four Latino men drive away in a brown, two-door Ford Thunderbird, said Richmond police Sgt. Allwyn Brown.

Gonzales was airlifted to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his back and one leg, but those injuries do not appear to be life-threatening, Brown said.

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call Richmond police at 510-233-1214.