by Paul Goldman

Once again, Richmond city government is facing a crisis of competence. The current water treatment plant fiasco is symbolic of this long history. You can’t run a city by moving from crisis to crisis. That’s why I believe Mayor Danny Avula should create an independent committee to review the city’s well-documented infrastructure mess and finally propose a solution,

He should choose people whose knowledge of government finances is beyond question. And they should be individuals unafraid to step on whoever’s toes may need stepping on. 

I’m hoping the new mayor will see the wisdom in this proposal. When facing similar type financial situations, former governors Wilder and Warner asked for my advice. They took it. This advice helped them win accolades for Virginia as the best-managed state. I’m convinced what I’m proposing for Avula will put Richmond on the road to being one of the best managed cities.

The first thing RVA needs to do should be clear to any honest person: The 16-year era of the race-baiting politics of former Mayors Dwight Jones and Levar Stoney needs to come to an end. They and their cronies have used race to enrich too many, for far too long, with contracts they don’t deserve, jobs they can’t perform, patronage positions the city doesn’t need, and projects like the proposed Casino given to friends of the Mayor on a racial basis to folks who don’t actually respect the integrity of Black citizens.

I don’t say this to absolve the city’s long history of anti-black racism, which started back when RVA was founded in the 18th century. But in 2023, I led the fight against then-Mayor Stoney’s Stoney’s Casino proposal. He was backed by former Mayor Jones, all the Black members of City, all the Black members of the city’s state legislate delegation, almost all of the Black ministers in RVA, Black pro-Casino Union leaders and the city’s leading Black media outlets. They were all outraged that I and others dared opposed an alleged Black majority-owned casino. (I later showed the claim to be untrue). I got attacked with anti-Semitic diatribes, some making news across the country. But what’s worse — and most germane here — is the shameful fact the Stoney/Jones pro-Casino folks demeaned all Black residents who likewise opposed the Casino. The used racial stereotypes to demean good and decent people who opposed Casinos because they rip off the poor, which in RVA are mostly Black residents.

Did Stoney or Jones apologize for these outrageous anti-black attacks? No. Did the Jewish get outraged at the anti-Semitic slurs or the black racism? No. The Black ministers? No.

Why? Because sadly, it has become increasingly acceptable again in too many places among too many people to make money and achieve power at the expense of those who they see as inferior to them. Top Democrats and top Republicans are equally guilty. What passes for progressivism and conservatism today is shameful at times. And it is a political virus that infects people regardless of skin color. I think it’s putting our democracy in jeopardy

A bipartisan and biracial coalition crushed the Stoney Casino proposal. In part because they saw it as another example of the cesspool of government corruption too long condoned in Richmond.

It may have started with the segregationist Democrats years ago.  But it was continued by Jones and Stoney and their cronies. 

We need to turn the page on race baiting politicians. We need to turn the page on thinking it’s OK to be corrupt because 50 years ago people who didn’t look like you were corrupt. 

Which brings us to the current water treatment plant fiasco. This mess risks making Richmond a laughing stock.

This is incredibly frustrating and sad for me. Richmond is one of the greatest places to live at least potentially if the damn city government would just get out of the way!

When I was growing up in the north, Richmond was just the old capital of the confederacy still run by segregationist Democrats. In 1985, as Doug Wilder’s campaign manager, we started giving America a whole different look at Richmond –- his hometown and the state of Virginia — on the issue of race and politics.

Of course we haven’t made enough progress in this area. I don’t know anybody in politics in my city and my state who has worked harder for longer to try and improve the politics of my city and my state in this regard whose never held an elected office. Indeed, I’m looking forward to working with Delegate Luke Torian, D-Dumfries, and Senator Louis Lucas, D-Portsmouth, this year on a constitutional amendment — an amendment to put Virginia in the forefront of an educational ideal long promised Virginia school students in rural white towns, black urban neighborhoods and working class suburban enclaves but intentionally never given them.

The bottom line therefore: You can’t build the Richmond I believe citizens deserve on a politics rooted in the divisions of the past.

Mayor Avula has three choices as I see it.

First, he can easily find a fix to the immediate water treatment plant issue. Then once done, his staff can pat him on the back publicly, say he will be a great governor in eight years, fire a couple of people, hire a couple of new people and move on.

Two, he can order a review of the water fiasco by his chief administrative officer and other city employees, with an outside consultant or two producing an internal city report. This report will have various potential options to make sure it doesn’t happen in the future. Then put that report in a fancy binder, hold a big press conference and release it to the public. 

Or, you take the bold approach last used by Governor Warner: Put together an independent committee with the most competent people. Have them hold public hearing. Allow them to see any document they want. Talk to whomever they want in government. Tell them to look at the biggest picture possible. The whole infrastructure mess in Richmond. A to Z. Then report back the good the bad and the ugly. 

Based on history, it’s clear the third option is needed in Richmond. RVA has the oldest crumbling school buildings in the state. The police and fire equipment is outdated. The utility infrastructure is very old and poses high risk at any moment.

Earlier this year, the mayor and council decided the most important infrastructure project was a $130 million baseball stadium. I alone opposed issuing $130 million in city baseball stadium bonds as a legislative issue and legally in court. We have far greater needs. I pointed out in his cities like Richmond, the citizens weren’t given the automatic right to reject such ridiculous spending as our citizens in the counties surrounding Richmond. Clearly, if given a choice, the people would have said fix the water works or schools first before you spend the money needed there on a baseball stadium.

This committee can surely begin operating by February 1, 2025. Likewise, the report should be ready no later than June 1, 2025.

It’s time the people of Richmond got the truth. Any honest solution to this long-time failure to properly invest in infrastructure will be expensive. I believe it can be paid for by slashing and remodeling the incredibly costly city government created in the last 16 years.

I am merely recommending Mayor Avula make a virtue out of a necessity. He needs a plan to fix it all. The longer he waits, the more it’s going to seem he had to be forced. The longer he waits, in my experience, the less likely it will get done right. I do hope he seizes the moment

Paul Goldman is former Chair of the VA Democratic Party, a former candidate for mayor of the City of Richmond, and author of “Remaking Virginia Politics.”