Professor Smith Comments on Antics at Richmond City Council

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE -- San Francisco State Political Science Professor Robert Smith, a longtime observer of Richmond politics, said the antics of Councilman Corky Boozé and his cohorts affect the credibility of the council. “It’s no way to conduct business,” he said. “Some people find it entertaining, like a reality show, but really it brings the City Council and city government into disrepute.” Smith described Vice Mayor Jovanka Beckles as one of the most thoughtful and deliberative representatives on the seven-member council. “She has been subject to almost nonstop vitriolic attacks, but on the dais she’s handled it with remarkable decorum,” he said. “Despite everything, she’s very nonconfrontational.”