Bank Of America is not being a good actor in the Payroll Protection Program. In the case of Zennie62Media and its rare-for-a-black-owned-firm-because-Bank-Of-America-wasn’t-trying-to-go-and recruit us PPP Loan of a mere $23,750 (compared to the average PPP loan size of $113,000), the bank, after months of elapsed time starting May 4, 2020, is now claiming that my firm received a completed Economic Injury Disaster Loan of $10,000, before the PPP program loan.
Complete bullcrap.
While the EIDL was applied for twice, the SBA never confirmed the loan, let alone completed the process to register it. I even called SBA about the matter, only to be faced with a constantly clogged phone system, and a computer website who’s webpage literally reset itself due to what appears to be some malfunctioning JavaScript code, thus dumping the info I inputed. And that this was happening during the initial panic surrounding The Pandemic made the entire process painful, even though I was determined to come away with what my firm needed: a PPP Loan sized to our needs.
The way the Bank of America / SBA PPP Application was written, one could mark that they were eligible to receive an EIDL. Indeed, the rule language back then during the late part of the month of March 2020 was that the EIDL was also for the Coronavirus problem. So, merging both was both logical and it seemed expected by the Small Business Administration.
Now, Bank of America said I had to have Zennie62Media pay back the $10,000 portion because the bank believes, and with zero proof because there is none, that I already got the $10,000. No.
If this is confusing to you, that is part of the problem. My take is that Bank of America and the Small Business Administration were literally trying to figure it out as they went along. A very bad move. It’s no wonder Forbes observed that “the regulations around both the PPP loan program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program have been changing constantly since the CARES Act was passed and will likely continue to do so.”
That is certainly the case, and Forbes should not be congratulating either lenders like Bank of America or the SBA – it should call for the problem to be fixed. Simple fix in my case is to just forgive the PPP Loan Zennie62Media received and spent within legal boundaries, not try and shake down my firm for $10,000. It is clear to be this is part of such a strategy.
Paul M. Donofrio
I assert that because Bank of America Chief Financial Officer Paul M. Donofrio (who cleared $12,413,073 in 2019), told the New York Timeshe did not expect much profit (from the PPP Loan Program), “if any.”
Now, it’s clear that Bank of America itself needs a PPP Loan because it’s profit has been “halved” because of the same situation that gave rise to the need for the PPP Loan Program: The Coronavirus. So, since the matter of how the EIDL portion of my PPP Loan was handled by Bank of America in the form of a request to raid my Zennie62Media bank account, it is clear Bank of America decided that it was going to make loopholes to use against customers and demand money from them (us) using them!
Bank of America must stop this. It should not be trying to treat its business account holders (specifically my firm but there are certainly others) this way. Forgive the loans, or how about having Paul M. Donofrio cover Bank of America’s losses. I’m only kidding, but look, he makes $12,413,073, so why not at least suggest the idea?
Oakland – Today, the Oakland City Council, CPAB, SSOC, and the Police Commission will discuss the concept, introduced by Council President Rebecca Kaplan, to make guns the top law enforcement priority in the City of Oakland. If Oakland can deter illegal guns and gun violence by increasing gun tracing, improving response time to shooting notifications, and prioritizing response to gun crime, the city will be a safer place to live.
The Oakland City Council has previously adopted policies to set law enforcement priorities in the direction of “low priority” issues — designating which topics it would be the policy for OPD not to prioritize, such as cannabis.
“I am calling for the City of Oakland to Declare Gun Violence as the Top Law Enforcement Priority for the City of Oakland, to decrease the number of illegal guns and gun violence in the city. By increasing gun tracing and prioritizing action to respond to gun crime,” states Council President Rebecca Kaplan. “We must recognize the easy availability of illegal guns increases violence and harm, and in order to reduce gun violence, we need to crack down on illegal guns, and have a timely and effective response to shooting notifications.”
The City of Oakland is experiencing an increase in the amount of guns shots fired. According to the Oakland Police Department’s ShotSpotter Activations Report, the Oakland Police Crime Analysis Division reported approximately 2,807 ShotSpottter Activations from gunshots fired in 2019. As of September 20, 2020, there have been approximately 4,104 ShotSpotter activations from guns fired. This number is a forty-six percent (46%) increase from the year prior, and that many gunshots don’t show up in 911 call statistics.
As of August 23, 2020, the Oakland Police Department Crime Analysis reported thirty-four (34%) percent increase in reported gunfire in Oakland. In 2019, there were 953 occurrences of gunfire. This year, 1,281 occurrences of gunfire were reported, with a quarter of the year still to be determined. In a single weekend from August 6th-9th, 2020, ten shootings were reported across the city, which resulted in five fatalities, many of the cases are unsolved, with the assailants remaining at-large.
Currently, there is also a grave need for an effective and robust gun tracing program to curb the amount of gun violence and reduce the number of illegal guns on the streets. Kaplan has been a consistent advocate for increased efforts around gun and shell tracing. She fought for the funding to acquire the gun and shell tracing equipment. She understands that gun tracing is essential to shutting down sources of illegal guns on Oakland’s streets.
In order to ensure that illegal guns can be tracked down and to deter gun crime, it will be important to have timely response on notifications of shootings, and more consistent tracing of guns and shell casings. Kaplan has requested information from OPD about the frequency of providing an immediate deployment in response to notifications of shootings, and about how often there is the ability to collect shell casings or other materials to help identify and shut down sources of illegal guns.
The goal is to make smart and effective choices about deployments, and timely response to urgent situations like armed robberies in progress. The recent choice by the Oakland Police Chief to order hundreds of Police Officers to stay downtown watching peaceful protesters was not the most effective and efficient use of law enforcement resources, while urgent needs for response and follow up on armed robberies was lacking. A better use of sworn personnel would have been to ensure presence in community and commercial corridors facing armed robberies throughout the city. A discussion about making gun violence a top law enforcement priority for the City of Oakland will help ensure that resources are distributed in a more effective and just manner.
Oakland – The Oakland Unified School District or OUSD is not taking any chances ahead of its Madison Park Academy Press Conference. It issued this press release:
COVID RULES for Today’s Madison Park Academy Press Conference
Oakland, CA — For anyone planning to attend today’s press conference at Madison Park Elementary as noted in this press release from Monday evening, there are some rules you will have to follow, per the OUSD legal department. They are as follows:
● Masks must be worn at ALL times (unless the speaker cannot be heard with their mask on)
● Any microphone used must be wiped down/disinfected before each speaker
● Maintain at least 6 feet of distance between everyone at ALL times
● No sharing of anything (e.g., pens, paper, etc.)
● No one should attend who has any COVID symptoms (John Sasaki will do a verbal check with everyone (OUSD staff and non-OUSD personnel) when they arrive)
● No using the restroom
● Stay outdoors at ALL times unless explicitly permitted by John Sasaki
● For those that do go inside the building, John Sasaki will need to escort you and open all doors
● Anyone who fails to comply with these rules, their application, or related direction from John Sasaki may be asked to leave the event
If you have any questions, please contact communications director, John Sasaki.
This is all well and good, but I wonder if anyone bothered to check if Madison Park Elementary was sanitized prior to the press event? COVID-19 is all over: in the air, and on certain surfaces. OUSD gave no indication that the new building was sanitized before the press conference.
On top of that, consider that on January 24th 2020, COVID-19 was the focus of a classified Senate briefing, but just what was said we have not been told. Why was the meeting classified? What does the U.S. Government know that we do not know. Not a good situation.
Oakland From A Distance – In the ongoing debate against and legal challenges to the Insight Terminal Solutions Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal, there are two one constant refrains heard. One is that the Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal (where Insight Terminal Solutions is a Zennie62Media content client) is a coal terminal, when it’s not, and is designed to be a true bulk terminal that can facilitate the transport of commodities like iron ore and coal. The other is that coal can be replaced by renewables, and indeed, will be – so why bother maintaining a coal industry at all (as if it will just go away)?
The first question has been addressed so many times that those who once called the Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal a “coal terminal” have now stopped doing so. For the second question, I decided to go right to the people who would best know the answer to it: coal miners.
What did the coal miners write? Well, without revealing names, here are the entries:
1. What a big ol load of bullshit.
2. Yes it can. If they like black outs.
3. Can one make steel from renewable?
4. Well turn your power off !!!
5. You can’t melt steel without coal. Steel that builds our cars, military, sky scrappers. You people are crazy.
6. Worked in a forge plant…any electricity will melt steel…coal in steel is like flour in a biscuit…part of the recipe.
7. No substitute for coking coal .. worked it for years…all that is left here.
8. Windmills. Takes a lot of steel and coal to make one.
9. Wonder why CA is having major blackouts. They shut down their coal fired powerplants in 95 but yet bought electricity off of New Mexico
10. Screw California the whole west coast fall off the US. Wonder of the Demonrats can swim.
11. Stop sending coal power to California
12. One day these tree huggers will regret their decisions to go away from coal! It made us the superpower we are today!
13. It will take one good winter which we haven’t had in a while and theyl turn a certain grid off to keep their cities burning but rural will be without and then they’ll say well coal wasn’t so bad after all. 6 years ago AEP in Eastern, KY came 4 kilowatts of loosing their power grid during the bug snow we had. It will happen and they’ll be sorry
14. Hi I would want to ask this way: Why do you want to do away with coal?
15. If you don’t need coal. Then turn your ELC and see how much you miss it. Then think about all the work that goes into being able to warm your coffee up in the morning. Trust me u really need coal miners and COAL.
16. They are full of crap.
17. I suppose we could burn our forest up in power plants that way between that and burning down our cities we could look just like West Africa.
18. Do they know about products made from coal?
19. Make up from coal steel electricy computer components gas desiel plastic carbon fiber cement home and unlike gas it heats whey longer whit just as btu’s
Overall, the sentiment is that those in Oakland who believe that renewables can replace coal just don’t understand the basics of electric power produced from coal. America’s Power, the coal industry lobby, asked “What would it look like if we actually replaced Indiana’s coal generation with renewable generation in 2018?” and determined that it could not be done.
In 2015 Wharton asked “Can the World Run on Renewable Energy?” Then, it struggles to provide a convincing argument that resoundingly says “Yes!” The Wharton Report says “The global picture is complex. Although coal production internationally is still increasing robustly, and the International Energy Agency sees demand growth of 2.1% annually through 2019,employment — at seven million jobs worldwide — has seen some losses.” And then it gives in and admits that “China’s reliance on coal remains a formidable obstacle. Coal produces 70% of China’s energy, and almost four billion tons were burned there in 2012 — a major reason that China has become the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter. From 2005 to 2011, China (with vast natural coal reserves) added the equivalent of two 600-megawatt plants every week, and from 2010 through 2013, it added coal plants roughly equal to half of all U.S. generation. (At the same time, China is committed to renewable energy — with hydropower included, it’s already at 20%, compared to 13% in the U.S. But demand is rising and so is production: China is planning to double its power-generating capacity by 2030.)”
The truth is that China’s trend is toward a mix of energy production types, and is working to make energy derived from coal use “cleaner”. Indeed, it must be asserted that China and Japan are far ahead of the United States in advancements in coal industry technology with respect to climate change.
My question is this: why can’t America establish a top-priority plan to make traditional energy cleaner and not throw coal miners out of their jobs, with empty promises of employment in industries damaged by The Pandemic? It’s a question that deserves an answer.
Another question that deserves an answer is this: when will Oakland climate change activists start actually reading The Limits To Growth and the research that points to population growth as the real cause of climate change?
Indeed, Population Matters, the UK-based charity which campaigns to achieve a sustainable human population, to protect the natural world and improve people’s lives, reports:
The effects of global warming are already bringing harm to human communities and the natural world. Further temperature rises will have a devastating impact and more action on greenhouse gas emissions is urgently required. Population and climate change are inextricably linked. Every additional person increases carbon emissions — the rich far more than the poor — and increases the number of climate change victims – the poor far more than the rich.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce supports Amy Coney Barrett, and sent the following press release to Zennie62Media:
U.S. Chamber Supports President Trump’s Nominee Barrett for Supreme Court
September 26, 2020
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Chamber CEO Thomas J. Donohue issued the following statement today regarding President Trump’s nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the United States.
“We congratulate Judge Amy Coney Barrett and applaud President Trump for this nomination of an eminently qualified jurist. Because there has long been speculation that Judge Barrett could be the nominee, our legal team has reviewed her record in business cases, as well as her background and credentials.
Throughout Judge Barrett’s distinguished career, she has demonstrated careful fidelity to the Constitution and the rule of law. America’s free enterprise system depends on the fair application of the law, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has no doubt that Judge Barrett will treat all litigants – including the business community – fairly. She will make an excellent associate justice.”
About the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business organization representing companies of all sizes across every sector of the economy. Our members range from the small businesses and local chambers of commerce that line the Main Streets of America to leading industry associations and large corporations.
They all share one thing: They count on the U.S. Chamber to be their voice in Washington, across the country, and around the world. For more than 100 years, we have advocated for pro-business policies that help businesses create jobs and grow our economy.
From the Nikki Fortunato Bas Councilmember, City of Oakland, District 2 Community Email comes this compendium of City of Oakland grant programs for business.
$10K Grants for Essential Businesses: California State Compensation Insurance Fund is offering up to $10K to State Fund policyholders to help reimburse the costs of COVID-19 safety expenses such as the purchase of goggles, masks, gloves, cleaning supples, and worksite modifications. Grants are available until September 30.
$10K Grants for Small Businesses: The City of Oakland received $36.9 million in State of California CARES Act funding. More than $4 million of those funds will go to the Oakland CARES Act Small Business Grant Program to support Oakland small businesses that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program anticipates distributing $10,000 grants to 402 Oakland small businesses. Grants may be used to cover day-to-day operating costs, such as worker payroll, rent and fixed debts. The application period for the small business grants opened Tuesday, September 22 at 1 p.m., and ends at 5 p.m. on Monday, October 12, 2020. Online applications in four languages are available at: https://mainstreetlaunch.org/oakland-cares-act-grant/.
$20-25K Grants for Oakland Nonprofits: Of the funds Oakland has received from California’s CARES Act, $850K are going to support nonprofits impacted by COVID-19. The grant program will support about 34 nonprofits with grants of $20-$25K each, for organizations with an annual budget of less than $1 million that are currently providing programs and services 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. Learn more and apply here by 5pm on Wednesday, October 14.
$3K Grants for Individual Artists, $20K for Arts Nonprofits: $1.425 million of the City’s funds from California’s CARES Act will go to support individual artists and arts nonprofit organizations that have been impacted by COVID-19. The Oakland CARES Arts Organizational Grant will award grants of up to $20,000 to arts nonprofits, while the Oakland CARES Individual Artist Grant seeks to support individual artists with grants of up to $3,000 each. Apply here by 1pm on Friday, October 9, 2020.
$5-10K Mini-Grants for Violence Prevention and Community Healing: The Department of Violence Prevention, in partnership with Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth (RJOY), Urban Peace Movement (UPM), Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ), Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), and Roots Community Health Center (Roots) will provide approximately $400K through grants of up to $10K for small nonprofit organizations (with an annual budget of less than $500K) and up to $5K for individuals (with an identified fiscal sponsor). Learn more, attend information sessions and apply here by 11:59pm on October 18th.
Cannabis Is Diversity Featuring Oakland Extracts Founder Terryn Buxston
From YouTube Channel: September 23, 2020 at 07:39PM
ONN – Meet Terryn Buxston, CEO and Founder of Oakland Extracts, a company that was started for the community. In Terryn’s words, “Because we believe that our Town should have access to great quality hash at a price we can all afford. We learned that success begins with high quality starting material from small, local farms. Over the years we fine-tuned a proprietary technique that allows for maximum terpene retention. Our signature Cookie Crumble wax—and everything we do—focuses on natural flavor and high potency. We never add terps, THC or any other flavorings or additives, and everything we make is single source.”
When cannabis became legal, Oakland Extracts almost didn’t make it. As a Black-owned business, OE struggled to raise enough capital to get licensed and stay in the game. Now partnering with Jetty Extracts, we’re back and bringing out the “Terps from the Town.”
Quality over quantity. People over profits. Culture over commerce. That’s Oakland Extracts.
music: bensound.com
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.
If Donald Trump picks Allison Jones Rushing to replace the legendary, late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, it will be the worst pick any President Of The United States has made in recent memory. Why? Because Allison Jones Rushing, the United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, is being elevated because she fits a checkmark of couch-potato conservative positions familiar to right-wing bloggers, and nothing else.
Let’s get this out of the way: if the position were something like senior vice president for legal at the Walt Disney Company, Allison Jones Rushing is certainly presents herself well, in general. This speech before the North Carolina Bar Association last year shows her to be people-centered and very much one who prizes the gift of giving in her personal life:
That’s all well-and-good but the fact is, I personally know of a number of judges who fit that same basic criteria. We’re talking about replacing the legendary intellect that is Ruth Bader Ginsburg. We’re also talking about finding someone who has a record of high-intellectual consideration of the problems of the day, and one of clear judicial activism. Someone who moved the needle of America. Someone like, well, Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
In Allison Jones Rushing, we get someone who’s rise seems based on telling conservative elected officials that she is, well, conservative, and that’s it. At that, she is what I call a “couch-potato conservative”: one who unknowingly defines themselves as conservative by their attitudes on race, sex, and sexual orientation. Such a person does not have true respect for the American institutions of democracy and government. Such a person does not understand what a market economy is, or a socialist one, or how one American economy can have elements of both, let alone know what they are. Thus, they turn a blind to the maintenance of voting rights, or even the preservation of traditions of behavior between parties – like not campaigning when the other party’s convention is going on. They don’t understand the price mechanism or what “market failure” is, and how to fix it. In short, they’re not truly intellectual. Allison Rushing has attached herself to a “couch-potato conservative” ethic that’s come to harm America.
Ms. Rushing earned a B.A., summa cum laude, from Wake Forest University in 2004 and a J.D., magna cum laude, from Duke University School of Law in 2007, where she served as executive editor of the Duke Law Journal. But beyond that, she…
Got a massive pass during her 2018 confirmation hearing for her current job. Allison managed to skip the standard schedule; it was during Senate recess that her hearing was held. All the better to escape the stinging and burning questioning of Democrats like California Senator Kamala Harris. This is what Vox wrote back then:
Allison Rushing, a nominee for a seat for the Fourth Circuit who testified on Wednesday, is among those being considered in these hearings. She’s been called out by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights given concerns about her stances toward civil rights. Rushing had previously spent a summer working with the Alliance Defending Freedom, an organization that the Southern Poverty Law Center has classified as a hate group for its efforts to advance anti-LGBTQ policies.
“Scheduling Ms. Rushing’s hearing for October 17, 2018 over Democratic objections — during a Senate recess when senators are out of town — is just the latest example of Chairman Grassley bulldozing over the minority in order to remake the federal courts in Trump’s image,” the Leadership Conference’s Vanita Gupta said in a statement.
Sen. Hatch, in his questioning on Wednesday, opened by simply telling Rushing — “I’m very impressed with you.”
“There has been a concerted effort by my friends on the Democratic side to stall and re-stall and that’s just a fact,” Kennedy told reporters before the hearing. “We’re going to get all the nominees in front of the Senate. … Sen. [Mitch] McConnell [the Senate majority leader] has said that even if we have to stay here on Christmas Eve … we’re going to be here voting.”
The person they picked for that lifetime job is one who’s known for her summer law clerk job with the afforementioned Alliance Defending Freedom. The organization’s mission pretty much screams anti-gay, so it seems, given what she wrote back then, that South Bend Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg and his husband will not be welcome at her home any time soon.
Allison Jones Rushing justified the Defense Against Marriage Act, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman for federal purposes and allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages from other states:
In a 2013 speech at a forum titled ‘Enemies of Mankind’: Religion and Morality in the Supreme Court’s Same-Sex Marriage Jurisprudence, Allison Jones Rushing outlined her support for the Defense of Marriage Act and her opposition to the Windsor decision in which the Supreme Court struck down the discriminatory law. Ms. Jones Rushing said in the speech: “The reasons for the law were both moral and practical,” continuing on to say “the fact that DOMA codified the definition of marriage that had prevailed throughout most of human history…was evidence that the law did have a valid basis” and that the majority opinion in Windsor was written “in a unique way that calls it bigotry to believe that homosexuality does not comport with Judeo-Christian morality.”
Allison Jones Rushing, Intellectually Lighter Than Not Only RBG But Most SCOTUS Judicial Appointments, Is Part Of A Republican “Stack The Court” Strategy
Account after account takes on the view that Allison Jones Rushing has been and is being fast-tracked. Take America’s Lawyer: Mike Papantonio and Trial Magazine Executive Editor Farron Cousins talking about how little experience she has on the bench.
Takes like those are common.
There’s more coming about Allison Jones Rushing here at Oakland News Now. But my early prediction is the Senate Confirmation Hearings will eat her alive.
Fiscal Realities for Local Government
From YouTube Channel: September 21, 2020 at 09:11AM
ONN – Oakland Raiders vs San Diego Chargers: Former NFL Host City Mayors Talk Local Government Fiscal Realities
Not sure how this came about, but its notable because Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer both tried to keep the Oakland Raiders and the San Diego Chargers in their NFL Host Cities. Oakland has an active lawsuit against the now Las Vegas Raiders and the NFL; San Diego sat out of any legal action.
Here are Zennie62Media videos from NFL Headquarters in New York, featuring both mayors, in November of 2015:
And then NFL Executive Vice President for Business Affairs Eric Grubman’s press conference on the meeting with the mayors:
For the current video talk, PPIC wrote:
Local governments have been hit especially hard by the pandemic shutdown and resulting economic instability. How are they setting priorities among competing needs? How can they partner with state and federal governments to chart a path forward? Mark Baldassare talks with Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf and San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer about how their cities are faring and what we can learn from the current crisis.
As part of our Speaker Series on California’s Future, PPIC invites elected leaders from across the political spectrum to participate in public conversations. The purpose is to give Californians a better understanding of how our leaders are addressing the challenges facing our state.
PPIC is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization. PPIC does not take or support positions on any ballot measure or on any local, state, or federal legislation, nor does it support, endorse, or oppose any political parties or candidates for public office.
Stay tuned.
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
Oakland – The City of Oakland received $36.9 million in State of California CARES Act funding. Of that, approximately $850,000 will go to grants to support Oakland-based nonprofit organizations that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The grant program will support about 34 nonprofits with grants of $20,000 to $25,000 each.
The grants are available to Oakland nonprofits with an annual budget of less than $1 million that are currently providing programs and services 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. The application period opened today (Wednesday, September 23) at 9 a.m., and closes at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, October 14, 2020. Online applications are available at: communityvisionca.org/oaklandcares
“These grants are a step in preserving Oakland’s nonprofit ecosystem that helps feed, clothe, shelter and counsel our most vulnerable residents,” said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. “While the needs of our community have increased during the pandemic, many of these nonprofits have seen their funding dry up, putting both the organizations and those they serve at greater risk.”
The following general eligibility criteria will be used:
Nonprofits must provide proof of 501(c)3 status or fiscal sponsorship agreement.
Nonprofits must have a total annual budget and actual expenses of less than $1 million for the applicant’s current and previous fiscal year. If an organization is fiscally sponsored, this limit is related to the organization’s expenses, not the total expenses of the fiscal sponsor.
Nonprofits must be located in Oakland and be currently providing programs and services that address the impact of COVID-19 and the needs of low-income residents and businesses in Oakland.
Nonprofits must currently provide services to disinvested populations (including Black; immigrant; aged; children; homeless; low and very low-income) in the following areas: Health & Human Services; Economic & Workforce Development; Legal Support; Food Security; Homeless and renter support services; and Education. Applicants will be required to provide a brief narrative overview of their. (Nonprofits in the arts community should apply for grants through the previously announced arts nonprofit grant program.)
Nonprofits must have been in business in Oakland for at least three years, with appropriate documentation of this fact (such as 990s, audited financial statement, or business license, etc.).
Applicants will be required to identify the programmatic need or loss of organization income due to COVID-19 business interruption such as:
Lack of program funding, contract funding, or grant agreements that were impacted because of the applicant’s inability to deliver services
Reduction in payroll, jobs, furloughs, or other significant costs
Programs that had to be suspended due to COVID-19
Preference will be given to nonprofit organizations located in, and serving census tracts deemed eligible for the federal Opportunity Zone program.
Preference will be given to nonprofit organizations that can demonstrate deep community roots, trust in the community, and those who base their work on the stated needs/wants of the community they serve.
The grants will help preserve nonprofit services to some of Oakland’s most disinvested populations and help prevent nonprofit displacement. Distribution of the CARES Act grants for Oakland nonprofits is through a partnership between the Economic & Workforce Development Department and Community Vision. Community Vision, formerly the Northern California Community Loan Fund, is a trusted intermediary that will administer the fund.
“COVID-19 has further emphasized the vast inequities present in our society and the reality that our economic system does not prioritize communities of color and low-income communities,” said Catherine Howard, Community Vision’s senior vice president of programs. “We’re pleased to partner with the City of Oakland to provide support to nonprofits working to meet the most vital needs across the city.”
To assist applicants, helpful FAQs have been posted at: communityvisionca.org/oaklandcares/FAQ. Webinars for nonprofits interested in applying for a grant will be hosted on: Wednesday, September 30, in both English (at 11 a.m.) and Spanish (at 1 p.m.). Interested applicants can also schedule consultation calls with Community Vision staff by visiting communityvisionca.org/oaklandcares. Materials will be available in Spanish at communityvisionca.org/oaklandcares/spanish.
In addition to administering the grant program, Community Vision will host virtual technical assistance workshops and one-on-one counseling. The schedule will be announced shortly at communityvisionca.org/oaklandcares
This is the latest CARES Act-funded grant program launched by the City of Oakland. Grant programs for small businesses, individual artists and arts nonprofits, and low-income renters and homeowners as well as an RFQ to fund support for low- and moderate-income renters and homeowners were announced earlier this month. Learn more about the $36.9 million in CARES Act Funding at: oaklandca.gov/topics/coronavirus-aid-relief-and-economic-security-cares-act-funding
This post based on press release from The City of Oakland to Zennie62Media.
Interview with Founder of Oakland’s Raided Mushroom Church, Dave Hodges
From YouTube Channel: September 19, 2020 at 06:08PM
ONN – On August 13th, 2020 Oakland Police Department illegally raided Zide Door aka The Church of Entheogenic Plants, aka the first and only “Mushroom Church.” in the nation. They called in the firefighters to cut through a large safe on the premises—during a city-wide crime spree—and allegedly seized $200,000+ in cannabis and psilocybin mushroom products. They made zero arrest and the club reopened 24 hours later.
We had a chance to talk with one of the founders of the Church, Dave Hodges, about what led up to the raid. He also shares with us his harrowing ordeal. And how the club was reopened a day later.
We also dive into why he founded a weed and mushroom church in the first place, his use plant-based religious sacraments, and his relatively new practice of taking massive doses of magic mushrooms—we’re talking 15, 20, 25, even 30 grams. That’s a lot of shrooms.
Hodges and Zide Door plan to sue OPD with a civil lawsuit in federal court based on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. If they win—churches like this will be allowed to operate nationwide without the fear of being raided by local law enforcement.
You can help by supporting The Church’s GoFundMe:
https://ift.tt/3mGfbhe
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Barbara Lee released the following statement on the passing of Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg:
“Our country mourns the loss of a giant, an icon, and a warrior for democracy, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In her nearly three decades of service on our nation’s highest court, she fundamentally changed life for women in America, and changed our entire nation for the better.
“Justice Ginsburg was a pioneer for reproductive rights, civil rights, and equal protection under the law. Without her leadership and conviction, the world would be a different place for women, people of color, and other marginalized communities. Her tenacious fight for gender equality in the face of powerful opposition, and her historic opinions and dissents on the bench, bent the arc of history towards justice.
“As courageous as she was intelligent, her decency, her legal brilliance and her commitment to a democracy that serves all, rather than the few, make her a model for the next Supreme Court Associate Justice and for all justices that will follow her. This is a loss for an entire nation that was made greater by her life’s work.
“My thoughts and prayers go out to her family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
Congresswoman Lee is the Co-Chair of the Steering & Policy Committee, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Chair Emeritus of the Progressive Caucus, and Co-Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus. She also serves as Chair of the Majority Leader’s Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity. As member of the House Democratic Leadership, she is the highest ranking African American woman in the U.S. Congress.
This post based on a press release from the Office of Congresswoman Barbara Lee
City of Oakland Seeks Applicants for New Homeless Advisory Commission. 9-member board recommends strategies to remedy homelessness and advises on priorities for Vacant Parcel Tax funds for homeless services
Oakland, CA – The City of Oakland is establishing its first-ever Homeless Advisory Commission and is seeking nine qualified Oakland residents to sit on the inaugural board. City Councilmembers make recommendations on Commissioners to the Mayor, who appoints them for the Council’s confirmation.
The Homeless Advisory Commission was created by Measure W, the Vacant Parcel Tax ballot measure, a special parcel tax on vacant properties to support homeless services and address illegal dumping, passed by Oakland voters in November 2018. The Homeless Advisory Commission is charged with making recommendations to the City Council about strategies to remedy homelessness and providing oversight of the Vacant Property Tax, which is anticipated to generate about $7 million per year for homeless and illegal dumping services.
“The impacts of COVID-19 on our economy in general, and on housing insecurity and homelessness in particular, make this Commission more important than ever,” said Mayor Schaaf. “I look forward to collaborating with the Council in seating and launching Oakland’s first-ever Homeless Advisory Commission in November 2020.”
The Homeless Advisory Commission will:
Review financial and operational reports related to the expenditure of the Vacant Parcel Tax homeless services fund.
Publish recommendations on how to prioritize the allocation of funds for services and programs for homeless people and the impacts of programs funded by the Vacant Property Tax.
Make recommendations to the Mayor and the City Council regarding homelessness priorities and present budget recommendations for the prioritization of Vacant Parcel Tax funds for each two-year budget.
Review and respond to the City’s Homeless Encampment Policy and the Permanent Access to Housing (PATH) plan.
Hear reports on the housing, programs, and services for people experiencing homelessness in Oakland, including street outreach, homeless shelters, transitional housing, housing exits, and permanent supportive housing.
The Homeless Advisory Commission is comprised as follows:
Consists of nine (9) members who are all residents of the City.
No less than half of the members must be residents of heavily impacted neighborhoods.
No fewer than two (2) members must be currently homeless, formerly homeless or low- income, as the term “low income” is defined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
No fewer than three (3) members must have professional expertise in, or be providers of, homeless services or housing, with priority given to individuals with a background in affordable housing, shelter management, or public health.
No fewer than one (1) representative must have financial expertise.
Members may fulfill more than one (1) of these criteria for the purposes of meeting these requirements.
Applications are new being accepted. Oaklanders interested in being considered for nomination should submit their application online at https://oakland.granicus.com/boards/w/8552f8c4c0e15460/boards/36365
The application period closes on Friday, October 16. The goal is to present a list of Commissioners for City Council’s confirmation in November 2020.
Oakland is suffering a serious housing crisis, making housing at all levels of affordability, and particularly affordable housing, scarce and unavailable for many Oakland residents. The 2019 point-in-time count estimated that there are 4,071 homeless people in Oakland, up 47% from two years ago. This represents about half of the total number of unsheltered residents in Alameda County.
Post based on press release from City of Oakland to Zennie62Media, Inc.
Chevron scores Another Giant Chevron Ecuador Legal Win
San Ramon, Ca – The District Court of The Hague this week ruled in favor of Chevron Corporation in its dispute with the Republic of Ecuador, upholding a 2018 arbitral award rendered by an international tribunal administered by the Permanent Court of Arbitration. This is yet another defeat for disgraced attorney Steven Donziger, who U.S. and international courts have found used fraud, bribery and extortion in an environmental lawsuit against the oil company in Ecuador.
Steven-Donziger
In its unanimous award, issued pursuant to the U.S.-Ecuador Bilateral Investment Treaty, the international arbitral tribunal found that a $9.5 billion Ecuadorian judgment against Chevron was procured through egregious fraud and corruption by the plaintiffs’ legal team, including bribery of the presiding judge and ghostwriting of the judgment. It held the judgment unenforceable under international law. The tribunal also rejected the underlying environmental allegations against Chevron. In its award, the tribunal found that a Chevron subsidiary completed an environmental remediation program supervised and approved by the Republic of Ecuador and that the Republic released the environmental claims on which the fraudulent Ecuadorian judgment was based. Any responsibility for current environmental conditions in Ecuador lies with the state-owned oil company, which continues to operate in the same area today.
The District Court of The Hague upheld the award in full and rejected the Republic of Ecuador’s attempt to set it aside, noting that “the fraudulent character of the Lago Agrio judgement and the proceedings preceding it is common ground between the parties.” The court found that the international tribunal acted within its remit when issuing the award, and that the award was well reasoned and complied with the applicable law and public policy. The court concluded that the international tribunal’s orders properly sought to “remove the consequences of a fraudulent judgment that was rendered by a corrupt judge.” The court held that “because none of the setting aside grounds brought forward by Ecuador succeed, the claims will be denied.”
The court’s ruling follows decisions from courts in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Gibraltar and the U.S. rejecting the fraudulent Ecuadorian judgment against Chevron. In July, Argentina’s highest court unanimously rejected the plaintiffs’ bid to enforce the corrupt judgment, bringing to an end the last pending recognition proceeding against Chevron. Even Ecuador finally admitted in a public filing earlier this year that the $9.5 billion judgment issued by its courts against Chevron is “fraudulent.” Chevron’s arbitration against the Republic of Ecuador is now in its final stage, where the company is seeking to recover from the Republic of Ecuador costs it has incurred to expose and defend against the fraud.
Chevron Corporation is one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies. Through its subsidiaries that conduct business worldwide, the company is involved in virtually every facet of the energy industry. Chevron explores for, produces and transports crude oil and natural gas; refines, markets and distributes transportation fuels and lubricants; manufactures and sells petrochemicals and additives; generates power; and develops and deploys technologies that enhance business value in every aspect of the company’s operations. Chevron is based in San Ramon, Calif. More information about Chevron is available at www.chevron.com.
Steph Walton is not pulling punches in the Oakland City Council District One Race. She’s openly accusing Oakland Councilmember Dan Kalb of money laundering.
Dan Kalb: Oakland District One Councilmember
She’s referring to an Oakland City Attorney court filing that the City Attorney has yet to confirm to Zennie62Media. (This is far, far too sensitive to just link to another “gotcha” news site without checking on it here, first.) That written, here’s the press release Steph Walton has posted on Facebook:
For Immediate Release: Sept 17, 2020
Steph Dominguez Walton Calls on Incumbent CM Dan Kalb to Return Allegedly Laundered Money and Address Other Fundraising Controversies
Oakland, CA – In response to the recent fundraising controversies surrounding incumbent Councilmember Dan Kalb and others, community leader and city council candidate Steph Dominguez Walton released the following statement:
“It has come to light in a court filing by the City Attorney of Oakland (see document at the end of this post text) that Councilmember Kalb accepted allegedly laundered campaign donations on behalf of a city contractor that has been overcharging Oakland and collecting millions of dollars of undeserved profit. I’m calling on Councilmember Kalb to immediately return these contributions and account for why he accepted them under questionable circumstances. A court filing by the City Attorney explains that multiple checks ‘were given in a single bundle directly to Dan Kalb,’ without disclosing legally required information. This reflects a pattern of questionable conduct that is unbecoming of a member of our city council. We need a change in District 1.”
Kalb has also been linked to other controversies raising ethical concerns, including:
● He accepted at least $1800 from Schnitzer Steel, including $800 in the current election. Schnitzer’s facility emits more toxic air contaminants in West Oakland than any other and has a long history of non-compliance with hazardous waste laws. Kalb’s fundraising filings are available here. Schnitzer Steel’s donation is pictured below.
● Kalb and others accepted and used numerous tickets to Warriors and Oakland A’s games, prompting an investigation by the Public Ethics Commission, which found that he failed to properly report 144 tickets.
● He accepted two VIP tickets, each worth $1,000, to see Michelle Obama speak at Oracle Arena and have a photo-op. He also accepted tickets to attend a Taylor Swift concert in 2018.
● The San Francisco Ethics Commission found that Kalb’s failed campaign for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors did not properly account for over $16,000 in expenditures.
● The SF Chronicle reported that Kalb requested a campaign contribution from a local restaurant owner after receiving an email sent to the entire council about damage to his restaurant during a protest. The restaurant industry has been hard hit in the pandemic and this restaurant is not located in Kalb’s district.
Longtime D1 resident and community leader, Steph Dominguez Walton has assembled a fierce challenge to 8-year incumbent Kalb. She has won prominent local endorsements and recently announced she raised more in-district money than Kalb. For more about Steph’s campaign, please visit www.stephforoakalnd.com.
Well, stay tuned. I have to ask Dan Kalb about this. Steph Walton, drawing first blood.
UPDATE: Zennie Abraham Interviews Councilmember Dan Kalb
In this talk, over 30 minutes long, Councilmember Kalb says he welcomes the investigation by the Oakland Public Ethics Commission and says he did nothing wrong. It must be noted that Dan is not listed as the defendant in this case. I also personally object to the Oakland Public Ethics Commission advancing a court filing during an election race. A number of states prohibit such actions; California should too.
Oakland – An effort by the U.S. Department of Education to take public education dollars away from Oakland Unified School District and countless other Districts and give it to private schools in Oakland and elsewhere has failed, and leadership from OUSD had a role in defeating it.
OUSD StudentsOUSD StudentsOUSD Students
U.S. Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, had created a rule that directed districts to give private schools a larger share of federal coronavirus aid – money that would otherwise have gone to public schools such as here in OUSD. If the rule had gone forward, OUSD would have been forced to distribute $1.8 million to local private schools through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act Private School Program. That would have been more than 10% of the $14 million in federal funding sent to OUSD. All told, it was DeVos’ plan to send $2 billion in federal education dollars to private schools.
According to the Washington Post, “Lawmakers from both parties said that most of the Cares Act’s K-12 education funding was intended to be distributed to public and private elementary and secondary schools using a long-employed formula based on how many poor children they serve. But DeVos said she wanted money sent to private schools based on the total number of students in the school, not how many students from low-income families attended. That would have sent hundreds of millions of dollars more to private schools than Congress had intended.”
California and other states sued the federal government to reverse the rule, and OUSD was a party to the lawsuit. Johanna Hoffmann, the District’s Middle School and Private School specialist in Strategic Resource Planning, submitted a declaration in support of the lawsuit. Included in the declaration was this powerful argument that OUSD deserved as much money as possible to support its students. “The transition to distance learning has been particularly challenging for OUSD’s lower income students and, because of the high percentage of low-income students within our district, OUSD is significantly impacted by these challenges. Low-income students lack technology access, which prevents them from accessing remote learning materials. OUSD serves a large number of students that lack access to devices and high-speed internet at home, leaving the students unable to learn remotely. From what we have seen, private school students are more likely to live in homes with good internet access and computers.”
After receiving a collection of information, a federal judge ruled that the move by DeVos violated the law, relying in part on the information included in Hoffman’s declaration. DeVos then dropped the rule. That means OUSD gets to keep most of the $1.8 million for District students, plus the rest of the $14 million.
“What a relief it is that the federal judge saw the DeVos rule for what it was, a way to take money from public school students who need it, and give it to schools that serve primarily students of great privilege,” said Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell. “When it comes to food insecurity, the need for technology in the home, and many other metrics, our students deserve all the support they can get from the federal government. I thank the State of California for leading the legal fight and I applaud Johanna Hoffmann in Strategic Resource Planning for the outstanding work she put in to help convince the court to rule on the side of our nation’s public school students.”
About the Oakland Unified School District
In California’s most diverse city, Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) is dedicated to creating a learning environment where “Every Student Thrives!” More than half of our students speak a non-English language at home. And each of our 81 schools is staffed with talented individuals uniting around a common set of values: Students First, Equity, Excellence, Integrity, Cultural Responsiveness and Joy. We are committed to preparing all students for college, career and community success.
To learn more about OUSD’s Full Service Community District focused on academic achievement while serving the whole child in safe schools, please visit OUSD.org and follow us @OUSDnews.
This post based on a press release from the Oakland OUSD to Zennie62Media.
Rocket Mortgage bills itself as “the largest home lender in America”. But it’s track record with black customers is less than stellar, and it’s clear to me that the organization has racist policies that force higher interest rates onto customers of my color. Take my elderly contractor’s case.
All she’s trying to do is get a lower interest rate mortgage than the 6 percent she’s currently paying. Considering all of the boasting about lower rates being available, and all of the photos of African Americans on their website that promise good treatment, the reality is a constant forcing of completely ridiculous loan terms on my Mom. Without going into too much detail, she is an independent contractor with my Zennie62Media company. She’s paid a monthly rate for her input on content creation.
That amount she’s making from my registered and in-good-standing Delaware C-corp was enough to put in into a loan category with a rate she wanted. Fine.
Then, all of a sudden, Rocket Mortgage tells her that, even after getting the pay stubs and her name is on the corporate website, as well as our payroll report, they did not count what she was being paid!
Again, Rocket Mortgage simply rejected that my elderly contractor’s had a legal job. Got that? Got that?
That’s crazy.
My elderly contractor’s completely upset over the matter, so I elected to blog about this and in the process, do some checking.
A recent analysis of nearly 7 million 30-year mortgages by University of California at Berkeley researchers found that black and Latino applicants were charged higher interest — an average of nearly 0.08% — and heavier refinance fees when compared with white borrowers. That was in face-to-face transactions. When applying online or through an app, minorities still ended up paying more, though terms were slightly better than when borrowing in person.
And guess what company was out in front in discrimination against blacks? Yep. Rocket Mortgage. In fact, Rocket Mortgage was said to be the leader and because of its status as the largest lender in America.
CBS News:
Regis Hadiaris, Quicken’s vice president of Rocket Mortgage, said “race and ethnicity is not a factor used in the Rocket Mortgage calculations for loans.” To determine loan terms, the firm assesses a borrower’s credit score, income, total assets and debt-to-income ratio, as well as factoring in a home’s worth and loan-to-value ratio.
Uh, not true, because, again in my elderly contractor’s case, many of the interactions were on the phone – the persons on the other end clearly have an idea of who my mother is, as well as her records and financial profile. There should be no reason why she can’t get a lower interest loan – save for racism and ageism.
Rocket Mortgage should stop lying to the public and make Black Lives Matter where it counts: with the same low interest deal someone white would get.
What’s going on with the Oakland Police Department and Oakland Police Interim Chief Susan Manheimer, that an officer would be allowed to wear, on duty, a shirt that many point to as in the style of the kind of Hawaiian Shirts worn by the racist violent Boogaloo Boys group? Moreover, does Susan Manheimer know that shirt she initially dismissed as a non-story because it was the kind of Hawaiian shirt one could by at Macy’s? (It wasn’t, and even though she took a photo to show the Tommy Bahama section at Macy, those pictures demonstrated that that style of shirt wasn’t there!)
Interim Chief Susan Manheimer
And does Oakland Police Interim Chief Susan Manheimer know (and did anyone at OPD tell her) that the Boogaloo Boys-style Hawaiian shirts, not to mention Hawaiian shirts, are disallowed by the Oakland Police Department’s own code, which even specifically prohibits beach wear!? Consider that, in her email to an Oaklander, Manheimer herself never even raised that issue, yet more evidence to back the assertion of many, including this blogger, that she was simply covering for the Boogaloo Boys Hawaiian Shirt-wearing officer. Well, check this out, and thanks to an Oaklander on Facebook, who tipped me off to this information.
Here is the section of Oakland Police Department regulations that covers “civilian clothing worn by members while on-duty”, and is here below, here by link, with the full text section posted below:
B. On-Duty Civilian Clothing for Members
Civilian clothing worn by members while on-duty shall reflect professional
appearance, and shall be suitable for the safe and inconspicuous
performance of basic police tasks.
Civilian clothing shall be clean and in good repair. Members shall be guided
by the following minimum standards:
1. Male members shall wear a dress shirt and tie with a business suit or
a conservatively tailored sports coat and slacks. Shoes shall be of a
conservative style and color. Leather jackets or “cowboy” boots of
any style shall not be worn. For the purpose of this order, cowboy
boots are defined as any boots that have a high arch, a high heel,
unusually fancy stitching, or a pointed toe.
a. Male members shall not wear any insignia, emblem,
decoration, badge, pin, nose rings, and any other jewelry or
ornament except for conservative rings, tie bars, tie tacks, or
lapel pins.
b. Shoes shall have soles and heels of conservative height.
c. Commanders and supervisors may permit members to
remove their ties when assigned to duties which do not
involve public contact or where the tie would pose a safety
hazard.
2. Female members shall wear suits, dresses, skirts, or pants in designs
and colors suitable for business wear and of prevailing style, fit, and
length. All accessories (e.g. gloves, purse, shoes, hosiery, etc.) shall
be of conservative style and color.
a. Female members shall not wear any insignia, decoration,
emblem, badge, nose rings, jewelry or ornament except for
conservative rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, pins, or
hair clasps.
b. Hair shall be simply and neatly groomed in a daytime style.
c. Proper foundation garments shall be worn at all times.
d. Use of cosmetics shall be minimal.
e. Shoes shall have a maximum heel height of 3″, and shall
have a back strap or full back. Spike heels and sport shoes
are not permitted.
3. Captains or higher rank may authorize or require any type of
clothing for an assignment in which approved civilian apparel would
be unsuitable for police purposes.
A Personal Appearance Waiver Form (TF-3382) shall be completed
and forwarded as specified in Part II, A, 4.
C. Casual Friday
Office personnel who are not required to wear uniforms shall have the
option of wearing business appropriate casual attire on Fridays. Casual
Friday attire shall only be acceptable on Fridays.
1. The following items shall be considered business appropriate casual
attire:
a. Sweaters
b. Button down shirts
c. Polo shirts
d. Cardigans
e. Slacks
f. Dockers
g. Skirts/dresses
2. The following items shall not be considered business appropriate
casual attire:
a. Shorts
b. Capri pants
c. T-shirts
d. Tight fitting spandex/lycra
e. Off the shoulder tops
f. Spaghetti or tank straps
g. Torn, frayed or cut clothing
h. Flip-flops or thongs
i. Athletic wear
j. Beach wear
k. Revealing or sheer clothing that exposes the bosom, back or
midriff
l. Clothing that bears sexually suggestive or profane symbol
m. Jeans or denim skirts
Pants shall be worn at ankle length and skirts/dresses at knee length
or longer.
3. The star, identification card, fully-loaded semi-automatic pistol and
one additional fully-loaded magazine, handcuffs and key, call box
key, and, as necessary, the protective vest, shall be carried or worn
by plainclothes members.
I also included this section on “member uniforms” to show that the officer was even out-of-compliance with this section!
III. MEMBER UNIFORMS
When designated as the uniform of the day, all members assigned to field duties
shall wear the same uniform. The uniform of the day shall be designated by the
Bureau of Field Operations Deputy Chief or designee. Refer to Part VI for
authorized uniform and equipment description and specifications.
A. The Dress Uniform (Class A)
1. Hat with shield, uniform jacket, trousers, belt, long sleeve shirt,
undershirt, insignia, tie, star, nameplate, white gloves, shoes, socks.
a. Motorcycle officers shall make the appropriate substitutions
of helmet, breeches, bow tie and boots.
b. The uniform jacket may not be worn without a tie. Pencils
and other objects shall not be placed in the outside pockets of
the uniform jacket.
c. Wearing of the uniform jacket with the short sleeve uniform
is prohibited.
2. Class A gun belt: Key ring with whistle, callbox key and handcuff
key, firearm, handcuffs and case, baton ring and short baton.
B. Long or Short Sleeve Uniform (Class B)
1. Hat with shield, trousers, belt, short sleeve shirt, black
undershirt,
insignia, star, nameplate, socks and boots.
2. Class B gun belt: Handcuff key, OC, Firearm, handcuffs and case,
radio holder, flashlight holder, baton ring, Asp (optional), magazine
pouch, Taser (shall be worn opposite of the firearm in either an
authorized belt or leg holster) and dump pouch (optional).
3. Motorcycle officers shall make the appropriate substitutions for
their
uniform.
4. All members shall have the option of wearing a dickey, turtleneck
sweater or mock turtleneck under the short sleeve shirt. If the
turtleneck is worn without a jacket, the sweater sleeves shall not
extend below the shirt sleeves.
5. Optional outerwear.
6. Motorcycle officers shall also have the option of wearing the leather
jacket.
7. The uniform hat may be worn at the discretion of the individual
officer having consideration for officer safety and the requirement
for identification, or at the direction of a supervisor or command
officer.
8. Watch Cap (optional)
Night shift personnel are authorized to wear the watch cap. Day
shift and swing shift personnel shall only wear the watch cap upon
approval by the Bureau of Field Operations (BFO) Deputy Chief or
designee.
When wearing the watch cap, the insignia shall be visible and worn
centered on the forehead above the nose.
C. Field Utility Uniform (Class C)
Long sleeve or short sleeve utility shirt with name lettering, black
undershirt, trousers, belt, insignia, star, shoes, socks, and Class B gun belt.
1. Members assigned to routine field duties shall wear the utility
uniform only when designated as the uniform of the day by the
Bureau of Field Operations (BFO) Deputy Chief or designee.
2. Members assigned to units outside of the BFO shall not wear utility
uniforms without the prior authorization from the appropriate
Bureau Deputy Chief or designee.
3. Bureau Deputy Chiefs or designee may authorize utility uniforms as
the uniform of the day, to include, but not limited to, the following
circumstances:
a. During inclement weather (to include hot or humid
conditions);
b. Special field projects;
c. Mobile field force mobilizations; or
d. Major Response Operations.
4. Members assigned to the following field units shall only wear the
utility uniform during their regular tour of duty, unless otherwise
directed by a higher ranking member:
a. Crime Reduction Team;
b. Canine Handlers*;
c. Police Evidence Technicians;
d. Patrol Rifle Officers;
e. Commercial Enforcement Unit;
f. Taxi Detail;
g. Abandon Auto;
h. Vehicle Abatement;
i. Dual-purpose motorcycles officers, when riding;
j. Marine Unit;
k. Alcohol Beverage Action Team;
l. Scofflaw; and
m. Helicopter Unit when not in their flight suit.
* Canine Handlers, when working with their police canine, are
authorized to wear the previous 5.11 utility uniform.
5. Optional outerwear.
6. Utility cap.
7. Watch Cap (optional)
Night shift personnel are authorized to wear the watch cap. Day
shift and swing shift personnel shall only wear the watch cap upon
approval by the Bureau of Field Operations (BFO) Deputy Chief or
designee.
When wearing the watch cap, the insignia shall be visible and worn
centered on the forehead above the nose.
D. Specialty Uniforms
1. Undercover, Plain Clothes or Task Force Uniform
a. The Tactical Assault Carrier (TAC) Vest shall only be worn
by members:
1) Working in an active undercover operation or related
task; or
2) Assigned to a plain clothes assignment where the
need to wear the vest is essential to complete a police
mission in a more timely manner.
Except for Tactical Team members, prior to wearing the TAC Vest,
all members shall attend a TAC Vest training class. All members
shall ensure their approved protective vest, as specified in DGO C-
04, SAFETY EQUIPMENT, is contained within the TAC Vest
before taking this equipment into the field.
b. The Undercover Plain Clothes or Task Force Uniform shall
consist of the:
1) TAC Vest and jeans or utility uniform pants; and
2) Class B gun belt.
2. Tactical Team Uniform
a. The Tactical Team uniform shall only be worn during
tactical team operations, training or other event as specified
by the Tactical Team Leader.
b. Mandatory safety equipment and other equipment approved
by the Tactical Team Leader.
c. TAC Vest (optional)
3. Helicopter Uniform
a. Helmet, as specified in DGO C-04, SAFETY EQUIPMENT
b. Flight suit.
c. Flight jacket and utility cap are optional.
d. Class B gun belt unless otherwise specified by Helicopter
Unit supervisor.
4. Bicycle Uniform
a. Helmet, as specified in DGO C-04.
b. Shirt, Pants, Shoes as specified in Part VI, D, 5.
c. Class B gun belt.
I am sending this to the Oakland Police Media and the Oakland City Council and the Oakland Police Commission for their information and response. Here’s the full text version:
I’ve noticed a really annoying trend in the San Francisco Bay Area of late, more specifically the last six years, and more intensely over the last four years (which happens to coincide with the election of Donald Trump as POTUS). It’s white folks telling black folks what racism is.
W.Kamal Bell
The most bothersome examples pop-up in news publications, and in social media, again, related to something a news reporter thinks or someone who dares write a “letter to the editor”.
Let’s take one piece written by Richard Keats II that I happened to see in Berkeleyside, and related to what happened to local comedian W.Kamal Bell at the closed Elmwood Café, now called Baker & Commons.
If you remember, what happened that eventually launched W.Kamal Bell into national view thanks to CNN, was that he was walking up to meet his wife and a friend, when a worker rushed out and ordered him to leave area. The worker believed that Mr. Bell was a homeless black man and in the worker’s mind, it was just fine to treat him as undesirable. The worker’s prejudice was so deep, the person did not even stop to consider that the “ homeless black man” was actually a black man who knew the white folks he was talking to, let alone married to one of them!
What happened to W.Kamal Bell is all too common in the San Francisco Bay Area, and in America: someone white thinks someone else who’s black, basically, just doesn’t belong. The many ways this staple of institutional racism is expressed are legion:
• A white student at Berkeley thinks a black student got in only because of affirmative action, and says so.
• White San Francisco Bay Area news reporters constantly couch something a black person does that they don’t like as criminal or illegal, whereas a white person is called “clever” or pioneering, or some equivalent. (Media and technology are the last bastions of white supremacist thought in America. Just count the micro-small number of media and tech organizations owned by blacks – like Zennie62Media, Inc.)
• A white woman gets upset that a black man is singing “Grease” out loud with his white female friends, and so voices her displeasure. (That happened to me in Las Vegas two years ago at the Cosmopolitan LV.)
• A white woman comes upon black men setting up a barbecue at Lake Merritt, tells them she bought the Lake for $5 million (a good reason to immediately brand her as nuts), and harasses them for two hours before calling 9-11 on them because she says they’re not supposed to cook there. (That was BBQ Becky AKA Jennifer Schulte, in Oakland two years ago.)
As I wrote, I can go on and on and on. But here comes people like Richard Keats II who have the nerve to write that “The slight W. Kamau Bell experienced at the Elmwood Café does not rise to the level of racism. He just experienced several seconds of emotional agitation.” Seriously, he wrote that. He did.
Richard Keats II is not black – he’s white. In his letter, he does not stop to show any type of sympathy for what W. Kamau Bell experienced. He does what a giant number of white folks have done since 2016: witness a racist act done to someone black, or do it themselves, and then says what happened was not racist when the black victim dares speak up. This crap must stop. For someone who has not walked your shoes to tell you what to think and how to feel is, in itself, offensive. And its racist, on top of the racist actions such responses seek to defend.
In Richard Keats II’s mind, racism has to be something violent. Also, he thinks that if W. Kamau Bell was more communicative, there would not be a problem. That’s crazy. Mr. Keats doesn’t seem to get that what the worker did was wrong – period. Mr. Bell should not have had to explain anything to him.
What Mr. Keats and others who think like him seem to want is some door to be kept open that allows them to be mean to black folks. What cracked me up about what Mr. Keats wrote back in 2018 was that he came up with this typically Bay Area psuedo-scientific “let me show I can do research and cite articles to prove I’m smart” bullshit approach to justify that he, when it all breaks down, just doesn’t want to see how a black person perceives the world around them. And just wants to be racist toward that black person – but in a way that he, Keats, doesn’t think is racist. Wow.
Even worse, the “research” examples he provides have zero to do with blacks and racism. He refers to the LGBTQ community, as if that’s, well, the same. It is, only from a straight-white-male-centric point of view. Which, I might add, a person does not have to be straight, white, or male to have – one can be black and afflicted with the same problem. Think about that when a black person tells you “The white man’s ice is colder.”
Wake up, will ya?
Keats, and others like him, seem to forget is that if we as a society keep letting what he calls “slights” that “ don’t rise to the level of racism” go, eventually, we get the many racist encounters that have been captured on cell phone camera this year. All done by white people who did not get the message that they were being racist, and quite possibility had a habit of that kind of behavior before it was captured on camera. Amy Cooper, in New York’s Central Park, making a fake “help, a black man’s attacking me” call to the NYPD. I’ll bet that’s not the first time she’s done something like that.
In this post-George Floyd world, what anyone white must stop doing is discounting the complaints of someone black that they’re being racist. That white person must train themselves to ask one question of that black person: “How can I be better?” Then, they have to be prepared to listen.
We can’t have a society where only white women can say that we should hear them. Everyone has to listen to each other. If I say something you did was racist, don’t tell me it wasn’t and don’t try and find someone else black to cover for you. Humble yourself and ask how you can be a better person toward me. Ask me what it is to be treated in a racist way. Then, take a seat, and say nothing: just listen.
Stay tuned. Happy Star Trek Day! (Remember the IDIC?)
And watch W. Kamau Bell’s show United Shades on CNN. After all, it was basically born in Berkeley, at The Elmwood Café.
City of Oakland Receives Nearly $37M in CARES Act Funding – $5M for Renters & Homeowners
Oakland – The City of Oakland received $36.9 million in State of California CARES Act funding. Five million dollars of those funds were allocated for renter and homeowner relief through the Keep Oakland Housed (KOH) partnership of KOH nonprofit partners and other nonprofit organizations. This funding will provide one-time financial assistance to low-income renters and homeowners impacted by COVID-19. The application period opens today, September 1, 2020.
The City’s Housing & Community Development (HCD) Department is the lead manager of the program. The KOH partnership will disperse funds to eligible applicants, with each nonprofit leading the application process for their organization.
Renter applicants may contact:
Bay Area Community Services (BACS) | www.bayareacs.org
(510) 899-9289 (call) | (510) 759-4877 (text)
Catholic Charities East Bay | www.cceb.org | (510) 768-3100
Centro Legal de la Raza | www.centrolegal.org | (510) 422-5669
Homeowner applicants may contact:
Housing and Economic Rights Advocates (HERA) | www.heraca.org | (510) 271-8443 x300
Applicants must be current Oakland residents, a low-income individual or household, and at risk of losing their home.
Funding is extremely limited, and applications will be prioritized based on need, severity of COVID-19 impact, and funding availability.
The City of Oakland’s Moratorium on Evictions remains in place until the lifting of the local emergency order by the City Council. For more information visit the City’s website at:
For more information on the Keep Oakland Housed COVID-19 Relief Financial Assistance program contact: City of Oakland Housing and Community Development, Housing Resource Center at (510) 238-6182.
Family’s Dash Cam of Derecho 100mph Storm in Grimes, Iowa on August 10, 2020
From YouTube Channel: August 11, 2020 at 10:06PM
ONN – On August 10th, 2020, my wife (Brooke Porter) went to Grimes, Iowa to pickup something from Facebook marketplace. She was not aware of the incoming storm. Our dual dash cam picked up what happened. Thankfully, just a few scratches, broken glasses and a lost stuffed animal. She apologizes in advance for any illegal driving that occurred! ? She was using her phone for navigation – proof: https://ift.tt/3bda2Z1
(Thanks to BomgaarsSupply (Bomgaars – Grimes, IA) / BomgaarsSupply for the shelter)
August 2020 Midwest derecho: https://ift.tt/2XO1aTW
If you want to see more of our family videos, check out our vlogs: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8fZe2OsCjSTbATwAMxUXWYljAkGM6uH6
Subscribe: http://bit.ly/ahhyeah-youtube
Gear I use to Motovlog
GoPro 4
GoPro 3
DJI Osmo Pocket
Purple Panda Microphone
Gear I use to Vlog
iPhone XS Max
iPhone XS
Moment Lens
Doug’s Instagram: https://ift.tt/3lB2GTB
Doug’s Health Instagram: https://ift.tt/3hLlQns
Brooke’s Instagram: https://ift.tt/3gNTx6G
Snapchat: realahhyeah
http://www.ahhyeah.com
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
Oakland – The California First Appellate District Court of Appeal has upheld both an initial arbitration decision and the lower court’s decision that the Golden State Warriors cannot escape the debt they owe the City of Oakland, Alameda County, and the Joint Powers Authority (JPA) for renovations to the Oakland-Alameda County Arena, debt the Warriors agreed to pay over 20 years ago.
As is typical to finance large projects, the County and the City issued bonds worth over $140 million to pay for the new sports arena. They did so in reliance on and assuming the good faith of the Warriors, who agreed to help repay that debt over decades. When the Warriors chose to leave Oakland several years ago, they also attempted to leave their unpaid debt behind. The Court of Appeal flatly rejected the Warriors’ narrow and unconvincing interpretation of their commitment to Oakland and Alameda County and ordered them to fulfill the terms of the agreement.
“The residents of Oakland and Alameda County have been unwavering fans of the Golden State Warriors for over 50 years,” said Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority Executive Director Henry Gardner. “Not only did we have a legally binding agreement, we were partners, working together on producing and keeping a first class exciting basketball team in our community. The community did so with passion and commitment and at great public expense. To simply wave goodbye and leave outstanding debt in excess of $48 million is egregious. The City, County, and Joint Powers Authority said you are obligated to pay. The Court of Appeal agreed.”
The Warriors’ effort to withdraw from their agreement without fulfilling it required the City and County, as the principal members of the JPA, to engage in years of arbitration and litigation, costing over $1 million over time. Despite evidence of a shared agreement and shared understanding starting as far back as 1996, the Warriors nonetheless required the local governments to spend significant time and money over many years to keep the terms of the agreement in place. This decision should bring tens of millions of dollars to the City, County, and JPA, including the unpaid debt and legal costs and fees.
“This victory provides justice for the people of Oakland,” said City Attorney Barbara J. Parker. “The Warriors got the benefit of the bargain they made more than 20 years ago, and yet pursued specious claims to avoid their obligations. We are pleased that every court that reviewed this case agreed that the Warriors must honor their debt, stop stiffing their fans, and pay costs and fees that we incurred.”
ONN – Defunding OPD and CCW’s for Oakland by Derrick Soo
As we begin conversations about “Defunding” the Police, what steps are we taking to PROTECT ourselves, family and others. Currently ONLY Police & criminals aren’t ARMED!!!
For decades Police Departments have violated our 2nd Amendment Rights to ARM ourselves by denying LAW ABIDING CITIZENS from applying for these Permits. However, with “Connections” or Political favoritism, certain people and groups have been issued CA-CCW’s for decades.
In my findings, persons of any “Color” are routinely denied or told they don’t issue CCW Permits are falsehoods and used as Oppressive tools.
I will “OPEN” this Process to all Law Abiding citizens of Oakland. When PROPERLY completed, Training & Competency in Mental understanding through Legal Classes, will be issued a CCW.
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.
Press Release: “Oakland Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick was Fired in Retaliation for Exposing Oakland Police Commission Corruption, Abuse of Power, According to Whistleblower Lawsuit Filed Today. Kirkpatrick Seeks Damages from City for Retaliatory Firing.”
San Francisco — Attorneys for former Oakland Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick filed a whistleblower lawsuit today alleging that she was fired in retaliation for challenging corruption and abuse of power by members of the Oakland Police Commission.
“Rather than address the serious issues Chief Kirkpatrick raised, the City of Oakland, through Mayor Libby Schaaf and the members of Police Commission, fired the most progressive police chief in the city’s history for blowing the whistle on the Commission’s misconduct,” said attorney R. James Slaughter of the law firm of Keker Van Nest & Peters, which filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (see attachment of filed lawsuit).
The suit alleges that Oakland Police Commissioners routinely abused their power, corruptly looked for special treatment from the Police Department, frequently abused and harassed OPD staff, interfered in day-to-day police operations, and sought unlawful access to confidential documents. Chief Kirkpatrick was wrongfully terminated for standing up to the Commission’s misconduct and reporting its unlawful actions.
Chief Kirkpatrick’s suit seeks monetary damages that includes lost pay, benefits, and damages for loss of future earnings through injury to her professional reputation due to her wrongful termination.
The lawsuit alleges that Kirkpatrick served with success and distinction as chief of police. During Chief Kirkpatrick’s three-year tenure, the Oakland’s homicide rate decreased to its lowest level in 20 years and the City was on pace for a 64-year low homicide rate at the time of her termination. Her reform efforts included OPD’s implementation of new policies, strategy, and training around police-citizen encounters.
“But a series of incidents involving individual Police Commissioners ultimately drove the Chief to submit multiple reports of inappropriate and unlawful conduct to the Oakland City Attorney’s Office, the City Administrator, and the Mayor of Oakland—the officials she understood had the capacity to take action to stop the Commissioners’ unlawful conduct and prevent future recurrences,” according to the lawsuit.
But City leaders all ignored Chief Kirkpatrick’s repeated reports of Commission misconduct. “Instead, the Police Commission and Mayor orchestrated Chief Kirkpatrick’s termination in retaliation for the Chief’s repeated whistleblowing,” the lawsuit states.
Among the illegal actions that the lawsuit details are how Commissioners Ginale Harris and Jose Dorado made illegal demands of the police department for personal gain; that Commissioner Harris sought to have a towing ticket fixed and publically made derogatory remarks toward a Black public defender; and that the commission itself was inappropriately directing Oakland Police Department staff.
By late fall of 2019 the Commission was publicly bullying and berating Chief Kirkpatrick’s staff at Commission hearings. Chief Kirkpatrick wrote a formal complaint that highlighted “her belief that the commissioners’ behavior could be retaliation for the Chief’s report of Harris’s challenge to her tow ticket,” according the lawsuit. The City and Commission’s behaviors and attitudes were an impediment to the cultural transformation of OPD that the Chief was working so hard on within the department. The city and commission were not only acting illegally, but eroding Chief Kirkpatrick’s reform efforts.
“The facts will show that Chief Kirkpatrick repeatedly blew the whistle on corrupt actions by the Police Commission, shining a light on their illegal actions, inappropriate influence, abuse of powers, and harassment of city staff,” Slaughter added. “In retaliation, Mayor Libby Schaaf and the Police Commission unlawfully fired her for blowing the whistle on these illegal actions by Police Commissioners.”
This post based on press release from Singer Associates to Zennie62Media, Inc.
Oakland residents ‘excited’ by Harris VP pick From YouTube Channel: August 16, 2020 at 10:16PM ONN – Oakland Residents ‘Excited’ By Joe Biden’s Choice Of Kamala Harris As VP Pick – AP News (12 Aug 2020) Joe Biden named California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate on Tuesday, making history by selecting the first … Read more
PATH Housing, Costs & Benefits by Derrick Soo ONN – PATH Housing, Costs & Benefits by Derrick Soo I talk about my PATH Housing Program on costs, Legal housing as defined by HUD Sec.8 requirements compared to Mayor’s “Tuff Shed” Housing. I introduce “Funding” sources for Grants & assistance programs already available to cover true … Read more
The Joshua Pawlik Shooting is the focus of the just released report by Robert Warshaw, the Thelton E. Henderson court-appointed monitor of the Oakland Police Department in the wake of the events of The Riders Case. Below, is a digitized version of the report. You can also download it here. You can also read former … Read more
SKELLY RECOMMENDATION Oakland Police Department April 2020 SUBJECTS: Lieutenant Alan Yu Sergeant Francisco Negrete Officer William Berger Officer Craig Tanaka Officer Brandon Hraiz Officer Josef Phillips Michael Gennaco Skelly Officer 323-821-0586 7142 Trask Avenue | Playa del Rey, CA 90293 OIRGroup.com SKELLY RESPONSE: Pursuant to the California Constitution and the Manual of Rules (“MOR”) of … Read more
The Oakland Police Commission needs our help. 1. When the November mail-in ballots come out, look for the as-yet-unnamed charter amendment strengthening the power and increasing the funding for the Oakland Police Commission. Tell your friends and neighbors to vote for it. 2. Now: contact your council member and the City Council President, At Large … Read more
The Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal, the planned bulk terminal originally planned by the City of Oakland in partnership with California Capital Investment Group’s Phil Tagami, and now with Insight Terminal Solutions (headed by John Siegel) as a tenant partner, will influence the maintenance of over 10,000 coal jobs and many thousands more in other … Read more
Oakland Police Safely Take Armed Sleeping Driver Into Custody At 100 Block Of East 12th Street ONN – Oakland Police Safely Take Armed Sleeping Driver Into Custody At 100 Block Of East 12th Street The Oakland Police sent this press release via email to Zennie62Media: Driver safely taken into custody and two firearms recovered-100 block … Read more
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra Loses To OBOT Oakland Bulk Terminal In 9th Circuit ONN – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra Loses To OBOT Oakland Bulk Terminal In 9th Circuit The Office Of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra became the latest California organization to lose to Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal or OBOT in the … Read more
Ben Bartlett (Full Interview) From YouTube Channel: February 11, 2019 at 09:56PM ONN – Ben Bartlett Berkeley City Councilman Full Interview On Blockchain He is a Berkeley city councilman who passed the first US crypto bond bill in 2018. He’s a partner of Tackett Bartlett LLP who provides Blockchain Capital Markets legal counseling. During our … Read more
Ben Bartlett: We Need To Get Away From using Chains (Part 1) From YouTube Channel: February 11, 2019 at 09:40PM ONN -Berkeley Councilmember Ben Bartlett: We Need To Get Away From Using Chains (Part 1) Ben Bartlett is a Berkeley city councilman who passed the first US crypto bond bill in 2018. He’s a partner … Read more
UC BERKELEY FALL 2020 STUDENT EXPERIENCE: Online Classes, Club Recruiting, Dorm Life and MORE! From YouTube Channel: July 26, 2020 at 10:00AM ONN – today I am joined by my friend Michelle, who is a rising senior at UC Berkeley, and we talk about what the student experience will be like for incoming freshman and … Read more
A giant civil lawsuit (case number 2:20-cv-00716) against many of the major contractors involved in the building and construction of The NFL Raiders Las Vegas Stadium now called Allegiant Stadium, including Derr & Isbell Construction, Merrill Iron & Steel, Inc., and the Mortenson-McCarthy Las Vegas Stadium Joint Venture, was filed April 21, 2020, in U.S. … Read more
A Proactive Stance on Protecting Our Communities ONN – On this segment of Enforce Equity, we hear from Jesse Newmark, Litigation Director at Centro Legal de la Raza in Oakland, who shares his insight on the role of state and local governments working proactively on behalf of marginalized communities. If you’re a government agency interested … Read more
On Tuesday, Republican Georgia Governor Brian Kemp issued an executive order that was really against Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and her order for that City’s residents to wear masks in public – and that makes this blogger’s head scratch. Did he, or his staff, bother to read the laws of his own great State … Read more
Las Vegas Stadium Authority Doesn’t Post Hotel Tax Revenue Data With 1 Day Before Meeting ONN – Las Vegas Stadium Authority Doesn’t Post Hotel Tax Revenue Data With 1 Day Before Meeting For the first time in almost two years, the Las Vegas Stadium Authority has not posted the stadium hotel tax revenue. And while … Read more
AG Becerra Announces Lawsuit to Protect K-12 Public School Pandemic Relief Funds ONN – California AG Becerra Announces Lawsuit To Protect K-12 Public School Pandemic Relief Funds California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond — alongside special education teacher and Alameda County Board of Education Member-Elect Angela Normand — … Read more
