Washington Post: Richmond is ripping off its residents

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Thankfully, Norman Leahy and Paul Goldman pick up on Oregon Hill residents’ long-running campaign for utility reform.

Will we see responses from Mayoral candidates?

From their Washington Post column:

The government in Virginia’s capital, Richmond, has a dirty little secret: It uses a little-known city charter provision to rip off poor residents by adding a phony, non-existent “tax” — including a bogus federal “tax” charge — to their water and certain other utility bills.

Over the years, this unconscionable rip-off has totaled many hundreds of millions of dollars. It stems from a Jim Crow-era state law added to Richmond’s charter at the request of city leaders.

Primary Voting Tomorrow

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From Times Dispatch article:

In a redrawn 4th District that now includes the cities of Richmond and Petersburg — and now favors Democrats — there is primary competition Tuesday for the Democrat and Republican nominations in what has become an open seat.
Five-term Henrico County Sheriff Mike Wade is squaring off against Chesterfield County resident Jackee Gonzalez for the GOP nomination.
State Sen. A. Donald McEachin, D-Henrico, and Chesapeake Councilwoman Ella Ward are seeking the Democratic nomination. Ward was the Democratic candidate who lost to Rep. J. Randy Forbes, R-4th, in 2012.
Virginians do not register by party, but primary voters in the 4th District will be asked whether they wish to cast ballots in the Democratic contest or the Republican contest. Under state law, voters may cast ballots in one primary or the other, not both.

How will Oregon Hill vote?

New Hollywood Cemetery River Overlook

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From Hollywood Cemetery’s FaceBook page:

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The first of our three new James River overlooks is complete! Extensive landscaping will begin this fall.

A special thanks to the James River Garden Club, the Dominion Foundation, Richard S. Reynolds Foundation, and the Bob and Anna Lou Schaberg Fund at the Virginia Nonprofit Housing Coalition for making this new addition possible

Richmond BikeShare ‘B’ Coming To Oregon Hill?

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From Times Dispatch article:

Trimmed in yellow and black, with a honeycomb motif, the bike unveiled Wednesday at a news conference by Dotson, Mayor Dwight C. Jones and Jakob Helmboldt, the city’s pedestrian, bicycle and trails coordinator, will be among 220 installed at up to 22 docking stations, called hives, starting this fall.
Bike-share systems allow users to check out a bike from one location and return it elsewhere for a fee, filling gaps between trips that are too far to walk but too short for driving, as well as to extend the reach for public transit.
“What we want the B to do is to be used by everyday people for everyday things,” the mayor said. “We want people to use it for working, playing and just an alternative transportation opportunity. … Biking’s just fun, so we encourage all of our citizens to become a part of the biking community and use the B.”
Today, the city’s Urban Design Committee takes up the proposed location and design of the first phase of stations, which will be concentrated in the central business district, Carver, Jackson Ward and the Fan District, with other stations in Carytown, Scott’s Addition and Oregon Hill.