Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Barbara Lee (CA-13) voted to pass H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act and H.R. 1446, the Enhanced Background Checks Act— two commonsense gun violence prevention measures to require background checks on all gun sales and close the Charleston Loophole that allowed the hate crime at Mother Emanuel AME Church … Read more
Ed Lozzi Talks Tango Shalom Movie, Beverly Hills Columnist The Late Marci Weiner From YouTube Channel: March 9, 2021 at 12:49AM ONN – On Friday, March 12th, at 8 PM PST, my friend, famed Beverly Hills Publicist Edward Lozzi, will be on Zennie62 YouTube Live to talk about the new movie he’s promoting called “Tango … Read more
Oscar Grant Oakland Case: In 2009 SF Sheriff Source Said Autopsy Showed Crack Cocaine In Body, Wrong From YouTube Channel: February 15, 2009 at 07:30AM ONN – Oscar Grant Oakland Case: In 2009 SF Sheriff Source Said Autopsy Showed Crack Cocaine In Body, Wrong In 2009, A source who was a San Francisco Sheriff reported … Read more
Oakland Must Establish MACRO—an Alternative to Leading with Police for Mental Health Crises Response—Immediately Oakland residents, labor and elected officials are calling on the City Of Oakland to immediately implement this program within the next six months Oakland – A broad coalition of residents, community organizations and labor groups are calling on the Oakland City … Read more
Buffy Wicks slate of bills include policies to protect working families; fight California’s housing crisis; reform the Employment Development Department (EDD); and more Oakland – On Wednesday, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (AD-15) unveiled highlights from her 2021 legislative package, policies designed to protect working families, renters, and Californians recovering from the economic fallout of the COVID-19 … Read more
Oakland – Today the Defund Oakland Police Coalition released a comprehensive report in response to the draft recommendations issued by Oakland’s Reimagining Public Safety Task Force (RPSTF). At a press event today experts involved with the recommendation process spoke to the specific recommendations from each Advisory Board. “The Defund Oakland Police Coalition is excited about … Read more
The murders of Oscar Grant, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Stephon Clark, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and the latest reported name of Daniel Prude, all have one story in common: their lives were ended by police officers. Moreover, there’s story after story, after story, of commonly … Read more
United Airlines – Engine On Fire From United Airlines Flight 328 Bound For Honolulu, Parts Dropped In Denver From YouTube Channel: February 20, 2021 at 05:18PM ONN – United Airlines – Engine On Fire From United Airlines Flight 328 Bound For Honolulu, Parts Dropped In Denver This engine video was from the1six3’s on Instagram, who … Read more
David Perdue, the former Georgia Senator, is reportedly exploring running again for the U.S. Senate and against the current officeholder Senator Reverend Rafael Warnock, and happened to time his announcement alongside a suspicious fake news entry about Senator Warnock, which we will debunk here. Perdue’s camp once again shows its attempts at bomb-throwing at would … 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
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki and National Economic Council Director Brian Deese January 22, 2021 James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 1:03 P.M. EST MS. PSAKI: Good afternoon, everyone. Happy Friday. Today, we are joined by National Economic Council Director Brian Deese, who will highlight some key aspects of the executive orders the … Read more
President-elect Biden Announces Additional Key Administration Posts WASHINGTON – On January 18th, President-elect Joe Biden announced a number of key administration posts: Elizabeth Klein, Deputy Secretary of the Interior; Dr. Jewel Bronaugh, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture; Andrea Palm, Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services; Polly Trottenberg, Deputy Secretary of Transportation; Cindy Marten, Deputy Secretary … Read more
Timing Of Vandalism Of Breonna Taylor Bust In Oakland, Suspiciously Close To Nashville Incident ONN – Timing Of Vandalism Of Breonna Taylor Bust In Oakland, Suspiciously Close To Nashville Explosion – vlog by Zennie62 YouTube I know people, or some, hate conspiracy theories, but these days one can’t help but come to a conclusion about … Read more
National Security Agency Review Teams Briefing Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by President-elect Joe Biden in Wilmington, Delaware This post based on press release sent directly to Zennie62Media by Biden-Harris Transition Team. In the speech, the video for which is also presented below, President-Elect Biden points to the Trump Administration for actions by the Department … Read more
Oakland — On Monday, December 7, 2020 the Oakland Finance Committee heard the FY 2019-20 Q4 & FY 2020-21 Q1 R&E Report. According to the Report from the Interim Director of Finance, dated November 30, 2020, “FY 20-21 year end expenditures are projected to exceed the budget for a total of $62.29 million deficit, which … Read more
DON’T BE FILMIN ME HOMEBOY!! FIRST AMENEDMENT From YouTube Channel: December 3, 2020 at 06:15PM ONN – Public Worker And Law Enforcement Officers Harass Bay Area Transparency In Wild Videos While I don’t agree with his methods, it is also very disturbing to see how much of taxpayer dollars time is wasted by police officers … Read more
DANGEROUS TYRANT FOUND IN SANTA ROSA, CA!!! FIRST AMENDMENT AUDIT! From YouTube Channel: December 1, 2020 at 08:37PM ONN – Bay Area Transparency Back With Focus On Santa Rosa Law Enforcement Encounter PART 1 OF 2 FOR A FIRST AMENDMENT AUDIT IN SANTA ROSA, CA. TO DONATE TO MR. BAY AREA TRANSPARENCY: $peoplesauditor ON CASH … Read more
President-Elect Joe Biden issued this statement to the press, a message that says economic help in on the way, and that’s for every city from Oakland, California to Atlanta, Georgia, and Honolulu, Hawaii, and Juno Alaska. Here are the words of President-Elect Joe Biden, today, as sent to Zennie62Media. Good afternoon. I hope everyone had … Read more
President-Elect Joe Biden Gets GSA Approval, Wins Michigan, Introduces New Cabinet Members From YouTube Channel: November 23, 2020 at 06:48PM ONN – President-Elect Joe Biden Gets GSA Approval, Wins Michigan Officially, Introduces New Cabinet Members It’s now official: President-Elect Joe Biden can start meeting with Trump Administration officials, and receive classified national security documents. Then, … Read more
Ben Bartlett and the Berkeley City Council Introduces Legislation on Group Violence Intervention (GVI) Program – to address Gun Violence in the Community
Berkeley – Berkeley has been experiencing an alarming rise in shootings throughout the City. This year alone, there have been more than 30 shootings, including one occurring on the night of October 21, 2020 that tragically left a woman gravely injured in a drive-by shooting on Prince Street in South Berkeley.
“The recent heartbreaking gun violence must come to an end, and I am ready to work collaboratively with our community in developing an effective program to achieve that goal,” Mayor Jesse Arreguin said.
Today, Councilmember Bartlett introduced urgent legislation and is calling on the City to establish a Group Violence Intervention Program (GVI), or “Operation Ceasefire,” which will assemble an inter-jurisdictional working group of law enforcement agencies, community members, and support services providers to address the cascading cycles of gun violence.
Co-sponsored by Mayor Arreguin and Councilmember Rashi Kesarwani, the item will be discussed at today’s City Council meeting if approved to be agendized. “By looking at the success of similar programs in other cities and catering it towards the needs of Berkeley, we can develop safe communities together,” Mayor Arreguin said.
Specifically, the program will identify young adults (ages 18-30) who are at greatest risk of being involved in gun violence, develop an intervention team to communicate directly and respectfully to at-risk individuals, implement an intervention plan to provide wrap-around and support services, and create a public education campaign to promote these efforts.
In cities throughout the country, GVI has proven to be an effective tool for reducing homicides and strengthening trust between community members and law enforcement. The City has the power to act now to develop its own GVI program to address the tragic rise in shootings and homicides plaguing our city.
In recognition of the interlocking geographic nature of those committing gun crimes as well as their victims, the GVI program will be centered on Berkeley. However, it should also be connected to and work in concert with community workers in neighboring jurisdictions including Oakland, Richmond, Antioch, and San Francisco.
“GVI aligns with our goals of reimagining policing, and is a more robust version of the Specialized Care Unit envisioned in the George Floyd Community Safety Act,” Councilmember Bartlett said. “The program also paves the way for greater regional collaboration, protecting communities from gun violence in Berkeley and across the Bay Area. People have put in years of work developing this model. Let’s raise up the community’s efforts and create lasting peace in the streets. Our children deserve to be safe.”
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 – Amy Cooper Charged By Manhattan DA With Racist 911 False Report Of Crime Against Black Chris Cooper
Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance issued this press release:
Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance, Jr. today filed charges against AMY COOPER, 41, in New York County Criminal Court. Ms. Cooper is charged with Falsely Reporting an Incident in the Third Degree, a misdemeanor, for falsely reporting an assault in the Central Park Ramble on May 25, 2020. [1]
“Our Office is committed to safety, justice, and anti-racism, and we will hold people who make false and racist 911 calls accountable,” said District Attorney Vance. “As alleged in the complaint, Amy Cooper engaged in racist criminal conduct when she falsely accused a Black man of trying to assault her in a previously unreported second call with a 911 dispatcher. Fortunately, no one was injured or killed in the police response to Ms. Cooper’s hoax. Our Office will pursue a resolution of this case which holds Ms. Cooper accountable while healing our community, restoring justice, and deterring others from perpetuating this racist practice.”
As alleged in the Complaint and as stated on the record in court by Executive Assistant D.A. Joan Illuzzi, Ms. Cooper called 911 and told a NYPD dispatcher that a Black male was threatening her inside the Central Park Ramble. In a previously unreported second phone call, Ms. Cooper repeated the accusation and added that the man “tried to assault her.” When responding officers arrived, Ms. Cooper admitted that the male had not “tried to assault” or come into contact with her.
Executive Assistant D.A. Joan Illuzzi (Chief of the Trial Division) is handling the prosecution of this case.
D.A. Vance thanked the members of the New York City Police Department’s Central Park Precinct and Communications Section for their assistance with the investigation.
Defendant Information:
AMY COOPER, D.O.B. 6/10/1979
New York, NY
Charged:
Falsely Reporting an Incident in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count
This should send a powerful message that white folks must stop the practice of making false reports to law enforcement because they don’t like someone black being in their presence.
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 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.
ONN – Oakland Police Department 2019 Annual Stop Data Report Video
Oakland Police Department:
The Oakland Police Department is pleased to share the 2019 Report on Stop Data with our Oakland community. This report fulfills OPD’s yearly requirement to release the prior year’s Stop Data. OPD continues to be a leader in Stop Data collection and exceeds the requirements of California Assembly Bill 953. OPD is proud to be the only department in the State of California who collects Intel Led Stop Data, which requires officers to clearly explain if the stop being made is associated with any current criminal activity.
Our partnership with the Oakland community is critical to the success of OPD’s work to improve the quality of life in our City. Historically, OPD collected Stop Data and made it available to the public in an effort to be transparent. OPD’s commitment to identifying and addressing racial disparities in traffic enforcement has not waivered.
The data found in this report reflects our intentional efforts to practice fair and impartial policing. The significant reduction in traffic stops on our Black and Hispanic community members reflects your police department’s work on reducing the adverse impact law enforcement contacts can have on our under-represented community members.
OPD has long been a leader in the country collecting and analyzing Stop Data. Our efforts have focused on reducing the impact of disparity to our vulnerable communities through the use of this data. This use of collected data is one of our efforts to ensure the practice of fair and constitutional policing and the reduction of racial disparity in our enforcement efforts.
Please note that while OPD has routinely collected and analyzed more data than required by AB 953, the Bill created a need for us to change some of our past data collection methods. We will continue to produce, analyze, and share data with our community that reflects the focus of OPD’s work toward transparency and fairness.
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.
Former President Bill Clinton has come under intense attack for his full-throated defense of the crime bill of 1994 what is really called the violent crime control and law enforcement act of nineteen ninety four. It seems to me that the people who are talking (even the pundits on for example MSNBC Joy Reid, for example, and others) either weren’t really paying attention then, or and didn’t read the crime bill, or perhaps read the crime bill and forgot what it consisted of, and forgot the events that gave rise to its creation and passage.
Let me share with you but one of those events. July 1st 1993 was really a bright sunny day in San Francisco and afternoon about one o’clock and i went to the Royal Exchange to hang out early at the great Cal bar (for University of California at Berkeley students like myself, I got my master’s degree in city planning from Cal was on the Alumni Board from 98 2001 1998-2000 actually 2003 but I digress).
Bottom line is it was a great day but the television / switched to KTVU Channel 2 because just around oh three o’clock or so at that time there are reports of a shooting at 101 California Street.
Now to give you an idea where 101 California Street is with respect to wear Royal Exchange is. Royal Exchange is on Sacramento at Front Street here. If you go down Front Street, this is California. 101 California is right there, so basically just go down the block across California over here and the giant skyscraper that is 101 California is right there designed by Phillip Johnson – a steel and glass, iconic skyscraper that , when it was proposed, was unlike anything San Francisco had seen before. That’s another story.
A man by the name of Gian Luigi Ferri went up to the 34th floor to a law firm called Pettit and Martin. He got off the elevator and started to randomly shoot people using assault weapons.
There was a woman that I knew from Cal who worked at Pettit and Martin as associate. Just started, did Terry Presite, and I was worried for Terry. I was able to call her but couldn’t get a hold of her. Gian Luigi Ferri walked through her office and eventually killed nine people, injured seven others, ruining the lives of many, and impacted lives of countless people forever.
Pettit and Martin closed in 2001. That event, and others like it, gave rise to a call for a sweeping crime bill in 1994. A 363 page document that was sweeping far-reaching in scope – so for anyone to say that it negatively impacted the black community like the black folks all did did all this stuff really doesn’t know what they’re talking about to begin with.
For example, do you realize that the Violence Against Women Act started with a 1994 Crime Bill with a with the same bill that many are criticizing? Do you realize that the start of funding for halfway houses for escape places for victims of domestic violence started with the crime bill? Do you realize that the 1994 Crime Bill had an assault weapons ban that we have not had the collective will to establish today in an era of mass shooting after mass shooting after mass shooting?
Do you realize that? Do you realize that the that same bill that Bill Clinton is getting so much negative publicity for is the same bill that put 1,000 cops on the street? That funded and gave rise to community policing? They had a provision within it that said the US Justice Department was supposed to give an annual report on the use of excessive force by police programs around the United States – something that was never done.
So have you ever bothered to read the damn bill? No, you have not.
Do you realize what was going on at the time? No you don’t.
It made Oakland a safer community. It allowed us to hire more cops. It allowed us to get assault weapons off the street. We had gun buyback programs – including that, it was really effective.
The main overarching problem then in the 90s drugs were considered to be a problem of the black poor okay particularly heroin drugs weren’t thought of as being a white problem, even though all we knew we knew white folks did drugs and marijuana, but it was thought of as being a black problem.
Today, drugs are thought of, particularly heroin, as being not just a black problem but a white problem – which means it’s everybody’s problem. So now the 1994 crime bill that was so good then, because it only focused on drugs and you know black and the idea was that holy focus on black folks is now today thought out by some is being bad because hey white people new use drugs and right folks have a problem.
So now we’ve got to decriminalize everything.
You see what I’m getting at? It was okay to criminalize it when it was focused in the black community, but now that it’s a white problem oh we have to decriminalize it. Think about it. Think about what I’m saying to you. Think hard about what I’m saying to you, and at the same time we don’t have an assault weapons ban.
And you know something else that came out of the Violence Against Women Act which is still active: The Cyber Crimes Act, the act to prevent cyber bullying, which is installed in 2005 as a rider provision,
Do you know what you’re talking about when you criticize this bill? Yes there are parts of it that should not have been there, but given the climate of the times they were appropriate. Given what was happening in then they were appropriate. And again, it did sunset.
The real problem we have not solved since then is we still have an assault weapons problem. In fact, it’s enormous. We have open carry laws that people are openly defending in Georgia, walking around airports with their assault weapons saying oh this is okay at a time when terrorism is a concern, a big one, including domestic terrorism.
So in this context you’re going to tell me that the 1994 crime bill was this terrible thing? I think you need to reassess what you’re talking about, you really do.
Rebecca Kaplan Calls for New Solutions to Oakland’s Speeding Problems & Requests Support From the State Legislature at the October 6, 2020 Oakland City Council Meeting
Oakland, CA —It seems that every day there is a report of a fatal hit and run or reckless speeding that has resulted in serious injury on Oakland’s streets. It has become a precarious endeavor for anyone, but especially the elderly and children, to cross the street or even walk on the sidewalk. We need stronger action to make our streets safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, and others.
The practice has been to rely exclusively on police officers for speeding enforcement, but this has not been working well. In a city the size of Oakland, it is not possible for the police to create a sufficient presence to catch speeding violations or be a deterrent that would discourage dangerous driving activity that has caused serious injury and fatalities. The discretionary, disparate treatment of African Americans, and the ways that traffic stops have sometimes resulted in people being killed by police during traffic stops, are also reasons that the more effective options of civilian and automated traffic enforcement is desirable.
Oakland Council President Rebecca Kaplan is proposing Oakland adopt a resolution requesting the State Legislature to enact legislation that would give municipalities the flexibility to adopt more effective methods for speeding enforcement, at the October 6th Oakland City Council meeting.
We need strategies that avoid racial disparities, prevent traffic stops from escalating into police shootings, while making speeding enforcement more effective and more broadly implemented. The answer is alternative traffic enforcement. Alternative traffic enforcement is the use of cameras and/or civilian personnel, such as Department of Transportation staff, to enforce traffic laws. This approach to traffic enforcement frees up the police to focus on serious crime, reduces likelihood of problematic police interactions, and improves reliability and fairness of enforcement. It also represents a potential savings for a city since it costs more for sworn officers to address these violations.
These systems can reduce racial disparities. “Driving While Black,” is the familiar term to describe the racial profiling used by law enforcement when an African American driver is stopped for little to no reason. The fear of a traffic stop escalated with no apparent reason is well-known in communities of color. With the use of cameras looking at license plates rather than individuals, automated systems, and local civilian staffing, communities of color could get a ticket for speeding, and it would no longer be a potentially life-threatening situation.
The City of Berkeley has already taken steps in this direction. In July, Berkeley approved the use of transportation personnel to conduct traffic stops. The City of San Francisco has also previously expressed interest in alternative methods of speeding enforcement. Oakland is also now working on strategies to provide for options beyond using an armed officer for these situations. But allowing cities flexibility for these solutions requires a change in State law in California.
The California Legislature needs to assist municipalities like Oakland and Berkeley and beyond with more flexibility to innovate as we address this danger on Oakland’s streets. Alternative traffic enforcement is one place where that assistance could begin. The Legislature needs to amend State laws, to allow cities the discretion to use methods for speeding enforcement that are fairer and more effective.
SFMTA efforts for an Automated Speed Enforcement Project:
Councilmember At-Large Rebecca Kaplan is an honors graduate from MIT, and holds a J.D. from Stanford Law School. Kaplan was elected in 2008 to serve as Oakland’s citywide Councilmember, she was re-elected in 2016.
Oakland – Alameda County’s emergency 911 ambulance provider Falck Northern California has offered an improved pay and benefits package to its 450 Alameda County EMT and paramedic employees represented by the National Association of Government Employees (NAGE) Local 510.
Falck and union representatives are negotiating a new agreement, currently proposed for three years. The previous contract expired August 31, after an extension from April 30. The parties have been in negotiations since February.
The company offered union employees annual step increases and cost-of-living adjustments that, together, provide employees with wage increases ranging from approximately 2 percent to 6.7 percent per year.
“At a time when the pandemic and recession have challenged the well-being of our county, state and nation, we want to ensure that our first responders are compensated fairly,” said Carolina Snypes, Director and Chief of Falck’s Alameda County operation.
She noted that:
· The average salary and benefits of a Falck first responder in Alameda County is approximately $100,000.
· The top 10 percent of Falck first responders earn an average of $189,000 in pay and benefits annually in Alameda County, more than 3 times what a full-time paramedic starting today would earn.
· Falck has not furloughed or laid off any of its 911 paramedics or EMTs in Alameda County, even as hundreds of thousands of healthcare workers nationwide remain jobless because of COVID-19.
Falck was awarded the Alameda County contract more than a year ago. The company immediately worked closely with County leaders to improve the system to ensure residents could be confident that when they call 911, ambulances arrive quickly, are fully staffed and comply with County requirements for response times. The company provides services to all cities in the County with the exception of Alameda, Albany, Berkeley and Piedmont, where local fire departments provide the service.
Falck has added 40 new paramedics and EMTs in Alameda County since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company and its emergency medical teams have been part of the response to wildfires throughout the state. Falck has also worked closely with Alameda County officials to staff skilled nursing facilities during the pandemic, and has provided emergency medical coverage to police and protestors during the recent protests.
“We are pleased to have helped communities, firefighters, and law enforcement around California,” Snypes said. “We value the first responders who work for us, and we continue to offer competitive wages and benefits to ensure that we take good care of our employees and assist the cities and people we serve.”
“We’re proud of the diversity of our workforce and how closely it mirrors the demographics of the community we serve,” Snypes added.
Oakland – Today, the Oakland City Council, CPAB, SSOC, and the Police Commission will discuss the concept, introduced by Council President Rebecca Kaplan, to make guns the top law enforcement priority in the City of Oakland. If Oakland can deter illegal guns and gun violence by increasing gun tracing, improving response time to shooting notifications, and prioritizing response to gun crime, the city will be a safer place to live.
The Oakland City Council has previously adopted policies to set law enforcement priorities in the direction of “low priority” issues — designating which topics it would be the policy for OPD not to prioritize, such as cannabis.
“I am calling for the City of Oakland to Declare Gun Violence as the Top Law Enforcement Priority for the City of Oakland, to decrease the number of illegal guns and gun violence in the city. By increasing gun tracing and prioritizing action to respond to gun crime,” states Council President Rebecca Kaplan. “We must recognize the easy availability of illegal guns increases violence and harm, and in order to reduce gun violence, we need to crack down on illegal guns, and have a timely and effective response to shooting notifications.”
The City of Oakland is experiencing an increase in the amount of guns shots fired. According to the Oakland Police Department’s ShotSpotter Activations Report, the Oakland Police Crime Analysis Division reported approximately 2,807 ShotSpottter Activations from gunshots fired in 2019. As of September 20, 2020, there have been approximately 4,104 ShotSpotter activations from guns fired. This number is a forty-six percent (46%) increase from the year prior, and that many gunshots don’t show up in 911 call statistics.
As of August 23, 2020, the Oakland Police Department Crime Analysis reported thirty-four (34%) percent increase in reported gunfire in Oakland. In 2019, there were 953 occurrences of gunfire. This year, 1,281 occurrences of gunfire were reported, with a quarter of the year still to be determined. In a single weekend from August 6th-9th, 2020, ten shootings were reported across the city, which resulted in five fatalities, many of the cases are unsolved, with the assailants remaining at-large.
Currently, there is also a grave need for an effective and robust gun tracing program to curb the amount of gun violence and reduce the number of illegal guns on the streets. Kaplan has been a consistent advocate for increased efforts around gun and shell tracing. She fought for the funding to acquire the gun and shell tracing equipment. She understands that gun tracing is essential to shutting down sources of illegal guns on Oakland’s streets.
In order to ensure that illegal guns can be tracked down and to deter gun crime, it will be important to have timely response on notifications of shootings, and more consistent tracing of guns and shell casings. Kaplan has requested information from OPD about the frequency of providing an immediate deployment in response to notifications of shootings, and about how often there is the ability to collect shell casings or other materials to help identify and shut down sources of illegal guns.
The goal is to make smart and effective choices about deployments, and timely response to urgent situations like armed robberies in progress. The recent choice by the Oakland Police Chief to order hundreds of Police Officers to stay downtown watching peaceful protesters was not the most effective and efficient use of law enforcement resources, while urgent needs for response and follow up on armed robberies was lacking. A better use of sworn personnel would have been to ensure presence in community and commercial corridors facing armed robberies throughout the city. A discussion about making gun violence a top law enforcement priority for the City of Oakland will help ensure that resources are distributed in a more effective and just manner.
Oakland — It seems that every day there is a report of a fatal hit and run or reckless speeding that has resulted in serious injury on Oakland’s streets. It has become a precarious endeavor for anyone, but especially the elderly and children, to cross the street or even walk on the sidewalk. We need stronger action to make our streets safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, and others.
The practice has been to rely exclusively on police officers for speeding enforcement, but this has not been working well. In a city the size of Oakland, it is not possible for the police to create a sufficient presence to catch speeding violations or be a deterrent that would discourage dangerous driving activity that has caused serious injury and fatalities. The discretionary, disparate treatment of African Americans, and the ways that traffic stops have sometimes resulted in people being killed by police during traffic stops, are also reasons that the more effective options of civilian and automated traffic enforcement is desirable.
Oakland Council President Rebecca Kaplan is proposing Oakland adopt a resolution requesting the State Legislature to enact legislation that would give municipalities the flexibility to adopt more effective methods for speeding enforcement.
We need strategies that avoid racial disparities, prevent traffic stops from escalating into police shootings, while making speeding enforcement more effective and more broadly implemented. The answer is alternative traffic enforcement. Alternative traffic enforcement is the use of cameras and/or civilian personnel, such as Department of Transportation staff, to enforce traffic laws. This approach to traffic enforcement frees up the police to focus on serious crime, reduces likelihood of problematic police interactions, and improves reliability and fairness of enforcement. It also represents a potential savings for a city since it costs more for sworn officers to address these violations.
These systems can reduce racial disparities. “Driving While Black,” is the familiar term to describe the racial profiling used by law enforcement when an African American driver is stopped for little to no reason. The fear of a traffic stop escalated with no apparent reason is well-known in communities of color. With the use of cameras looking at license plates rather than individuals, automated systems, and local civilian staffing, communities of color could get a ticket for speeding, and it would no longer be a potentially life-threatening situation.
The City of Berkeley has already taken steps in this direction. In July, Berkeley approved the use of transportation personnel to conduct traffic stops. The City of San Francisco has also previously expressed interest in alternative methods of speeding enforcement. Oakland is also now working on strategies to provide for options beyond using an armed officer for these situations. But allowing cities flexibility for these solutions requires a change in State law in California.
The California Legislature needs to assist municipalities like Oakland and Berkeley and beyond with more flexibility to innovate as we address this danger on Oakland’s streets. Alternative traffic enforcement is one place where that assistance could begin. The Legislature needs to amend State laws, to allow cities the discretion to use methods for speeding enforcement that are fairer and more effective.
SFMTA efforts for an Automated Speed Enforcement Project:
This Ben Bartlett post called “Safety for All: George Floyd Community Safety Act” by Berkeley Councilmember Ben Bartlett appears on Medium. Here’s an excerpt:
Ben Bartlett Berkeley Councilmember
In all 50 states and more than 145 cities, Americans are calling for legitimate police accountability, an end to police brutality, and the transformation of the police system itself. The killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis this May initiated this wave of demonstrations. But Mr. Floyd’s death is only the latest entry in a long history of human rights atrocities inflicted on Black individuals. The message is clear: enough is enough.
In response, Congress has introduced the George Floyd Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act of 2020, which aims to prevent police brutality and calls for national policing standards. For example, the bill reforms hiring practices of law enforcement agencies mandates studies of training procedures that codify a uniform set of procedures for Police Officer conduct and implements other provisions. While this is a step in the right direction, broad legislation at the federal level is fundamentally unable to address the specific issues and nuances of local municipalities’ law enforcement. In order to better respond to the communities they serve, it is critical that local governments and policymakers take action on police reform.
Historically, the City of Berkeley has played a critical role in developing law enforcement practices. August Vollmer, the city’s first police Chief, who among other things, first put officers in automobiles, is hailed as the Father of American policing. Likewise, Berkeley is home to the nation’s first civilian oversight board over the Police Department. Berkeley can continue its leading role by addressing today’s policing issues, namely unconstitutional behavior, racial abuse, and unsustainable expense. Though a gargantuan problem, policymakers in Berkeley and elsewhere can make headway by breaking the larger problem into its individual parts — data-driven budgeting, police accountability, the warrior mentality instilled in police academies, and the use of armed officers in non-criminal cases.
Here is the full post on Medium: Safety For All: The George Floyd Community Safety Act.
Filed under: ben bartlett berkeley, ben bartlett stanford, councilmember ben bartlett, ben bartlett forme life, ben bartlett email, ben bartlett age, ben bartlett composer, yelda bartlett, ben bartlett berkeley email
Interview with Founder of Oakland’s Raided Mushroom Church, Dave Hodges
From YouTube Channel: September 19, 2020 at 06:08PM
ONN – On August 13th, 2020 Oakland Police Department illegally raided Zide Door aka The Church of Entheogenic Plants, aka the first and only “Mushroom Church.” in the nation. They called in the firefighters to cut through a large safe on the premises—during a city-wide crime spree—and allegedly seized $200,000+ in cannabis and psilocybin mushroom products. They made zero arrest and the club reopened 24 hours later.
We had a chance to talk with one of the founders of the Church, Dave Hodges, about what led up to the raid. He also shares with us his harrowing ordeal. And how the club was reopened a day later.
We also dive into why he founded a weed and mushroom church in the first place, his use plant-based religious sacraments, and his relatively new practice of taking massive doses of magic mushrooms—we’re talking 15, 20, 25, even 30 grams. That’s a lot of shrooms.
Hodges and Zide Door plan to sue OPD with a civil lawsuit in federal court based on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. If they win—churches like this will be allowed to operate nationwide without the fear of being raided by local law enforcement.
You can help by supporting The Church’s GoFundMe:
https://ift.tt/3mGfbhe
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.
Vallejo, Calif. – The Vallejo Police Officers’ Association today urged the City of Vallejo to join together in making important changes and reforms to improve policing, public safety, bring the department into 21 Century policing, and to build trust and credibility for police officers, the City and future generations.
“In light of the fact that VPOA members are typically the only representatives of the City directly interacting with the community on a daily basis, we urge the City to prioritize implementing these changes as soon as possible to advance public safety and to ensure our police force is at the forefront of improving and enhancing community relationships, openness, fairness, and public and police safety,” the VPOA letter says.
Specifically, the VPOA called upon the City to work together to adopt the vast majority of recommended reforms and changes from two independent studies commissioned by the City of Vallejo.
The first independent study by Police Strategies LLC in June on use of force concluded that Vallejo police officers are racially unbiased and equitable in their application of force. The second independent report by OIR Group in May offered 45 recommended changes and reforms to VPD.
“As the use of force is a critical component in the national discussion on policing, this is something we should all celebrate and take great pride in as we discuss local reforms,” the VPOA letter to the city states. The VPOA said it believes the report’s data is import in guiding positive changes.
The second independent report by the OIR Group offered 45 recommendations to improve policing in Vallejo. The letter to the city states that VPD has implemented a handful of the recommendations, but overall, it notes that “progress has been slow, sowing doubt as to the City’s commitment to improving and modernizing the Vallejo Police Department. As the VPOA has stated on numerous occasions, the members support the vast majority of the OIR Group’s recommendations.”
The letter to the City and Chief says that despite the shared objectives of the Chief and VPOA officers, the Office of the Chief of Police has rejected the VPOA’s repeated requests to collaborate on implementing these reforms in a timely manner.
“While we in the midst of a national discussion on the relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve, it is critical that we inform before we reform, as any meaningful discussion must be rooted in fact to avoid politicizing public safety,” the VPOA board of directors wrote in a letter to City leaders and the Vallejo Chief of Police.
The VPOA letter urges the Chief and City leadership to meet and confer on the handful of recommendations that require more evaluation and consideration.
“As Chief Williams has publicly professed his belief in the tenets of 21st Century Policing, it is appropriate to remind the City of two principles of this important philosophy,” the latter states:
“First, 21st Century Policing recognizes that in order to achieve internal legitimacy, law enforcement agencies should involve employees in the process of developing policies and procedures. As the elected representatives of the sworn personnel of the Vallejo Police Department, this letter of support and collaboration from the VPOA should be recognized as an incredible opportunity to move the Department forward in a positive direction.
“Second, 21st Century Policing acknowledges that law enforcement agencies should proactively promote public trust by initiating positive non-enforcement activities to engage communities. To achieve this goal, we must significantly enhance our staffing. The City of Vallejo needs to immediately hire more highly qualified police officers and focus upon increased diversity of race, gender, and ethnicity in its recruiting effort.
“We need these officers now. As the Chief noted in his Exceptional Policing Model, the City of Vallejo needs 180 police officers. Right now, we have roughly 60 percent of the staffing necessary to protect Vallejo. This must change to ensure the safety of the public and our police officers. In summary, the VPOA wants to see positive change for the community, for the City, for ourselves, and for future generations. We urge the City to work with us to make these substantive changes as quickly as possible to the benefit of all stakeholders.”
The VPOA letter urges immediate action and cooperation from the city because the VPOA is “deeply concerned by the current rise in crime, including rape, robbery, and assault, as well as the escalating murder rate which is on pace to make 2020 the deadliest year on record.”
“As guardians of the City and its residents, our members are not currently afforded the staffing, tools, and equipment that are necessary to stem the tide of violence that is overtaking our beloved community. As we struggle to protect our residents’ homes and businesses, it is time to acknowledge that an understaffed and ill-equipped police force is destined to fail in its mission to keep the community safe,” the letter says.
The Vallejo Police Officers’ Association (VPOA) is the recognized bargaining unit between all Vallejo Police Officers and the City of Vallejo. Members include all ranks of Officers. The VPOA is committed to the safety and security of the citizens of Vallejo and the protection of life and property. For more information please visit www.vallejopoa.com
After watching NFL players representing both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans lock arms in what should have been a celebratory event, be marred by what many assumed to be Kansas City Chiefs fans booing, I resisted the impulse to make a reaction vlog, and considered the moment. During that period of time (which lasted the length of the game), I wondered if it really was Kansas City Chiefs out there booing the Chiefs and the Texans. Then, I wondered how one could determine if they really were fans?
The reason I thought this was because here we had another moment that, many times this year, had to do with Black Lives Matter, a large crowd or gathering, and television. In each of these cases, something happened that seemed to communicate the idea that America was divided, law enforcement was needed, and Black Lives Matter was an extremist movement, undesirable to Americans.
The linchpin example was the week when President Trump ordered federal troops into cities he said were ran by Democrats, and in his speech in the Rose Garden of The White House on Monday, July 20th, Trump said he was going to send troops to Oakland. In fact, as I pointed out, Trump tossed out Oakland after a delay in his delivery – as if to say “Oh, I forgot to mention Oakland”.
That was the 20th of July. But July 26th, Trump, via his fake federal troop call. (“Fake” in that there was no real trouble with protestors, and I asserted the people who attacked Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf’s house were, themselves, fake protest actors who’s services were purchased for a public relations stunt – all to give the impression Oakland was, as Trump said, “lawless.” It’s called “astroturfing”: the practice of manufacturing the appearance of grass-roots support.)
As the Google Trends image shows, President Trump has succeeded in de-coupling protest activities from Black Lives Matter. During that week, the “law and order” campaign message emerged as Trump’s counter to Black Lives Matter.
Trump’s Federal Troup Fake News Decouples White Protestors From Black Lives Matter
Now, why did I come to that conclusion? One name: Brad Parscale.
Brad Parscale (Photo courtesy Wall Street Journal)
Brad Parscale was the Trump 2020 campaign manager, and one who was hired, according toNews One, he…
..began working for the Trump organization seven years ago as a website designer and media strategist. He was hired to head social media for Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. That’s when he utilized dark posts on Facebook to diminish Black voter turnout for Hillary Clinton. “He has our family’s complete trust and is the perfect person to be at the helm of the campaign,” Eric Trump, the president’s son, said in a statement, according to CNN. He added that Parscale was “pivotal to our success in 2016.”
Dark posts don’t appear in the sender’s Facebook news feed. Only the targeted Facebook users can see the message. Consequently, the posts can be tailored to specific recipients without getting blasting to everyone. It can easily silo scores of people with one click and without any accountability.
In one message during the 2016 campaign, Parscale disseminated dark posts to certain Black voters to remind them about Clinton’s “super predator” comment in 1996, in which she used the phrase to describe young Black males who were gang banging and selling crack cocaine. Twenty years later, Clinton apologized for the term and her role in ushering in the wave of mass incarceration of Black people in the 1990s.
Back in 2016, it was unclear if dark posts for political messaging would work. However, Parscale was certain that his tactic would “dramatically affect” turnout for Clinton. He’s probably already hard at work devising a scheme to diminish the Black vote in 2020.
Then, in theSan Antonio Express-News on July 17th, Gilbert Garcia wrote:
Trump rewarded Parscale by picking him to serve as his 2020 campaign manager.
Over the past four months, however, the Trump-Parscale bond has been battered by Category 5 political headwinds: a COVID-19 pandemic which has taken the lives of 138,000 Americans; a resulting economic shutdown; and nationwide Black Lives Matter protests in response to the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. (My emphasis.)
Trump has failed to get a handle on any of these crises and now finds himself trailing presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden by double digits in almost every major national poll.
So, it was quite apparent that Black Lives Matter was a problem for the Trump campaign. But rather than outright terminate Parscale, Trump demoted him, and hired Matt Oczkowski, an alum from Cambridge Analytica, to direct him.
Matt Oczkowski’
Given Matt Oczkowski’s noted and documented love for tracking electorate response to just what Trump tweets, once saying this:
We knew going into it that we had to build a really dynamic data program that could keep up with the candidate — because depending on the week, Trump could tweet one thing and it would change the entire view of the electorate on that week.
So our data program had to be very elastic — which means any time a stone was thrown into the water, we had to be able to track the ripples and see [where] different parts of the electorate were actually moving in a particular direction.
I believe the Trump Campaign has advanced their approach and used part of their $1 billion campaign budget to purchase protestors via firms like Crowds On Demand, and as part of an effort that Trump was encouraged to push along from the power of the presidential bully pulpit.
Have doubts?
Consider that, in forming the campaign attack, Brad said “In 2016, we had 700,000 volunteers help us. In 2020, we’re gonna have 1.6 million volunteers. I had 3,000 team leaders across the United States. This time we’ll have 90,000 team leaders.” Now, you can’t do door-to-door political campaigning during The Pandemic, so I believe the Trump campaign shifted its focus to more staged events for television and for social media.
And it’s for all of those reason that I believed something was up for Thursday Night Football.
Kansas City Star Reported That Tickets Were Available For The Texans at Chiefs NFL Kickoff Opener
Then, I decided to check and see if, indeed, tickets were available for the Texans at Chiefs NFL Kickoff Opener. A Google search revealed this article in the Kansas City Star, which had this title: “Want to go to tonight’s Chiefs season opener at Arrowhead? Tickets remain for the game”, and the author Jeff Rosen, wrote:
The Chiefs kick off their season in less than two hours. And if you want to go to the game, even with the limited seating the Chiefs had announced due to the pandemic, you’re in luck.
StubHub shows many tickets available, starting as low as $120 but mostly in the $150 range. Capacity for the game was being capped at about 16,000 inside Arrowhead Stadium, which usually holds about 76,000 for a full house.
So, as far as I was concerned, the stage was set for yet another fake protest on national TV, and one to counter the NFL Player “Black Lives Matter” events planned for NFL Kickoff and for the rest of the year.
From my perspective, the NFL and its players should either not have fans in the stands at all, or buy tickets for their own politically-supportive supporters in cities where fans will be allowed in. As I think about it, stopping fans from seeing the game altogether would give Trump a public relations win; buying fans sympathetic to the NFL Players would be just fighting fire with fire.
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 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.
In response to the news and posts and the Oakland News Now account of an Oakland Police Officer spotted dressed in a Hawaiian shirt in the style of what is worn by the racist Boogaloo Boys, and photographed by an Oakland resident, then posted on Facebook, and to the reaction to the Interim Chief’s shocking email that seemed to belittle the matter, dismiss the attire, and defend the officer, the Oakland Police Department Information Officer wrote this:
Interim Chief Susan Manheimer: Oakland Police Department
Hello Zennie,
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We understand that Hawaiian shirts are often worn by members of the far-right, anti-government group, the Boogaloo Boys, and that seeing a plain-clothes officer wearing a similar shirt can be upsetting to many residents in our community.
We appreciate that you included the Chief’s email in your post so readers can see her response. The Chief’s email clarifies and explains that the photo is not representative of a Boogaloo member and that Hawaiian shirts are still universally worn, despite their use by Boogaloos. The plain clothes officer photographed was unware of the association and reference a Hawaiian shirt has to an extremist, anti-government, group. To ensure that this misperception does not occur again, the concern will be shared with all plain clothes officers.
Chief Manheimer and all members of the Oakland Police Department share community concerns when perceptions or references are made that would associate OPD with any extremist groups. The Department recognizes and understands the pain and suffering caused by such extremist groups such as the Boogaloos, who are intolerant and instill fear and hatred in our community. The Oakland Police Department stands with our community and will not tolerate any hate crime against anyone in our community.
We are dedicated to serving our Oakland community; the Hate Crime Hotline is one of our many efforts to ensure that our community receives the service Oakland deserves.
If a community member is a victim of, or a witness to, what they believe to be a hate crime, we encourage them to call the OPD Hate Crime Hotline at (510) 637-4283 or the Department’s non-emergency phone number at (510) 777-3333.
My response to this is expressed here:
Hello.
Thank you. But there is a terrible glaring problem. 1) The Hawaiian Shirt the Officer wore is in the style of the Boogaloo Boys. The shirts everyone has seen that were in her photo many have pointed to as not matching what he wore.
2). Your response should be to launch an investigation of the Oakland Police Department. I am 3,000 miles from you. From New York to Atlanta to Aurora Colorado, to you name the City, Kenosha, we have a problem where law enforcement seems to be harboring a white supremacist element. Root out the problem and fix it. My public call is for that to happen. We must restore trust in the Oakland police force.
3). Finally, the kind of media style I practice is technically-based and a direct counter to a style that allowed this problem to fester. Remember, I practice a news commentary style. There is no such thing as true objectivity. Please read: https://oaklandnewsnowblog.com/white-journalists-must-stop-institutional-racism-against-blacks-in-media-update/u-s-news/17/10/2019/32190/
Also, I only left out the Chief’s email because she did not send that to me. To print her email would have given the impression she did. I am happy to host Susan Manheimer on my show and she can directly address in long form this major problem.
She must understand that someone black sees this differently as do many who are white.
Best. Zennie
In closing for this chapter of what I can see is going to be an on-going story, the Interim Police Chief should have simply said she would open an investigation rather than give what was a flip response to my initial blog post – and not even to me, but to an Oaklander who emailed her. (I contacted Oakland Police Department Media out of respect for protocol, but in retrospect, well, you get the idea. I was still waiting when I spotted the second Facebook entry of her email.).
As for the reference to “the email”, I thought my friend the OPD Public Information Officer, was referring to the Chief’s specific email address, not the email that was posted. I did not want to post her direct email, because Chief Manheimer did not reach out to contact me, so I did not want to give the impression that she did, as I stated above. Of course, you’re probably thinking that all of this could have been solved with a phone call – I did call, but the voicemail was full.
ONN – Allegiant Stadium Late Night Law Enforcement Car Stops In Middle Of I-15 Southbound For 30 Minutes
Allegiant Stadium Late Night Law Enforcement Car Stops In Middle Of I-15 Southbound For 30 Minutes
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.
Oakland residents ‘excited’ by Harris VP pick From YouTube Channel: August 16, 2020 at 10:16PM ONN – Oakland Residents ‘Excited’ By Joe Biden’s Choice Of Kamala Harris As VP Pick – AP News (12 Aug 2020) Joe Biden named California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate on Tuesday, making history by selecting the first … Read more
The Joshua Pawlik Shooting is the focus of the just released report by Robert Warshaw, the Thelton E. Henderson court-appointed monitor of the Oakland Police Department in the wake of the events of The Riders Case. Below, is a digitized version of the report. You can also download it here. You can also read former … Read more
SKELLY RECOMMENDATION Oakland Police Department April 2020 SUBJECTS: Lieutenant Alan Yu Sergeant Francisco Negrete Officer William Berger Officer Craig Tanaka Officer Brandon Hraiz Officer Josef Phillips Michael Gennaco Skelly Officer 323-821-0586 7142 Trask Avenue | Playa del Rey, CA 90293 OIRGroup.com SKELLY RESPONSE: Pursuant to the California Constitution and the Manual of Rules (“MOR”) of … Read more
Oakland Police Report National Night Out Is Postponed To October 6 2020 ONN – Oakland Police Report National Night Out Is Postponed To October 6 2020 From Oakland Police Department: National Night Out 2020 Postponed Oakland, CA –In the interest of community safety, National Night Out has been postponed, due to COVID-19 conditions and restrictions. … Read more
Oakland – Tuesday night July 21, 2020, The Oakland City Council had the historic opportunity to address the decades-long budget inequity that has left police with the lion’s share of our tax dollars and many residents without healthcare, housing, and critical social services during the pandemic. Councilmembers Reid, McElhaney, Taylor, Gallo, and Mayor Schaaf chose … Read more
Oakland – During the July 21st Council meeting, The Office Of Oakland City Council President Rebecca Kaplan successfully passed our Resolution redirecting the Special Event function from OPD, allowing for a more effective process, while saving money on policing costs, and keeping more money in our community. OPD Special Events Functions The Kaplan resolution to … Read more
