Oaklanders

Oakland Councilmembers Fife and Thao With Saba Grocers Initiative On Food Needs

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Oakland Councilmembers Fife and Thao With Saba Grocers Initiative On Food Needs

Oakland Councilmembers Fife and Thao With Saba Grocers Initiative On Food Needs From YouTube Channel: March 10, 2021 at 08:53AM ONN – Oakland Councilmembers Fife and Thao With Saba Grocers Initiative On Food Needs Sheng Thao, Oakland District 4 Councilmember wrote this on her Facebook profile: This morning I joined Councilmember Carroll Fife in District … Read more

Oakland Crime: 75-Year-Old Elderly Man Victim Of Strong-Armed Robbery In Adams Point

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Oakland Crime: 75-Year-Old Elderly Man Victim Of Strong-Armed Robbery In Adams Point ONN – Oakland Crime: 75-Year-Old Elderly Man Victim Of Strong-Armed Robbery In Adams Point – vlog by Zennie62 YouTube Watch the vlog Oakland Crime: 75-Year-Old Elderly Man Victim Of Strong-Armed Robbery In Adams Point A Person Is in Custody After an Attack on … Read more

Oakland Police Warning Of Car-Jackings On The Rise Is Scary Stuff – We Must Fight Back!

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Oakland Carjacking

Imagine driving along Oakland’s Broadway Avenue, headed toward Jack London Square and in the objective of having great Everett & Jones Barbeque. As you stop at the traffic light at 14th and Broadway, some dude runs out in front of your car, points a gun at you, and yells “GET OUT OF THE CAR!” That’s … Read more

Five Oakland Multicultural Chambers Of Commerce Call For Unity

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Oakland Chamber Of Commerce

JOINT STATEMENT FROM OAKLAND AREA CHAMBERS Five Chambers – One Oakland Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce, Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, Oakland Latino Chamber of Commerce, Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Oakland Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce March 4, Oakland, CA- Standing together as crime rises in Oakland, the five Oakland multicultural Chambers of … Read more

Oakland Must Establish MACRO Immediately Says The Worker Agency

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A police officer tries unsuccessfully to keep a protester from blocking Interstate 580 in Oakland, Calif on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, after the announcement of the grand jury decision not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Oakland Must Establish MACRO—an Alternative to Leading with Police for Mental Health Crises Response—Immediately Oakland residents, labor and elected officials are calling on the City Of Oakland to immediately implement this program within the next six months Oakland – A broad coalition of residents, community organizations and labor groups are calling on the Oakland City … Read more

Oakland Athletics Ballpark At Howard Terminal New Video Images Released Before DEIR Report

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Oakland Athletics Ballpark At Howard Terminal New Video Images Released Before DEIR Report

Oakland Athletics Ballpark At Howard Terminal New Video Images Released Before DEIR Report From YouTube Channel: February 26, 2021 at 02:14PM ONN – Oakland Athletics Ballpark At Howard Terminal New Video Images Released Before DEIR Report The A’s presented a new design, which is much “softer” in presentation than previeous versions. It’s less dramatic. Why … Read more

Howard Terminal Draft Environmental Impact Report Released By City Of Oakland, A’s – PMSA’s Mike Jacob Attacks

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Oakland-As-Howard-Terminal-Ballpark

The Howard Terminal Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) is out of its cage and here at this link! The City of Oakland and The Oakland Athletics released the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Howard Terminal Ballpark (or more formally called “Oakland Waterfront Ballpark District at Howard Terminal”). First, the Oakland A’s sent their email, … Read more

The Defund Oakland Police Coalition Report On Reimagining Public Safety In Oakland

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Oakland Police Department

Oakland – Today the Defund Oakland Police Coalition released a comprehensive report in response to the draft recommendations issued by Oakland’s Reimagining Public Safety Task Force (RPSTF). At a press event today experts involved with the recommendation process spoke to the specific recommendations from each Advisory Board. “The Defund Oakland Police Coalition is excited about … Read more

Oakland Mayor Schaaf Should Focus On Affordable Housing Needs, Not Victory Laps During Pandemic

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City of Oakland

The Office of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf just sent an email that is a kind of victory lap for the production of affordable housing in Oakland. What’s bothersome about the message is the total lack of attention paid to what the total picture looks like. Here’s what the good mayor sent: Oakland Produces Most Affordable … Read more

City of Oakland Launches Free Employment Training Platform to Help Job Seekers Enhance Skills

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City of Oakland

Oakland – The City of Oakland’s Workforce Development Board is launching a free, online skills training platform offered by Metrix Learning. Taking courses can help Oaklanders improve a wide variety of skills, earn industry certificates, launch into new careers or advance up the career ladder. Metrix Learning offers more than 5,000 courses leading to over … Read more

Rio California, Oakland City Center Pioneer Restaurant, Needs Help To Stay Open During Pandemic

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Rio California Preservation Park Oakland

The Pandemic, and the close-but-don’t-compensate business policy that’s a response to it, and has wrecked California’s Economy, has hurt many popular restaurants and bars like The Alley Cat Bar and now Rio California at 1233 Preservation Park Way, Oakland. I mention Rio California because it was and remains one of the favorite places for City … Read more

Oakland Has Long Had Policies To Give Business Contracts To African Americans; Forgot Black Business Development

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City of Oakland

Today, in 2021, There’s a well-intentioned, and brand new effort in Oakland to steer City of Oakland spending toward black business. Wow. Makes you think that was never done before, right? Well, in my history in Oakland, which goes back to April 8th of 1974, it has been done. The real problem is one that … Read more

Oakland Finance Committee To Discuss Councilmember Kaplan Idea To Use Coliseum Surplus For Shortfall

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Rebecca Kaplan Oakland City Council At-Large

Oakland Finance Committee to Discuss Informational Reports on Budget Shortfall & My Proposal to Use $10 Million Surplus to Save Vital Community Programs & Services Oakland – Today at 1:30pm, the Oakland Finance and Management Committee will receive budget informational reports from the Administration that I requested regarding: the implementation of administrative corrective actions to … Read more

Oakland Community, Rebecca Kaplan, Call for Accountability For Unauthorized Overspending

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Rebecca Kaplan Oakland City Council At-Large

Oakland — On Monday, December 7, 2020 the Oakland Finance Committee heard the FY 2019-20 Q4 & FY 2020-21 Q1 R&E Report. According to the Report from the Interim Director of Finance, dated November 30, 2020, “FY 20-21 year end expenditures are projected to exceed the budget for a total of $62.29 million deficit, which … Read more

Oakland Passes Natural Gas Ban, Dan Kalb Celebrates With Downtown Luxury High Rise Atlas Apartments Pict

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Oakland Passes Natural Gas Ban, Dan Kalb Celebrates With Downtown Luxury High Rise Atlas Apartments Pict The Oakland City Council just passed a ban on the use of natural gas in new residential and commercial buildings. This was the rationale posted here Tuesday: Oakland City Council will consider groundbreaking legislation to improve building safety and … Read more

Oakland City Council’s Natural Gas Ban Would Be More Gentrification As Costs Go Up

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City of Oakland

The Oakland City Council’s set to consider legislation by District One Councilmember Dan Kalb District Two Nikki Fortunado Bas, and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf to ban the use of natural gas in new buildings. But they’re doing so without any concern for how their legislation will impact your ability to live in Oakland in the … Read more

Rebecca Kaplan Wins Re-Election To The Oakland City Council In 2020 Race

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Rebecca Kaplan Oakland City Council At-Large

Oakland – Rebecca Kaplan has retained her At-Large seat on the Oakland City Council. With unofficial results showing her with a lead, her opponent called her this morning to concede the race congratulating her on her new term on the Council. Also congratulating Kaplan on her victory was Councilmember Nikki Bas who said, “Congratulations to … Read more

Oakland Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan Urges No Vote On Proposition 22

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Rebecca Kaplan Oakland City Council At-Large

Oakland – Amid the $200 million in expenditures to pass Proposition 22 and the $400,000 to defeat her by Lyft, Rebecca Kaplan is urging voters to vote No on Proposition 22. Large corporations, including Lyft and Uber, are spending big in this election, seeking to undermine our democracy, harm workers, and undermine our communities, while … Read more

Oakland Economic Recovery Advisory Council Interim Report Shows Major Problem: Analysis Paralysis

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Oakland Economic Recovery Advisory Council Interim Report Shows Major Problem: Analysis Paralysis

Oakland Economic Recovery Advisory Council Interim Report Shows Major Problem: Analysis Paralysis ONN – Oakland Economic Recovery Advisory Council Interim Report Shows Major Problem: Analysis Paralysis – vlog by Zennie62 YouTube The Oakland Economic Recovery Advisory Council Report was released October 26th and to zero fanfare. No press conference. No major effort to tell Oaklanders. … Read more

Oakland Economic Recovery Council 1st Meeting Monday, May 18, 2020

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Oakland Economic Recovery Council 1st Meeting Monday, May 18, 2020 The City of Oakland reports: The Mayor and the Vice Mayor/Chair of the City Council Community and Economic Development Committee are inviting Oakland community and business leaders to participate in an Oakland Economic Recovery Council. The Advisory Council is co-chaired by Mayor Schaaf and Vice … Read more

City Of Oakland, Youth Speaks Inc. Offer Digital Workshops For Oakland’s Cultural Community

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City of Oakland

Oakland – The City of Oakland received $36.9 million in State of California CARES Act funding. Through the Oakland CARES Arts Technical Assistance Fund, $193,000 has been allocated to provide technical assistance to help Oakland-based arts organizations and artists develop a robust online digital presence.

From November 9 to December 10, Youth Speaks, in partnership with YR Media and Zoo Labs, two Oakland artists-centered organizations, will offer 14 free, virtual workshops to train participants on available tools for programming and production; producing content utilizing low-cost tools and technology; the aesthetic associated with virtual presentations; social media and marketing strategies; and strategies on how to monetize one’s presence. For details on the workshop offerings and registration, please visit lifeisliving.org

“The County’s Shelter-in-place Orders to keep Oaklanders safer have prevented many artists, performers and arts organizations from enriching our community through performances and exhibitions,” said… “These workshops will help our cultural practitioners make the leap to online performances to share their artistic expression and generate much needed income.”

“With our desire to navigate and cross several artistic fields (theatre, poetry, production, music, and beyond), we felt it was important to sculpt bold and precise experiments to help our organizations and partners to navigate this moment in time,” said Joan Osato, Producing Director at Youth Speaks. “We’re thrilled to be able to pass on what we’ve learned to our beloved community through this project.”

Youth Speaks & Life Is living Cohort Workshops

Session 1: ​Monday, November 9, 4-5:30 p.m.

​Grounding Rituals​ – Facilitated by Hodari B. Davis, and Joan Osato (Life is Living Cohort) Coaching Session that aligns and codifies shared understanding, language and connection to mission, strategy and content. Identifying your audiences and engagement strategy.

Session 2: ​Monday, November 9, 6-7:30 p.m.

​Seeds​ – Transferring skill sets to virtual engagement and production. How to utilize, train up your existing staff and artists for virtual programming; a 101 tutorial on pre-production, production and post-production, as well as how to budget for it. Training on online tools and platforms including pros and cons of each system, costs and skill sets that are transferable to online programming and production.

Session 3: ​Wednesday, November 11, 4-5:30 p.m.

​Zoomlife​ – 101 Tutorial on everyday use/user friendly platforms. Zoom world practical applications, tricks and tips. Tech Guide in safety, connectivity, equipment. Producing content and media assets utilizing low-cost tools and technology. Britt White, Life is Living’s Production Manager takes you through the backstage into organizing and running your show. Tech guides included.

Session 4: ​Wednesday, November 11, 6-7:30 p.m.

​Advanced Tutorial​ on everyday use/user friendly platforms. Bringing the aesthetics of your organization, artists and engagement priorities into the design of your program. Defining aesthetics, goals, participants and barriers and how to address them. Setting your stage, capture process in the time of COVID-19. Editing, and Rehearsal and Tech. This training involves aesthetics, and innovative practice in virtual presentations and programming. Includes examples of presentations, process and technology by which they were achieved.

Session 5: ​Monday, November 16, 4-5:30pm

​Open Broadcasting Software (OBS) & Wirecast Introduction​ and tutorials. In this session we’ll introduce you to advanced programs that help you capture, produce and stream your content for broadcast. Maximiliano Urruzmendi, Life is Living’s Technical Director takes you through the basics of how the programs work. Handouts Included.

Session 6: ​Monday, November 16, 6-7:30pm​

​Principles of Streaming, Wirecast, YouTube, Twitch platforms continued. Now that you have the basic outline of how the platforms work and are in communication with each other, it’s time to plot out your workflow and take it into broadcast. Maximiliano takes you through various streaming services and platforms and the pros and cons of each. Handouts included.

Session 7: ​Wednesday, November 18, 1-3 p.m.

​Merchandising, Monetizing and Creating Earned Revenue Streams​ – Yavette Holts, founder of BAOBOB (Bay Area Organization of Black Owned Business, Life is Living Cohort) – ​high level overview of ecommerce platforms in order to support business owners and nonprofits who need help optimizing their online store(s) . We’ll take the participants through the platform WooCommerce.

Session 8: ​Wednesday, November 18, 6-7:30 p.m.

​Pivoting your Organization and Practice (now what?)​ – We’ll ​facilitate a conversation about strategies and frameworks for a sustainable future for

organizations and artists and guide and support participants in visioning next steps. Breakout Sessions and Consulting on Scenarios will look at Social media and marketing strategies that apply to virtual programming, including Branding, Analytics and their use in fundraising and strategies for monetizing your platforms. Social Media Toolkit included.

YR Media Workshops

Tuesday, December 1 to Thursday, December 3, 6-7:30 p.m.

Social Circles: Building an Audience in Apocalypse (three-part series)

Now that your fans can’t experience you in a live venue, what do you do to retain and build an audience? How can artists create a personal brand? In this three-part conversation, YR Media’s social team and youth social contributors will show you how to start, and then nurture, an authentic social presence, with recommendations of which platform(s) to target depending on your demographic.

Zoo Labs Workshops (Recommended for Artists/Collectives working in music)

Session 1: Tuesday, December 8, 5-7 p.m.

Your Story Brand – Attendees will learn how to digitally tell a story that can sell and market their brand to their customers. Presented by ​Mashama Thompson of 510 Media.

Session 2: Wednesday, December 9, 5-7 p.m.

​The Digital Roll Out Strategy – Attendees will learn how to strategically engage fans and create buzz around music, videos or other online content. Presented by Lance Coleman, Fuze the MC.

Session 3; Thursday, December 10, 5-7 p.m.

How to Get Paid and Follow the Trends – Attendees will learn how to collect money through their digital royalties and understand their data to know what is working in order to make future strategies. Presented by United Masters.

The workshops are for Oakland residents and reservations are required. Participation in the program is on a first come, first served basis.

This is the latest CARES Act-funded program launched by the City of Oakland. Previously, grant programs for small businesses, individual artists and arts nonprofits, home-based businesses, community-serving nonprofits, and low-income renters and homeowners were announced. Additionally, free legal advice webinars and consultations on lease negotiations are being supported by CARES Act funds. Learn more about the City of Oakland’s $36.9 million in CARES Act Funding at: oaklandca.gov/CaresAct

About Youth Speaks

Through the intersection of arts education and youth development practices, civic engagement strategies, and high-quality artistic presentation, Youth Speaks creates safe spaces that challenge young people to find, develop, publicly present, and apply their voices as creators of societal change. They are the producers of Life is Living is an eco-equity, interdisciplinary festival that centers historically underserved neighborhoods and communities with programming in public spaces that have been otherwise neglected. For the last 13 years, the Life is Living Festival has taken place at De Fremery Park in West Oakland

About YR Media

YR Media is a national network of young journalists and artists who collaborate with peers around the country and top media professionals to create content that matters. It is non-profit production company that builds critical skills in journalism, arts and media.

About Zoo Labs

Zoo Labs a not-for-profit accelerator that bridges art, ​entrepreneurship, and capital to conduct 3 high level workshops for musicians specifically around branding, music production and entrepreneurship.

Post based on press release from The City of Oakland to Zennie62Media.

KTVU Archives: The 1991 Oakland Hills Fire

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Ktvu Archives: 10th Anniversary Of The ’91 Oakland Hills Fire

KTVU archives: 10th anniversary of the ’91 Oakland Hills fire
From YouTube Channel: October 20, 2020 at 08:22PM

ONN – KTVU Archives: The 1991 Oakland Hills Fire

The video reported “Today marks 29 years since the deadly Oakland Hills fire. Here’s a look back at KTVU coverage of the 10th anniversary,” but for me, since I was in it, I have something to share, too.

That day of the Oakland Hills Fire was a Sunday morning. I met my friend from Skyline High School days (Class of 1980), Valerie Ostrom, for breakfast at Lynn & Lu’s Escapade Cafe Cafe on Grand Avenue near Elwood.  We probably should have went to church, considering what was about to unfold.

We had an outdoor table on a bright, sunny, hot fall morning, and so were direct witness to what was unfolding. A group of people standing in the street, and collectively peering to our left – uphill, on Grand. As I recall, no cars were driving by at that specific time. Because of the way the street curved at that point, we could not see what they were looking at. Once we went out to join them, it became apparent what was happening: a giant-sized smoke plume from the Oakland Hills, and in the general direction of Valerie’s parents home on Proctor Avenue.

So, and because Valerie was concerned about her folk’s dogs (she thought her parents were away from home), we drove up to see about them. As it turned out, it got darker and darker, as we drove, and what started out to be a check-in, turned into an evacuation. I wound up driving Valerie and her parents out of the neighborhood and to another relative’s place – away from their home.

Talk about dark and scary. At one point, I wondered if we would get out of there, because we were also in traffic with others trying to escape. We made it, and thanks to what we then called the police, and now call “first responders”.

That Oakland Hills Fire changed Oakland, dramatically, and forever. It started because someone put out a cigarette in a giant brush and during a heat wave with no cool air to reduce the temperature. It damaged most of the homes in the Upper Broadway Terrace area. But, after some time, the area was rebuilt – but it lacked the woodsy charm of my youth. What it gained was a new set of politically-active Oaklanders, who never had to deal with City Hall, before.

That said, I give credit to The City of Oakland’s satellite permit response effort – something that emerged because so many people received insurance money to rebuild their homes. What came from that marked the area’s appearance today.

Stay tuned.

Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a YouTube channel. When the video is “liked” by Zennie62 YouTube, then it is automatically uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective here, on top of our is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours – is the use of the existing YouTube social graph on any subject in the World. Now, news is reported with a smartphone and also by promoting current content on YouTube: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary, or having a camera crew to shoot what is already on YouTube. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.

via IFTTT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7l7hxfM03c

Oakland City Council: Councilmember Loren Taylor Leads Passage Of Homeless Encampment Policy

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Oakland Councilmember Loren Taylor District Six

Oakland – On Tuesday, October 20, 2020, the Oakland City Council unanimously passed its first Encampment Management Policy clarifying how it will ensure health and safety for those living in and around homeless encampments. As Chair of the Council’s Life Enrichment Committee, Councilmember Loren Taylor, guided the 8-month process for developing the policy which included broad engagement of diverse community stakeholders, including housed and unhoused residents, business and nonprofit leaders, public health professionals and city employees who have worked closely with the unhoused community. “I am grateful to the more than 1200 Oakland community members who contributed their ideas and perspectives throughout this process, ensuring that we live up to our values of compassion and equity while ensuring standards of health and safety that protect all Oaklanders,” Councilmember Taylor said.

The goal of the policy, presented by the City’s Homelessness Administrator Daryel Dunston, is to reduce the negative health and safety impacts associated with homeless encampments – for both unhoused and housed residents. Even though an administrative policy has existed since 2017, it was not formally reviewed nor adopted by the Council, leading many housed and unhoused Oakland residents to complain about the lack of transparency, inconsistent application of the policy, and mixed messages coming from different departments of the City.

As acknowledged by the over 150 public speakers during last night’s council meeting, the status quo has not worked, on the contrary it has allowed an increase in public health and safety issues including excessive fire hazards, confirmed cases of infectious diseases, excessive vermin vector hazards, excessive amounts of waste/garbage/debris, and pervasive criminal activities in and around encampments. “Residents of Oakland have been asking us to lead on this seemingly intractable issue and we finally have. I am grateful to all of my Council colleagues for their contributions to this policy and unanimous support to move forward in response to overwhelming community demand for action,” said Taylor.

Key aspects of the new policy include:

1. Identification of high and low sensitivity areas based on the likelihood of health and safety impacts, and it defines how the City will address unsafe conditions or activities while respecting the rights and needs of our unsheltered neighbors

2. Clarification of public health and safety standards that will be upheld for the well-being of encampment residents and their neighbors alike

3. Clarification of how we will work as hard as we can to provide health and hygiene supports, services, outreach and offers of shelter

The Encampment Management Policy was unanimously passed by the Council and the policy will be reviewed in four months.

Councilmember Loren Taylor represents Oakland Council District 6 and serves as the Chair of the Oakland City Council’s Life Enrichment Committee, as well as a Commissioner on the Youth Ventures Joint Powers Authority and the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum Joint Powers Authority, and the Association of Bay Area Governments Executive Committee.

OUSD to Update Public On $133 Million Project To Upgrade Fremont High School Wednesday

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Fremont High School

OUSD to Update Public on Massive $133 Million Project to Upgrade Fremont High School in News Conference on Wednesday

Oakland – OUSD is holding a news conference on Wednesday, October 21, to update the school community and the public at large about the progress made on a major project to revamp the Fremont High School campus. Although the construction continues, the changes have come into clear focus with the addition of a new academic building, gymnasium, athletic field with grandstands and press box, a new front entrance to the school, and many other amenities. The changes also include a totally revamped academic building. (Note: also read about the Insight Terminal Solutions Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal, here.)

Fremont High's new academic building (left) and the newly revamped academic building.
Fremont High’s new academic building (left) and the newly revamped academic building.

The project will also address sustainability with bioretention planters which will filter rainwater before it reaches the storm drain system, additional windows and skylights that allow for more natural lighting, and even a pair of electric vehicle chargers.

Much of the $133 million project is complete, although crews are putting the finishing touches on the new features, which are expected to be completed by the end of the fall semester in December. That means the school will be ready to welcome students and staff back to campus as early as spring 2021, once conditions related to the Covid pandemic allow for in-person instruction.

 

Fremont High
Fremont High

Fremont High sits at the corner of Foothill Boulevard and High Street, and serves as an important pillar of the community near the Fruitvale BART Station. With its 900 students, Fremont is the top choice for high school students in the area, in part because of its robust Career and Technical Education programs, which include an advanced woodworking and carpentry shop and a celebrated media arts academy. Many graduates of these programs go on to lucrative careers in Oakland’s trades industry.

Fremont High
Fremont High

“We are excited to show the community, and especially our school community, the new Fremont High campus,” said Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell. “For more than a century, this campus has been warm and welcoming, but we have wanted to make much-needed improvements for a long time because the students and staff deserve it. Thanks to the amazing support of Oakland voters who passed Measure J, we were able to fund the transformation of this campus into a 21st century high school environment that will serve generations of Oaklanders to come.”

WHAT: Fremont High School Construction Project Update News Conference
WHEN: Noon, Wednesday, October 21
WHERE: Fremont High School, 4610 Foothill Blvd

 

Post based on press release from OUSD to Zennie62Media.

Covered CA Enrollment Event With Mayor Schaaf, Councilmember McElhaney, At Lake Chalet, Oakland

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Covered Ca Enrollment Event @ Lake Chalet, Oakland, Ca

Covered CA Enrollment Event @ Lake Chalet, Oakland, CA
From YouTube Channel: August 21, 2020 at 12:41PM

ONN – Covered CA Enrollment Event With Mayor Schaaf, Councilmember McElhaney, At Lake Chalet, Oakland

This event was to help sign Oaklanders up for Covered California, the program launched as part of the Affordable Care Act.

Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a YouTube channel. When the video is “liked” by Zennie62 YouTube, then it is automatically uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective here, on top of our is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours – is the use of the existing YouTube social graph on any subject in the World. Now, news is reported with a smartphone and also by promoting current content on YouTube: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary, or having a camera crew to shoot what is already on YouTube. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.

via IFTTT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cSs5ebM-3g

OUSD Provides Eleven Oakland Schools As Polling Locations For November 3 2020 Election

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Oakland Unified School District OUSD

Oakland – With the November 3 election now just 15 days away, people across Oakland are already casting their votes for everything from ballot measures to political offices all the way up to the President and Vice President of the United States. To help Oaklanders exercise their constitutional right to vote, OUSD is providing ten District-run schools and one charter school as polling locations. The schools are as follows.

OUSD is providing ten District-run schools
OUSD is providing ten District-run schools

In the weeks leading up to the election, some of the schools have seen voters visit in an effort to drop off their mail-in ballots at what will likely be their November 3 polling locations. However, the schools are NOT serving as ballot drop-off locations. If you are voting early and want to drop off your ballot rather than put it in the mail, you can visit the Alameda County Registrar of Voters at 1225 Fallon Street or you can find a map of ballot drop-box locations here.

It’s also important to know that today, Monday, October 19 is the final day to register to vote in the November election. If you are doing it by mail – it must be postmarked by today – or if you are registering online, please do so here. If you don’t register today, you can still register in person at the county registrar’s office, but that is known as a Conditional Voter Registration.

“This is an incredibly important election for a whole host of reasons, and we are proud to support the democratic process by offering our schools as polling locations,” said Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell. “If you haven’t already, don’t forget to register to vote, and then make sure you cast your ballots. It’s critical that all of our voices are heard as we shape the future that we want for ourselves and our children.”

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.

 

Post based on press release from OUSD to Zennie62Media

Oakland Police Commission Adopts a New Use of Force Policy

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Oakland Police Department

Oakland – Over the last week the Oakland Police Commission made two bold policy actions to keep Oaklanders safe. The Oakland Police Commission unanimously approved a new use of force and asphyxia policy for the Oakland Police Department during Commission meetings (October 8 and October 15th). The Police Commission’s action was fully supported by leadership of the Oakland Police Department, the Community Police Review Agency (CPRA) and several community groups, many of whom assisted Commissioners in developing the new policy by providing personal perspectives and subject matter expertise.

The revision process was led by an Ad Hoc Committee of three Commissioners and supported by legal and policy experts, a project management consultant, Police Department leadership, and representatives from the City and community.

“This policy is the culmination of almost a year’s worth of hard work and is a first step in rebuilding trusted relationships,” said Commissioner Ginale Harris, Ad Hoc Committee Chair. “The Black community has suffered enough. We needed a new use of force policy that clearly guides officers to protect us, not harm us. I don’t believe that policy changes behavior, and I believe it’s going to take more than just this policy to have accountability. However, I do believe this new policy is a start, especially in holding officers accountable.

It’s one of the most progressive policies out there and I’m very proud of the collaborative work that this effort has produced,” added Harris.

The Commission and the Oakland Police Department agreed to overhaul Oakland’s outdated use of force policy after completing a limited revision in January 2020 that brought Oakland into compliance with Assembly Bill 392. That initial revision made clear that a more substantive change was required.

Despite significant challenges created by the ongoing pandemic, the Ad Hoc Commissioners initiated a community engagement process to surface public sentiment and ideas and incorporated this feedback into the final policy.

“This policy was created during an exceptional time; mass protests, calls for police reform, economic recession and a global pandemic. Those conditions required that the Commission innovate to ensure the voices of those most marginalized and directly impacted by police use of force were included. I want to extend gratitude to the many community voices that made important changes in the policy possible,” added Commissioner Tara Anderson, a member of the Ad Hoc Committee. “This policy is a milestone. It is not a bookend, but instead a chapter in the work towards rebuilding stronger, safer and more equitable communities in Oakland.”

Changes to Oakland Police Department’s use of force policy include the use of the term “weapons” instead of “tools” to signify the gravity involved, as well as:

• Prioritizing the sanctity of life

• Requiring the use of de-escalation tactics, and directing officers to
consider disengagement as an
alternative to the immediate application of force

• Using person-centric language throughout

• Placing strict necessity and proportionality requirements on all uses of
force

• Requiring officers to intervene if they view other officers using
inappropriate force

• Pushing far beyond the Constitutional “floor” for police Use of Force
policies, among other things

“There is an ever-present tension when looking at a policy like this one because it initiates the review of so many other related policies and training bulletins. It also requires cooperation and collaboration with other entities like the City Council, state legislature and maybe even federal authorities,” said Commissioner Henry Gage III, member of the Ad Hoc committee and Vice Chair of the Oakland Police Commission. “This is a better policy than the one that came before it. It is a new foundation, and one we intend to build on.”

A revised version of Special Order (SO) 9205 Banning of the Carotid Restraint and All Forms of Asphyxia was approved during the Thursday night Special Commission meeting. The language added by the Commission clarified expectations about rendering medical assistance and explicit prohibitions on applying pressure to the chest, back, stomach or shoulders. SO 9205 goes beyond the prohibitions on carotid and chokehold signed into law by Governor Newsom last month, the Commission’s policy bans additional forms of contact known to cause serious injury and death.

The implementation of this new version of Department General Order K03 (Use of Force) and the additional language on Asphyxia in SO 9205 will go into effect immediately.

This post based on a press release to Zennie62Media.

Moms 4 Housing Now A Community & Land Trust-Owned Home – Oakland Councilmember Bas

by
Nikki Bas Oakland City Council District Two Councilmember

Oakland District Two Councilmember Nikki Bas’ Digitized Newsletter

Last week, I was so moved to see #MomsHouse on Magnolia Street finally become community-owned as permanently affordable, transitional housing for unsheltered mothers.

Congratulations to Dominique Walker, Tolani King, Misty Cross, Sameerah Karim and Carroll Fife for leading this movement to end corporate speculation and house more Oaklanders. I am proud to have stood with them over the last year to call attention to making housing a human right, together with Council President Rebecca Kaplan, Councilmember Dan Kalb and Assemblymember Rob Bonta.

Moms 4 Housing
Moms 4 Housing

Sustainable, Healthy Use of Lake Merritt – Lake Merritt Vending Pilot Program Update

Coming out of the second weekend of our Lake Merritt Vending Pilot Program, we were excited to be joined by Parks and Recreation Advisory Commissioner Dwayne Aikens, Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kev Choice, the Oakland Black Vendors Association and neighbors to:

• Promote health and safety during COVID-19,
• Support struggling small businesses and entrepreneurs in this difficult time, and
• Ensure sustainable, equitable and inclusive long-term use of the Lake.

This pilot program for merchandise vendors will take place through November 22nd on El Embarcadero and along Lakeshore to Beacon from 10am to 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
This weekend, Community Ready Corps (CRC) will be joining the pilot to promote public health during COVID. Volunteers will distribute COVID kits that have face masks, hand sanitizer and gloves to help promote compliance with the County Health Order.

My team is grateful for the collaboration of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission (PRAC), the Oakland Black Vendors Association, James “Old School” Copes, city departments, and the community to ensure access, safety and equity at the Lake for everyone in our city.

This is what an Oakland for all of us means to me — working with a coalition of diverse stakeholders to ensure the Lake, as our city’s pride, is an enjoyable public space that each of us can use.

Moms 4 Housing
Moms 4 Housing

TUESDAY 10/20: Oakland City Council Meeting Preview Homeless Encampment Management Policy and Community Safety

Tuesday, October 20th’s 1:30pm City Council meeting will include the following important agenda items:

Item 6: COVID-19 Emergency Response And The Creation Of Clean Air Buildings For Use Of The Community During The COVID-19 Shelter In Place Emergency.

Thanks to our awesome District 2 constituent and outgoing Cleveland Heights Neighborhood Council Co-Chair Rachel Broadwin for introducing us to Dr. Rupa Basu, Section Chief for the Air and Climate Epidemiology Section of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment at CalEPA. At our September Council meeting, I expressed concern that our air quality and temperature triggers were too high to fully protect the health and safety of our most vulnerable residents. At my urging, our Fire Department staff met with Dr. Basu to discuss recommendations for activating extreme weather Emergency Respite Centers (ERC) in Oakland. As an outcome of the conversation and further discussions with internal stakeholders and community feedback, the activation triggers for the City of Oakland have been lowered to an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 200 – Very Unhealthy (versus what was previously 250) and temperatures forecasted to reach/exceed 95 degrees for 2 consecutive days or 100 degrees in one day. We are grateful for Dr. Basu and Rachel’s important expertise as we navigate these challenging times!

Item 7: Gun Violence Top Law Enforcement Priority resolution from President Kaplan to prioritize the decrease in illegal guns and gun violence by increasing gun tracing, improving response time to shooting notifications, and prioritizing response to gun crime.

Item 8: Homeless Encampment Management resolution, which proposes to designate priority areas for encampment management and outlines actions including the criteria for assessing what locations will be prioritized for enforcement or other homelessness interventions from the city.

Item 14: Adopt either the resolution proposed by the Oakland Police Commission or Oakland Police Department banning the carotid restraint and all forms of asphyxia.

Item 16: I’m co-sponsoring with President Kaplan, a resolution Terminating the Oakland Police Department’s Participation In The Joint Terror Task Force to ensure compliance with our local and state laws and focus on threats based on evidence, not bias or racial profiling.

 

See details to join the meeting and provide public comment. You can also share e-comments here.

TUESDAY 10/27: Community & Economic Development Meeting – Impact Fees, Economic Recovery Recommendations

 

On Tuesday October 27th at 1:30pm, the Community and Economic Development Committee will discuss two important items:

 

Item 2: Informational report on Impact Fees for Affordable Housing, Jobs/Housing, and Transportation and Capital Improvements, and
Item 3: Informational report on the Economic Recovery Council’s Draft Recommendations.

 

Oakland Workers, Know Your Rights! COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave

Oakland Workers Rights
Oakland Workers Rights

 

Thank you to East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE) for creating Know Your Rights materials on the emergency protections for Oakland workers passed by Council earlier this summer, which I was proud to co-sponsor.

 

The City’s Emergency Paid Sick Leave policy requires certain employers to provide leave to workers who test positive for COVID-19, present symptoms, are caring for family members who were exposed or present symptoms, or are at high risk from an infection. Check out and share the flyers in English and Spanish so that Oakland workers are aware of their rights!

 

City of Oakland; District 2 News and Resources
County Reopening Updates, Small Biz Legal Support, Grants for Home-Based Business

 

New County Health Orders Allow Additional Business Operations: Effective October 9, Alameda County now allows: hotels & lodging for tourism with their fitness centers and indoor pools restricted; museums, zoos & aquariums indoors at < 25% capacity; personal care services indoors with modification (services requiring removal of face covering still prohibited); gyms and fitness centers indoors at < 10% capacity with restrictions on aerobic exercise and classes. While the update allows partial reopening of libraries, Oakland Public LIbrary will remain closed for indoor services until plans are in place for safely reopening the buildings.

Beginning Friday, October 16, Alameda County will permit additional outdoor activities, including playgrounds, that follow the State’s guidance. Additionally, Alameda County is preparing to update the local Health Officer Orders to permit additional activities during the week of October 26. These activities will include: indoor dining up to 25% capacity or less than 100 people, whichever is less; indoor worship services up to 25% capacity or less than 100 people, whichever is less; indoor theaters up to 25% capacity or less than 100 people, whichever is less; expansion of indoor retail and malls at up to 50% of capacity and permitting limited food courts.

County Guidance on Safe Halloween Practices: Bay Area health officials recently released guidance on how to celebrate Halloween and Dia de los Muertos safely. Gatherings, celebrations, events or parties with non-household members are not permitted unless conducted in compliance with local and state health orders. Please avoid participating in traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door to door and do not have trunk-or-treat where treats are handed from car trunks lined up in large parking lots.

See also this guidance from the CA Dept. of Public Health:

Many traditional Halloween celebrations, such as parties and door-to-door trick-or-treating, pose a high risk of spreading COVID-19 and are strongly discouraged by CDPH
Not only do traditional celebrations pose a spread risk, they would also result in great difficulty in conducting appropriate contact tracing
Local Health Departments may have additional, more stringent restrictions
CDPH recommends that families begin planning for safer alternatives.

Legal Help for Oakland Small Businesses with Lease Negotiations: Oakland has allocated $150,000 of California CARES funding to the nonprofit Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the SF Bay Area to provide legal advice and assistance on lease negotiations to small businesses that have suffered revenue losses due to COVID-19. Business owners can access these free, multilingual legal services here, such as commercial leasing webinars through mid-December, 1:1 one-hour consultations and longer-term assistance which may include lease negotiation, pre-litigation and settlement negotiations or representation in a court proceeding.

$2-4K Grants for Home-Based Businesses: Income from a home-based business is often a big source of household income for our city’s entrepreneurs. The Oakland CARES Act Home-Based Business Grant program will distribute $500,000 to home-based, for-profit businesses. Apply here by 11:59pm on Monday, November 2 in 4 languages. Priority will be given to businesses representing a broad geographic diversity in Oakland, especially those located in low-income areas or otherwise historically vulnerable communities; those who have received $4,000 or less in funding from the Paycheck Protection Program; and those with annual gross business revenue under $150,000.

Several Grants Extended:

The Oakland CARES Act Small Business Grant Program will accept applications until 5 p.m. on Friday, October 23. This program will provide $10,000 grants to qualifying Oakland small businesses that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 and have gross revenues under $2 million. Online applications and eligibility requirements in four languages are available at: mainstreetlaunch.org/oakland-cares-act-grant/
The application deadline for the Oakland CARES Nonprofit Grant Fund has been extended to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, October 28. This program will award grants of up to $25,000 to qualifying community-serving nonprofits with annual budgets of less than $1 million that address the impact of COVID-19 and the needs of low-income residents and businesses in the following areas: Health & Human Services; Economic & Workforce Development; Legal Support; Food Security; Homeless and Renter Support Services; and Education. Online applications and eligibility requirements are available at: communityvisionca.org/oaklandcares/

The application deadline for the Oakland CARES Fund for Artists and Arts Nonprofits impacted by COVID-19 has been extended to 1pm Friday, October 23. The program will distribute awards of up to $20,000 to arts nonprofits with annual budgets of less than $2.5M, while supporting individual artists with grants of up to $3,000 each. Learn more here.

Oakland Parks & Recreation Foundation’s 1st Citywide Parks Workshop: Whether you’re an experienced community leader or a new volunteer, join this free workshop taking place on Saturday, November 14, from 9:00am to 1:00pm to collaborate and learn about strategies and tools to improve Oakland parks. Learn more and register here.

East Bay Community Energy’s Resilient Home Program: Oakland has partnered with nonprofit public electricity provider East Bay Community Energy to launch a solar + battery backup program for homeowners. EBCE has partnered with Sunrun to provide no-cost / obligation-free consultations and will provide a proposal for your consideration. If you decide to move forward, there is a $1,250 incentive to homeowners that enroll their battery in the program and share power with EBCE during peak times when there isn’t a power outage. Since launch in August, nearly 700 homeowners countywide have registered for consultations. Sign up for your consultation and learn more at upcoming webinars.
Voting Reminders
Vote Early!

Given the pandemic and the threats to our democracy, please vote early. All registered voters will be sent an absentee ballot automatically to limit COVID exposure. You must register to vote to receive an absentee ballot!

You can vote in person or drop off your ballot at the Alameda County Registrar of Voters: 1225 Fallon Street, Room G1, Oakland, or put it into one of the official, free 24-hour drop boxes anytime by November 3rd 8pm. If you use a USPS mailbox, postage is free, and it’s critical to vote early!

You can also sign up to track your ballot.

October 19th is the last day for regular online voter registration.
October 20th – November 3rd, you can do same day voter registration.

On November 3rd, you can vote in person or drop your ballot off at your polling place by 8pm.

With many measures on the ballot, my go-to guides are Oakland Rising’s Voter Guide and the CA AAPI Voting Guide in seven AAPI languages.

With Oakland Love,

Nikki Fortunato Bas
Councilmember, City of Oakland, District 2

Oakland Mayor Schaaf Picks Lynette Gibson McElhaney, Treva Reid, More, In 2020 Voters Guide

by
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf

LIBBY’S ELECTION GUIDE

Dear Oaklanders,

Libby and Family
Libby and Family

Earlier this week, I ended my 2020 State of the City address by recognizing that this November’s election is so consequential it could chart a new path for our state and our nation. I meant it.

I hope you’re as fired up as I am about this Presidential race, and how proud we can all be to vote for native Oaklander Kamala Harris for Vice President along with Joe Biden.

If you want to help turn out voters in critical states it is easier than ever to do right from home. Check out these easy phone banking options with SwingLeft or Indivisible. If you’re too shy to phone bank, www.voteforward.org is an easy way to send personalized, nonpartisan letters out to simply encourage folks to vote.

And there are some transformational California Measures on the 2020 ballot! I’m most excited to vote for Schools & Communities First – Prop 15! It will close corporate property tax loopholes to reclaim nearly $12 billion every year for schools and vital services for our local communities, while protecting residential properties and small businesses. (In fact, with Prop 19 seniors and disaster survivors will have more residential property tax protections than they have today). We also need Prop 16 to pass, so we can consider diversity and racial equity in public decisions and level the playing field. And to advance criminal justice reform, vote for Props 17 & 25 and against Prop 20.

I’m also super passionate about electing Derreck Johnson for At-Large City Council – as is Kamala Harris. A 3rd-generation, gay, African American Oaklander raised by a single mother in the Acorn housing projects, he graduated from an HBCU and started House of Chicken & Waffles in Jack London Square, where 70% of employees have been formerly incarcerated. He’s the former Chair of Oakland’s Workforce Development Board and in 2012 Congresswoman Barbara Lee presented him with the City of Oakland’s Citizen Humanitarian Award. His life experiences are particularly needed as Oakland meets this moment to advance racial justice and help our economy recover.

Since Oakland created the At-Large seat 40 years ago, it has never been held by an African American. Its current incumbent Rebecca Kaplan has made budget proposals deemed “reckless” and “designed to appease special interests.” She tried to kill Oakland’s Department of Transportation, which not only is fixing Oakland’s broken and dangerous streets, but is nationally recognized for its commitment to equity. And the East Bay Express criticized her for a “shady political campaign” and “poor decision-making” which “raises concerns about her ethics.”
Here’s my complete Voter’s Guide:
I’m supporting all of Oakland’s Congressional, State and Special District Board incumbents, with the exception of challenger Jean Walsh for AC Transit.

Here’s where I stand on State & Local Propositions & Measures:
Yes on Prop 14 to expand stem cell research.
Yes on Prop 15 to permanently increase public school and local services funding by closing a big corporate property tax loophole.
Yes on Prop 16 so our public institutions can consider diversity and racial equity in our work to lift-up ALL Californians.
Yes on Prop 17 to restore the right to vote for parolees.
Yes on Prop 18 to let 17 year-olds vote in primaries if they’ll be 18 before the general election.
Yes on Prop 19 to allow seniors, people with disabilities and disaster survivors to maintain their tax base on a replacement home.
NO on Prop 20 sentencing reform rollback because over-incarceration don’t work.
Yes on Prop 21 to expand rent control options for cities.
NO on Prop 22 to protect new hard-earned rights for gig workers.
Yes on Prop 23 to improve standard of care at Dialysis Centers.
You decide Prop 24 RE: Consumer Privacy. There are pros & cons.
Yes on Prop 25 to end the unjust money bail system.
Yes on Measure V to extend a utility tax on unincorporated Alameda County for their services.
Yes on Measure W to increase sales tax by a half-cent to fund county services, especially public health and homelessness.
Yes on Measure Y to upgrade & repair our classrooms.
Yes on Measure QQ to allow youth to vote for School Board members.
Yes on Measure RR to allow city fines to exceed $1000.
Yes on Measure S1 to strengthen Oakland’s Police Commission.

Oakland City Council Races

You know I love Oakland. Please trust my careful assessments in these Oakland City Council Races:

At-Large: Derreck Johnson – deeply-rooted Oaklander and small business & workforce leader made for this moment.
District 1: Dan Kalb – ethical, progressive hard-working legislator and environmental champion.
District 3: Lynette Gibson McElhaney – grieving mother & grandmother herself, a powerful advocate for violence prevention & community development.
District 5: Noel Gallo – with deep roots & decades of public service, a tireless worker for clean streets and public education.
District 7: Treva Reid – East Oakland couldn’t ask for a more competent, deeply experienced & compassionate new leader. Marchon Tatmon has my #2 for his Budget Advisory Commission & homeless services experience.

Oakland School Board

You know I’m passionate about public education and OUSD’s success. Please support these Oakland School Board candidates:

District 1: Austin Dannhaus – former teacher, focused on educational equity, quality schools for all students and results; Board and finance experience critical for during this time. Sam Davis has my #2 due to his past experience with families in Oakland and commitment to dialogue.
District 3: Maiya Edgerly and Mark Hurty (Dual Endorsement)-
*Maiya-founder of an non-profit that supports students to get into HBCUs, that is aligned with Oakland Promise’s vision to support students be first in their family to complete college.
*Mark-former Oakland teacher, passionate about educational equity; kind and open to dialogue, presently helping to lead an non-profit aligned with #OaklandUndivided’s vision to close the digital divide.
District 5 – Leroy Gaines and Jorge Lerma (Dual Endorsement)-
*Leroy- a former teacher and OUSD principal for >10 years – selected OUSD principal of the year, kind, demonstrated leadership, strong relationships with educators, students & families, history of results.
*Jorge- a former Oakland teacher, principal and leader for decades, founded Latino Education Network; a gentle soul, committed to equity, pre-K, K12 experience, and a champion of Oakland Promise.
District 7: Cliff Thompson -a teacher and principal for >40 years with deep roots, Oakland education experience; kind soul who cares deeply for equity & quality schools for all students, demonstrated leadership.

So much is at stake this election! As I said in my State of the City, we must vote — and volunteer — like our lives depend on it.

With Love for Oakland & Democracy,
Libby

A Conversation with Oakland Rotary Nature Center Friends Katie Noonan and David Wofford

by
A Conversation With Rotary Nature Center Friends Katie Noonan And David Wofford

A Conversation with Rotary Nature Center Friends Katie Noonan and David Wofford
From YouTube Channel: August 17, 2020 at 12:39PM

ONN – A Conversation with Oakland Rotary Nature Center Friends Katie Noonan and David Wofford

KTOP chats with the Rotary Nature Center Friends Co-Chairs, Katie Noonan and David Wofford. They talk about this year’s 150th celebration of Oakland’s Wildlife Refuge, the first in the Nation. They also discuss the history of Lake Merritt and its role in the community as a gathering spot for Oaklanders. Take a peek and learn how you can be a partner in maintaining our City’s crown jewel!

Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a YouTube channel. When the video is “liked” by Zennie62 YouTube, then it is automatically uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective here, on top of our is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours – is the use of the existing YouTube social graph on any subject in the World. Now, news is reported with a smartphone and also by promoting current content on YouTube: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary, or having a camera crew to shoot what is already on YouTube. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.

via IFTTT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR3tD7PuU2c

Re-Elect Rebecca Kaplan Over Sidebotham, Johnson For Oakland City Council At-Large In 2020

by
Rebecca Kaplan Oakland City Council At-Large

In the 2020 Oakland Elections, Oakland City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan is facing a major challenge from friend and perennial campaigner Nancy Sidebotham, and newcomer Derreck Johnson.

Nancy is an incredible member of the Oakland political world, but her main advantage is in pointing out problems, less than offering solutions. I like Derreck Johnson, and his run represents a need for more black male participation in Oakland politics. That said, he has no previous Oakland political experience at all, and no knowledge of municipal governance. As much as his efforts and his errors in business are good teachers for him, and for anyone entering politics, and draw media racism he’s not ready to lead Oakland at this point in time, Moreover, he’s the latest manchurian candidate offered up by my godsister Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. Libby should just work to make friends with Rebecca. I’ve said that before, I’ll say it again.

Anyway, when I think of Rebecca, I think of what I contend is her signature, lasting effort. The one that shows good Oakland City Council work in action: The Broadway Free Transit Shuttle that’s now an Oakland institution.

I also think of the many ideas she’s formed to help Oakland’s budget, as well as the many, many small efforts she has made to ease the lives of Oaklanders. It does not matter if it’s a City Council motion that passes, or co-authoring legislation to get Oakland’s speeding problem under control, the fact is, the total number of legal changes she has made for Oaklanders has not been effectively chronicled. The point is, experience matters.

The Oakland City Council faces the very real prospect of having a membership consisting of no one with over one year of experience. And that’s in the middle of a Pandemic. Rebecca must be re-elected to assure the maintenance of institutional memory, so that current political biases don’t cause a misunderstanding, and there fore a mishandling, of government. How to work with Oakland City Staff is more important than anything. Hiring the right people to represent the councilmember is equally more important than anything. We’re in the dark with Derreck Johnson, and even my friend Nancy Sidebotham – but not with Rebecca Kaplan, the Oakland City Council President.

With all of that, why is Rebecca opposed? Well, I will say that she gained the backing of the Democratic Party, as well as a list of notables the party pointed to: “SEIU Local 1021, the Sierra Club, Block by Block Organizing Network (BBON), Former State Assemblyman Sandre Swanson, California Nurses Association (CNA), Firefighters Local 55, Northern California Carpenters Regional Council, Black Women Organized for Political Action PAC, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), Alameda Labor Council, Alameda County Building Trades Council, Sprinkler Fitters Local 483, Former Mayor Elihu Harris, Vice Mayor Larry Reid, President Pro Tem Dan Kalb, Councilmembers Sheng Thao, Nikki Fortunato-Bas and Noel Gallo, Oakland Port Commissioner Michael Colbruno, Founder of She the People Aimee Allison, Pastor J. Alfred Smith Sr., Reverend Harold Mayberry, California Young Democrats National Committee Representative Igor Tregub, Cat Brooks, and many more endorsing Rebecca Kaplan.”

I add myself to that list, and I am proud to endorse my long time friend. Rebecca and I have three things in common: first, we’re both ostracized to some extent for being ourselves, me as a straight, black, tech-oriented guy with a Jewish last name who “talks white”, she for being butch lesbian and Jewish. Then, we’re both urban planning and economics grad school grads from MIT for her and Berkeley for me, and we both love Oakland.

Vote for Rebecca Kaplan.

Ray Bobbitt, Bill Duffy, Robert Bobb, Alan Dones, Loop Capital: Black Developer Group Bidding $92 Million For Oakland Coliseum

by
Ray Bobbitt Oakland

Oakland News: A letter was passed to me moments ago that outlines the interest of the African American Sports & Entertainment Group in purchasing the Oakland Coliseum site for $92 million. The group consists of Ray Bobbitt, who spearheaded the African American Oakland NFL Expansion effort, which is part of this group’s focus, famed sports agent Bill Duffy, who was also part of the Ronnie Lott Group development team that tried to retain the Raiders in Oakland but lost them to Las Vegas, Oakland developer Alan Dones, former Oakland City Manager and one of my mentors Robert Bobb, and Chicago’s Loop Capital, where a family friend of mine, Darrell Williams, is good friends with former President Barack Obama, and is in the photo below with Loop Capital’s Chief Executive Officer Jim Reynolds.

UPDATE: An Old Personality From Oakland’s Problem-Laden Sports Stadium Development History Is Back: Rick Tripp

I also know through a source that Oakland District Seven Councilmember Larry Reid has talked with Ray Bobbitt about this proposal as recently as last Friday. Here’s the letter, below, after the photo.

President Barack Obama and Darrell Williams Of Loop Capital
President Barack Obama and Darrell Williams (right) Of Loop Capital

AFRICAN AMERICAN SPORTS &
ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

ECONOMIC EQUITY THROUGH SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT DEVELOPMENT

1423 Broadway #183, Oakland, CA 94612

October 6, 2020

The Honorable Mayor Libby Schaaf

& Members of the Oakland City Council
City of Oakland, California

One Frank H. Ogawa Plaza
Oakland, CA 94612

Dear Mayor Schaaf and esteemed Oakland City Council Members,

The African American Sports & Entertainment Group (“AASEG”) has been working over the last several months to lay the groundwork for bringing a National Football League (“NFL”) franchise back to Oakland. One of the critical factors in our ability to attract a new NFL franchise is a viable home field location for the team. As well, we recognize the interests of city leadership in the holistic redevelopment of the Coliseum area consistent with the vision articulated by the 2015 Coliseum Area Specific Plan. We also recognize the City of Oakland’s interest in maintaining a home for its Major League Baseball (“MLB”) franchise, the Oakland Athletics. We believe that all these objectives can be achieved and to these ends, we have assembled a Master Development Team well-capable of marshalling the resources and expertise necessary to transform our mutual interests into reality. Our team, described as the “AASEG Team”, is pleased to submit this non-binding, indication of Interest, proposal to purchase the City of Oakland’s interest in the Coliseum property for a total of Ninety Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($92,500,000), payable per the schedule provided in Exhibit A.

The AASEG Team

In addition to the enormous community support for our mutual vision, AASEG has assembled a Master Development Team fully capable of executing the development of the Coliseum property (the “Project”).

Bill Duffy With Yao Ming
Bill Duffy With Yao Ming

▪ BDA Sports Management – Led by respected sports agent Bill Duffy, BDA is one of the world’s top ranked sports agencies focused, specifically on basketball. Bill has agreed to apply his extensive network and decades of experience toward execution of the Project, including assembling some of the leading names in sports and entertainment in support and endorsement of the Project. Bill was one of the architects of the Ronnie Lott/Fortress Capital plan that offered a viable option to build a stadium on the Coliseum site.

▪ Strategic Urban Development Alliance – One of Oakland’s largest African American real estate development firms, SUDA has executed millions of dollars’ worth of projects in the Bay Area. SUDA Chief Executive Officer, Alan Dones, has led development projects both in the United States and Africa. He will provide development consulting to the Project.

▪ The Robert Bobb Group, LLC – With specialty capabilities in economic development, urban planning and community and neighborhood engagement, RBG is an African American owned national consulting firm to both public and private sector clients. Chief Executive Officer Robert Bobb will provide consulting services to the Project.

▪ Loop Capital – The largest African American owned, full services investment banking brokerage, financial advisory and investment management organization, Loop Capital boasts a 23-year history of developing financial solutions for America’s largest public sector institutions and private sector firms. In addition to its global capital markets, Loop Capital is an experienced advisor on Public-Private-Partnership and infrastructure transactions. As well, Loop Capital is part of a team developing a 100+ acre parcel owned by the City of Chicago and the Metropolitan Pier Authority. Finally, Loop Capital’s Chief Executive Officer Jim Reynolds is a partner in JLC Infrastructure, a private asset manager with over $800 million under management targeting investments in various publicly owned assets. Loop Capital is the capital partner for the Project.

Stakeholder Interests

The AASEG Team is well aware of the aspirations of the citizens of Oakland and other stakeholders with respect to the Project and is prepared to engage the City as a partner in the execution of a mutually-agreed upon vision embodied in a Community Benefits Agreement that includes:

• Local hiring with priority on racial equity

• The engagement and inclusion of local and small business contractors
and businesses

• Environmentally friendly landscaping and sustainable, energy efficient
design

• Anti-displacement assistance and housing preservation policies for
residents in the development area

• The inclusion of affordable housing

• Project Labor agreements and labor peace

• Local employment and job access provisions, workforce training,
retention of existing workers, and apprenticeship policies

• Living wages, benefits, and stable employment opportunities

• Environmental mitigation measures

• Open space elements

• Sustainable and healthy development

• Transportation infrastructure and transportation demand management
programs, including transit affordability and accessibility

• Potential impact fee’s (housing, transportation, capital improvements)

• Other community benefits as needed and feasible, to be negotiated

Finally, we are keenly aware of the interests of the Oakland Athletics organization in a second option for a baseball stadium should current objectives not come to fruition. The AASEG team is prepared to maintain development space in the Project toward those ends and looks forward to engaging the A’s to fully understand and address their interests.
The AASEG Team is excited to work with the City of Oakland to develop a definitive agreement for the purchase and Master Developer control of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum complex and is prepared to engage staff and leadership to craft an agreement that reflects the provisions in this indication of Interest. We are eager to begin due diligence activities and formal discussions upon the City of Oakland’s acceptance of this non-binding offer. We believe that this historic undertaking will be a perfect example of the African American community being supported by the larger community in achieving economic equality. We are extremely grateful to be in a position to provide jobs and housing for the citizens of Oakland, and to continue to provide world-class sports and entertainment facilities for the entire East Bay region.

As America wrestles with social change, social justice, and economic justice, Oakland can lead the way in demonstrating what real impact is. As proud Oaklanders, it is a part of our DNA. It is simply who we are, and what we do best. We look forward to helping lead that change in the City of Oakland.

Sincerely,

Ray Bobbitt

African American Sports and Entertainment Group

cc: The Honorable Rebecca Kaplan, Council President

The Honorable Councilmember Dan Kalb, District 1

The Honorable Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas, District 2

The Honorable Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney, District 3
The Honorable Councilmember Sheng Thao, District 4

The Honorable Councilmember Noel Gallo, District 5
The Honorable Councilmember Loren Taylor, District 6
The Honorable Councilmember Larry Reid, District 7
City Administrator Ed Reiskin

AASEG, LLC

BDA Sports
7

The Robert Bobb Group
SUDA, LLC

Loop Capital

Exhibit A

AASEG Team

Oakland Coliseum Property Purchase Proposal
Schedule of Proposed Payments

Schedule of Proposed Payments:

At closing: $10,000,000

At the end of year one: $10,000,000
Year 2: $12,500,000
Year 3: $15,000,000
Year 4: $17,500,000
Year 5: $15,000,000
Year 6: $12,500,000

Again, with respect to the NFL, the same lawsuit that Ray Bobbitt invested $40,000 to start and against the former Oakland Raiders now Las Vegas Raiders and the NFL is not only still active, but restarts October 8th. For the group to have a snow-ball’s chance in hell with the NFL, that lawsuit would have to be dropped.

That said, if the group can gain some kind of joint control with the Oakland A’s, then the prospect of the NFL returning to Oakland becomes that much more realistic. Why? Because they will have control of land to build a new stadium for an NFL expansion team, or an existing organization.

Stay tuned for updates. Here is the letter on file:

AASEG Formal Letter of Intent to City of Oakland by Zenophon Zennie Abraham on Scribd

Re-Elect Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker To Protect Oakland Tenants

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Oakland-City-Attorney-Barbara-Parker

Since taking over for the three-times-elected Oakland City Attorney John Russo, Barbara Parker has consistently worked to protect tenants in Oakland at a time when the City’s very cultural fabric has been damaged by gentrification. One search for “Barbara Parker” and “tenants” in my email feed revealed 50 results. Time after time, news releases of actions taken to avenge tenants who’s rights were violated by landlords. This is not intended to be a tenant vs landlord post, but the fact is some of the homeless Oaklanders on the streets are there because of actions by property owners who did not give them a break, or actively worked to remove them illegally. It’s time to re-elect Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker.

Here’s an example of what I mean:

City Attorney Wins Court Orders to Stop Owners and Operators of Oakside Independent Living from Illegally Evicting Tenants, and to Appoint a Receiver to Protect Resident Safety.

In August, I filed an emergency tenant protection lawsuit and request for a restraining order against the owners and operators of an Independent Living Facility (ILF), Oakside Independent Living, for exploiting and threatening their elderly and disabled tenants during the COVID-19 pandemic. ILFs are virtually unregulated lodging for adults who need help with daily responsibilities like meal preparation and housekeeping. This month, the Alameda County Superior Court granted our motion for emergency relief, ensuring that Oakside’s owners and operators can no longer illegally evict or otherwise harm their tenants. In addition, the Court granted our request to appoint a receiver, an extraordinary remedy to ensure the property is managed in a fashion that protects its residents.

In the past, Oakside Independent Living has subjected the elderly and disabled tenants to unsafe and unhealthy conditions at the facility, including severe infestations of bed bugs, cockroaches, and rats. The owner and operators also rented out $900-a-month converted storage spaces too small to stand up straight in as “units,” as if they are fit for human habitation. If tenants complain of poor treatment or conditions, some have been threatened with transfer to Christopher’s Care Home, another ILF managed by one of the defendants. And this summer, tenants have been evicted in violation of the local moratorium. One tenant illegally evicted from his unit described his time at Oakside Independent Living as “the worst experience of my entire life.” We are grateful the Court has taken these issues seriously and acted to protect Oakside’s tenants.

This case was filed by the Neighborhood Law Corps and Community Lawyering and Civil Rights Unit as part of my Housing Justice Initiative. Read more here.

And another one:

City Attorney Secures Court Order Prohibiting Retaliation in Emergency Tenant Protection Suit During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Oakland, CA – On Friday, July 10, an Alameda County judge issued a court order under the Tenant Protection Ordinance and the Tom Bane Civil Rights Act enjoining defendants Afamefuna and Anwulika Odiwe from retaliating against their former tenants. The court found that the City was likely to prevail on its Tenant Protection Ordinance and Tom Bane Civil Rights Act claims that the defendants, who are investors with a history of flipping houses for profit, engaged in an unlawful self-help eviction during the COVID-19 pandemic in violation of state and local laws. Among other things, under the guise of a fraudulent City notice, the landlords removed all of their tenants’ belongings from their home and changed the locks.

Defendant Anwulika Odiwe threatened to proceed with unpermitted construction work in response to the tenants asserting their rights, declaring that if tenants wanted to live “with no windows and no doors and no toilets … that’s on them.” After the City filed a lawsuit against the Odiwes, the moving company, and the master tenant, the City sought an injunction preventing the defendants from engaging in further harassment of the tenants. Defendants Pete’s Moving Company, LLC, and Rigomero Manzanarez, the master tenant, agreed to stipulate to such an injunction. Because the Odiwe defendants did not stipulate to the injunction, the City sought a court order against them. “Tenant harassment is on the rise as some landlords turn to unlawful actions to drive tenants out while the courts are closed to evictions,” City Attorney Barbara J. Parker stated. “There is no place in Oakland for these illegal and harmful self-help measures. We stand with tenants to prevent such appalling misconduct and secure their basic right to safely shelter in place during this pandemic.”

In late April, a counterfeit City of Oakland “red-tag” notice was posted on the front door of the property, telling the tenants that the house was unsafe for occupancy and that they needed to leave within ten days. The City never authorized a red-tag for the property. Yet in May, movers entered the property and removed the tenants’ belongings, including their beds, furniture, and clothing, without notice or the tenants’ permission—and despite their protests.

For over a week, the tenants remained without their possessions, forced to sleep on the floor and without locks on their doors. Defendants only returned the tenants’ beds, clothing, and other personal items after the City issued a demand letter and filed this case. The City’s lawsuit also seeks civil penalties, punitive damages, and fees, to be determined by the court.

This case was filed by the Neighborhood Law Corps and Community Lawyering and Civil Rights Unit as part of City Attorney Parker’s Housing Justice Initiative. The City Attorney launched the Housing Justice Initiative to significantly expand her office’s work protecting vulnerable tenants in Oakland’s diverse neighborhoods and holding abusive landlords accountable.

I think you get the idea. Re-elect Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker. ‘

Also, given that Zennie62Media has not yet interviewed either Barbara Parker or her challenger Eli Ferran, this should not be interpreted as a stoppage of video interviews. The interviews are done so you can gain some feel for what each person is like and decide for yourself.

Stay tuned.

2020 Election: Re-Elect Oakland City Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney For District Three

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Oakland Councilmember Lynette Gibson Mcelhaney

Oakland City Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney has served the residents of perhaps the most complicated Oakland City Council District in our city very well. Understand that while District Three is commonly thought of as being only West Oakland, in reality it’s also Downtown Oakland, Uptown Oakland, and Adams Point / Lake Merritt, where I live.

So, Lynette has a big job, and on balance has served all of the residents well. She deserves to be re-elected, and particularly at a time where Oakland, Alameda County, California, America, and The World is in the clutches of The Pandemic. Changing horses in the middle of the stream is never a good idea, so why do it now? Besides, the reasons I’m hearing why some are not voting for Lynette are such that I’ll bet no one else will fair better.

The specific reasons are these:

1) Lynette is not accessible, and her aide responds rather than her – As one who represented Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris from 1995 to 1999, I find that aides to elected officials get treated like crap by Oakland residents far too often. The job of the aide is to represent the, in this case, Oakland City Councilmember. And Lynette’s aides have done that very well. News-flash: she can’t be everywhere, and her representatives help her.

2) She wasn’t present for Moms4Housing – As Lynette told me during our interview of 10 days ago now, the Moms4Housing Representatives did not approach her ahead of time with their plans, even though the entire matter happened in her council district. The full interview:

The ultimate sign of disrespect is for someone to launch a campaign around the issue of housing that focuses on a property in an Oakland City Council Member’s district and not consult them. The reasons can’t be good ones, because, by design, they are assumptive. How does anyone know she would not have been receptive to their objectives of a type of taking of property, and tried to help so that they would not be framed as criminals?

Lynette believed that, because they did not approach her, to then show up at their events uninvited would cause her to be seen as trying to steal their message. My take on Moms4Housing was that their effort pointed to a giant problem, but did nothing to solve it: the market failure that’s still with us in super-high-housing-costs and illegal evictions of black Oakland residents that a sustained California Redevelopment Law would have thwarted.

Instead, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan allowed former Mayor of Oakland Jerry Brown to get rid of California Redevelopment Law, and now Oakland’s once formidable affordable housing construction budget of over $100 million annually was cut off in 2011, never to return and at the time of SF Bay Area Tech Boom II, from 2012 to 2019.

In the middle of this, Moms4Housing tried to pick sides prematurely. For example, from my perspective, it’s minders failed to respond to my request to run their press releases or interview them, so I had to end-run them many times using tech. Their idea seemed be to try and paint me as against them, when my thoughts were the opposite. That said, I did run press releases from their opponents, and because they sent them. It’s called news. Moreover, I’ve never been a fan of what’s called a “taking without just compensation” (and the U.S. Constitution doesn’t allow it either), and that, in effect, is what Moms4Housing tried to do.

Their assumptions amounted to a type of picking of fights that are not there, and their words, more often than not, were hurtful. And, on top of that, we’re talking about a black-on-black affair, where folks like Lynette and myself were the focus of wrongheaded derision, and by some other folks of the same skin color. And on top of that, many of the folks are ones I really like, just to be real here.  In my view, anyone white was treated better, for the most part – even those who openly opposed them.

The fact is that in Oakland, we as black folks are far too willing to assume something negative about someone else who’s black, but not in what’s perceived as that person’s group. It’s a horrible crab-barrel social problem that has plagued Oakland for decades, and with no end in sight. Moms4Housing spotlighted that problem that the white media missed, even as it was in their face.

What Lynette Did Was Spot Light The Violence Problems Black Women Face In Oakland

What Lynette does not get credit for is spotlighting the problem of violence against black women. That was the focus of her push to establish the Oakland Office Of Violence Prevention. And while I remain assertive that the real problem is lack of good jobs and an economic development effort that’s dead, I have seen the advantage of the Oakland Office Of Violence Prevention: it gives a much-needed place in Oakland government for people, and again in particular black women, to go for real, comprehensive help. That this is forgotten that Lynette created the Oakland Office Of Violence Prevention is one more example of the many actions that, collectively, caused a performer like Megan Thee Stallion to get on Saturday Night Live and point to the consistent disrespect and disregard black women receive in America, and that includes Oakland.

It’s worse when other blacks in Oakland don’t give Lynette that credit. That’s got to stop.

Lynette Makes Her Case For Re-Election And It’s Worth Reading

In her most recent campaign newsletter, Lynette made her case for re-election. It’s worth a read, even though she left out the Office Of Violence Prevention. But, overall, one has to ask, what does she have to do? It’s as if some people want to find some reason to oppose her.

For example, some will mention the Oakland Public Ethics Commission’s recent investigation not of her, but mentions alleged laundered money given to her campaign in the past, as well as that of Oakland councilmembers Sheng Thao and Dan Kalb. Well, I challenge any candidate to prove that they know anything about who gives them money, why, and where they got it from to give. Moreover, why would the Oakland Public Ethics Commission choose an election period to release news about a lawsuit and investigation that’s not primarily focused on Oakland councilmembers, but names some? That action, alone, is illegal in several states – it looks like the Oakland Public Ethics Commission and the Oakland City Attorney are trying to influence voters. Not a cool look.

What does Lynette have to do? Well, she’s done this, from her newsletter:

Partnered with our County Supervisor Keith Carson to pioneer the Compassionate Communities initiative
Co-authored Measure JJ – expanding Just Cause Eviction and Rent Increase protections
Secured 10s of millions of dollars in new homelessness funding by pushing to include $150 Million for Affordable Housing in the Infrastructure Bond (Measure KK) and the Parks Measure (Measure Q) – offering amendments that guaranteed set asides for no and extremely low income housing
Engaged Congresswoman Barbara Lee and led the effort to turn back draconian reductions in Section 8 vouchers
Pushed to protect single room occupancy transient hotels – housing of last resort that does not discriminate for credit worthiness or for lack of substantial deposits
Demanded increased coordination to respond to encampments and improve service delivery to the unhoused.

As your representative on the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) I have:

Helped pass AB1487 (2019) the bill that established the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA). BAHFA, and the expanded regional housing portfolio, is rooted in the “3Ps” framework that comprehensively addresses the housing crisis through a combination of production, preservation and protection. Specifically:
Production of rental housing for lower-income households (at or below 80% of the area median income or AMI)
Preservation of affordable housing for low-or moderate-income households (up to 120% of AMI)
Protecting tenants from displacement and preventing homelessness
Stopped an effort to impose a regressive sales tax on Oakland households, demanding that large employers pay their fair share to fund housing and relieve transportation stress caused by job growth

I am currently working with OUSD on a plan to house all homeless students and their families and this year I was selected by ABAG President Jesse Arreguin to serve on the newly established Regional Housing Committee. In this capacity I make sure Oakland’s needs are at the center of identifying regional solutions. And now, after five years of persistent advocacy, the Council is now positioned to take action on many of the efforts I have championed.

COVID19 lays bare the dire needs for housing security and hunger – two issues that have begged for attention amongst the organized campaigns for many good causes. By partnering with my Council colleagues that represent Oakland’s flatlands, I was able to direct nearly $30 million of CARES ACT funds to addressing these critical needs in the flatlands, allowing the City to purchase hotels and an abandoned dormitory to house more of our houseless constituents.

If the challengers think they can match her, I would offer that we as Oaklanders would have to sit and wait for that person to learn the Oakland legislative ropes before they could be effective, whereas the saying “been there, done that” applies to Councilmember McElhaney.

Re-elect Councilmember McElhaney for District Three.

What Do Coal Miners Think Of Some Oaklanders Idea That Coal Can Be Replaced By Renewables?

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Coal Miner

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.

To that end, I joined the Facebook Group Coal Mining 101, which has 12,800 members, and entered this YouTube video post from Oakland News Now:

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.

Stay tuned.

Lyft Spends $100K On TV Ads Against Rebecca Kaplan In Oakland City Council At-Large Race

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Rebecca Kaplan Oakland City Council At-Large

Oakland – Just hours after it was announced that Lyft had dumped $100K into television ads against Oakland City Councilmember At-Large Rebecca Kaplan, allegedly lying about her record on housing, the At-Large Councilmember has received a number of new endorsements in the fight to stop the oligarchs from buying Oakland.

“This is not about housing,” Kaplan said of Lyft’s financial contribution to the campaign committee opposing her. “This is about a billionaire corporation that doesn’t want to pay its fair share in taxes and wants to abuse its workers.”

Rand Shaw – journalist, and pro-housing advocate – endorsed Rebecca’s re-election saying in an email, “Rebecca, I am absolutely horrified that YIMBY’s are using Lyft money to oppose you. I never make Oakland endorsements but feel compelled to show my support for you. So please list me as an endorser. Thanks, and on to victory!” and then followed with a tweet denouncing the lies by Lyft “IN 2018 @Kaplan4Oakland sought to increase housing density on transit corridors and upzone Rockridge. Yet some East Bay YIMBY’s have taken $100K from Lyft to help defeat this strong housing advocate. Terrible move.“

Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez who is a champion for working people and their families and who was the Primary Sponsor of Assembly Bill 5 which is now being fought by Lyft in a statewide ballot measure – Proposition 22 – funded by the same oligarchs that are running attack ads on Rebecca also endorsed her re-election to the At Large seat.

Finally, Assemblymember Ash Kalra, who was a co-sponsor of Assembly Bill 5, re-tweeted his colleague and showed support for Rebecca’s campaign.

These types of dirty campaign tactics should be unacceptable in Oakland politics. Oaklanders deserve better. What is most important right now is to help people make a plan to vote. It is so important to mail your ballots early this year or find your local drop box. Ballots drop on October 5th so people should be checking their mailbox, and if they plan to mail their ballot to get it in the mail by October 10th to assure it makes it to the Registrar in time.

(https://kaplanforoakland.org/how-to-vote-by-mail-and-more/)

Rebecca is proud to have the endorsement and support of many community organizations, leaders, grassroots advocates, and residents. For endorsement information please visit http://kaplanforoakland.org/endorsements/.

Councilmember At-Large Rebecca Kaplan is an honors graduate from MIT, and holds a J.D. from Stanford Law School. Kaplan was elected in 2008 to serve as Oakland’s citywide Councilmember, she was re-elected in 2016, Rebecca is Oakland’s first openly LGBTQ+ elected official and she serves on the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC).

Follow Council President Kaplan on Twitter @Kaplan4Oakland and Facebook.

Oakland City Council To Consider New Homeless Encampment Management Policy

by
Oakland Councilmember Loren Taylor District Six

Oakland – On Monday September 21st, the Oakland City Council will move one step closer to clarifying to how Oakland will manage and support homeless encampments throughout the city. Led by Councilmember Loren Taylor, the Council’s Life Enrichment Committee hopes to finalize a new Encampment Management Policy.

Councilmember Taylor emphasized that, “When there is a unified chorus from across Oakland including both housed and unhoused residents calling on the Council to provide necessary leadership on this difficult and complicated issue, we must respond to their demand for action. The time is now.”

This new policy explains how the City will reduce the negative health and safety impacts associated with homeless encampments – for both unhoused and housed residents. Although an administrative policy guiding the operational efforts of City departments in addressing encampments has existed since 2017, it was not formally reviewed and adopted by the City Council. As a result, it lacked the benefit of public comment from both housed and unhoused Oakland residents, and it did not reflect consistent policy direction from the Oakland City Council to City departments that this new policy will.

In February, Councilmember Taylor secured a unanimous vote by his City Council colleagues to initiate a robust stakeholder engagement process that would inform the development of a more comprehensive policy that the entire city could align around, ensuring that the City’s activities align with the needs and values of the City and all residents. Since then more than 1,200 residents have participated through the online survey and numerous Council meetings, town halls, and neighborhood meetings to weigh in on open questions including:

1. Should there be areas of the city that are off limits to encampments? If so, where?

2. What rules should be in place for those encampments that do exist to ensure health and safety for all Oaklanders?

3. In what manner should noncompliance with the policy be enforced?

4. For those residents living in encampments, what services and resources should the City provide? Under what circumstances?

Oakland residents are encouraged to share their thoughts and opinions on whether the Council should proceed with this formal policy and what, if any, modifications should be made before final adoption.

To join Monday’s virtual meeting at 1:30pm, login into Zoom (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84617479852) or dial +1 669 900 6833 (Webinar ID: 846 1747 9852). For those unable to attend, you are encouraged to send an email message with your comments to the Oakland City Council at [email protected].

Councilmember Loren Taylor represents Oakland Council District 6 and serves as the Chair of the Oakland City Council’s Life Enrichment Committee, as well as a Commissioner on the Youth Ventures Joint Powers Authority and the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum Joint Powers Authority, and the Association of Bay Area Governments Executive Committee.

City of Oakland Seeks Applicants for New Homeless Advisory Commission

by
City of Oakland

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.

Oakland’s Bishop Bob Jackson Talks With Dr. Geoffrey Watson And Dr. Glenda Newell-Harris

by
Real Talk – W/robert ‘bob’ Jackson, Host

REAL TALK – w/Robert ‘Bob’ Jackson, Host
From YouTube Channel: September 13, 2020 at 02:07PM
ONN – Oakland’s Bishop Bob Jackson Talks With Dr. Geoffrey Watson And Dr. Glenda Newell-Harris

In an effort to gain more online exposure as he runs for the to-be-vacant Oakland City Council seat held by Oakland Councilmember Larry Reid, Bishop Bob Jackson hosts two famous Oaklanders, Dr. Geoffrey Watson and Dr. Glenda Newell-Harris. Topic: THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY

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.

via IFTTT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAteqyiDUHs

Oakland Police Department Response To Question Of Boogaloo Boys Officer Violating Code

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Oakland Police Department Response To Question Of Officer Violating Code In Boogaloo Boys Problem

Oakland Police Department Response To Question Of Officer Violating Code In Boogaloo Boys Problem

ONN – Oakland Police Department Response To Question Of Officer Violating Code In Boogaloo Boys Problem

Oakland Police Department Response To Question Of Officer Violating Code In Boogaloo Boys Problem

The City Of Oakland released this statement and, in response to my blog post, sent it to me in the latest email thread I established – one that included the Mayor of Oakland and the Oakland City Council.

OPD:

The Oakland Police Department’s Departmental General Order C-1 is designed for regulations and specifications regarding uniforms, civilian clothing, and equipment for Police Department members, reserve officers and employees. This order outlines uniforms and appearance for police personnel and professional staff. C-1 does not dictate attire for an officer assigned to a specialized unit that involves undercover plain clothes operations. This is intentional for the undercover officer’s safety so the officer can dress in a manner that does not identify him or her as a police officer while they are undercover.

As stated in the attached message the concerns of the community have been shared with all Department plain clothes officers. Chief Manheimer and all members of the Oakland Police Department share community concerns when perceptions or references are made that would associate OPD with any extremist groups. The Department recognizes and understands the pain and suffering caused by such extremist groups who are intolerant and instill fear and hatred in our community. OPD stands with our community and will not tolerate any hate crime against anyone in our community.

Officer Johnna Watson

Public Information Officer

Office of the Chief of Police

Oakland Police Department

My response:

Hello,

I was about to, and will, post this, but the response is troubling. I was informed of, but have not seen, the written responses to this on Mark Zuckerberg’s site (and I say that way, because that’s what Facebook is and I know him). I would not have done this, and for one of many reasons, but paramount among them is this statement: “C-1 does not dictate attire for an officer assigned to a specialized unit that involves undercover plain clothes operations. This is intentional for the undercover officer’s safety so the officer can dress in a manner that does not identify him or her as a police officer while they are undercover.”

Johnna, I wish you would have called me as a sounding board before you wrote that. The main problem is that Oaklanders now, by the thousands did recognize the officer, and had zero idea he was undercover because he looked like an officer in uniform who decided to put on a type of Hawaiian shirt that the Boogaloo Boys wear.

Also, and I say this as one who has lived in Oakland since 1974, was a red carpet teenage greeter for the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1975, saw Oakland mature into a city that was proud to have black civic managers (many who were legendary), and myself came to just 8 NFL Owner votes of bringing the 2005 Super Bowl to Oakland. None of this is done without some respect for institutional memory and for protocol. This, the police constantly putting out statements, is such that Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris would have called you and Chief Manheimer into his office, and the conversation would not have been a good one. The simple rule: let the Mayor of Oakland talk – not you or the Chief of Police. This is out of line. It’s unraveling at a frightening rate of speed.

The Mayor of Oakland represents the community over you, yet both you and Chief Manheimer respond as if Mayor Schaaf does not exist. It’s not helping the Mayor. We have a Strong Mayor system for a reason – this is one of those reasons. Let the Mayor do her job and speak for the City of Oakland.

With much love and respect for you all. God bless.

Zennie

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.

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