Oakland –– The City of Oakland is pleased to announce the awards of $4.13 million to two community land trusts dedicated to the creation and preservation of affordable housing. The funds are available thanks to the 2016 voter-approved City Bond Measure KK. Oakland Community Land Trust (OakCLT) and the Bay Area Community Land Trust (BACLT) … Read more
Oakland Athletics Ballpark At Howard Terminal New Video Images Released Before DEIR Report From YouTube Channel: February 26, 2021 at 02:14PM ONN – Oakland Athletics Ballpark At Howard Terminal New Video Images Released Before DEIR Report The A’s presented a new design, which is much “softer” in presentation than previeous versions. It’s less dramatic. Why … Read more
The Howard Terminal Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) is out of its cage and here at this link! The City of Oakland and The Oakland Athletics released the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Howard Terminal Ballpark (or more formally called “Oakland Waterfront Ballpark District at Howard Terminal”). First, the Oakland A’s sent their email, … Read more
Howard Terminal Ballpark update with the release of the Draft Environmental Impact Report, here. The last OaklandNewNow.com blog post update on the process toward building a new ballpark for the Oakland Athletics at Howard Terminal, revealed that the City of Oakland was in search of a new consultant to focus on the work of the … Read more
The Office of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf just sent an email that is a kind of victory lap for the production of affordable housing in Oakland. What’s bothersome about the message is the total lack of attention paid to what the total picture looks like. Here’s what the good mayor sent: Oakland Produces Most Affordable … Read more
On Thursday, February 18th, 2021, 7:00 PM PST, the office of Berkeley City Councilman Ben Bartlett will be holding a ZOOM Virtual Town Hall with School Board Director Laura Babitt to have a School Reopening Conversation with Community Members, Parents, Teachers, and YOU! The Town Hall will start at 7pm and end around 8:30pm. Please … Read more
Oakland Street Trash & Homelessness continue to grow in 2021 From YouTube Channel: February 11, 2021 at 04:47AM ONN – YouTuber: Oakland Street Trash & Homelessness Continue To Grow In 2021 The channel “waajidsvideo” on YouTube posted this series of dashcam videos capturing areas in Oakland where, in the vlogger’s view, the homeless problem was … Read more
Marin County District One Supervisor Damon Connolly Q and A on 2021 Goals and Priorities starting with question on COVID. Vaccine. Economic Recovery Thank you Zennie for having me on the show. We are living through a historic moment, the decisions we make today on how we address COVID, equity, and our economy will have … Read more
Executive Order on Reforming Our Incarceration System to Eliminate the Use of Privately Operated Criminal Detention Facilities REFORMING OUR INCARCERATION SYSTEM TO ELIMINATE THE USE OF PRIVATELY OPERATED CRIMINAL DETENTION FACILITIES By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered … Read more
Berkeley City Councilmember Rigel Robinson Speaks to LWVBAE Interns From YouTube Channel: December 8, 2020 at 02:14AM ONN – Berkeley City Councilmember Rigel Robinson Speaks to LWVBAE Interns League of Women Voters writes: In October of 2020, Berkeley City Councilmember Rigel Robinson gave an overview of the city to League interns and discussed some of … Read more
City of Oakland Corruption at Building Department with “Bribes” paid by Slumlords by Derrick Soo ONN – City of Oakland Corruption at Building Department with “Bribes” paid by Slumlords by Derrick Soo – vlog by Zennie62 YouTube Affordable Housing is already a heated issue. But now its come to light that City of Oakland’s Building … Read more
John Arthur Jones III Blasts Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, Forgot Oakland City Council Exists From YouTube Channel: December 19, 2020 at 02:13PM ONN – John Arthur Jones III Blasts Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, Forgot Oakland City Council Exists On Facebook, John Arthur Jones posted this missive about The Mayor of Oakland: The current Mayor of … Read more
Oakland – The City of Oakland is now the official proud owner of Clifton Hall Dormitory in the amenity rich, transit-friendly Rockridge neighborhood. The 63-unit, unoccupied building will provide deeply affordable, long- and short-term housing for Oakland seniors and families. Funds for this acquisition were granted to the City of Oakland through the State’s Project … Read more
Don Perata Interview – 2010 Oakland Mayor’s Race Interview With The Man Who Almost Won But for rank-choice voting, Don Perata, and not Jean Quan, would have been our Mayor of Oakland. Don, best known as President pro tempore of the California State Senate, and later President of Perata Engineering (a lobbying company), was the … Read more
Oakland City Council Should Exempt New Affordable Housing From Natural Gas Ban From YouTube Channel: December 12, 2020 at 01:28PM ONN – Oakland City Council Should Exempt New Affordable Housing From Natural Gas Ban The City of Oakland should takes steps to incentivize the construction of more affordable housing. Since electric power is more expensive … Read more
Oakland Natural Gas Ban Done Without Economic Impact Analysis, Needs Affordable Housing Exception ONN – Oakland Natural Gas Ban Done Without Economic Impact Analysis, Needs Affordable Housing Exception – vlog by Zennie62 YouTube On Tuesday, the Oakland City Council passed what would be a ban on natural gas use in all new building construction if … Read more
Oakland Passes Natural Gas Ban, Dan Kalb Celebrates With Downtown Luxury High Rise Atlas Apartments Pict The Oakland City Council just passed a ban on the use of natural gas in new residential and commercial buildings. This was the rationale posted here Tuesday: Oakland City Council will consider groundbreaking legislation to improve building safety and … Read more
Oakland – Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, OUSD Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammel, and non-profit Community Development Finance announced an innovative new pilot program that will provide affordable housing options for teachers and help keep educators rooted in Oakland. The pilot program offers ‘teacher-residents’ — graduate students training with mentor teachers while completing their teaching credential — the … Read more
The Oakland City Council calls for State Legislation to Give Affordable Housing Entities Priority to Purchase Residential Homes Up For Tax Auction The Oakland City Council (unanimously) passed a resolution, introduced by Oakland Council member At-Large Rebecca Kaplan, that would support the California State Legislature enacting legislation that would support affordable housing by requiring that … Read more
Oakland, FAD – Good Friday to you. Again, and thanks to the County of Alameda’s Registrar of Voters, Zennie62Media has a table for each rank-choice-voting election in the races for Oakland City Council. As the Alameda Registrar of Voters sends new updates, those will be posted below the first set for each race. Here they … Read more
Oakland – The City of Oakland sent a press release to provide more background on the funds Eliane Brown secured for her housing project. Oakland reports that as part of its Project Homekey Initiative, the State of California has awarded the City of Oakland nearly $17.5 million of Project Homekey funding for two innovative housing projects that when complete, will offer 104 units of housing for people experiencing or at-risk of homelessness, including those recently released from incarceration.
The Inn at Temescal is a 22-unit hotel located at the corner of MacArthur Blvd. and Telegraph Avenue. Near to downtown Oakland, The Inn is close to BART and other service amenities, making for an accessible residential area.
Using a combination of City funds and Homekey grant funds from the State Housing & Community Development Department, community-based organization Operation Dignity and for-profit developer Danco Communities have entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement to acquire the property. This project will expand affordable housing opportunities and provide direct services to residents. Operation Dignity will lease the units to homeless individuals, working with them to secure longin partnership with the Oakland Housing Authority and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The Sponsor team plans to acquire the site by the middle of December 2020. The Inn at Temescal is service-enriched housing for currently homeless veterans that will provide 21 units for residents, and one unit for a service manager.
392 11th Street, at Franklin
392 Franklin St. is an 82-unit SRO (Single Room Occupancy) hotel that will provide housing for individuals recently released from nearby jails and prisons who are most impacted by COVID-19 and are at extraordinary risk of homelessness. BOSS (Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency) will act as the service provider and work in collaboration with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office to house those rapidly released due to overcrowding and the escalating spread of Coronavirus in the State’s prison facilities.
The City will partner the funds from Homekey Project with Oakland & The World Enterprises, Inc. (OAW), a local nonprofit organization, McCormak Baron Salazr, Memar Properties, Inc., and FPI Management to acquire the property.
“With these two projects, Oakland just created more than 100 new units of housing for our unsheltered residents, and with a special priority to take care of our American heroes — our veterans,” Mayor Libby Schaaf said. “Our City staff works tirelessly to end homelessness in our streets, and I’m grateful for Gov. Newsom’s leadership and his partnership, as we all work together to urgently address this crisis.”
“These two projects are excellent examples of how state and local funding merge with projects rooted in community organization to support sustainable solutions for combating the homeless crisis.” said Shola Olatoye, Housing & Community Development Director for the City.
Both projects will be complete and open to welcome residents in early 2021.
Congratulations to Elaine Brown, the famed and legendary Oakland Black Panther, who is now CEO of the nonprofit Oakland & the World Enterprises, successfully gained $21 Million in Homekey program funds. Brown and her team will use the money to purchase the former Traveler’s Hotel at 392 11th Street, at Franklin, in downtown Oakland, from owner NDO Group, LLC.
Elaine-Brown-Oakland
The purpose of the innovative Homekey program is to fund the “purchase and rehabilitation of hotels, motels, vacant apartment buildings and other properties to convert into housing for people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness.” Brown, who has been a prisoner advocate for decades, stated, “There is no population at greater risk of homelessness than people being released back into society, who suffer wholesale denial of housing and employment solely because of their former incarceration, most of whom are black men and women. We are grateful to have this opportunity to provide a place for some of them.” The building will be renamed The Huey P. Newton.
Partners Ali Kashani and Adhi Nagraj thanked the Governor, the State Department of Housing and the City of Oakland’s Housing Department, under the leadership of Director Shola Olatoye, not only for facilitating the award process but also for providing $7 Million of the total award from City funds, as required by the State Housing Department. The group also thanked the Oakland City Council for unanimously approving the City’s contribution.
All participants acknowledged the critical role in this effort of the nonprofit organization BOSS, Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency, and its Executive Director Donald Frazier. Frazier worked hard to secure agreements with both the County Probation Department and Health Care Services Agency to house the men and women returning to the community from prison. BOSS is committed to operate and oversee supportive services for the newly-housed residents at 11th and Franklin.—Frazier stated he is constantly hunting for decent, affordable housing for vulnerable individuals and families, and applauded this opportunity.
Note: this post based on a press release issued by Elaine Brown.
ONN – City of Oakland to enact new EMP Policy by Derrick Soo
City of Oakland City Council APPROVED a new Encampment Management Policy that will change current policy. Oakland Administrators did this before, FORCING people to live in close proximity to dangerous Street Gang Members, Rapist, Criminals and violent people without proper safety at those sites. Currently Administrators are going to COMPRESS 142 Homeless Encampments into a “Proposed” 40 Sanctuary Sites.
Oakland also has placed size Limitations on Shelter “Footprint” of 12’x 12’. Not possible in most instances, too small. City demanding that ALL of ones possessions fit into that shelter.
EMP now BANS, Propane tanks, appliances, grills, heaters, lights from ALL sites at all times. With Winter coming, Administrators tell us to wear extra clothing to keep warm. Very Unreasonable!!! Solar is discouraged and out of most peoples ability to buy. People begin dying on the streets during the winter, this camp has lost 3 to FREEZING to DEATH.
I’ve been working tirelessly to turn this CRISIS around! My PATH Program (Permanent Access To Housing) addresses our CRISIS with proven solutions to the Affordable Housing Crisis everywhere. But, Mayor Schaaf and City Council Members are negligent in at least looking into these viable solutions that are working in other parts of our country. These Programs deal with all issues of Housing Affordability across every income level, including ZERO income.
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
That Berkeley City Councilmember Ben Bartlett should face challengers in the 2020 Election is wild to me. When one considers the many accomplishments Bartlett has done for Berkeley, and what work he’s started and that’s left to be done, and then look at his opponents and what they offer, that Bartlett’s re-election should be a point of debate is, well, unusual, for several reasons.
First, consider that each and every member of the Berkeley City Council has endorsed Ben for re-election. That means this:
Jesse Arreguín, Berkeley Mayor
Sophie Hahn, Berkeley Vice Mayor & City Councilmember
Rashi Kesarwani, Berkeley City Councilmember
Cheryl Davila, Berkeley City Councilmember
Kate Harrison, Berkeley City Councilmember
Susan Wengraf, Berkeley City Councilmember
Rigel Robinson, Berkeley City Councilmember
Lori Droste, Berkeley City Councilmember
Tom Bates, Former Berkeley Mayor
Max Anderson, Former Berkeley Councilmember, District 3
.. all of those Berkeley representatives not only want Ben Bartlett to retain his seat, but that they pay attention to him regarding policy formation. Not one of Councilmember Bartlett’s opponents can make that claim. It also means that, again, unlike his opponents, Berkeley residents don’t have to concern themselves with Bartlett’s ability to gain votes for his initiatives representing them.
Second, having all of the Berkeley City Council backing him also means Councilmember Bartlett understands something else his challengers don’t: governance. Governance, simply put, means how the business of government works.
Ben Bartlett’s Constant Focus For South Berkeley Has Been Extremely Affordable Housing
In addition to governance, Councilmember Bartlett’s main focus from the start of his first term has been the development of extremely affordable housing. For example, Mr. Bartlett’s office wrote the grant that allowed Resources for Community Development to gain $40 Million Dollars in affordable housing for South Berkeley. He has also backed a number of initiatives to advance the development of more extremely affordable housing that deserve a book unto themselves.
By contrast, one of Councilmember Bartlett’s challengers is a realtor who’s in favor of pro-market-rate and expensive housing in the middle of the worst homeless crisis in modern history, and The COVID-19 Pandemic.
In addition, she is not even supporting the passage of State Proposition 16. That means she’s not in favor of the re-installation of much-needed affirmative action laws designed to cause social equity.
Councilmember Bartlett Backs Police Spending Reformation In The Wake Of George Floyd
In addition to housing advocacy, Councilmember Bartlett advanced and assisted in the passage of a number of items of legislation designed to focus police spending on alternative crime fighting practices. Thanks to his leadership, and relationships with fellow Berkeley City Councilmembers, Berkeley became a national leader in police reform.
I could go on and on, but I’ll cut to the chase: re-elect Berkeley Councilmember Ben Bartlett.
Oakland District Two Councilmember Nikki Bas’ Digitized Newsletter
Last week, I was so moved to see #MomsHouse on Magnolia Street finally become community-owned as permanently affordable, transitional housing for unsheltered mothers.
Congratulations to Dominique Walker, Tolani King, Misty Cross, Sameerah Karim and Carroll Fife for leading this movement to end corporate speculation and house more Oaklanders. I am proud to have stood with them over the last year to call attention to making housing a human right, together with Council President Rebecca Kaplan, Councilmember Dan Kalb and Assemblymember Rob Bonta.
Moms 4 Housing
Sustainable, Healthy Use of Lake Merritt – Lake Merritt Vending Pilot Program Update
Coming out of the second weekend of our Lake Merritt Vending Pilot Program, we were excited to be joined by Parks and Recreation Advisory Commissioner Dwayne Aikens, Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kev Choice, the Oakland Black Vendors Association and neighbors to:
• Promote health and safety during COVID-19,
• Support struggling small businesses and entrepreneurs in this difficult time, and
• Ensure sustainable, equitable and inclusive long-term use of the Lake.
This pilot program for merchandise vendors will take place through November 22nd on El Embarcadero and along Lakeshore to Beacon from 10am to 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
This weekend, Community Ready Corps (CRC) will be joining the pilot to promote public health during COVID. Volunteers will distribute COVID kits that have face masks, hand sanitizer and gloves to help promote compliance with the County Health Order.
My team is grateful for the collaboration of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission (PRAC), the Oakland Black Vendors Association, James “Old School” Copes, city departments, and the community to ensure access, safety and equity at the Lake for everyone in our city.
This is what an Oakland for all of us means to me — working with a coalition of diverse stakeholders to ensure the Lake, as our city’s pride, is an enjoyable public space that each of us can use.
Moms 4 Housing
TUESDAY 10/20: Oakland City Council Meeting Preview Homeless Encampment Management Policy and Community Safety
Tuesday, October 20th’s 1:30pm City Council meeting will include the following important agenda items:
Item 6: COVID-19 Emergency Response And The Creation Of Clean Air Buildings For Use Of The Community During The COVID-19 Shelter In Place Emergency.
Thanks to our awesome District 2 constituent and outgoing Cleveland Heights Neighborhood Council Co-Chair Rachel Broadwin for introducing us to Dr. Rupa Basu, Section Chief for the Air and Climate Epidemiology Section of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment at CalEPA. At our September Council meeting, I expressed concern that our air quality and temperature triggers were too high to fully protect the health and safety of our most vulnerable residents. At my urging, our Fire Department staff met with Dr. Basu to discuss recommendations for activating extreme weather Emergency Respite Centers (ERC) in Oakland. As an outcome of the conversation and further discussions with internal stakeholders and community feedback, the activation triggers for the City of Oakland have been lowered to an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 200 – Very Unhealthy (versus what was previously 250) and temperatures forecasted to reach/exceed 95 degrees for 2 consecutive days or 100 degrees in one day. We are grateful for Dr. Basu and Rachel’s important expertise as we navigate these challenging times!
Item 7: Gun Violence Top Law Enforcement Priority resolution from President Kaplan to prioritize the decrease in illegal guns and gun violence by increasing gun tracing, improving response time to shooting notifications, and prioritizing response to gun crime.
Item 8: Homeless Encampment Management resolution, which proposes to designate priority areas for encampment management and outlines actions including the criteria for assessing what locations will be prioritized for enforcement or other homelessness interventions from the city.
Item 14: Adopt either the resolution proposed by the Oakland Police Commission or Oakland Police Department banning the carotid restraint and all forms of asphyxia.
Item 16: I’m co-sponsoring with President Kaplan, a resolution Terminating the Oakland Police Department’s Participation In The Joint Terror Task Force to ensure compliance with our local and state laws and focus on threats based on evidence, not bias or racial profiling.
See details to join the meeting and provide public comment. You can also share e-comments here.
TUESDAY 10/27: Community & Economic Development Meeting – Impact Fees, Economic Recovery Recommendations
On Tuesday October 27th at 1:30pm, the Community and Economic Development Committee will discuss two important items:
Item 2: Informational report on Impact Fees for Affordable Housing, Jobs/Housing, and Transportation and Capital Improvements, and
Item 3: Informational report on the Economic Recovery Council’s Draft Recommendations.
Oakland Workers, Know Your Rights! COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave
Oakland Workers Rights
Thank you to East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE) for creating Know Your Rights materials on the emergency protections for Oakland workers passed by Council earlier this summer, which I was proud to co-sponsor.
The City’s Emergency Paid Sick Leave policy requires certain employers to provide leave to workers who test positive for COVID-19, present symptoms, are caring for family members who were exposed or present symptoms, or are at high risk from an infection. Check out and share the flyers in English and Spanish so that Oakland workers are aware of their rights!
City of Oakland; District 2 News and Resources
County Reopening Updates, Small Biz Legal Support, Grants for Home-Based Business
New County Health Orders Allow Additional Business Operations: Effective October 9, Alameda County now allows: hotels & lodging for tourism with their fitness centers and indoor pools restricted; museums, zoos & aquariums indoors at < 25% capacity; personal care services indoors with modification (services requiring removal of face covering still prohibited); gyms and fitness centers indoors at < 10% capacity with restrictions on aerobic exercise and classes. While the update allows partial reopening of libraries, Oakland Public LIbrary will remain closed for indoor services until plans are in place for safely reopening the buildings.
Beginning Friday, October 16, Alameda County will permit additional outdoor activities, including playgrounds, that follow the State’s guidance. Additionally, Alameda County is preparing to update the local Health Officer Orders to permit additional activities during the week of October 26. These activities will include: indoor dining up to 25% capacity or less than 100 people, whichever is less; indoor worship services up to 25% capacity or less than 100 people, whichever is less; indoor theaters up to 25% capacity or less than 100 people, whichever is less; expansion of indoor retail and malls at up to 50% of capacity and permitting limited food courts.
County Guidance on Safe Halloween Practices: Bay Area health officials recently released guidance on how to celebrate Halloween and Dia de los Muertos safely. Gatherings, celebrations, events or parties with non-household members are not permitted unless conducted in compliance with local and state health orders. Please avoid participating in traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door to door and do not have trunk-or-treat where treats are handed from car trunks lined up in large parking lots.
Many traditional Halloween celebrations, such as parties and door-to-door trick-or-treating, pose a high risk of spreading COVID-19 and are strongly discouraged by CDPH
Not only do traditional celebrations pose a spread risk, they would also result in great difficulty in conducting appropriate contact tracing
Local Health Departments may have additional, more stringent restrictions
CDPH recommends that families begin planning for safer alternatives.
Legal Help for Oakland Small Businesses with Lease Negotiations: Oakland has allocated $150,000 of California CARES funding to the nonprofit Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the SF Bay Area to provide legal advice and assistance on lease negotiations to small businesses that have suffered revenue losses due to COVID-19. Business owners can access these free, multilingual legal services here, such as commercial leasing webinars through mid-December, 1:1 one-hour consultations and longer-term assistance which may include lease negotiation, pre-litigation and settlement negotiations or representation in a court proceeding.
$2-4K Grants for Home-Based Businesses: Income from a home-based business is often a big source of household income for our city’s entrepreneurs. The Oakland CARES Act Home-Based Business Grant program will distribute $500,000 to home-based, for-profit businesses. Apply here by 11:59pm on Monday, November 2 in 4 languages. Priority will be given to businesses representing a broad geographic diversity in Oakland, especially those located in low-income areas or otherwise historically vulnerable communities; those who have received $4,000 or less in funding from the Paycheck Protection Program; and those with annual gross business revenue under $150,000.
Several Grants Extended:
The Oakland CARES Act Small Business Grant Program will accept applications until 5 p.m. on Friday, October 23. This program will provide $10,000 grants to qualifying Oakland small businesses that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 and have gross revenues under $2 million. Online applications and eligibility requirements in four languages are available at: mainstreetlaunch.org/oakland-cares-act-grant/
The application deadline for the Oakland CARES Nonprofit Grant Fund has been extended to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, October 28. This program will award grants of up to $25,000 to qualifying community-serving nonprofits with annual budgets of less than $1 million that address the impact of COVID-19 and the needs of low-income residents and businesses in the following areas: Health & Human Services; Economic & Workforce Development; Legal Support; Food Security; Homeless and Renter Support Services; and Education. Online applications and eligibility requirements are available at: communityvisionca.org/oaklandcares/
The application deadline for the Oakland CARES Fund for Artists and Arts Nonprofits impacted by COVID-19 has been extended to 1pm Friday, October 23. The program will distribute awards of up to $20,000 to arts nonprofits with annual budgets of less than $2.5M, while supporting individual artists with grants of up to $3,000 each. Learn more here.
Oakland Parks & Recreation Foundation’s 1st Citywide Parks Workshop: Whether you’re an experienced community leader or a new volunteer, join this free workshop taking place on Saturday, November 14, from 9:00am to 1:00pm to collaborate and learn about strategies and tools to improve Oakland parks. Learn more and register here.
East Bay Community Energy’s Resilient Home Program: Oakland has partnered with nonprofit public electricity provider East Bay Community Energy to launch a solar + battery backup program for homeowners. EBCE has partnered with Sunrun to provide no-cost / obligation-free consultations and will provide a proposal for your consideration. If you decide to move forward, there is a $1,250 incentive to homeowners that enroll their battery in the program and share power with EBCE during peak times when there isn’t a power outage. Since launch in August, nearly 700 homeowners countywide have registered for consultations. Sign up for your consultation and learn more at upcoming webinars.
Voting Reminders
Vote Early!
Given the pandemic and the threats to our democracy, please vote early. All registered voters will be sent an absentee ballot automatically to limit COVID exposure. You must register to vote to receive an absentee ballot!
You can vote in person or drop off your ballot at the Alameda County Registrar of Voters: 1225 Fallon Street, Room G1, Oakland, or put it into one of the official, free 24-hour drop boxes anytime by November 3rd 8pm. If you use a USPS mailbox, postage is free, and it’s critical to vote early!
You can also sign up to track your ballot.
October 19th is the last day for regular online voter registration.
October 20th – November 3rd, you can do same day voter registration.
On November 3rd, you can vote in person or drop your ballot off at your polling place by 8pm.
With many measures on the ballot, my go-to guides are Oakland Rising’s Voter Guide and the CA AAPI Voting Guide in seven AAPI languages.
With Oakland Love,
Nikki Fortunato Bas
Councilmember, City of Oakland, District 2
ONN – Ben Bartlett Berkeley Councilmember On Domestic Violence Awareness Month
During Domestic Violence Month 2020, Berkeley Councilmember Ben Barlett (who introduced the Berkeley City Council’s George Floyd Community Safety Act) took time to express his support for all persons and organizations impacted by domestic violence.
In addition, Councilmember Bartlett scored the November 2020 Election backing of the legendary East Bay Stonewall Democratic Club as he runs for Council District 3 re-election.
The legendary organization sited Councilmember Bartlett’s first-term accomplishments like:
1) Passing tenant protection ordinances, streamlining affordable housing developments, and funding anti-displacement programs
2) Reallocating Berkeley police funding to the creation of an unarmed Specialized Care Unit
3) Fundingthe creation of a feasibility study for an African American Holistic Resource Center to help reduce healthinequities
4) Passing a Health Equity and Innovation Zone.
For The Bartlett Files.
Stay tuned.
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a YouTube channel. When the video is “liked” by Zennie62 YouTube, then it is automatically uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective here, on top of our is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours – is the use of the existing YouTube social graph on any subject in the World. Now, news is reported with a smartphone and also by promoting current content on YouTube: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary, or having a camera crew to shoot what is already on YouTube. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
The Pandemic has broken the very fabric of our economy and in Oakland and San Francisco its impact is acutely felt in Chinatown. The need to close to follow shelter-in-place guidelines created to slow the spread of the coronavirus ignited a giant negative economic impact. That caused Jocelyn Tsaih to start a fund-raiser called “Save Our Chinatowns”.
Here’s what she wrote in explaining the need for the fundraising effort:
Since the very beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, SF and Oakland Chinatowns have seen a steep decline in business.Racially-motivated fears have caused a lot of people to keep their distance from both Chinatowns. Restaurants have had to lay off staff members, cut working hours short, shut their doors completely, and ask for lowered rent. The decline in foot traffic for the restaurants are also hurting other local businesses in the area, such as tea shops and markets, that usually rely on these customers for business.
The funds will be going to two specific nonprofits – Chinatown Improvement in Oakland and Chinatown CDC in San Francisco. In Oakland, we are using the funds to make large weekly orders at specific restaurants and having that food delivered to homeless shelters and essential workers in the area. In SF, we are funding Chinatown CDC’s food delivery program where meals from local restaurants will be delivered to seniors and residents in SROs and public housing. Please consider donating in order to save some of your favorite spots – ones that fed you while you were hungry and ones that brought you priceless joy when you took a bite of that sesame ball, egg tart, or pineapple bun.
Oh, and that racially-motivated fear Jocelyn Tsaih pointed to came from President Donald Trump, who worked to call the coronavirus The China Virus, not so much because of reports of where the virus originated, but as part of his ugly overall strategy of racial division to gain votes.
Since then, and on the way toward raising over $38,000, Save Our Chinatowns reported on news events:
May 8, 2020 by Jocelyn Tsaih, Organizer
Hope everyone’s been safe and healthy! Just wanted to update you all on how funds have been utilized recently. We’ve been supporting Chinatown CDC’s Feed & Fuel program where meals are being delivered to seniors and residents of SROs and public housing in SF Chinatown. We’ve also been working with Good Good Eatz to order food from Oakland Chinatown, and this week the food was delivered to the construction crew working on affordable housing at Brooklyn Basin.
Please follow them both on IG for updates and to see how your help has an impact: www.instagram.com/goodgoodeatz
www.instagram.com/chinatowncdc
Thank you all so much for your support. Take care!
June 29, 2020 by Jocelyn Tsaih, Organizer
We reached our $25k goal! We’re upping it a little to $30k as a last increase. After we reach $30k, we will be focusing on alternative methods of raising funds for our Chinatown communities.
For example, we’re starting a new project where artists create limited edition merchandise for local businesses, with all proceeds from the sales of the products directly supporting the businesses they’re designed for.
Our first product is a tote bag for The Fortune Cookie Factory in Oakland Chinatown, designed by SF-based artist Katie Benn. You can find the purchase link here: https://saveourchinatowns.bigcartel.com/.
The Fortune Cookie Factory has been operating since 1957 and is one of the last places in America to make fortune cookies by hand. Learn more here: https://www.oaklandfortunefactory.com/.
Thanks again as always, and please follow us at @saveourchinatowns on Instagram for updates!
September 17, 2020 by Jocelyn Tsaih, Organizer
Hi everyone,
We hope everyone’s been doing alright during these times. While we are getting close to our final goal, we wanted to share an update that all donations from here on out will be directed towards aiding two Oakland Chinatown restaurants that have been unfortunately destroyed by a dumpster fire this week. We are working with Good Good Eatz to raise funds for this effort.
Here is an article that shares more details about the incident: https://sf.eater.com/2020/9/17/21444041/rang-dong-huangcheng-noodle-house-oakland-chinatown-fire-closed
Please share this with others if possible, we’d really appreciate it!
Thank you all for your continuous support and generosity.
The fund-raiser is still going. You can donate here https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-our-chinatowns/donate
Oakland News: A letter was passed to me moments ago that outlines the interest of the African American Sports & Entertainment Group in purchasing the Oakland Coliseum site for $92 million. The group consists of Ray Bobbitt, who spearheaded the African American Oakland NFL Expansion effort, which is part of this group’s focus, famed sports agent Bill Duffy, who was also part of the Ronnie Lott Group development team that tried to retain the Raiders in Oakland but lost them to Las Vegas, Oakland developer Alan Dones, former Oakland City Manager and one of my mentors Robert Bobb, and Chicago’s Loop Capital, where a family friend of mine, Darrell Williams, is good friends with former President Barack Obama, and is in the photo below with Loop Capital’s Chief Executive Officer Jim Reynolds.
I also know through a source that Oakland District Seven Councilmember Larry Reid has talked with Ray Bobbitt about this proposal as recently as last Friday. Here’s the letter, below, after the photo.
President Barack Obama and Darrell Williams (right) Of Loop Capital
AFRICAN AMERICAN SPORTS &
ENTERTAINMENT GROUP
ECONOMIC EQUITY THROUGH SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT DEVELOPMENT
1423 Broadway #183, Oakland, CA 94612
October 6, 2020
The Honorable Mayor Libby Schaaf
& Members of the Oakland City Council
City of Oakland, California
One Frank H. Ogawa Plaza
Oakland, CA 94612
Dear Mayor Schaaf and esteemed Oakland City Council Members,
The African American Sports & Entertainment Group (“AASEG”) has been working over the last several months to lay the groundwork for bringing a National Football League (“NFL”) franchise back to Oakland. One of the critical factors in our ability to attract a new NFL franchise is a viable home field location for the team. As well, we recognize the interests of city leadership in the holistic redevelopment of the Coliseum area consistent with the vision articulated by the 2015 Coliseum Area Specific Plan. We also recognize the City of Oakland’s interest in maintaining a home for its Major League Baseball (“MLB”) franchise, the Oakland Athletics. We believe that all these objectives can be achieved and to these ends, we have assembled a Master Development Team well-capable of marshalling the resources and expertise necessary to transform our mutual interests into reality. Our team, described as the “AASEG Team”, is pleased to submit this non-binding, indication of Interest, proposal to purchase the City of Oakland’s interest in the Coliseum property for a total of Ninety Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($92,500,000), payable per the schedule provided in Exhibit A.
The AASEG Team
In addition to the enormous community support for our mutual vision, AASEG has assembled a Master Development Team fully capable of executing the development of the Coliseum property (the “Project”).
Bill Duffy With Yao Ming
▪ BDA Sports Management – Led by respected sports agent Bill Duffy, BDA is one of the world’s top ranked sports agencies focused, specifically on basketball. Bill has agreed to apply his extensive network and decades of experience toward execution of the Project, including assembling some of the leading names in sports and entertainment in support and endorsement of the Project. Bill was one of the architects of the Ronnie Lott/Fortress Capital plan that offered a viable option to build a stadium on the Coliseum site.
▪ Strategic Urban Development Alliance – One of Oakland’s largest African American real estate development firms, SUDA has executed millions of dollars’ worth of projects in the Bay Area. SUDA Chief Executive Officer, Alan Dones, has led development projects both in the United States and Africa. He will provide development consulting to the Project.
▪ The Robert Bobb Group, LLC – With specialty capabilities in economic development, urban planning and community and neighborhood engagement, RBG is an African American owned national consulting firm to both public and private sector clients. Chief Executive Officer Robert Bobb will provide consulting services to the Project.
▪ Loop Capital – The largest African American owned, full services investment banking brokerage, financial advisory and investment management organization, Loop Capital boasts a 23-year history of developing financial solutions for America’s largest public sector institutions and private sector firms. In addition to its global capital markets, Loop Capital is an experienced advisor on Public-Private-Partnership and infrastructure transactions. As well, Loop Capital is part of a team developing a 100+ acre parcel owned by the City of Chicago and the Metropolitan Pier Authority. Finally, Loop Capital’s Chief Executive Officer Jim Reynolds is a partner in JLC Infrastructure, a private asset manager with over $800 million under management targeting investments in various publicly owned assets. Loop Capital is the capital partner for the Project.
Stakeholder Interests
The AASEG Team is well aware of the aspirations of the citizens of Oakland and other stakeholders with respect to the Project and is prepared to engage the City as a partner in the execution of a mutually-agreed upon vision embodied in a Community Benefits Agreement that includes:
• Local hiring with priority on racial equity
• The engagement and inclusion of local and small business contractors
and businesses
• Environmentally friendly landscaping and sustainable, energy efficient
design
• Anti-displacement assistance and housing preservation policies for
residents in the development area
• The inclusion of affordable housing
• Project Labor agreements and labor peace
• Local employment and job access provisions, workforce training,
retention of existing workers, and apprenticeship policies
• Living wages, benefits, and stable employment opportunities
• Environmental mitigation measures
• Open space elements
• Sustainable and healthy development
• Transportation infrastructure and transportation demand management
programs, including transit affordability and accessibility
• Potential impact fee’s (housing, transportation, capital improvements)
• Other community benefits as needed and feasible, to be negotiated
Finally, we are keenly aware of the interests of the Oakland Athletics organization in a second option for a baseball stadium should current objectives not come to fruition. The AASEG team is prepared to maintain development space in the Project toward those ends and looks forward to engaging the A’s to fully understand and address their interests.
The AASEG Team is excited to work with the City of Oakland to develop a definitive agreement for the purchase and Master Developer control of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum complex and is prepared to engage staff and leadership to craft an agreement that reflects the provisions in this indication of Interest. We are eager to begin due diligence activities and formal discussions upon the City of Oakland’s acceptance of this non-binding offer. We believe that this historic undertaking will be a perfect example of the African American community being supported by the larger community in achieving economic equality. We are extremely grateful to be in a position to provide jobs and housing for the citizens of Oakland, and to continue to provide world-class sports and entertainment facilities for the entire East Bay region.
As America wrestles with social change, social justice, and economic justice, Oakland can lead the way in demonstrating what real impact is. As proud Oaklanders, it is a part of our DNA. It is simply who we are, and what we do best. We look forward to helping lead that change in the City of Oakland.
Sincerely,
Ray Bobbitt
African American Sports and Entertainment Group
cc: The Honorable Rebecca Kaplan, Council President
The Honorable Councilmember Dan Kalb, District 1
The Honorable Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas, District 2
The Honorable Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney, District 3
The Honorable Councilmember Sheng Thao, District 4
The Honorable Councilmember Noel Gallo, District 5
The Honorable Councilmember Loren Taylor, District 6
The Honorable Councilmember Larry Reid, District 7
City Administrator Ed Reiskin
AASEG, LLC
BDA Sports
7
The Robert Bobb Group
SUDA, LLC
Loop Capital
Exhibit A
AASEG Team
Oakland Coliseum Property Purchase Proposal
Schedule of Proposed Payments
Schedule of Proposed Payments:
At closing: $10,000,000
At the end of year one: $10,000,000
Year 2: $12,500,000
Year 3: $15,000,000
Year 4: $17,500,000
Year 5: $15,000,000
Year 6: $12,500,000
Again, with respect to the NFL, the same lawsuit that Ray Bobbitt invested $40,000 to start and against the former Oakland Raiders now Las Vegas Raiders and the NFL is not only still active, but restarts October 8th. For the group to have a snow-ball’s chance in hell with the NFL, that lawsuit would have to be dropped.
That said, if the group can gain some kind of joint control with the Oakland A’s, then the prospect of the NFL returning to Oakland becomes that much more realistic. Why? Because they will have control of land to build a new stadium for an NFL expansion team, or an existing organization.
Stay tuned for updates. Here is the letter on file:
Oakland City Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney has served the residents of perhaps the most complicated Oakland City Council District in our city very well. Understand that while District Three is commonly thought of as being only West Oakland, in reality it’s also Downtown Oakland, Uptown Oakland, and Adams Point / Lake Merritt, where I live.
So, Lynette has a big job, and on balance has served all of the residents well. She deserves to be re-elected, and particularly at a time where Oakland, Alameda County, California, America, and The World is in the clutches of The Pandemic. Changing horses in the middle of the stream is never a good idea, so why do it now? Besides, the reasons I’m hearing why some are not voting for Lynette are such that I’ll bet no one else will fair better.
The specific reasons are these:
1) Lynette is not accessible, and her aide responds rather than her – As one who represented Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris from 1995 to 1999, I find that aides to elected officials get treated like crap by Oakland residents far too often. The job of the aide is to represent the, in this case, Oakland City Councilmember. And Lynette’s aides have done that very well. News-flash: she can’t be everywhere, and her representatives help her.
2) She wasn’t present for Moms4Housing – As Lynette told me during our interview of 10 days ago now, the Moms4Housing Representatives did not approach her ahead of time with their plans, even though the entire matter happened in her council district. The full interview:
The ultimate sign of disrespect is for someone to launch a campaign around the issue of housing that focuses on a property in an Oakland City Council Member’s district and not consult them. The reasons can’t be good ones, because, by design, they are assumptive. How does anyone know she would not have been receptive to their objectives of a type of taking of property, and tried to help so that they would not be framed as criminals?
Lynette believed that, because they did not approach her, to then show up at their events uninvited would cause her to be seen as trying to steal their message. My take on Moms4Housing was that their effort pointed to a giant problem, but did nothing to solve it: the market failure that’s still with us in super-high-housing-costs and illegal evictions of black Oakland residents that a sustained California Redevelopment Law would have thwarted.
Instead, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan allowed former Mayor of Oakland Jerry Brown to get rid of California Redevelopment Law, and now Oakland’s once formidable affordable housing construction budget of over $100 million annually was cut off in 2011, never to return and at the time of SF Bay Area Tech Boom II, from 2012 to 2019.
In the middle of this, Moms4Housing tried to pick sides prematurely. For example, from my perspective, it’s minders failed to respond to my request to run their press releases or interview them, so I had to end-run them many times using tech. Their idea seemed be to try and paint me as against them, when my thoughts were the opposite. That said, I did run press releases from their opponents, and because they sent them. It’s called news. Moreover, I’ve never been a fan of what’s called a “taking without just compensation” (and the U.S. Constitution doesn’t allow it either), and that, in effect, is what Moms4Housing tried to do.
Their assumptions amounted to a type of picking of fights that are not there, and their words, more often than not, were hurtful. And, on top of that, we’re talking about a black-on-black affair, where folks like Lynette and myself were the focus of wrongheaded derision, and by some other folks of the same skin color. And on top of that, many of the folks are ones I really like, just to be real here. In my view, anyone white was treated better, for the most part – even those who openly opposed them.
The fact is that in Oakland, we as black folks are far too willing to assume something negative about someone else who’s black, but not in what’s perceived as that person’s group. It’s a horrible crab-barrel social problem that has plagued Oakland for decades, and with no end in sight. Moms4Housing spotlighted that problem that the white media missed, even as it was in their face.
What Lynette Did Was Spot Light The Violence Problems Black Women Face In Oakland
What Lynette does not get credit for is spotlighting the problem of violence against black women. That was the focus of her push to establish the Oakland Office Of Violence Prevention. And while I remain assertive that the real problem is lack of good jobs and an economic development effort that’s dead, I have seen the advantage of the Oakland Office Of Violence Prevention: it gives a much-needed place in Oakland government for people, and again in particular black women, to go for real, comprehensive help. That this is forgotten that Lynette created the Oakland Office Of Violence Prevention is one more example of the many actions that, collectively, caused a performer like Megan Thee Stallion to get on Saturday Night Live and point to the consistent disrespect and disregard black women receive in America, and that includes Oakland.
It’s worse when other blacks in Oakland don’t give Lynette that credit. That’s got to stop.
Lynette Makes Her Case For Re-Election And It’s Worth Reading
In her most recent campaign newsletter, Lynette made her case for re-election. It’s worth a read, even though she left out the Office Of Violence Prevention. But, overall, one has to ask, what does she have to do? It’s as if some people want to find some reason to oppose her.
For example, some will mention the Oakland Public Ethics Commission’s recent investigation not of her, but mentions alleged laundered money given to her campaign in the past, as well as that of Oakland councilmembers Sheng Thao and Dan Kalb. Well, I challenge any candidate to prove that they know anything about who gives them money, why, and where they got it from to give. Moreover, why would the Oakland Public Ethics Commission choose an election period to release news about a lawsuit and investigation that’s not primarily focused on Oakland councilmembers, but names some? That action, alone, is illegal in several states – it looks like the Oakland Public Ethics Commission and the Oakland City Attorney are trying to influence voters. Not a cool look.
What does Lynette have to do? Well, she’s done this, from her newsletter:
Partnered with our County Supervisor Keith Carson to pioneer the Compassionate Communities initiative
Co-authored Measure JJ – expanding Just Cause Eviction and Rent Increase protections
Secured 10s of millions of dollars in new homelessness funding by pushing to include $150 Million for Affordable Housing in the Infrastructure Bond (Measure KK) and the Parks Measure (Measure Q) – offering amendments that guaranteed set asides for no and extremely low income housing
Engaged Congresswoman Barbara Lee and led the effort to turn back draconian reductions in Section 8 vouchers
Pushed to protect single room occupancy transient hotels – housing of last resort that does not discriminate for credit worthiness or for lack of substantial deposits
Demanded increased coordination to respond to encampments and improve service delivery to the unhoused.
As your representative on the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) I have:
Helped pass AB1487 (2019) the bill that established the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA). BAHFA, and the expanded regional housing portfolio, is rooted in the “3Ps” framework that comprehensively addresses the housing crisis through a combination of production, preservation and protection. Specifically:
Production of rental housing for lower-income households (at or below 80% of the area median income or AMI)
Preservation of affordable housing for low-or moderate-income households (up to 120% of AMI)
Protecting tenants from displacement and preventing homelessness
Stopped an effort to impose a regressive sales tax on Oakland households, demanding that large employers pay their fair share to fund housing and relieve transportation stress caused by job growth
I am currently working with OUSD on a plan to house all homeless students and their families and this year I was selected by ABAG President Jesse Arreguin to serve on the newly established Regional Housing Committee. In this capacity I make sure Oakland’s needs are at the center of identifying regional solutions. And now, after five years of persistent advocacy, the Council is now positioned to take action on many of the efforts I have championed.
COVID19 lays bare the dire needs for housing security and hunger – two issues that have begged for attention amongst the organized campaigns for many good causes. By partnering with my Council colleagues that represent Oakland’s flatlands, I was able to direct nearly $30 million of CARES ACT funds to addressing these critical needs in the flatlands, allowing the City to purchase hotels and an abandoned dormitory to house more of our houseless constituents.
If the challengers think they can match her, I would offer that we as Oaklanders would have to sit and wait for that person to learn the Oakland legislative ropes before they could be effective, whereas the saying “been there, done that” applies to Councilmember McElhaney.
Re-elect Councilmember McElhaney for District Three.
Oakland – Mayor Libby Schaaf and affordable housing partners will open a new apartment community on the Emeryville border that serves mainly working families, seniors, veterans, people with special needs and the formerly homeless.
Estrella Vista illustrates an innovative partnership between public and private organizations (including a dozen financial supporters), and the cities of Oakland and Emeryville, Alameda County, and Oakland Housing Authority.
WHO:
Libby Schaaf, Mayor of Oakland
Christian Patz, Mayor of Emeryville
Welton Jordan, CREDO, EAH Housing
Patricia Wells, Executive Director, Oakland Housing Authority
Jessica Musick, Principal, KTGY
WHERE: 3706 San Pablo Ave, Emeryville
WHEN: 10 AM – Friday October 2, 2020
This event will also be live-streamed on the Mayor’s Twitter
City of Oakland Awarded $20M in California State Homekey Funding
Projects to provide 163 units of permanently affordable housing for homeless and those vulnerable to homelessness
Oakland –– Yesterday, the City of Oakland was awarded $20 million for two housing projects targeting some of the City’s most vulnerable residents. Governor Newsom announced the Homekey awards as the next phase in the state’s response to protecting Californians experiencing homelessness who are impacted by COVID-19.
“This announcement from Gov. Newsom will help us alleviate the human suffering of homelessness in Oakland,” said Mayor Libby Schaaf. “Homekey gives us the resources to convert existing facilities into permanently affordable housing for our unsheltered residents right now, and it paves the way for more innovative strategies in the future. I’m grateful for the Governor’s leadership and partnership as we continue to work together to end homelessness.”
The projects awarded include funds to purchase Clifton Hall, a California College of the Arts dormitory in Rockridge that offers 63 units for seniors and families; and Project Reclamation managed by Bay Area Community Services (BACS) for the development of 100 units at 20 scattered sites throughout Oakland for families and individuals.
“These funding awards mark another important milestone in our goal to preserve, produce, and protect housing for Oakland residents,” said Housing & Community Development Director Shola Olatoye. “We are proud to work with our partnering agencies to develop these units and move people off the streets and into housing.”
Homekey, administered by California Housing & Community Development, is the state’s $600 million program for purchasing and rehabilitating housing, including hotels, motels, vacant apartment buildings and other properties, converting them into permanent, long-term housing for people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness.
The Oakland that I knew is dead. It was a city that had over 100 job training programs and several low interest loan and grant programs for businesses. It was a city that was unafraid to embrace manufacturing, transportation, and heavy industry, as much as it demanded and caused the development of an economy comparatively cleaner than most. It was a city that knew how to fix its economic problems. That Oakland is gone.
The Oakland that replaced it is one that’s marked by growing ranks of people sleeping on the streets because no one will help them. It has many who were just one lost paycheck away from eviction, and their ranks so great, a moratorium on evictions was in place before the Pandemic.
It has some who would even resort to an attempt to take property not their own. And do that thinking it will solve an overall problem that is obviously beyond their desire to deal with: an economic design that lacks the use of tax increment financing to fuel the business assistance and job training and affordable housing programs Oakland was once known for. This Oakland lacks people who want to fix the economy and far to many people who want to protest against the economy.
The fact is, we have had march after march and activist after activist, and the problems have only gotten worse. The protests have become nothing more than theater for the media, and tools to be used as part of a campaign strategy by a President who, himself, does not seem to care.
We have people who are willing to say “no coal” but not even asking “can we do coal, clean air, and jobs?” In fact, it seems like it’s just easier for them to just say no, then to try and fix anything.
Where we are is beyond sad.
It has been advanced by some media infected with the same anti-intellectualism – and worse because they believe their approach is smart. It is the complete and total lack of knowledge of where we are as a society, and to such a massively alarming point, that both the activists and that media don’t even bother to read about the past, and learn about the first publication to point to the climate change problem: The Limits To Growth. That was way back in 1971, but don’t tell that to the so-called climate change activists, they think all of this started after they hit puberty, and after 2010.
Oakland Created Its Own Problem And Now Can’t Wake Up To Fix It
What is so awful is that we in Oakland created this problem. Yeah. That’s right. Us.
I recall a 1996 meeting I sat in on, and on behalf of Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris, about the then-new concept of the “jobs / housing balance”. The meeting was at the offices of my long-time friend Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson. Unfortunately, I have to write that this happened.
The meeting included a number of officials, including Sunne Wright McPeak, then a Contra Costa County Supervisor and main advocate for the idea that there should be a jobs / housing balance. The problem with the concept is that it asks a City like Oakland to be able to have more employment for workers to “balance” the housing in it. The problem is that the idea calls for an industry to be grown in that city to get those workers. Or, let me put it this way: it allows for gentrification to set in, though that was not the word flavor of the day in 1996.
In the meeting, I asked how Oakland was to make sure it followed “Oakland first” jobs policies for its current workers if they did not have the skills necessary to land the biotech jobs that Keith and Sunne, and the others in the meeting prized so much and wanted for Oakland? They collectively looked at me as if I had grown the ears of a Vulcan. I must now admit that I left the meeting out of pure disgust for the lack of any real thinking – it was the typical, Bay Area, “let’s make up something that we think is smart” crap.
It’s the kind of approach that is unconsciously born from the time when white supremacists like John Muir were creating social clubs like The Sierra Club. It’s an approach that calls for the development of an amount of what the person thinks are facts that are undeniable – and so that person is hardened in their beliefs to the point where communicating with them to get them to see another way becomes folly. It’s caused a lot of problems, and in particular, in the East Bay of the SF Bay Area, where the black population is the largest of any other place in my region of the San Francisco Bay Area.
The people who have this sort of tick have become and in many cases still are elected officials and friends of mine – and Democrats. They have allowed the complete destruction of Oakland’s economic development, and allowed it to happen with a nod. They have proven that they are the latest in the long line of people to drink the kool-aid established by John Muir. When he and his friends like famed UC Berkeley Professor Joseph Le Conte formed The Sierra Club, and his ideas of preservation that gave it life, he and they did not have black people in mind. They regarded us, folks who look like me, as “dirty” and “savages.”
I write that because the Oakland that I came to know in 1974 was increasingly one that was called a “chocolate city” but the real problem is Oakland was consistently apologizing for being just that. It always embraced outside white male developers and never, then later seldom, gave a black developer a chance, and a person who was Asian (like my friend Phil Tagami) didn’t fare much better unless he worked himself to near death for ten years just to land the Oakland Rotunda Project (as Phil did with the help of a number of people, including me and Elihu Harris). That problem still exists today, and points to a real problem.
We all know the ranks of those who are jobless and homeless in Oakland are mostly black. We all know that the ranks of those suffering from COVID-19 are more likely to be black. But what we have not done in Oakland, is simply create a black-focused answer to these problems. So, for the Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal (for which its co-developer Insight Terminal Solutions, is a Zennie62Media content client) there’s the largely white “No Coal In Oakland” group just saying no, and not doing anything to try and get to yes.
They openly do not care about the same jobs problem that disproportionately hurts black folks in Oakland. Then, they try and make you believe (with the help of irresponsible media) that they have a large young black membership, when the truth is just the opposite. We need a black economic development agenda that is formed in harmony with concerns for the environment. Don’t count on No Coal In Oakland or The Sierra Club, because they’ve drank John Muir’s racist elixir and are too drunk to realize it.
Meanwhile, there’s Tom Steyer, the former coal investor and hedge fund manager who’s now (I contend) trying to hedge the western United States and as much of America as he can into a thought ethic that just says invest in renewables, and not fix the damn traditional energy pollution problem. Tom’s got a number of Oakland elected officials so scared they won’t get his money, they parrot his view about the environment, and don’t care about developing jobs at all, and mindlessly pat themselves on the back for such things as “climate action plans” that lack any interest in economic development.
On top of that, the same Oakland elected officials that signed development agreements to allow Mr. Tagami and Insight Terminal Solutions to build the Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal (knowing it was designed to handle bulk commodities like coal in a low emissions way), then set about a process of trying to back out of them just because Steyer started influencing them with money.
Take the example of Tom Steyer investing $500,000 in the Mayor of Oakland’s Oakland Promise program, and allegedly with the quid-pro-quo that Oakland would get involved in a lawsuit against American oil companies that was so silly it was tossed out of court. Why Libby didn’t get Tom to try and jump start Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal is a good question, considering its low emissions design, Oakland’s need to create low-skilled, well-paying jobs, and the now decades-long tardiness of replacing the jobs lost due to military base closures.
It’s as if Oakland just plain stopped caring about creating jobs. Even Oakland economic development director Alexa Jeffries, who was hired last year, has no formal background in economic development!
This is Oakland, folks. In other words, for economic development in Oakland, a cuss term is appropriate: we’re fucked.
In Oakland Economic Development Has Reached The “We’re Fucked” Stage
Yep. We’re fucked, folks. The City of Oakland knows it and you know it. We can get out of it, but we have to admit it, first, fast, then take action, and fast. We had the blueprint for the economic engine that can help us in the future and that’s the redevelopment laws of the past. There was no real good reason to get rid of Redevelopment, and since it was terminated, Oakland’s economic divide has only worsened and the Pandemic just made it worse.
And blacks in Oakland need to stop supporting The Sierra Club and form a new approach that fits the needs of the African American community. The problem is too many of us are trapped in thinking about us in a negative fashion, so city policy is focused on crime only, whereas in the Oakland between 1980 and 2010, the policies (like Hire Oakland First) were geared toward the economic needs of black residents. We let that go, and it’s time to bring it back. If you agree that blacks in Oakland are being harmed by a lack of programs and a lack of the social infrastructure that once made sure blacks had greater wealth, then take action. If you believe that you are only as strong as your weakest neighbor, then the only logical action is to help that neighbor, and go tell John Muir what to do with his racist ideas. I know he’s long passed on, but his point of view still holds way too much sway.
City of Oakland Seeks Applicants for New Homeless Advisory Commission. 9-member board recommends strategies to remedy homelessness and advises on priorities for Vacant Parcel Tax funds for homeless services
Oakland, CA – The City of Oakland is establishing its first-ever Homeless Advisory Commission and is seeking nine qualified Oakland residents to sit on the inaugural board. City Councilmembers make recommendations on Commissioners to the Mayor, who appoints them for the Council’s confirmation.
The Homeless Advisory Commission was created by Measure W, the Vacant Parcel Tax ballot measure, a special parcel tax on vacant properties to support homeless services and address illegal dumping, passed by Oakland voters in November 2018. The Homeless Advisory Commission is charged with making recommendations to the City Council about strategies to remedy homelessness and providing oversight of the Vacant Property Tax, which is anticipated to generate about $7 million per year for homeless and illegal dumping services.
“The impacts of COVID-19 on our economy in general, and on housing insecurity and homelessness in particular, make this Commission more important than ever,” said Mayor Schaaf. “I look forward to collaborating with the Council in seating and launching Oakland’s first-ever Homeless Advisory Commission in November 2020.”
The Homeless Advisory Commission will:
Review financial and operational reports related to the expenditure of the Vacant Parcel Tax homeless services fund.
Publish recommendations on how to prioritize the allocation of funds for services and programs for homeless people and the impacts of programs funded by the Vacant Property Tax.
Make recommendations to the Mayor and the City Council regarding homelessness priorities and present budget recommendations for the prioritization of Vacant Parcel Tax funds for each two-year budget.
Review and respond to the City’s Homeless Encampment Policy and the Permanent Access to Housing (PATH) plan.
Hear reports on the housing, programs, and services for people experiencing homelessness in Oakland, including street outreach, homeless shelters, transitional housing, housing exits, and permanent supportive housing.
The Homeless Advisory Commission is comprised as follows:
Consists of nine (9) members who are all residents of the City.
No less than half of the members must be residents of heavily impacted neighborhoods.
No fewer than two (2) members must be currently homeless, formerly homeless or low- income, as the term “low income” is defined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
No fewer than three (3) members must have professional expertise in, or be providers of, homeless services or housing, with priority given to individuals with a background in affordable housing, shelter management, or public health.
No fewer than one (1) representative must have financial expertise.
Members may fulfill more than one (1) of these criteria for the purposes of meeting these requirements.
Applications are new being accepted. Oaklanders interested in being considered for nomination should submit their application online at https://oakland.granicus.com/boards/w/8552f8c4c0e15460/boards/36365
The application period closes on Friday, October 16. The goal is to present a list of Commissioners for City Council’s confirmation in November 2020.
Oakland is suffering a serious housing crisis, making housing at all levels of affordability, and particularly affordable housing, scarce and unavailable for many Oakland residents. The 2019 point-in-time count estimated that there are 4,071 homeless people in Oakland, up 47% from two years ago. This represents about half of the total number of unsheltered residents in Alameda County.
Post based on press release from City of Oakland to Zennie62Media, Inc.
City of Oakland Awarded $4.5M in CARES Act Funding to Support Low- and Moderate-Income Renters and Homeowners Affected by COVID-19
Oakland –– The City of Oakland was awarded $4,532,841 in Community Development Block Grant CARES Act (CDBG-CV) funding by the United States Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD). The funds will provide housing service support to prepare for, prevent, and respond to the impacts that the Coronavirus pandemic have had and continue to have on low- to moderate-income renters and homeowners of Oakland.
CDBG is a division of the City’s Housing & Community Development Department that works to support decent housing, suitable living environments, and economic opportunities, principally for community low – and moderate-income individuals. CDBG-CV housing service categories for this award are:
Housing Stabilization & Protection
Affordable Housing Operations Support
Production and Preservation
“The focus of our department’s efforts is on the preservation, protection, and production of housing solutions”, said Shola Olatoye, Director of Housing & Community Development. “This latest CARES Act funding award will help support these efforts and move us closer to this goal.”
The City recently released this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to attract partnering agencies who will process applications and award financial assistance to renters and homeowners in compliance with CDBG-CV regulations. The CDBG division will monitor the overall process working closely with each agency to ensure compliance and targeted outcomes.
Agencies must have a registered account with the City of Oakland’s iSupplier online system to view and respond to this RFQ.
Apply:
Register with City of Oakland’s iSupplier
Respond to RFQ No. 228530
More application information and support:
Program information: Gregory Garrett, CDBG Manager,
General RFQ information: Paula Peav, Contract Analyst, [email protected]
This is the latest CARES Act-funded grant program launched by the City of Oakland. Grant programs for low-income renter and homeowner relief launched earlier this month. Learn more about the programs supported by the City’s $36.9 million in CARES Act Funding:
https://www.oaklandca.gov/topics/coronavirus-aid-relief-and-economic-security-cares-act-funding
Post based on press release from City of Oakland to Zennie62Media.
Ed Reiskin, The new Oakland City Administrator, sent this email to Oaklanders regarding the Jacob Blake Protests of August 28th
Dear Oakland Community,
The City of Oakland is aware of a planned gathering starting at 7 pm at Frank H. Ogawa Plaza tonight, August 28, and possibly continuing through the weekend.
The group promoting this event is the same group that came to Oakland on Wednesday night, which resulted in broken windows at 21 businesses—including many windows of a 100% affordable housing complex on Grand Avenue and damage to a locally owned restaurant that has been serving meals to vulnerable seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic. They also lit more than two dozen fires across the greater downtown/Lake Merritt area.
We stand with our community for justice, equality, and accountability. We support the reasons why people across the country are taking to the streets to express their outrage and frustration during this time of national reckoning about persistent racial injustice. In Oakland, we celebrate passionate protest. But any individuals or organized groups that gather with the intent to cause damage, that splinter off to break windows and light fires, are harming our already vulnerable businesses, many of which are owned by people of color, and hurting our community.
We remind Oaklanders that when they march after dark, they may be providing cover for these groups, who seem more intent on vandalism and stoking civil unrest than advancing social justice.
Oakland will continue to facilitate peaceful protests and demonstrations, and we ask those organizing marches and gatherings to ensure their events and the participants in them remain peaceful. The Oakland Police Department has increased staffing to provide safe space for the demonstrations to occur and will facilitate free speech while maintaining public safety.
We are providing this update in our effort to keep you informed so that you may plan accordingly. Businesses along commercial corridors are advised to secure outdoor fixtures, furniture, and trash and recycling receptacles. Please share this information with your employees, neighbors and tenants. OPD uses a free, web-based application called NIXLE to provide timely updates to our community about traffic disruptions or suggested alternate transportation routes. If you have not yet signed up for NIXLE, we encourage you to do so. Text your zip code to 888777 to opt-in, or visit www.nixle.com.
Oakland – Oakland City Council President Rebecca Kaplan has been urging the City to take action to acquire available buildings, such as SROs, hotels, and dormitories, to help house the homeless. The Council unanimously passed Kaplan’s resolution on March 27, 2020, urging rapid action on this due to the growing COVID-19 crisis, and to protect those most vulnerable in our community.
Today, the Oakland City Council held a Special Council Meeting to approve the acquisition of a dormitory to help house those in need, and to apply for the State of California’s Homekey grant program. Council President Kaplan is pleased to announce that she and her colleagues unanimously voted to send applications to the state and to authorize a deal to purchase the California College of the Arts (CCA) Clifton Hall dormitory.
The Clifton Hall dorm is a four story building, with 63 units, in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland. On the top two floors of the building, Clifton Hall will provide 42 units of permanent housing for seniors experiencing homelessness and at high risk of contracting COVID-19. The second floor will become the permanent home for a 20-household family shelter. On the ground floor, the building will house the offices of Family Front Door, which serves as the hub for the Coordinated Entry System (CES) for homeless families in Northern Alameda County.
Kaplan stated: “It is vital that we take action to respond to the homelessness crisis, prevent the spread of disease, and protect our community, including vulnerable seniors. I am pleased that we were able to work together to pass vital actions, to make it possible to acquire this dorm, and other properties, to help those in need.”
Link to the Item on the August 28th Council Agenda, to acquire this dorm:
With spread of COVID, bad air and displacement we must protect our community. Authored budget action and Council resolution, directing the admin to acquire buildings to house the homeless. https://t.co/5jekdiDiZn Have obtained an SRO, and planning actions to acquire dorms, etc.
— Rebecca Kaplan, Oakland Vice Mayor (@Kaplan4Oakland) August 26, 2020
Project part of Port’s Seaport Air Quality 2020 and Beyond Plan
Oakland, Calif. – Aug. 24, 2020: The Port of Oakland’s largest marine terminal said today it has cut diesel emissions from all 13 of its massive yard cranes by 95 percent after retrofitting them with hybrid electric engines. Terminal operator Stevedoring Services of America (SSA) said that the project will eliminate about 1,200 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually from each crane.
“Retrofitting our rubber-tire gantry cranes to battery power produced remarkable results,” said Crane Manager Ken Larson, at SSA Marine’s Oakland International Container Terminal (OICT). “We’re impressed with the huge drop in emissions from equipment that we regularly use on the marine terminal.”
SSA said that the clean air project would result in a 93 percent reduction in diesel fuel. The older engines used 10 to 13 gallons of diesel fuel an hour whereas the hybrids use about three-quarters of a gallon an hour, according to Mr. Larson. “We were honestly surprised to learn how little diesel fuel we need to use now,” Mr. Larson said.
The hybrid retrofit is the first project of its type at SSA terminals. SSA replaced 1,000-horsepower diesel generators on its yard cranes with 142-horsepower diesel hybrids. The new power plants have small diesel engines used only to charge a crane’s pack of batteries. Each crane has a housing unit that contains the hybrid generator.
Mr. Larson said that the project was challenging, including the construction of new electrical systems for input power protection when converting current from AC to DC on a crane. Mr. Larson added that the hybrid generators capture energy as a container is lowered. Besides saving fuel and reducing emissions, the hybrid performs better than the older diesel generators because there is no delay in power delivery to the crane.
“We’re delighted with this project because it reflects the way the Port advances its emission reduction goals by focusing on feasible technologies that can perform the heavy work of moving containers,” said Richard Sinkoff, the Port of Oakland’s Director of Environmental Programs and Planning. “It fits ideally in the Port’s Seaport Air Quality 2020 and Beyond Plan. We hope it serves as a model for other marine terminals to follow.”
Rubber-tire gantry cranes are industry workhorses at marine terminals throughout the world. Combined, the thirteen 90-foot-tall cranes can lift as many as 1,000 containers a day on and off trucks at OICT.
“We are pleased that an Air District grant has enabled the completion of the SSA hybrid crane project that will significantly reduce harmful emissions for many years to come,” said Jack Broadbent, Executive Officer of The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District). “The hybrid engine technology installed on these large yard cranes will help improve air quality and protect the health of those in the communities surrounding the Port of Oakland.”
The Air District awarded SSA $5 million in grant funding as part of the Air District’s Community Health Protection Program (CHP – AB134) to replace 13 diesel powered rubber-tire gantry crane engines with Tier 4 Final hybrid engines in order to bring about immediate emissions reductions benefits.
The SSA Terminals project is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing GHG emissions. The Cap-and-Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution.
California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California. For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website at: www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.
Planning for the crane conversions began after the signing of the CHP Program contract with the Air District on July 5, 2018. The first crane was retrofitted in February of 2019 and the 13th crane was converted in July 2020.
About the Port of Oakland
The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland Seaport, Oakland International Airport, and nearly 20 miles of waterfront including Jack London Square. The Port’s 5-year strategic plan – Growth with Care – pairs business expansion with community benefits, envisioning more jobs and economic stimulus as the Port grows. Together with its business partners, the Port supports more than 84,000 jobs. Connect with the Port of Oakland and Oakland International Airport through Facebook, or with the Port on Twitter, YouTube, and at www.portofoakland.com.
Post based on press release from Port of Oakland to Zennie62Media.
In Las Vegas, the once-Oakland Raiders did everything it could do to make the unofficial soft-opening of the still-under construction Allegiant Stadium a special event. And why not? Allegiant Stadium is a brand new symbol of what many (including me) hope Las Vegas can be, yet again, post-Pandemic: a tourist mecca for the World.
The Raiders rolled out a super-fancy season ticket box for passes that, sadly, will go unused for this wild NFL 2020 Season.
And in introducing Raiders Players to the facility, Mark Davis, Raiders Manager of the General Partner, said this (according to the Las Vegas Sun):
“Welcome to the Death Star, where our opponents’ dreams come to die. My father always said that the greatness of the Raiders is in its future. Well today that future really starts. This magnificent stadium was built on the backs of thousands of players, coaches, administrators and fans, who for the past 60 years have proudly worn the Silver and Black.”
And while Mark Davis and Jon Gruden and Raiders players enjoy the new Las Vegas Stadium, the Oakland A’s plan a $2 billion ballpark facility for Howard Terminal in Oakland’s Jack London Square. In a still-ongoing march to a planned 2023 opening, Oakland A’s President David Kaval is proving the Raiders wrong: that the City of Oakland was, indeed, able to cause the formation of a public subsidy program worth roughly double that of the $750 million the Raiders got (with the help of Las Vegas Sands Founder Sheldon Adelson) from the Nevada Legislature.
In a turn of events that proves the mainstream media does not know how read or how to do math, the planned infrastructure redevelopment zone law that was approved by the California Legislature and signed into law by California Governor Gavin Newsom last October, will result in the formation of a zone that assumes a small $2 billion base-year assessed value to serve as the foundation for a TIF bond with a 40-year-payback schedule.
In fact, Kaval agreed this was the case in our interview, even as he reminded us that the ballpark itself (the main frame) would be privately financed. At just an annual 4 percent rate of growth in assessed value, and 1 percent tax rate, the revenue total will be $1.4 billion by year 40.
The Oakland A’s ballpark legislation, if one bothers to read it, will allow for everything from financing assistance for affordable housing, street lighting, bridges, transportation, and it can be spread city-wide.
Of course, those who hate reading will go on chortling that Oakland’s broke and can’t afford this or that. Meanwhile, the A’s will emerge with the ballpark that will reform Oakland into an international destination.
My Oakland PATH Program. What it is, what PATH does by Derrick Soo ONN – PATH is Restorative Housing Program for all Oakland residents. I explain the benefits of my Program, how property is acquired and Land Leased to HOA’s of Oakland to create Homeownership, and NOT aren’t. Home ownership starts at $18k TOTAL “Basic” … Read more
City of Oakland Receives Over $20 Millions Affordable Housing Development Projects Oakland – After recently receiving nearly $90 million in awards for affordable housing developments, the City of Oakland is pleased to announce additional awards of $15 million in competitive funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (CA HCD) Multi-Family Housing Program … Read more
