The idea that 21 Club NYC is closing is like a bad dream for me. The news that the New York Restaurant planned to shut own for good March 9th, 2021 (barring action) hit me via a text message by my good friend Beth Schnitzer just something like 15 minutes ago, or so. Now I … Read more
Biden calls for unity as he accepts Electoral College win From YouTube Channel: December 15, 2020 at 10:01AM ONN – President-Elect Joe Biden Calls For Unity As He Accepts Electoral College Win The president-elect also took aim at President Donald Trump’s post-election legal challenges, saying Trump refuses to accept the will of people. Note from … Read more
Ok, so President Donald Trump’s latest “I’m pissed I post the 2020 Presidential Election to Joe Biden” act – aside from the completely racist and criminal move of ordering executions of innocent black prisoners on death row because African Americans didn’t vote for him in droves – is to sick his U.S. Justice Department on … Read more
The $645 million general obligation bond that helped pay for construction of what was initially called Las Vegas Stadium, and is now the stadium for the former NFL Oakland Raiders organization, and named Allegiant Stadium (after Las Vegas-headquartered Allegiant Airlines), has a bond debt reserve that, under current Pandemic-driven conditions, will be depleted by the … Read more
Jason Harrow, Equal Citizens Exec Dir, Chief Counsel, On Supreme Court’s Trump Rejection From YouTube Channel: December 8, 2020 at 08:45PM ONN – Jason Harrow, Equal Citizens Exec Dir, Chief Counsel, On Supreme Court’s Trump Rejection Zennie62Media present’s Zennie Abraham’s livestream interview with Jason Harrow, at 9:15 PM EST, Tuesday, December 8th, 2020. Today the … 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
This deeply qualified, diverse team will be ready on day one to contain the COVID pandemic; ensure the safe, free, and equitable distribution of vaccines; make sure every American has access to affordable, quality health care; and guard against the full range of health threats facing our nation. Washington – Today, President-Elect Joe Biden announced … Read more
Attorneys Seek Testimony from Universal Execs Adam Fogelson, Ron Meyer and Michael Moses Over Faizon Love’s Erasure from “Couples Retreat” Movie Los Angeles (December 6, 2020) – Film star and comedian Faizon Love has asked a California court to order three top current and former Universal executives to provide depositions about their roles in directing … Read more
(That photo of now former Twitter Senior Vice President of Global Content Kay Matadi may not make sense now, but read on. It will. ) President Donald Trump’s not scoring the right points on his call for the removal of Section 230, and that’s because he lost the 2020 Presidential Election to Joe Biden. But … Read more
Faizon Love: Actor’s Suing Hollywood Studio Universal Studios For Couples Retreat Racism Faizon Love, the Black actor and comedian (AKA Langston Faizon Santisima), filed a lawsuit this week against Universal Studios for discrimination and racism for removing him from the poster of the Vince Vaughn movie “Couples Retreat”. The actor said he was “aghast” when … Read more
Sideshow Seizures From YouTube Channel: November 20, 2020 at 09:33PM ONN – Oakland Police YouTube Video Shows Cars Nabbed As Part Of Sideshow Seizures Program OPD writes: Today, with the help of CHP – Solano and Newark PD, eight sideshow vehicles were towed and seized with 30-day holds as part of an investigation lead by … Read more
Post-Election Legal Briefing with Bob Bauer From YouTube Channel: November 20, 2020 at 10:42AM ONN – Biden Transition Post-Election Legal Briefing With Former White House Counsel Bob Bauer For anyone who follows, or has been involved in Democratic Party politics and policy formation at any level, or who has covered the DNC, Professor Bob Bauer … Read more
David Oertel, The President of Humanist Hall located at 390 27th Street, Oakland, CA, is in trouble. But, from the looks of things, the man who owns the facility that was once the home of The Wellstone Democratic Club I was a member of, thinks he’s getting into what the late Representative John Lewis would … Read more
San Francisco – PandaDoc, the leading all-in-one document automation software, today announced it ranked 354 on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500™, a ranking of the 500 fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and energy tech companies in North America now in its 26th year. PandaDoc has grown 277% since 2016. “The rise in interest and need … Read more
Georgia Sec Of State Brad Raffensperger Says Sen Lindsay Graham Asked Him To Not Count Legal Votes ONN – Georgia Sec Of State Brad Raffensperger Says Sen Lindsay Graham Asked Him To Not Count Legal Votes – vlog by Zennie62 YouTube Georgia Secretary Of State Brad Raffensperger Says Sen Lindsay Graham Asked Him To Not … Read more
Harborside Oakland Dispensary Tour From YouTube Channel: November 12, 2020 at 05:01PM ONN – Harborside Oakland Cannabis Dispensary Tour The YouTube maker wrote: I’ve always wanted to visit the famous Harborside dispensary in Oakland because it’s one of Steve DeAngelo’s stores. He is the Godfather of legal cannabis and has always been one of the … Read more
Killer Cold Weather arrives EARLY in Oakland by Derrick Soo ONN – Killer Cold Weather arrives EARLY in Oakland by Derrick Soo – vlog by Zennie62 YouTube Winter is the DEADLY time of year for Unhoused folks. Many are not prepared for the SUDDEN temps below 40 degrees, and I’ve experienced people that have DIED … Read more
Fox News Cuts Kayleigh McEnany As She Slams Democrats With Fake News Of Welcoming Illegal Voting From YouTube Channel: November 10, 2020 at 12:12AM ONN – Fox News Cuts Kayleigh McEnany As She Slams Democrats With Fake News Of Welcoming Illegal Voting Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full … Read more
Oakland – Rebecca Kaplan has retained her At-Large seat on the Oakland City Council. With unofficial results showing her with a lead, her opponent called her this morning to concede the race congratulating her on her new term on the Council. Also congratulating Kaplan on her victory was Councilmember Nikki Bas who said, “Congratulations to … Read more
Conversation With Your Councilmember [Loren Taylor – Oakland District 6] – EastOaklandHills 10.8.20 From YouTube Channel: October 29, 2020 at 02:55AM ONN – Conversation With Your Councilmember Loren Taylor – Oakland District 6 – EastOaklandHills 10.8.20 Councilmember Loren Taylor (Oakland District 6) in Conversation with East Oakland Hills Residents on October 8th, 2020. Topics include … Read more
Now That Carroll Fife Is Oakland Councilmember Will She Stop 90-Car Protests To Phil Tagami’s House? From YouTube Channel: November 6, 2020 at 03:35PM ONN – Now That Carroll Fife Is Oakland Councilmember Will She Stop 90-Car Protests To Phil Tagami’s House? The backstory is best explained in this excerpt from my previous blog post … Read more
Here’s the full text of the speech President Donald Trump gave Thursday evening – one that shocked the nation, and even had veteran CNN anchor Dana Bash in nearly tears. And for good reason: What Dana pointed out was that Trump set up America – Democrats and his supporters – by saying to them don’t … Read more
Insight Terminal Solutions Beat Autumn Wind Lending, LLC In This Round In Court. Something only posted for interest and record. Nonetheless. An interesting behind-the-scenes battle as mentioned in ” Delaware Bankruptcy Court Rules that Bankruptcy Blocking Right in Debtor’s Corporate Charter Violates Federal Public Policy” by Jones Day: Another notable case is In re Insight … Read more
Rick Gates On Donald Trump’s Polarizing Words On Illegal Immigration, And How They Impact Politics ONN – Rick Gates On Donald Trump’s Polarizing Words On Illegal Immigration, And How They Impact Politics – vlog by Zennie62 YouTube Rick Gates On Donald Trump’s Polarizing Words On Illegal Immigration, And How They Impact Politics Note from Zennie62Media’s … Read more
Miles Taylor On CNN Says Pres Trump Wanted Illegal Immigrants Gassed, Electrified, Shot From YouTube Channel: October 28, 2020 at 09:44PM ONN – Miles Taylor On CNN Says Pres Trump Wanted Illegal Immigrants Gassed, Electrified, Shot What the whistle blower reported is beyond shocking and points to a low point in American history. Stay tuned. … Read more
Oakland – The City of Oakland received $36.9 million in State of California CARES Act funding. Through the Oakland CARES Arts Technical Assistance Fund, $193,000 has been allocated to provide technical assistance to help Oakland-based arts organizations and artists develop a robust online digital presence.
From November 9 to December 10, Youth Speaks, in partnership with YR Media and Zoo Labs, two Oakland artists-centered organizations, will offer 14 free, virtual workshops to train participants on available tools for programming and production; producing content utilizing low-cost tools and technology; the aesthetic associated with virtual presentations; social media and marketing strategies; and strategies on how to monetize one’s presence. For details on the workshop offerings and registration, please visit lifeisliving.org
“The County’s Shelter-in-place Orders to keep Oaklanders safer have prevented many artists, performers and arts organizations from enriching our community through performances and exhibitions,” said… “These workshops will help our cultural practitioners make the leap to online performances to share their artistic expression and generate much needed income.”
“With our desire to navigate and cross several artistic fields (theatre, poetry, production, music, and beyond), we felt it was important to sculpt bold and precise experiments to help our organizations and partners to navigate this moment in time,” said Joan Osato, Producing Director at Youth Speaks. “We’re thrilled to be able to pass on what we’ve learned to our beloved community through this project.”
Youth Speaks & Life Is living Cohort Workshops
Session 1: Monday, November 9, 4-5:30 p.m.
Grounding Rituals – Facilitated by Hodari B. Davis, and Joan Osato (Life is Living Cohort) Coaching Session that aligns and codifies shared understanding, language and connection to mission, strategy and content. Identifying your audiences and engagement strategy.
Session 2: Monday, November 9, 6-7:30 p.m.
Seeds – Transferring skill sets to virtual engagement and production. How to utilize, train up your existing staff and artists for virtual programming; a 101 tutorial on pre-production, production and post-production, as well as how to budget for it. Training on online tools and platforms including pros and cons of each system, costs and skill sets that are transferable to online programming and production.
Session 3: Wednesday, November 11, 4-5:30 p.m.
Zoomlife – 101 Tutorial on everyday use/user friendly platforms. Zoom world practical applications, tricks and tips. Tech Guide in safety, connectivity, equipment. Producing content and media assets utilizing low-cost tools and technology. Britt White, Life is Living’s Production Manager takes you through the backstage into organizing and running your show. Tech guides included.
Session 4: Wednesday, November 11, 6-7:30 p.m.
Advanced Tutorial on everyday use/user friendly platforms. Bringing the aesthetics of your organization, artists and engagement priorities into the design of your program. Defining aesthetics, goals, participants and barriers and how to address them. Setting your stage, capture process in the time of COVID-19. Editing, and Rehearsal and Tech. This training involves aesthetics, and innovative practice in virtual presentations and programming. Includes examples of presentations, process and technology by which they were achieved.
Session 5: Monday, November 16, 4-5:30pm
Open Broadcasting Software (OBS) & Wirecast Introduction and tutorials. In this session we’ll introduce you to advanced programs that help you capture, produce and stream your content for broadcast. Maximiliano Urruzmendi, Life is Living’s Technical Director takes you through the basics of how the programs work. Handouts Included.
Session 6: Monday, November 16, 6-7:30pm
Principles of Streaming, Wirecast, YouTube, Twitch platforms continued. Now that you have the basic outline of how the platforms work and are in communication with each other, it’s time to plot out your workflow and take it into broadcast. Maximiliano takes you through various streaming services and platforms and the pros and cons of each. Handouts included.
Session 7: Wednesday, November 18, 1-3 p.m.
Merchandising, Monetizing and Creating Earned Revenue Streams – Yavette Holts, founder of BAOBOB (Bay Area Organization of Black Owned Business, Life is Living Cohort) – high level overview of ecommerce platforms in order to support business owners and nonprofits who need help optimizing their online store(s) . We’ll take the participants through the platform WooCommerce.
Session 8: Wednesday, November 18, 6-7:30 p.m.
Pivoting your Organization and Practice (now what?) – We’ll facilitate a conversation about strategies and frameworks for a sustainable future for
organizations and artists and guide and support participants in visioning next steps. Breakout Sessions and Consulting on Scenarios will look at Social media and marketing strategies that apply to virtual programming, including Branding, Analytics and their use in fundraising and strategies for monetizing your platforms. Social Media Toolkit included.
YR Media Workshops
Tuesday, December 1 to Thursday, December 3, 6-7:30 p.m.
Social Circles: Building an Audience in Apocalypse (three-part series)
Now that your fans can’t experience you in a live venue, what do you do to retain and build an audience? How can artists create a personal brand? In this three-part conversation, YR Media’s social team and youth social contributors will show you how to start, and then nurture, an authentic social presence, with recommendations of which platform(s) to target depending on your demographic.
Zoo Labs Workshops (Recommended for Artists/Collectives working in music)
Session 1: Tuesday, December 8, 5-7 p.m.
Your Story Brand – Attendees will learn how to digitally tell a story that can sell and market their brand to their customers. Presented by Mashama Thompson of 510 Media.
Session 2: Wednesday, December 9, 5-7 p.m.
The Digital Roll Out Strategy – Attendees will learn how to strategically engage fans and create buzz around music, videos or other online content. Presented by Lance Coleman, Fuze the MC.
Session 3; Thursday, December 10, 5-7 p.m.
How to Get Paid and Follow the Trends – Attendees will learn how to collect money through their digital royalties and understand their data to know what is working in order to make future strategies. Presented by United Masters.
The workshops are for Oakland residents and reservations are required. Participation in the program is on a first come, first served basis.
This is the latest CARES Act-funded program launched by the City of Oakland. Previously, grant programs for small businesses, individual artists and arts nonprofits, home-based businesses, community-serving nonprofits, and low-income renters and homeowners were announced. Additionally, free legal advice webinars and consultations on lease negotiations are being supported by CARES Act funds. Learn more about the City of Oakland’s $36.9 million in CARES Act Funding at: oaklandca.gov/CaresAct
About Youth Speaks
Through the intersection of arts education and youth development practices, civic engagement strategies, and high-quality artistic presentation, Youth Speaks creates safe spaces that challenge young people to find, develop, publicly present, and apply their voices as creators of societal change. They are the producers of Life is Living is an eco-equity, interdisciplinary festival that centers historically underserved neighborhoods and communities with programming in public spaces that have been otherwise neglected. For the last 13 years, the Life is Living Festival has taken place at De Fremery Park in West Oakland
About YR Media
YR Media is a national network of young journalists and artists who collaborate with peers around the country and top media professionals to create content that matters. It is non-profit production company that builds critical skills in journalism, arts and media.
About Zoo Labs
Zoo Labs a not-for-profit accelerator that bridges art, entrepreneurship, and capital to conduct 3 high level workshops for musicians specifically around branding, music production and entrepreneurship.
Post based on press release from The City of Oakland to Zennie62Media.
Oakland – Over the last week the Oakland Police Commission made two bold policy actions to keep Oaklanders safe. The Oakland Police Commission unanimously approved a new use of force and asphyxia policy for the Oakland Police Department during Commission meetings (October 8 and October 15th). The Police Commission’s action was fully supported by leadership of the Oakland Police Department, the Community Police Review Agency (CPRA) and several community groups, many of whom assisted Commissioners in developing the new policy by providing personal perspectives and subject matter expertise.
The revision process was led by an Ad Hoc Committee of three Commissioners and supported by legal and policy experts, a project management consultant, Police Department leadership, and representatives from the City and community.
“This policy is the culmination of almost a year’s worth of hard work and is a first step in rebuilding trusted relationships,” said Commissioner Ginale Harris, Ad Hoc Committee Chair. “The Black community has suffered enough. We needed a new use of force policy that clearly guides officers to protect us, not harm us. I don’t believe that policy changes behavior, and I believe it’s going to take more than just this policy to have accountability. However, I do believe this new policy is a start, especially in holding officers accountable.
It’s one of the most progressive policies out there and I’m very proud of the collaborative work that this effort has produced,” added Harris.
The Commission and the Oakland Police Department agreed to overhaul Oakland’s outdated use of force policy after completing a limited revision in January 2020 that brought Oakland into compliance with Assembly Bill 392. That initial revision made clear that a more substantive change was required.
Despite significant challenges created by the ongoing pandemic, the Ad Hoc Commissioners initiated a community engagement process to surface public sentiment and ideas and incorporated this feedback into the final policy.
“This policy was created during an exceptional time; mass protests, calls for police reform, economic recession and a global pandemic. Those conditions required that the Commission innovate to ensure the voices of those most marginalized and directly impacted by police use of force were included. I want to extend gratitude to the many community voices that made important changes in the policy possible,” added Commissioner Tara Anderson, a member of the Ad Hoc Committee. “This policy is a milestone. It is not a bookend, but instead a chapter in the work towards rebuilding stronger, safer and more equitable communities in Oakland.”
Changes to Oakland Police Department’s use of force policy include the use of the term “weapons” instead of “tools” to signify the gravity involved, as well as:
• Prioritizing the sanctity of life
• Requiring the use of de-escalation tactics, and directing officers to
consider disengagement as an
alternative to the immediate application of force
• Using person-centric language throughout
• Placing strict necessity and proportionality requirements on all uses of
force
• Requiring officers to intervene if they view other officers using
inappropriate force
• Pushing far beyond the Constitutional “floor” for police Use of Force
policies, among other things
“There is an ever-present tension when looking at a policy like this one because it initiates the review of so many other related policies and training bulletins. It also requires cooperation and collaboration with other entities like the City Council, state legislature and maybe even federal authorities,” said Commissioner Henry Gage III, member of the Ad Hoc committee and Vice Chair of the Oakland Police Commission. “This is a better policy than the one that came before it. It is a new foundation, and one we intend to build on.”
A revised version of Special Order (SO) 9205 Banning of the Carotid Restraint and All Forms of Asphyxia was approved during the Thursday night Special Commission meeting. The language added by the Commission clarified expectations about rendering medical assistance and explicit prohibitions on applying pressure to the chest, back, stomach or shoulders. SO 9205 goes beyond the prohibitions on carotid and chokehold signed into law by Governor Newsom last month, the Commission’s policy bans additional forms of contact known to cause serious injury and death.
The implementation of this new version of Department General Order K03 (Use of Force) and the additional language on Asphyxia in SO 9205 will go into effect immediately.
This post based on a press release to Zennie62Media.
COUNCILMEMBER LOREN TAYLOR PRESENTS COMMUNITY DISCUSSION IN EAST OAKLAND WITH RESIDENTS AND MAYOR SCHAAF REGARDING COVID-19 CRISIS AND OTHER CONCERNS
Oakland Councilmember Loren Taylor District Six
Since the Mayor and Councilmember Loren Taylor are asking you to miss important football programs on a Sunday, make it worth your while and ask them about the many economic development programs available, and ask about what they’re doing to lobby for more financial aide.
Here’s the press release that was sent:
Who:
City of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, Councilmember Loren Taylor, District 6, and the Black Cultural Zone
What:
Oakland Councilmember Loren Taylor will host Mayor Libby Schaaf in a socially distanced community circle conversation with East Oakland residents at the new Akoma Outdoor Market located in Oakland’s Liberation Park (6955 Foothill Blvd). The discussion will be guided by the priorities of attendees, and is expected to cover topics ranging from (a) addressing the disparate impacts of COVID-19, (b) tackling illegal dumping and neighborhood blight, (c) solving the city’s homelessness crisis, and (d) increasing economic opportunities for East Oakland residents. Media are invited to experience the Akoma Market and observe the community circle.
The Akoma Outdoor Market – This new weekly market launched at the beginning of September to fill a major gap in access to healthy foods, local business opportunities, and positive COVID-19 compliant community gathering during the COVID-19 shelter in place. The market is operated by the Black Cultural Zone, with support from the City of Oakland and Councilmember Taylor. At this formerly vacant lot, the overgrown weeds and litter have been replaced by a array of booths featuring Black businesses and community resources ranging from fresh produce from local farmers to health and beauty products, to freshly prepared foods such as cakes, teas, cajun food, and empanadas.
In addition city and nonprofit resources are featured and distributed for free including children’s arts kits and books, housing security and eviction protection resources, information to help community members beautify our neighborhoods, and vouchers for low-income residents to purchase produce from vendors at the market.
To ensure COVID compliance and to minimize the risk of spreading the virus, all residents are temperature checked prior to entering the market and they must wear masks. Also, there is a handwashing station at every booth.
Where:
6955 Foothill Blvd (73rd and Foothill Blvd) Oakland, CA 94605
On Wednesday, Scott McKibben, now the former Executive Director of The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Joint Powers Authority and currently President Of The Oakland Panthers of The Indoor Football League, accepted a misdemeanor plea-bargain deal in the case where he was accused of violating a government law prohibiting self-dealing. The problem is, the case and the mainstream media reporting, masks a great deal of facts that, in total, show an organizational system beyond the control of McKibben, and where he was asked to be an actor in it, then burned by it.
Scott McKibben was accused of violating California Government Code Section 1090, which prohibits public officials and public employees from “making” public contracts in which they have a financial interest. The fact is, Scott was asked by the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Joint Powers Authority Board to secure a naming-rights marketing agreement with Ring Central. Scott was, contrary to the law, listed contractually as an independent consultant – just like the other marketing consulting firms the Coliseum JPA has hired over its existence, since its creation in 1996.
That Scott asked for, but did not receive, a $50,000 fee from a $4 million deal with Ring Central, should not have raised any eyebrows considering that the Coliseum JPA Board asked him to do the deal, he’s an independent contractor, and the City of Oakland and the County of Alameda at no point at all gave Scott any instructions regarding the law. Indeed, the persons who should have done that are Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker and Alameda County Counsel Donna Ziegler.
Moreover, the other persons who should have done that comprise the same Board of Directors of The Oakland Coliseum JPA, and many of whom are friends of mine, and should not have let Scott take a fall like that, and they know it. Folks like Alameda County Supervisors Scott Haggerty and Nate Miley, Oakland City Councilmembers Larry Reid and Loren Tayor, and JPA Commissioners Yui Hay Lee (famed Oakland architect), Ignacio De La Fuente (himself a former Oakland Councilmember), and Chris Dobbins (everyone’s favorite local lawyer), and Christine Smith, both who are no longer on the JPA Board.
And I add myself to that list, because, in 2019 for the NBA Finals Game 4, Scott gave me a ticket – way up in the damn rafters, but it was a ticket. When he invited me to visit the Coliseum JPA Box, my friend Chris was there, as was Barbara Parker, among others.
“California Government Code Section 1090 (“Section 1090”) – which prohibits public officials and public employees from “making” public contracts in which they have a financial interest – is notoriously vague, broad, and malleable. Section 1090 provides that California’s elected and appointed public officials and public employees may not be “financially interested” in “any contract made by them in their official capacity. California courts have interpreted these terms broadly, making it dangerously easy to violate the statute without even knowing it. Most troublingly, Section 1090 does not require bad intent for a conviction or a fine. A public official, public agency, or employee may violate the statute if they act knowingly – that is, knowing about their financial interest and knowing what they are doing in connection with the contract – even if they don’t realize that their conduct is prohibited. In fact, because of that low general intent requirement, California courts have rejected the defense of “advice of counsel” or that they obtained prior approval from an attorney. In other words, a California official or employee might violate Section 1090 even if the public entity they work for, and its attorneys, told them that their conduct was lawful and not a violation of Section1090.
And in Scott McKibben’s case, no one told him about Section 1090 to start with. For Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley to seek to charge McKibben for a felony makes me wonder if her office was aware of how poorly the law was written and just decided to go ahead and go after Scott, anyway? And why? Well, to answer that question, read on.
The Warriors Playoffs And Coliseum Sports Ticket Distribution Scandal That Should Not Be, But Is
And in addition, the JPA Board was served by the Oakland Chief Administrator’s Office, and I attended a meeting where then Oakland Chief Administrator Sabrina Landreath served as the secretary for the meeting. But did you know Sabrina Landreath scored a Warriors playoff ticket valued at $5,000 in 2016? And did you know Yui Hay Lee was signed up for and received $35,000 in Warriors playoff tickets? And before you say Scott McKibben signed off on them, I instruct you to look online at the many Form 802 filings going back to 2016, because Councilmember Reid, and Yui Hay Lee signed off on some of them, too. http://oraclearena.s3.amazonaws.com/doc/OACCA-Form-802-May-2016-5576c104a9.pdf
Yui Hay Lee Warriors 2016
And did you know Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker scored $840 worth of Oakland A’s tickets in 2016, as did my friend Coliseum JPA Commissioner Chris Dobbins? (And this is something Barbara Parker herself admits too, so there, but its wrong for some news media to blast Oakland Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney for the same perk that Barb Parker herself obviously enjoyed. Moreover, its wrong for Reid and Parker to make Scott McKibben look bad, when they could have defended him, and put him in the bad position to start with.)
Barbara Parker got $9,250 worth of Golden State Warriors regular season tickets for free, March 2016.
Barbara Parker Gsw Tickets
And I happened to randomly find that information about Yui Hay Lee in opening the link to the Form 802 page. I wasn’t going on a witch hunt against Yui Hay Lee (even though he did use part of my Oakland City Hall Plaza Design Concept I made at Skyline High School in 1979 for the actual plaza). I’m only demonstrating that the truth is the entire Coliseum JPA culture, and that of the City of Oakland and The County of Alameda, is to blame for what the Alameda County Coliseum District Attorney accused Scott of doing with respect to Ring Central. You can see all of the ticket request reports here: https://www.theoaklandarena.com/about-us/coliseum-authority/public-information
Now, I have long argued that the law should allow for public officials who run a giant sports complex should, to enjoy some small benefit of doing so, like occasionally scoring tickets to events – just don’t sell them. Look, how the heck is any official to see how their facility is managing a large sports event it that person can’t even attend the event? Logical, right?
Anyway, here’s a newsflash: doing that – getting sought-after-tickets – failed to become an big issue for years – or until The Golden State Warriors got real good at NBA Basketball. Prior to that, the Oakland Coliseum had not enjoyed a team that won so much, tickets to their playoff games were valued over gold.
Then, when Golden State became the daring of the NBA, those who did not score Warriors playoffs tickets and were somebodies, were railing over those who did – particularly public officials. Moreover, the public officials were getting seats so good that Alameda County Administrator Susan Muranishi wound up on national television during the 2016 NBA Finals.
And she too had an appetite for $8,650 worth of regular season Warriors tickets, all in March of 2016…
Susan Muranishi Gsw Tickets
Then, while the Oakland Public Ethics Commission was formed in 1996, it did not became the new cultural tool for use against elected officials that the folks in control of it did not want to protect, until the last seven years. So, rather than defend themselves and explain the rationale for having tickets, the officials who were enjoying that ability to get tickets went into hiding.
And then had no problem trying to remove the one person they went to for tickets: Scott McKibben. Think about that. Rather than help their “ticket friend”, if you will, they stabbed him in the back, in my humble opinion.
The trouble with the mainstream media is its institutionally racist and when its not that, it’s myopic. One news organization was all too willing to try and take down Scott because some of its editors remember him from when he ran ANG Newspapers and they worked for him in the early 2000s. So, for them, making Scott look bad was a just reward for low pay they received as journalists, back then. Fact is, they did not tell you that, and it masks the truth I’m telling you. (And why I am a blogger and not a journalist.)
The real truth is that public governance in Oakland and in California has degenerated into a culture where someone is always looking to use poorly written California laws to take down someone else, for whatever reason. It chases away good people like Mr. McKibben, my friend who ran The Rose Bowl, and was the one reason the Oakland Coliseum managed to land rent agreements with the then-Oakland, now Las Vegas Raiders that put the organization in the black after years of red ink. And it covers up the truth: that when something like Warriors playoffs tickets are to be had, the culture will figure out a way for someone to land them, and then blast someone like Scott.
You know the saying that rules are made to be broken? Well, in California, the rules are made to be used against those people who were set up by others to break them. The Coliseum JPA Board of Directors set Scott McKibben up to fail, and is the worst for it.
Scott McKibben Was The Best Sports Business Negotiator In Oakland’s History
In Scott McKibben, the Coliseum JPA lost the best sports negotiator it ever had. And, starting in 1996 when I represented Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris as his Economic Advisor, I have worked with and advised to some extent all of them since 1996: Ezra Rapport, Denna McClain, Mark Kaufmann, Ann Haley, Doug Thornton, Denna McClain again, before Scott McKibben came in (and even though the original first choice was a former elected official who had zero experience in the business of sports).
Moreover, I defend Scott because he bailed out the City of Oakland’s 2005 Super Bowl Bid in May 10th of 2000. I was the head of the Super Bowl XXXIV Bidding Committee and Executive Director of the Oakland-Alameda County Sports Commission, which I formed in 1999.Paul Tagliabue, then The NFL Commissioner, had invited us to give a presentation at NFL Headquarters in New York. After showing up 20 minutes late, then-Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown left our meeting with then NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue early, and unexpectedly.
Commissioner Tagliabue, who budgeted two hours of his valuable time for us, was fuming.
Thus, we were left with just Scott McKibben and two other board members from the Oakland-Alameda County Sports Commission to be there, in addition to me, as head of the meeting. At the other side of the room and for the NFL were Tagliabue, Executive Vice President Of Football Operations Roger Goodell, then-NFL Head of Special Events and Mr. Super Bowl Jim Steeg, and then-head of NFL Legal Derrick Haggens, Jennifer Gonsalez, and Sue Robichek. Scott spoke up for the Oakland / East Bay business community and saved our meeting with Paul. A good thing, because Tagliabue was so upset over Jerry Brown’s actions, he threatened to stop the meeting. An action that would have killed our chances to land the Super Bowl Game.
Just 10 days after that meeting, The NFL selected Oakland as one of three finalist cities (the other two Jacksonville and Miami) for the right to host the 2005 Super Bowl. As then-Oakland District One Councilmember Jane Brunner told me later that year “none of us gave you a chance.” Ultimately, we lost to Jacksonville.
On the way to that NFL meeting, I had to create the damn Oakland sports commission from scratch, and because then Oakland City Attorney Jane Williams had stood in Oakland City Administrator Robert Bobb’s way (as did McClain) with roadblocks explaining why Oakland could not even do a bid! On top of that, the Coliseum was managed by SMG and Sally Roach, who, with Deena McClain, famously told Mr. Bobb that a former employee of the Coliseum I was working because he was the architect, had stolen the facility’s drawings. Everyone believed them but me. As I told Bobb then, how can we operate the Coliseum without the drawings? The whole claim just smelled bad to me.
So, I went on my own investigation and found the drawings (which we needed for our NFL Super Bowl Bid) via an engineer with HNTB in Marin County, Ca.. That same person then said “Sally Roach says you can’t have the drawings”! I hit the ceiling, called Robert Bobb, and Sally was removed from running the effort, and Bobb told her to work with me. I wanted her fired.
Point is, Oakland had many stories of people trying to stop other people from making government work for the people, and doing great things (take Phil Tagami, Insight Terminal Solutions, and the whole Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal coal issue, for example). Scott McKibben is the latest casualty in this.
Stay tuned.
Post script: The giant list of $139,013.50 worth of sports ticket issued by the Coliseum JPA and that (I was told by a source who does not wish to be named) claimed were approved by the Oakland City Attorney’s Office, but the docs show the Coliseum JPA did as well:
2016-137 events=$139,013.50 + ???
January-0 events
February-3 events=$2,500.00
02/06/2016-Warriors v OKC=$1,100.00
02/09/2016-Warriors v Rockets=$1,100.00
02/14/2016-Charlie Wilson Concert=$75.00 x 4
March-16 events=$13,074.00
03/01/2016-Warriors v Hawks= $700.00
03/03/2016-Warriors v OKC =$1,100.00
03/04/2016-Prince: Piano and a Microphone=$600.00 x 4= $2400.00
03/05/2016-Festival of Laughs Comedy Show=$93.00 x 4= $372.00
03/07/2016-Warriors v Orlando=$600.00
03/09/2016-Warriors v Jazz=$700.00
03/11/2016-Warrior v Portland=$600.00
03/12/2016-Warriors v Phoenix=$600.00
03/13/2016-Bruce Springsteen= $158.00 x 4= $632.00
03/14/2016-Warriors v New Orleans=$800.00
03/16/2016-Warrior v Knicks=$1,100.00
03/23/2016-Warriors v Clippers=$1,300.00
03/25/2016-Warriors v Mavericks=$700.00
03/26/2016-Andre Ward v. Sullivan Barrera=$105.00 x 4= $420.00
03/27/2016-Warriors v 76ers=$350.00
03/29/2016-Warrior v Wizards=$700.00
April-23 events=$20,608.50
04/01/2016-Warriors v Celtics= $700.00
04/02/2016-Oakland A’s= $112.50
04/03/2016-Warriors v Portland=$500.00
04/04/2016-Oakland A’s= $100.00
04/05/2016-Oakland A’s= $80.00
04/05/2016-Warriors v T’wolves=$600.00
04/06/2016-Oakland A’s= $80.00
04/07/2016-Oakland A’s= $80.00
04/07/2016-Warriors v Spurs=$1,200.00
04/10/2016-Carrie Underwood Concert= $134.00 x 4=$536.00
04/11/2016-Oakland A’s= $80.00
04/12/2016-Oakland A’s= $80.00
04/13/2016-Oakland A’s= $80.00
04/13/2016-Warriors v Memphis=$650.00
04/15/2016-Oakland A’s= $80.00
04/16/2016-Oakland A’s= $80.00
04/16/2016-Warriors v Rockets (Game 1)=$5,000.00
04/17/2016-Oakland A’s= $90.00
04/18/2016-Warriors v Rockets (Game 2) )=$5,000.00
04/23/2016-The Class Reunion Concert= $75.00 x 4= $300.00
04/27/2016-Warriors v Rockets (Game 3) )=$5,000.00
04/29/2016-Oakland A’s= $80.00
04/30/2016-Oakland A’s= $100.00
May-24 events=$37,568.00
05/01/2016-Warriors Playoffs=$5,000.00
05/02/2016-A’s v Seattle= $90.00
05/03/2016-Warriors Playoff)=$5,000.00
05/03/2016-A’s v Seattle= $80.00
05/04/2016-A’s v Seattle= $80.00
05/04/2016-Hill Song United= $32.50 x 4= $130.00
05/07/2016-Rihanna=$157.50 x 4 = $630.00
05/11/2016-Warriors Playoffs=$5,000.00
05/16/2016-Warriors Playoffs=$5,000.00
05/16/2016-A’s v Texas= $80.00
05/17/2016-A’s v Texas= $80.00
05/18/2016-Warriors Playoffs=$5,000.00
05/18/2016-A’s v Texas= $80.00
05/19/2016-A’s v NYY= $90.00
05/19/2016-The Who= $149.50 x 4= $598.00
05/20/2016-A’s v NYY= $100.00
05/21/2016-A’s v NYY= $100.00
05/22/2016-A’s v NYY= $100.00
05/26/2016-Warriors Playoffs=$5,000.00
05/28/2016-A’s v Detroit= $80.00
05/29/2016-A’s v Detroit= $90.00
05/30/2016-Warriors Playoffs=$5,000.00
05/30/2016-A’s v Detroit= $80.00
05/31/2016-A’s v Detroit= $80.00
June-17 events = $41,130.00
06/02/2016-Warriors v Cavaliers=$10,000.00
06/05/2016-Warriors v Cavaliers=$10,000.00
06/08/2016-Warriors Watch Party=$20.00
06/10/2016-Warriors Watch Party=$20.00
06/12/2016-KMEL Summer Jam=$62.50 x 4= $250.00
06/13/2016-A’s v Texas= $80.00
06/13/2016-Warriors v Cavaliers=$10,000.00
06/14/2016- A’s v Texas= $80.00
06/15/2016- A’s v Texas= $80.00
06/16/2016-Warriors Watch Party=$20.00
06/17/2016- A’s v Angels= $90.00
06/19/2016-Warriors v Cavaliers=$10,000.00
06/19/2016- A’s v Angels= $90.00
06/21/2016- A’s v Brewers= $80.00
06/22/2016- A’s v Brewers= $80.00
06/29/2016- A’s v Giants= $120.00
06/30/2016- A’s v Giants= $120.00
July-11 events = $1,080.00
07/01/2016-A’s v Pittsburg= $90.00
07/02/2016-A’s v Pittsburg= $90.00
07/03/2016-A’s v Pittsburg= $80.00
07/09/2016-Louis C.K.= $60.00 x 4+ $240.00
07/15/2016-A’s v Toronto= $80.00
07/17/2016-A’s v Toronto= $90.00
07/18/2016-A’s v Houston= $80.00
07/19/2016-A’s v Houston= $80.00
07/20/2016-A’s v Houston= $80.00
07/21/2016-A’s v Tampa Bay= $80.00
07/23/2016-A’s v Tampa Bay= $90.00
August-11 events = $2,962.00 + ?
08/02/2016-Adele= $274.00 x 4 = $1,096.00
08/03/2016-Dream Team= $156.50 x 4 = $626.00
08/05/2016-A’s v Cubs= $90.00
08/06/2016-Andre Ward v. Alexander Brand= $165.00 x 4 = $660.00
08/07/2016-A’s v Cubs= $90.00
08/08/2016-A’s v Orioles= $80.00
08/11/2016-A’s v Orioles= $80.00
08/14/2016-A’s v Mariners= $80.00
08/22/2016-A’s v Cleveland= $80.00
08/23/2016-A’s v Houston= $80.00
08/27/2016-Raiders v Titans = ?
September-18 events= $2,821.00 + ??
09/01/2016-Raiders v Seahawks=?
09/02/2016-A’s v Boston= $90.00
09/03/2016-A’s v Boston= $90.00
09/04/2016-A��s v Boston= $90.00
09/05/2016-A’s v Angels= $90.00
09/06/2016-A’s v Angels= $80.00
09/07/2016-A’s v Angels= $80.00
09/09/2016-A’s v Seattle= $80.00
09/11/2016-A’s v Seattle= $80.00
09/15/2016-Black Sabbath= $205.00 x 4 = $820.00
09/18/2016-Raiders v Falcons= ?
09/19/2016-A’s v Houston= $80.00
09/20/2016-A’s v Houston= $80.00
09/21/2016-A’s v Houston= $80.00
09/24/2016-A’s v Texans= $90.00
09/24/2016-Sonu Nigam & Atif= $88.00 x 4 = $352.00
09/25/2016-A’s v Texans= $90.00
09/30/2016-Bad Boys Concert= $137.25 x 4 = $549.00
October-10 events= $6,623.00+ ??
10/01/2016-Sia=$149.50 x 4 = $598.00
10/04/2016-Warriors v Clippers= $675.00 x 4 = $268.00
10/07/2017-Dixie Chicks=$89.50 x 4 = $358.00
10/09/2016-Raiders v San Diego= ?
10/10/2016-WWE Raw=$99.75 x 4 = $399.00
10/14/2016-Golden State Music Fest=136.50 x 4 = $546.00
10/16/2016-Raiders v Kansas City=?
10/21/2016-Warriors v Trail Blazers= $675.00 x 4 + $2,700.00
10/25/2016-Warriors v Spurs= $1,350.00
10/26/2016-Disney on Ice= $50.50 x 8 = $404.00
November-0 events
December-4 events= $10,657.00
12/03/2016-Warriors v Suns= $1,000.00 x 4 = $4,000.00
12/18/2016-KMEL Hip Hop Holiday House of Soul= $125.00 x 4 = $500.00
12/24/2016-Raiders v Colts= $275.00 x 4 = $1,357.00
12/30/2016-Warrior v Mavericks= $1,200.00 x 4 = $4,800.00
Here’s the record of who approved what tickets; there are 62 results:
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
Oakland – The City of Oakland received $36.9 million in State of California CARES Act funding. Of that amount, the Oakland CARES Act Home-Based Business Grant Program will distribute $500,000 in grants of $2,000 to $4,000 to home-based, for-profit businesses in Oakland. Working Solutions, a Bay Area nonprofit, is administering the application and grant-making process. The grant application period closes at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, November 2. Online applications in four languages are available at: https://www.workingsolutions.org/oakland-home-based-grants.
“We recognize that revenue from a home-based business is often a major source of household income for our entrepreneurs, and losses due to the pandemic are pushing vulnerable populations to the brink of economic and housing insecurity,” said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. “This grant program supports Oakland’s entrepreneurial spirit reflected in the wide variety of home-based businesses found in The Town.”
Priority will be given to home-based 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 (PPP); and those with annual gross business revenue under $150,000. The grant amounts of $2,000 to $4,000 will be based on gross revenue of the home-based business.
“Working Solutions is proud to partner with the City of Oakland to make grants to home-based small business owners in Oakland who are struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Sara Razavi, CEO of Working Solutions. “This grant program will provide immediate relief to local home-based business owners, who face their own unique challenges during this crisis, and is an important follow-up to our work with the City this spring and summer through the Oakland Small Business Emergency Grant Program.”
In order to be eligible for this grant program, the business must:
Be verified as a for-profit, home-based business in Oakland;
Have a valid Oakland business license;
Have been in operation prior to March 1, 2019;
Be able to demonstrate negative impacts to the business from the COVID-19 pandemic;
Certify that the home-based business income represents the majority (>50%) of the applicant’s total individual income; and
Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident (due to restrictions associated with federal CARES Act funding sources).
Business owners who previously received a grant from the Oakland Small Business Emergency Grant Program (between April and July 2020) are eligible to apply for this grant program.
Grant funds may be used for COVID-19-related costs and losses, such as payroll; rent or mortgage payments; utilities or other operating expenses; or fixtures, supplies, and other non-construction site modifications needed to satisfy COVID-19 distancing and mitigation requirements. Funds may not be used for new construction or building improvements.
Other Grant and Support Programs Available
This is the latest CARES Act-funded program launched by the City of Oakland. Grant programs for small businesses, individual artists and arts nonprofits,
community-serving nonprofits and low-income renters and homeowners were announced in September. Additionally, free legal advice webinars and consultations on lease negotiations for small businesses were announced last week. Businesses may only receive a grant from one CARES Act-funded program. Learn more about the $36.9 million in CARES Act Funding at: oaklandca.gov/CaresAct
About Working Solutions
Working Solutions is a nonprofit microlender and the First to Believe in start-up and early-stage businesses. As a U.S. Treasury-certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), Working Solutions provides diverse entrepreneurs with affordable capital, customized business consulting, and community connections to increase economic opportunity in the San Francisco Bay Area. To date, Working Solutions has made over $27 million in microloans and grants to more than 1,300 local businesses and provided over 14,000 consulting hours.
This post based on a press release from the City of Oakland to Zennie62Media.
Santa Clara – The Santa Clara Stadium Authority Board tonight will consider the San Francisco 49ers’ request to purchase LCPtracker, a software system for certified payroll reporting, construction site compliance management and workforce reporting. These are critical elements of reporting to the Department of Industrial Relations for compliance with state worker wage laws (e.g., prevailing wage). Sadly, this request is more evidence that the San Francisco 49ers have not been properly complying with State Prevailing Wage Law for the first six years as the manager of Levi’s Stadium.
“The exploitation of workers is especially egregious when committed by wealthy corporations who prioritize profits over people. We have a collective responsibility in Santa Clara to protect and pay low-wage workers who are employed by a billion-dollar industry.” Jean Cohen, Interim Executive Officer of South Bay Labor Council, commented.
The Stadium Authority’s review of the 49ers’ request found significant errors and omissions to enter into a contract to comply with the prevailing wage law, such as:
– Mismanagement of a public contract by requesting 90% above contract value without explaining the need for additional funds;
– Removing, without any disclosure, their duty to comply with federal and state laws, including transparency laws, e.g., Brown Act or Public Records Act; and,
– Lack of fiscal transparency.
“We are concerned that the 49ers Management Company is still committing wage theft and the City and State need to stop it,” Mayor Gillmor added. “Over a year ago, we discovered that the 49ers had not been complying with the State’s Prevailing Wage law. A year later, the 49ers submit a request to purchase a software system commonly used to comply with the prevailing wage law, but they have removed from the contract their requirement to comply with California’s Ralph M. Brown Act and the Public Records Act, and any other federal or state laws that may apply. This is not acceptable!”
This situation raises additional concerns by the Stadium Authority with how the team has managed prior contracts. In September 2019, the Stadium Authority Board rescinded the Executive Director’s delegated purchasing authority. As a result of the Board’s action, effective Nov. 8, 2019, the 49ers must now seek approval from the Board and demonstrate properly and legally procuring goods and services before contracts may be executed.
In the 2020 Oakland Elections, Oakland City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan is facing a major challenge from friend and perennial campaigner Nancy Sidebotham, and newcomer Derreck Johnson.
Nancy is an incredible member of the Oakland political world, but her main advantage is in pointing out problems, less than offering solutions. I like Derreck Johnson, and his run represents a need for more black male participation in Oakland politics. That said, he has no previous Oakland political experience at all, and no knowledge of municipal governance. As much as his efforts and his errors in business are good teachers for him, and for anyone entering politics, and draw media racism he’s not ready to lead Oakland at this point in time, Moreover, he’s the latest manchurian candidate offered up by my godsister Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. Libby should just work to make friends with Rebecca. I’ve said that before, I’ll say it again.
Anyway, when I think of Rebecca, I think of what I contend is her signature, lasting effort. The one that shows good Oakland City Council work in action: The Broadway Free Transit Shuttle that’s now an Oakland institution.
I also think of the many ideas she’s formed to help Oakland’s budget, as well as the many, many small efforts she has made to ease the lives of Oaklanders. It does not matter if it’s a City Council motion that passes, or co-authoring legislation to get Oakland’s speeding problem under control, the fact is, the total number of legal changes she has made for Oaklanders has not been effectively chronicled. The point is, experience matters.
The Oakland City Council faces the very real prospect of having a membership consisting of no one with over one year of experience. And that’s in the middle of a Pandemic. Rebecca must be re-elected to assure the maintenance of institutional memory, so that current political biases don’t cause a misunderstanding, and there fore a mishandling, of government. How to work with Oakland City Staff is more important than anything. Hiring the right people to represent the councilmember is equally more important than anything. We’re in the dark with Derreck Johnson, and even my friend Nancy Sidebotham – but not with Rebecca Kaplan, the Oakland City Council President.
With all of that, why is Rebecca opposed? Well, I will say that she gained the backing of the Democratic Party, as well as a list of notables the party pointed to: “SEIU Local 1021, the Sierra Club, Block by Block Organizing Network (BBON), Former State Assemblyman Sandre Swanson, California Nurses Association (CNA), Firefighters Local 55, Northern California Carpenters Regional Council, Black Women Organized for Political Action PAC, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), Alameda Labor Council, Alameda County Building Trades Council, Sprinkler Fitters Local 483, Former Mayor Elihu Harris, Vice Mayor Larry Reid, President Pro Tem Dan Kalb, Councilmembers Sheng Thao, Nikki Fortunato-Bas and Noel Gallo, Oakland Port Commissioner Michael Colbruno, Founder of She the People Aimee Allison, Pastor J. Alfred Smith Sr., Reverend Harold Mayberry, California Young Democrats National Committee Representative Igor Tregub, Cat Brooks, and many more endorsing Rebecca Kaplan.”
I add myself to that list, and I am proud to endorse my long time friend. Rebecca and I have three things in common: first, we’re both ostracized to some extent for being ourselves, me as a straight, black, tech-oriented guy with a Jewish last name who “talks white”, she for being butch lesbian and Jewish. Then, we’re both urban planning and economics grad school grads from MIT for her and Berkeley for me, and we both love Oakland.
San Francisco–The attorney that won one of the largest trade secret victories in the history of the United States and who represents major companies across the country has been selected as one of California’s top trade secret lawyers by legal publication California Daily Journal.
Patrick M. Ryan
Patrick M. Ryan of the law firm of Bartko Zankel Bunzel & Miller was recognized as one of “California’s Top Trade Secret Lawyers” by the California Daily Journal in its Oct. 7, 2020 special edition in its annual selection of the state’s top attorneys.
Mr. Ryan is lead counsel for several major U.S. and global companies, including currently representing Uber Technologies, Inc. in a trade secrets case, and last year he obtained one of the largest trade secret victories in United States history, totaling $845 million.
Mr. Ryan is Co-Chair of Bartko’s Antitrust Practice Group, as well as its IP Protection Practice Group, and handles cases throughout the United States involving a cross section of complex commercial litigation, antitrust, trade secrets, intellectual property, anti-counterfeiting, class action, false advertising, and constitutional matters.
During the last 21 years, Mr. Ryan has successfully litigated, on both the plaintiff and defense side, numerous matters for major corporate clients from a variety of industries, including manufacturing, automotive, software, healthcare, retail, biotech, and real estate.
Mr. Ryan has a knack for making the most complicated concepts simple to understand for judges and juries, and he regularly solves complex problems for companies—both in and out of court— with fervor and creativity. As part of his practice, Mr. Ryan also helps businesses better protect their IP and trade secrets and coordinates investigations into potential IP theft for companies accused of stealing trade secrets and for companies that might be the victim of such theft.
Mr. Ryan thanks the other members of Bartko’s victorious trade secrets’ trial team for their contribution to this honor, including Stephen C. Steinberg, Sean R. McTigue, Brian A. E. Smith, Chad E. DeVeaux, Alden K. Lee, and Joseph J. Fraresso, as well as other members of Bartko’s cutting-edge IP Protection Group, Paul J. Ortiz (IP Protection Co-Chair), Patrick E. O’Shaughnessy, and Gabriella A. Wilkins.
Bartko’s IP Protection Group helps companies fight IP Theft, counterfeiting, product diversion, and supply-chain fraud. Bartko can be reached at its website https://www.bzbm.com/ and has offices in San Francisco, phone 415.956.1900, and Los Angeles, phone 310.307.6115.
This Oakland Public Ethics Commission Complaint comes under the subhead-line of ‘bone-headed reports by fake news folks with racist agendas” and refers to an Oakland Public Ethics Commission Complaint that was filed against a firm called Lane Partners, represented by Andrew Haydel. The matter was before the Oakland Public Ethics Commission, and in it’s agenda for October 5th 2020.
What happened was that Lane Partners was encouraged to make a contribution to the Lynette Gibson-McElhaney Legal Defense Fund, and not by anyone directly connected to Lynette, but by, according to PEC records, my friend (at least I think we’re still friends, but in this town shit gets weird for weird reasons) Greg McConnell, the founder of the Oakland Jobs and Housing Coalition. A 2018 email reported McConnell’s plan to get donations for her 50th Birthday.
And Now This Aside…
Now, if you go an assume that Lynette herself established that plan, then you know less about Oakland politics than you think, and are contributing to the crab-barrel, game-playing that causes Oakland to lose out big on matters like retaining sports teams. Oakland has a major-league loser mentality that has to be addressed. Character assassination is sport in Oakland and I find that it’s a proxy for professional competence. But that aside, there are any number of political players in Oakland and San Francisco wiling to, what we call on the streets, “run a game” on someone. Some of them rest in the media.
Seriously, there are some media-types who live for documents that make black Oakland elected officials look bad, but when the elected official is white, they look the other way. Want evidence? Go back to 2013 and the claims of Oakland City Staff Tampering that were leveled against Oakland Councilmember Larry Reid of District 7 and Desley Brooks of District 6 – claims that, as former Oakland City Councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente will tell you, apply to every Oakland City Councilmember in history. But when the white media got involved, they didn’t want to see that, and just saw a chance to paint black elected officials as bad, and so they did.
The trouble with a lot of black folks here in Oakland and in America is they complain about the white media types but are by inaction afraid to counter them, and don’t back black media. And so we get the social climate painting black folks so negatively that the result is George Floyd’s death.
Anyway Back To The Action, I Mean The Oakland PEC Complaint
The Oakland PEC Complaint about Lane Partners reads, in part, this way:
Respondents violated the Oakland Campaign Reform Act by contributing $1,000 to Lynette Gibson-McElhaney Legal Defense Fund in October2018 at a time when they were subject to the City’s ban on contributions from City contractors to candidates, in violation of Oakland Municipal Code section 3.12.140
And here’s the rest:
In June 2019, Commission Staff initiated a pro-active investigation after Andrew Haydel’s lawyer called to report that Haydel, a commercial real-estate investor and principal at Lane Partners LLC, “may have made a contribution” to an Oakland political candidate’s defense fund during a time when he and Lane Partners, a City contractor, was subject to the contractor campaign contribution ban.
Between 2016-2018, Lane Partners was involved with several different development projects with the City of Oakland. One such project was the Eastline project.
PROCEDURAL FACTS:
The Respondent and Staff reached a settlement agreement in February 2020. Staff prepared a Stipulation recommending that the Public Ethics Commission (PEC) impose a penalty of $2,000. In the Matter of Haydel was scheduled on the PEC’s March 2020, Agenda. At the PEC’s March meeting, the Commissioners rejected the recommended penalty of $2,000 and instead informed the Respondent that a $5,000 penalty was a more appropriate penalty based on the facts and experience of the Respondent. The PEC instructed Staff to renegotiate the Stipulation with a penalty of $5,000. Staff reached out to the Respondent who initially agreed to sign a revised Stipulation and pay the increased penalty of $5,000.
As a note, this is way not the first time Lane Partners has made a donation that was viewed as having violated Oakland’s Campaign Reform Act, but the simple fact the PEC caught this means good for the future. I must also report that there have been so many alleged violations of the type that Lane Partners is accused of, that it may be time to revisit the law from the perspective of laws that cause entrapment. Because one can replace Lynette Gibson-McElhaney with the Mayor or any other Oakland City Councilmember, and some idiot with a keyboard (who may be running a smear campaign on behalf of another Oakland City Councilmember) would jump to the conclusion that Libby did something wrong, when she had nothing to do with the action.
Anyway, it goes on to report via documents like this one that Lane Partners acted on the advice of their lawyer, Zack Wasserman (Another long-time friend of mine who now former Oakland City Attorney John Russo used to call “Zack-A-Potatos”). Wasserman is asking for the PEC to consider his error to his client, and also for the standard $5,000 fine to be reduced to $2,000, and Lane Partners would pay it.
And there’s the real story. A true mistake admitted to.
The point of all of this: it’s really important to look before one takes any leap and makes negative assumptions about someone else. Also, some electeds in Oakland should be real careful about passing information they deem negative about someone else. After a time, that crap will back fire. God does not like ugly.
Since taking over for the three-times-elected Oakland City Attorney John Russo, Barbara Parker has consistently worked to protect tenants in Oakland at a time when the City’s very cultural fabric has been damaged by gentrification. One search for “Barbara Parker” and “tenants” in my email feed revealed 50 results. Time after time, news releases of actions taken to avenge tenants who’s rights were violated by landlords. This is not intended to be a tenant vs landlord post, but the fact is some of the homeless Oaklanders on the streets are there because of actions by property owners who did not give them a break, or actively worked to remove them illegally. It’s time to re-elect Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker.
Here’s an example of what I mean:
City Attorney Wins Court Orders to Stop Owners and Operators of Oakside Independent Living from Illegally Evicting Tenants, and to Appoint a Receiver to Protect Resident Safety.
In August, I filed an emergency tenant protection lawsuit and request for a restraining order against the owners and operators of an Independent Living Facility (ILF), Oakside Independent Living, for exploiting and threatening their elderly and disabled tenants during the COVID-19 pandemic. ILFs are virtually unregulated lodging for adults who need help with daily responsibilities like meal preparation and housekeeping. This month, the Alameda County Superior Court granted our motion for emergency relief, ensuring that Oakside’s owners and operators can no longer illegally evict or otherwise harm their tenants. In addition, the Court granted our request to appoint a receiver, an extraordinary remedy to ensure the property is managed in a fashion that protects its residents.
In the past, Oakside Independent Living has subjected the elderly and disabled tenants to unsafe and unhealthy conditions at the facility, including severe infestations of bed bugs, cockroaches, and rats. The owner and operators also rented out $900-a-month converted storage spaces too small to stand up straight in as “units,” as if they are fit for human habitation. If tenants complain of poor treatment or conditions, some have been threatened with transfer to Christopher’s Care Home, another ILF managed by one of the defendants. And this summer, tenants have been evicted in violation of the local moratorium. One tenant illegally evicted from his unit described his time at Oakside Independent Living as “the worst experience of my entire life.” We are grateful the Court has taken these issues seriously and acted to protect Oakside’s tenants.
This case was filed by the Neighborhood Law Corps and Community Lawyering and Civil Rights Unit as part of my Housing Justice Initiative. Read more here.
And another one:
City Attorney Secures Court Order Prohibiting Retaliation in Emergency Tenant Protection Suit During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Oakland, CA – On Friday, July 10, an Alameda County judge issued a court order under the Tenant Protection Ordinance and the Tom Bane Civil Rights Act enjoining defendants Afamefuna and Anwulika Odiwe from retaliating against their former tenants. The court found that the City was likely to prevail on its Tenant Protection Ordinance and Tom Bane Civil Rights Act claims that the defendants, who are investors with a history of flipping houses for profit, engaged in an unlawful self-help eviction during the COVID-19 pandemic in violation of state and local laws. Among other things, under the guise of a fraudulent City notice, the landlords removed all of their tenants’ belongings from their home and changed the locks.
Defendant Anwulika Odiwe threatened to proceed with unpermitted construction work in response to the tenants asserting their rights, declaring that if tenants wanted to live “with no windows and no doors and no toilets … that’s on them.” After the City filed a lawsuit against the Odiwes, the moving company, and the master tenant, the City sought an injunction preventing the defendants from engaging in further harassment of the tenants. Defendants Pete’s Moving Company, LLC, and Rigomero Manzanarez, the master tenant, agreed to stipulate to such an injunction. Because the Odiwe defendants did not stipulate to the injunction, the City sought a court order against them. “Tenant harassment is on the rise as some landlords turn to unlawful actions to drive tenants out while the courts are closed to evictions,” City Attorney Barbara J. Parker stated. “There is no place in Oakland for these illegal and harmful self-help measures. We stand with tenants to prevent such appalling misconduct and secure their basic right to safely shelter in place during this pandemic.”
In late April, a counterfeit City of Oakland “red-tag” notice was posted on the front door of the property, telling the tenants that the house was unsafe for occupancy and that they needed to leave within ten days. The City never authorized a red-tag for the property. Yet in May, movers entered the property and removed the tenants’ belongings, including their beds, furniture, and clothing, without notice or the tenants’ permission—and despite their protests.
For over a week, the tenants remained without their possessions, forced to sleep on the floor and without locks on their doors. Defendants only returned the tenants’ beds, clothing, and other personal items after the City issued a demand letter and filed this case. The City’s lawsuit also seeks civil penalties, punitive damages, and fees, to be determined by the court.
This case was filed by the Neighborhood Law Corps and Community Lawyering and Civil Rights Unit as part of City Attorney Parker’s Housing Justice Initiative. The City Attorney launched the Housing Justice Initiative to significantly expand her office’s work protecting vulnerable tenants in Oakland’s diverse neighborhoods and holding abusive landlords accountable.
I think you get the idea. Re-elect Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker. ‘
Also, given that Zennie62Media has not yet interviewed either Barbara Parker or her challenger Eli Ferran, this should not be interpreted as a stoppage of video interviews. The interviews are done so you can gain some feel for what each person is like and decide for yourself.
Vallejo, Ca – The Vallejo Police Officers’ Association today slammed a proposed “declaration of emergency” by the City of Vallejo and its Chief of Police calling it “illegal and dangerous to citizens, public safety, police and the rule of law.”
The City has called a special meeting and placed a “declaration of emergency” on the City Council agenda for Tuesday, Oct. 6, that seeks to give unprecedented powers to City Manager Greg Nyhoff to circumvent state and local laws and regulations.
The City claims the declaration is necessary to deal with the current crime wave, which necessarily concedes that the City’s neglect and mismanagement has resulted in conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of all residents, the VPOA says.
“The City does not need to declare an emergency to hire more police officers to protect citizens and businesses. It just needs to hire more cops, which it has been unable to do for years because it refuses to provide competitive wages and benefits to attract candidates – either entry level or laterals,” said members of the VPOA.
While the lack of effective City leadership is not in doubt, the VPOA said it will challenge its declaration in court and pursue all legal and administrative remedies. The proposed declaration “would allow it to bypass all civil service rules and other regulations to give the City Manager authoritarian powers until the City itself declares that the so-called emergency is over,” VPOA members added.
“This so-called declaration of emergency should cause everyone grave concern. The City effectively seeks to set aside due process, Civil Service Rules, and established law to create a dictatorship in response to its own administrative failures. This is a dangerous, illegal power grab concocted by the City’s administration that violates laws, public safety and everyone’s rights as citizens and employees of the City of Vallejo,” the VPOA warned.
They pointed out that City Manager Greg Nyhoff has been with the Vallejo for three years and Police Chief Shawny Williams has been onboard for a year.
“They are trying to pass this ’emergency’ as being necessary due to past administrations’ decisions. The reality is that Nyhoff and Williams have been, and are at, the helm, and should be held accountable. Accountability does not mean that we cast aside the checks and balances that are required of democracy,” VPOA members said.
The VPOA says the City’s and Chief’s admitted mismanagement, neglect, and incompetence for the past decade are to blame for the City’s current condition.
The City has failed to prioritize the police department. Instead of taking funds away from budgeted police officer positions to hire a $500,000 a year Assistant Police Chief to sit behind a desk, the City should be focusing their efforts on hiring highly qualified officers and developing actual strategies for a sustainable police force.
The VPOA says the so-called ‘state of emergency’ “opens the door to cronyism and is an excuse to hire more unaccountable administrative bureaucrats that will do nothing to help citizens impacted by crime.” The declaration itself says that the City wants to hire more administrators, even noting that there “is a vacant Assistant Chief position” which the City created in July without increasing the Police Department’s budget.
The VPOA said the Vallejo’s leadership is citing its own failure to implement police reforms as a ruse to justify its unprecedented action. After repeated attempts to meet with Assistant Chief Joe Allio regarding the OIR Group’s recommended reforms, the VPOA sent the City a letter on September 16, 2020 formally encouraging City leaders to work with the union to make progress on the recommendations.
Despite the VPOA’s public support of the OIR Group’s recommendations, the City did not reach out to schedule a meeting until October 1, 2020, only hours before giving notice of this proposed declaration of emergency.
“The reason Vallejo is awash in crime is that the City has starved the department of necessary funds to hire patrol officers to protect citizens,” said members of the VPOA.
“The City can’t declare an emergency when they are the one that caused the emergency. The City’s incompetent leadership has mismanaged Vallejo for the past decade. Now their solution is to declare an emergency and give unprecedented powers and authority to themselves, the people that created the situation,” members of the VPOA said.
The VPOA has offered to work with the City and Chief to implement recommendations from two independent studies of the Vallejo Police Department. One study found the VPD was unbiased and non-discriminatory in its use of force and the other study provided 45 recommendations for changes and reform. The VPOA support both studies and their reform initiatives.
“The OIR Group recommendations are important steps for the future of the Vallejo Police Department, and the VPOA maintains its commitment to work with the City toward implementing those recommendations. Nothing in the OIR Group’s report suggests or the principles in 21st Century Policing requires the City to circumvent state and local laws and regulations,” they added.
The Vallejo Police Officer’s’ Association (VPOA) was incorporated in 1957. The VPOA is the recognized bargaining unit between all Vallejo Police Officer’s and the City of Vallejo. Members include all ranks of officer’s – Captains, Lieutenants, Sergeants, Corporals and Officer’s. The VPOA does not represent the Chief of Police or the Assistant Chief of Police
The business function of the VPOA is to protect the collective interests of the members of the Vallejo Police Department and provide benefits to its members.
The VPOA is also 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.org
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.
Sustainable, Healthy Use of Lake Merritt: Pilot Program Beginning this Weekend
The issues at Oakland’s Lake Merritt are complex, with groups having different needs and perspectives, all of which are important and that we are working to honor — families and elders facing challenging issues living at the Lake, entrepreneurs / vendors of color seeking economic stability during uncertain times, park users, and wildlife conservationists. In a recent update, I shared the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission / PRAC’s recommendations for sustainable use of Lake Merritt, which sought to balance the two perspectives below:
What is going on around the Lake is not sustainable and must change ASAP.
People need healthy outdoor places to gather and engage in commercial activity, especially during these unprecedented times.
On September 16th, PRAC voted to recommend a pilot program to deter illegal parking and vending; promote compliance with park rules and County rules during COVID; and address challenges such as late night noise.
The City, in coordination with the Oakland Black Vendor Association, is developing this pilot for merchandise vendors to take place along El Embarcadero and in the Lakeview Library parking lot on weekends beginning this Saturday, October 3rd, 10am – 6pm. Note: If air quality reaches the 150+ Unhealthy level, the program will be postponed until next weekend.
The City of Oakland is working to resolve concerns related to late night noise, large gatherings prohibited under COVID, etc. in coordination with the launch of the pilot. Our goal is to reset the tone at the Lake and address the core issues that we’ve heard from neighbors, while also maintaining an inclusive, equitable and safe public space during COVID and beyond.
Oakland Police Department will work with our municipal code officers this weekend to warn vendors of increased enforcement action as the pilot begins, and my office will continue to engage and encourage vendors to participate in this new pilot.
We welcome your feedback. We are grateful to the Oakland City Administrator’s Office, City Departments, James “Old School” Copes, Oakland Black Vendors Association, and PRAC Commissioners for helping make this pilot happen quickly and supporting multiple, complex interests.
In addition, the Downtown Streets Team, has relaunched its Oakland Team to support unhoused individuals providing them with work beautifying Lake Merritt, including litter pick up around the Lake. In return for their volunteer services, Team Members receive a basic-needs stipend, case management, employment services, and a support network. Team Members are giving back to Oakland while working to overcome barriers to housing and employment. You may see the team beautifying the lake as they relaunch their program this month.
Note: post based on newsletter dated October 3rd, 2020.
Oakland Zoo Veterinarians Treating Mountain Lion Cub Burned in Redding’s Zogg Fire
From YouTube Channel: October 2, 2020 at 12:34AM
ONN – Oakland, CA – October 1, 2020… Only four to six weeks old, an orphaned mountain lion cub suffering from severe wildfire burns was discovered and rescued by a Cal Fire firefighter yesterday in an area the Zogg Wildfire burned through this past Sunday in Redding.
Upon discovering and capturing the lone cub, Cal Fire contacted the Shasta County Sherriff’s Department, who in turn contacted the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). CDFW veterinarians, who are tirelessly working to save the lives of so many wildlife victims trapped by the recent fires throughout California, then contacted Oakland Zoo veterinarians for help in treating the cub.
Upon receiving the urgent call by CDFW around 5PM last night, @Oakland Zoo’s veterinary team was standing by to receive and treat the cub, which arrived at 7:15PM, driven from Redding by Pete Figura, Supervising Wildlife Biologist for the CDFW.
“We are so grateful for the Oakland Zoo’s expertise, world-class facilities and willingness to step up – on extremely short notice – to help wildlife in need,” said CDFW’s senior wildlife veterinarian Dr. Deana Clifford. “Partnerships like this are absolutely critical to our state’s efforts to provide emergency care. California’s wildfires are erupting on a scale that we’ve never seen before, and we expect that we’ll have more burn patients than we have the capacity to treat in our own veterinary facility.”
“Unfortunately, a lion this size is too small to be released back into the wild, but we are hopeful that under the Zoo’s care, it will get a second chance as an ambassador for its species.”
Oakland Zoo’s Dr. Lynette Waugh, along with staff veterinary technicians immediately examined and treated the very young male cub, weighing only 3.75 pounds – and reported he was badly burned, especially his paws. His whiskers are completely singed off, and there is severe irritation to his eyes as well. The cub was cleaned and given antibiotics, supportive fluids, pain medication and fed milk formula for kittens (through a syringe). Dr. Alex Herman at Oakland Zoo explained that he is currently eating on his own and acting feisty – both promising signs for his recovery. Zoo veterinarians performed x-rays earlier today to determine if there is damage to his lungs from smoke inhalation and bone damage to his paws, and results were positive. Aside from severe burns to the soft tissue of the paws, there is no damage to bones or lungs. Oakland Zoo’s veterinary team is also working with UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital for their expertise in providing the most advanced care in treating the cub’s burn wounds.
Dr. Alex Herman, Director of Oakland Zoo’s Veterinary Hospital said “We’re grateful to be part of this amazing little cub’s rescue and rehabilitation. It’s an amazing effort between Cal Fire, the Shasta County Sherriff’s Department, and of course our partners at the California Department of Fish & Wildlife. In the past two years, this marks our thirteenth mountain lion cub rescue for Oakland Zoo in partnership with CDFW. We’re cautiously optimistic that this cub will now survive and thrive, our dedicated team at Oakland Zoo is fully committed to do everything we can for him and for his beautiful species.”
Aside from wildfires, Mountain lions are facing numerous threats in California; often struck by cars and illegally poached. These factors culminate in the human-wildlife conflict, putting them at odds with humans in encroaching urban areas and developments. Oakland Zoo partners with conservation organizations like the Mountain Lion Foundation and the Bay Area Puma Project to educate the public on the issue and help conserve the species in the wild.
Oakland Zoo helped found BACAT (Bay Area Cougar Action Team) in 2013, an alliance with the Bay Area Puma Project and the Mountain Lion Foundation, to help support the CDFW to save mountain lions caught in the human-wildlife conflict.
In the wild, Mountain lion cubs stay with their mothers until they are around two years of age in order to learn the skills to survive on their own. Because this cub is orphaned and now unable to learn how to survive in the wild, he will be placed in a suitable forever home once he’s ready to leave Oakland Zoo’s Veterinary Hospital.
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.
