John Gioia (pronounced: JOY-uh or [ dʒɔɪʌ ] ) is an American politician. He has been the Democratic county supervisor for Contra Costa County, California District 1 since 1998 and was re-elected in 2002.[1]
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He is the local representative for the cities of El Cerrito, San Pablo, Richmond, and the communities of Kensington, Rollingwood, Bayview-Montalvin Manor, North Richmond, and East Richmond Heights.[1] He is chair of the finance committee and also serves on the Association of Bay Area Governments, California State Association of Counties Board, San Francisco Bay Conversation and Development Commission, Contra Costa Transportation Authority, West Contra Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority, and the Contra Costa County Employees' Retirement Association boards of directors.[1]
He is largely opposed to the expansion of urban gaming proposed by Native American Indian gaming interests. These projects include the failed billion dollar Point Molate proposal, Casino San Pablo upgrades from card club to full scale, and the succeessful Sugar Bowl Casino by the Guideville, Lytton, and Scotts Valley bands of Pomo Indians respectively.[2] He joined Congressman Goerge Miller, Richmond city council man Nat Bates and others in protesting the eviction of a popular pastor in 2010.[3]
In 1999 he became highly critical of four refineries in the county particularly the Chevron Richmond Refinery for not having written polices on disaster response including the accidental release of contaminants.[4]
His 2002 reelection bid was endorsed by the Contra Costa Times for his tough stance on pension reform.[5] This stance has come under fire by tax groups as being misleading.[6]
In 2003 he joined Loni Hancock, Irma Anderson, and other area residents and politicians to protest and oppose the entry of Wal-Mart into Hilltop Mall, however this was eventually unsuccessful.[7]
In 2005 he proposed banning new Indian Reservations and gambling institutions in the county and[8] also approved a measure to fine each supervisor $1 for every instance of bureaucratic mumbo jumbo.[9]
In 2006 he spearheaded a bailout to save Doctors Hospital in San Pablo with a 10 million dollar advance guaranteed by future property tax revenues.[10]
In 2011 his El Cerrito offices were picketed for alleged mismanagement and failure to fix the problems of North Richmond, an unincorporated impoverished African-American enclave surrounded the city of Richmond, inside Gioia's district 1.[11][12]
He also expressed support for demolishing and rebuilding the Las Deltas projects into a mixed use mixed income village in North Richmond once funds are identified.[13]
He is an alumnus of El Cerrito High School and Cal Berkeley where he received a bachelors in Political Science. This was followed by a law degree from Boalt Hall and a working career in business and land use law in his hometown and San Francisco.[1] He started his political career with a stint on the East Bay Municipal Utility District board from 1989 to 1998 including the presidency from 1995 onward.[1] He is married to Jennifer Peck employed in the non-profit field and has two children Emilia and Christopher. The family resides in Richmond and their children attend public schools.[1]