Richmond

Chevron Direct Action & Rally: March 08 15thSaturday, March 15– DIRECT ACTION @ CHEVRON REFINERY (Richmond) Take Direct Action to stop War Profiteering, Environmental Injustice and Racism at the Chevron refinery in Richmond!

*10:00am — Meet at West County Toxics Coalition office at 305 Chesley Avenue. Richmond, to take bus to the protest.

*11:00am — Rally at Judge G.Carroll Park, West Cutting & South Garrard Blvds, Richmond.

*1:00pm — Non-Violent, Direct Action at Chevron Refinery, 841 Chevron Way, Richmond. For more info, call (510)984-2566. Sponsored by RichmondGreens,West County Toxics Coalition, Green action for Health and Environmental Justice, Communitiesfor a Better Environment, Richmond Progressive Alliance, Community Health Initiative, Direct Action to Stop the War & Amazon Watch.

 

Richmond v. Chevron: February 08

Roll on, Big Oil.

In the 30 years since California voters limited property tax increases by passing Proposition 13, the Chevron oil refinery in Richmond has negotiated a lower tax rate at least a half-dozen times – rolling over any opposition from local government.

To this day, the oil company has always gotten its way, said Gus Kramer, the tax assessor in Contra Costa County.

“They do a $150 million addition and we run the numbers, calculate the added value and send them a bill – and in November they file an appeal,” he said of the company’s practices. “Heavy industry has the best lobbyists money can buy, and over the years they have changed the tax codes and made it harder to assess the value of a modernized plant.”

more… by Chip Johnson. E-mail him at chjohnson@sfchronicle.com