Building a Better Riverside Through Facts, Transparency, and Civic Engagement “The strength of a community is measured not by how loudly its leaders speak, but by how informed and engaged its citizens become.” For more than a decade, I have written about issues affecting Riverside—from ethics and transparency to public safety, homelessness, economic development, infrastructure, […]

Riverside Doesn’t Need Another Press Conference. It Needs Leadership. Last week Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson once again stood before cameras urging Sacramento to restore funding for California’s Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Program. The message was predictable. The State needs to send Riverside more money. But after six years of HHAP funding, billions of […]

Economic Development Is Important. Reckless Economic Development Is Not. The recent social media comment defended Riverside’s decision to provide nearly $5 million in incentives to South Korean EV charging company Chaevi: “Solid decision by City and Council. Chaevi is investing millions in Riverside. Is another company bringing jobs, tax revenue and economic growth? We should […]

Mayor, Councilmembers, and City staff: My name is Keith Nelson. I submitted a long written public comment documenting the record of misconduct, boundary failures, conflicts, and violations involving City Manager Mike Futrell and the City Manager’s Office. This Council has had this problem in front of it for far too long. The issue is not […]

Mayor and Council, I oppose approving this City Attorney contract as written. This is not about the individual candidate. This is about whether this Council is protecting the taxpayers of Riverside. The agreement calls this an at-will employment agreement, but when you read the actual terms, it is not true at-will employment in any practical […]

Public Comment — Oppose Waiving the Sunshine Ordinance Mayor, Councilmembers: I am asking you to vote no on waiving the Sunshine Ordinance for the proposed City Attorney employment agreement. The staff report says this waiver is needed because the City is entering the 2026/27 fiscal year, has had an Interim City Attorney since October 2024, […]

Today, Riverside voters have a chance to send a clear message: no more blank checks for failed leadership. Measure Z is not just about a tax. It is about accountability. It is about whether the same City Council, Mayor, City Manager, and charter officers who helped create Riverside’s financial mess should be rewarded with more […]

With the election next Tuesday, Riverside voters have a clear choice: continue rewarding the same failed leadership, or finally demand accountability. The campaign for Measure Z has told us everything we need to know. Instead of earning public trust through fiscal discipline, transparency, and responsible leadership, the backers of Measure Z have relied on fear, […]