Who's Who in El Cerrito: David Rogerson

Name: David Rogerson

Age: 43

Occupation: Owner/tattoo artist at Ace Tattoo

How long have you been in El Cerrito? Since about noon. (laughs) I've had my shop fifteen years.

What do you like about El Cerrito? I like the police. I like the weather. I like my community as far as the other merchants. We almost got kicked off the block because they were trying to put the Honda dealership here. Despite the EC redevelopment zone being in effect we're persevering here as businesses. They try to get rid of the mom and pop businesses on this stretch constantly and we've all banded together and we're keeping our businesses so that's the only thing I don't like about El Cerrito is they're always trying to can us for a big box store. Tax base! So, but it's mom and pop for now.

Are you involved with the community meetings? What they do is they filibuster it, they run their mouth, run their mouth, run their mouth and then the meeting's over and they put you off for weeks and weeks and weeks. I was trying to buy the building next door. I got a price out of them. We set it up at a city council meeting after city counsel meeting after city counsel meeting. They put me off, blow me off, put me off. I had the money. I was gonna pay cash for it, $400,000. They flattened the building rather than sell it to me. Thank you, Redevelopment Agency. But despite the city kinda being shortsighted, it's the people that keep me here. It's all my fellow business people, Dave next door, awesome guy, Tropical Fish World, great business, great guy… Everyone loves him.

What do you do for fun? I ride my skate board. I do that, shoot guns, right now — I'm just working on my TV show.

What's it about? You can go to roadcult.tv.com. Check me out, check me out, son! That and I've got a skateboard company.