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August 9-22, 2012 | www.sfbaytimes.com
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PHOTO BY ELIZABET H ST EWART
Chevron’s Pass/Fail LGBT Rating
P HOTO CO URTE S Y O F ALYSON ADVENTURES
Monday’s massive fires at the Chevron Refinery in Richmond affected many in our community. Thick, black smoke spewed over much of the Bay Area, forcing thousands of East Bay residents to stay in their homes with the windows and doors closed. What isn’t closed, surprisingly, is Chevron’s proverbial closet, since the corporation rates highly on HRC’s Corporate Equality Index.
LGBT Travel and Gay-Friendly Cities - Pages 10 & 11
LGBT & Non-Traditional Family Tax & Financial Practice Group Launched lation or judicial decision, requiring true expertise to navigate this complex web. Each of Marcum’s offices can provide the knowledge and experience to solve these challenges, no matter where needs arise.”
Contending with the fragmented, ever-changing landscape of tax and f inancial laws and regulations impacting our community is an immense challenge. Many of us have likely been losing money each year as a result. In response to the problem, Marcum LLP- a leading national accounting, tax and advisory firmrecently formed the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender and NonTraditional Family practice group. Marcum is the largest national firm to actively promote such a group.
Nanette Lee Miller, the group’s national leader and Partner-in-Charge of Assurance Services for Marcum’s California offices, told the Bay Times that the new group addresses “a social justice issue.” She explained, “Whether they are married, single, domestic partners or divorced, LGBT and non-traditional families deal with tax and financial issues that are byzantine, at best. LGBT and Non-Traditional Family accounting matters can be legislated by national, state or local government groups, or by regu-
Miller has boldly been at the forefront of related work for decades, with her firm being among the first to address such challenges over the years. The new group takes those efforts to the next level by providing tax planning and compliance support for individuals, trusts, estates, family partnerships, small business corporations, and limited liability corporations. IRS and state audit representation is also available. Bruce Ditman, CMO of Marcum, told the Bay Times, “People don’t even know what they don’t know about their taxes and finances.” As a result, you could be missing out on money-saving deductions and more. In terms of family-specific help, the new group offers bill paying, investment monitoring, real property f inancial management, financial re-
porting, medical reimbursement and advocacy, and risk management/insurance review. For businesses, help is available on audits, organizational structure review, income allocation planning, back office operational assistance and additional matters. Related concerns go far beyond our particular community. As Miller said, “At least one-third of all people in the US are cohabitating, but are not married. The same financial issues affecting us apply to them, in many cases. We are changing culturally as a country.” For more about Marcum’s LGBT and Non-Traditional Practice Group, visit http://www.marcumllp.com/ services/taxandbusiness/LGBT-nontraditional-fpg.
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The Index is released annually, and Chevron received a perfect 100 percent rating during the last review. Criteria for the rating system includes whether or not a company has a nondiscrimination policy and diversity training concerning sexual orientation issues. The system also takes into account insurance and employee health benefits, benefits to partners, and whether or not the company has an LGBT employee resource group or diversity council. It further acknowledges how the business engages in “appropriate and respectful advertising and marketing,” sponsorship of LGBT community events or organizations, and “responsible citizenship,” which is tarnished if a “largescale off icial or public anti-LGBT blemish” winds up on the company’s recent records. To receive the 100 percent rating, Chevron is clearly keeping its nose clean on all of the above. Less stellar, as you might imagine, is the company’s environmental performance. Even without Monday’s disaster, Newsweek’s Green Rankings of U.S. companies put Chevron toward the back of the pack. With a green score of less than 50 (out of 100), the corporation continues to fail miserably. Chevron scored equally poorly on its environmental impact and environmental management ratings, although disclosure of problems was rated a 76. A University of Michigan study, “ West Count y Tox ics Coa lit ion and the Chevron Refinery,” reports that Chevron stores over 11 million pounds of toxic, explosive and corrosive materials at the refinery very close to large population centers. Between 1989 and 1995 alone, Chevron (continued on page 9)