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
Congratulations to Sam Singer! San Francisco Oakland Public Relations Firm Singer Associates Named to Forbes Best PR Agencies in America Singer Associates Public Relations in San Francisco and Oakland, a public relations and public affairs firm specializing in corporate communications, was selected by Forbes Magazine as one of the nation’s top PR agencies for 2021, … Read more
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 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
Chicago O’Hare Airport International Terminal 5 During Covid 2020 From YouTube Channel: October 31, 2020 at 08:00AM ONN – Chicago O’Hare Airport International Terminal 5 During Covid 2020 Turkish Airlines departs from eerily quiet Terminal 5 out of which we flew once on Copa! Our usual carriers (ANA, United, Lufthansa depart from Terminal 1.) Only … Read more
Sean Connery’s Top 4 Bond Moments From YouTube Channel: May 7, 2017 at 09:05AM ONN – Sean Connery’s Top 4 Bond Moments Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use … Read more
SF Bay Area Bicycle Is Back With Bike Oakland & Alameda: Leona, Leona, 82nd, & Bay Farm From YouTube Channel: October 12, 2020 at 06:00AM ONN – SF Bay Area Bicycle Is Back With Bike Oakland & Alameda: Leona, Leona, 82nd, & Bay Farm Where SF Bay Area Bicycle writes: 2020-09-22: 26.8 mile, 1450 ft … Read more
Fixes Virtually Any Image with Just One Click for Family Historians, Genealogists, and Photo Lovers Now with Metadata Read/Add/Edit Functionality for Hidden Image History – Crops & Recalculates Selected Area of Image for Precise Improvements – Now Compatible with More Image Types Savannah, Georgia – Vivid-Pix www.vivid-pix.com announced today at the ACPL Genealogy Center at … Read more
Oakland – We are honored to share the huge news that Senator Bernie Sanders has weighed in on the Oakland City Council At Large race, endorsing Council President Rebecca Kaplan. Former Berkeley Mayor and longtime friend of Senator Sanders, Gus Newport, called Rebecca Kaplan to let her know that Senator Sanders has decided to endorse … Read more
Congratulations to Elaine Brown, the famed and legendary Oakland Black Panther, who is now CEO of the nonprofit Oakland & the World Enterprises, successfully gained $21 Million in Homekey program funds. Brown and her team will use the money to purchase the former Traveler’s Hotel at 392 11th Street, at Franklin, in downtown Oakland, from owner NDO Group, LLC.
Elaine-Brown-Oakland
The purpose of the innovative Homekey program is to fund the “purchase and rehabilitation of hotels, motels, vacant apartment buildings and other properties to convert into housing for people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness.” Brown, who has been a prisoner advocate for decades, stated, “There is no population at greater risk of homelessness than people being released back into society, who suffer wholesale denial of housing and employment solely because of their former incarceration, most of whom are black men and women. We are grateful to have this opportunity to provide a place for some of them.” The building will be renamed The Huey P. Newton.
Partners Ali Kashani and Adhi Nagraj thanked the Governor, the State Department of Housing and the City of Oakland’s Housing Department, under the leadership of Director Shola Olatoye, not only for facilitating the award process but also for providing $7 Million of the total award from City funds, as required by the State Housing Department. The group also thanked the Oakland City Council for unanimously approving the City’s contribution.
All participants acknowledged the critical role in this effort of the nonprofit organization BOSS, Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency, and its Executive Director Donald Frazier. Frazier worked hard to secure agreements with both the County Probation Department and Health Care Services Agency to house the men and women returning to the community from prison. BOSS is committed to operate and oversee supportive services for the newly-housed residents at 11th and Franklin.—Frazier stated he is constantly hunting for decent, affordable housing for vulnerable individuals and families, and applauded this opportunity.
Note: this post based on a press release issued by Elaine Brown.
Berkeley IGS Poll: Defeat For California Prop 16, Diversity, Prop 21, Rent Control, Unless Young Voters Show.
Was just passed a wake-up call press release on a UC Berkeley Institute Of Government Studies poll that, once again, points to the need for California to split into two states, something that may never happen in this blogger’s lifetime. Cut to the chase: Prop 16 and Prop 21 are in trouble unless young people get out and vote in large numbers.
Close Elections Forecast for Proposition 15 (Split Roll Property Taxes) and Proposition 22 (App-based Drivers)
Prop. 16 (Diversity) and Prop. 21(Rent Control) trail
by Mark DiCamillo, Director, Berkeley Institute Of Governmental Studies Poll
The final pre-election Berkeley IGS Poll finds that Californians are closely divided on two of the most contentious of this year’s state ballot propositions. These include Proposition 15, the “split roll” initiative to tax commercial and industrial properties based on current market value instead of its purchase price, and Proposition 22, the app-based drivers initiative whose aim is to classify such workers as independent contractors rather than employees. In both cases slightly more of those polled said they either already had or were intending to vote Yes than were voting No. However, neither initiative had reached the 50% plus one voter threshold needed for passage two weeks before Election Day at the time the poll was completed.
The poll found 49% of voters in favor of Prop. 15 and 42% on the No side, with 9% undecided. Yet, this lead was less than half the 15-point advantage found in a similar Berkeley IGS Poll last month. When comparing the two polls, the proportion of voters opposed to the initiative had increased 8 points, while support for Prop. 15 was stagnant. If history is any guide, when late campaign shifts toward the No side are observed in heavily contested and well-financed ballot measures like Prop. 15, its lead tends to reduce further in the closing weeks, resulting in a closer outcome.
With regard to Prop. 22, 46% of the voters polled were voting Yes to have app-based drivers be treated as independent contractors, while 42% were voting No to classify them as employees. A sizable 12% were undecided. The early mid-September Berkeley IGS Poll found 39% of likely voters intend to vote Yes on Prop. 22 and 36% are on the No side, with 25% undecided. The relatively large proportions of undecided voters in both polls suggest that many voters were having a difficult time reaching a final decision on this initiative. How these late-deciding voters ultimately come to judgment will likely determine its fate.
The poll finds less support for two other, closely watched measures on the statewide election ballot. These include Proposition 16, an initiative to bring greater diversity into public employment, education, and contracting decisions and overturn a previously approved 1996 ballot initiative, Proposition 209, that banned such affirmative action programs, and Proposition 21, an initiative to expand the authority of local governments to enact rent control laws on residential property. Both measures trailed by double-digit margins in the latest poll, with each receiving less than 40% support.
IGS Co-Director Eric Schickler commented that “the fates of Propositions 15 and 22 will be important signals of whether the state’s Democrats can translate their electoral advantage into substantive policy changes in taxes and corporate governance.”
Berkeley IGS Data
Voters in conflict over competing arguments relating to Proposition 15
In an attempt to better understand voter motivations behind the vote on Prop. 15, the poll asked voters whether they agreed or disagreed with two statements that have been made about Proposition 15, one by initiative proponents and the other by its opponents. The results demonstrate the conflict that many voters face when making a final voting decision on this initiative.
When asked the statement that Prop. 15 will bring much needed revenues to the state’s public schools, community colleges and local governments, 47% of voters agree, while 37% disagree. Opinions about the need for these additional revenues were highly correlated with voting preferences on Prop. 15, with those voting Yes overwhelmingly in agreement (79% to 8%), while No voters disagreed 76% to 13%. Significantly, undecided voters were more likely to agree than disagree, 40% to 13%, although nearly half (47%) had no opinion.
On the other hand, an even larger majority agree that the proposed changes to the way commercial and industrial properties are to be taxed under Prop. 15 would only be the first step in bringing about similar changes to the way residential properties are taxed in the future. A 56% majority of likely voters agreed with this statement, while 19% disagreed and 25% had no opinion. Voters opposed to the initiative overwhelmingly concurred with the statement, 72% to 13%. And even a plurality of Prop. 15’s supporters agreed (47% to 24%), although many had no opinion.
Voting preferences on Prop. 15 vary across major segments of the electorate
The poll finds clear partisan and ideological divisions in voter preferences on Prop. 15. Democrats and self-described liberal voters were favoring the initiative by large margins, while Republicans and conservatives were one-sided in their opposition.
Homeowners were intending to vote No by 10 points, while renters were supporting Prop. 15 by 25 points. Regionally, support for the initiative was greatest among voters in Los Angeles County, the San Francisco Bay Area, while majorities of voters in Orange County and the Central Valley were opposed.
Opinions on Prop. 15 also varied by a voter’s age and educational background. Voters under age 40 were among the initiative’s strongest backers, while pluralities of voters age 50 or older were voting No, especially those age 75 or older. Majorities of voters holding a bachelors’ degree and those who had completed post graduate work were lining up on the Yes side, while pluralities of non-college graduates were voting No.
Subgroup variations on Prop. 22 (App-based Drivers)
Republicans were supporting Prop. 22, the app-based drivers initiative 71% to 21%, while Democrats were opposed, although not by as large a margin, 52% to 34%. No Party Preference and minor party voters were closely divided on the initiative.
Views of Prop. 22 also differed by political ideology as large majorities of conservatives were voting Yes and majorities of liberals were voting No. Significantly, the poll found self-described political moderates backing the initiative by thirteen points, 49% to 36%, with 15% undecided.
There were also big differences in voting preferences by age. The poll found majorities of voters under age 40 on the No side, while pluralities of voters age 50 or older were in favor, in particular, those age 75 or older, who supported it two to one.
On a regional basis, Yes side voters were outnumbering No voters on Prop. 22 across all regions of the state with the exception of the San Francisco Bay Area where it trailed by twenty points and Los Angeles County and the counties north of San Francisco where voters were divided.
While differences were also evident between voters living in union-affiliated households and those in non-union households, these differences were not as large as might be expected given the nature of the initiative and the fact that the state’s labor unions are among its strongest opponents. Voters living in union-affiliated households were opposing the initiative by 51% to 40%, while voters in non-union households were voting in favor 47% to 41%.
In addition, the poll found the state’s Latinos and Asian American voters closely divided on the initiative, while Black voters were backing it by 20 points and whites favoring it by 5 points.
Voting preferences on Prop. 16 (Diversity in Public Employment, Education and Contracting)
When asked how they would vote on Prop. 16, the poll found just 38% of voters backing the measure, while 49% were opposed. While Democrats were supporting the initiative by a nearly two-to-one margin (57% to 26%), Republicans were nearly unanimous in their opposition, with 86% voting No and just 6% voting Yes. Majorities of No Party Preference and minor party voters were also lining up on the No side.
Voting preferences also differed widely by a voter’s self-described political ideology, with more than eight in ten conservatives voting No, and large majorities of liberals voting Yes. However, political moderates, a major swing voting bloc, were opposing Prop. 16 by twenty-three points.
Opposition to Prop. 16 was broad-based across the state’s major geographic regions, with majorities or pluralities of voters in nearly all regions voting No. The lone exception was the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area, where voters were narrowly in favor, 48% to 40%.
While Prop. 16 was being backed by the state’s Black voters by twenty-five points, the state’s Latino voters were about evenly divided. On the other hand, the poll found Asian American voters now joining whites in opposing the initiative.
IGS Co-Director Cristina Mora noted that “the absence of strong Latino support for Proposition 16 is surprising given that the community remains significantly underrepresented in higher education and public employment in California and would stand to benefit from the Proposition’s passage.”
Women voters, another key segment, were closely dividing their votes, with 41% voting Yes and 44% voting No. By contrast, men were heavily on the No side, 54% to 35%.
In addition, the poll found differences in voting preferences by education, with voters non-college graduates opposing Prop. 16 five to three, while voters who had completed post graduate work were backing the initiative by eleven points.
Voter preferences on Prop. 21 (Rent Control)
With regard to Prop 21, just 37% of the voters polled were on the Yes side, while 48% were voting No, and another 15% undecided. Just two years ago California voters rejected a similar rent control ballot initiative 59% to 41%.
The partisan divide in voter preferences on Prop. 21 resembles that of Prop. 16. While Democrats were supporting the initiative roughly two to one (53% to 29%), Republicans were overwhelmingly opposed, 83% to 9%. Pluralities of No Party Preference and minor party voters were also lining up on the No side.
In addition, conservative voters were solidly opposed, while liberals, especially those describing themselves as very liberal were voting Yes. Political moderates were also voting No by seventeen points.
As would be expected, big differences are seen between renters and homeowners on the rent control initiative, with renters backing the initiative 50% to 34%, but homeowners opposed by an even greater 61% to 26% margin.
Preferences on Prop. 21 were also tied to the income level of voters. Majorities of voters at the upper end of the income scale were voting No, while pluralities of voters at the lower end were on the Yes side. Middle-income voters, those whose households earned between $40,000 and $100,000 annually, were also narrowly on the No side.
The poll found the state’s whites opposing the rent control initiative by a wide margin. Black voters were backing the rent control initiative greater than two to one. Latinos were also supportive by a narrower 10-point margin; while the state’s Asian American voters were narrowly on the No side.
There were gender differences on Prop. 21 as well, with male voters opposed by seventeen points (52% to 35%) and women about evenly divided.
About the Institute of Governmental Studies Survey
The findings in this report are based on a Berkeley IGS Poll completed by the Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS) at the University of California, Berkeley. The poll was administered online in English and Spanish October 16-21, 2020 among 6,686 California registered voters, of whom 5,352 were considered likely to vote or had already voted in this year’s election.The survey was administered by distributing email invitations to stratified random samples of the state’s registered voters. Each email invited voters to participate in a non-partisan survey conducted by the University and provided a link to the IGS website where the survey was housed. Reminder emails were distributed to non-responding voters and an opt-out link was provided for voters not wishing to receive further email invitations.Samples of registered voters with email addresses were provided to IGS by Political Data, Inc., a leading supplier of registered voter lists in California, and were derived from information contained on the state’s official voter registration rolls. Prior to the distribution of emails, the overall sample was stratified by age and gender in an attempt to obtain a proper balance of survey respondents across major segments of the registered voter population.To protect the anonymity of survey respondents, voters’ email addresses and all other personally identifiable information derived from the original voter listing were purged from the data file and replaced with a unique and anonymous identification number during data processing. In addition, post-stratification weights were applied to align the overall sample of registered voters to population characteristics of the state’s registered voters. Likely voters were identified based on a voter’s stated interest in and intention to vote in the election and factoring in their history of voting in past elections.
The sampling errors associated with the results from the survey are difficult to calculate precisely due to the effects of sample stratification and the post-stratification weighting. Nevertheless, it is likely that findings based on the sample of likely voters in the election are subject to a sampling error of approximately +/-2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
PROPOSITION 15: INCREASES FUNDING SOURCES FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY COLLEGES, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES BY CHANGING TAX ASSESSMENT OF COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
Taxes such properties based on current market value, instead of the purchase price. Fiscal impact: Increased property taxes on commercial properties worth more than $3 million providing $6.5 billion to $11.5 billion in new funding to local governments and schools. (If the election were held today how would you vote on Proposition 15?) (How did you vote on Proposition 15?)
PROPOSITION 16: ALLOWS DIVERSITY AS A FACTOR IN PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION AND CONTRACTING DECISIONS. LEGISLATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. Permits government decision-making policies to consider race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in order to address diversity by repealing constitutional provisions prohibiting such policies. Fiscal Impact: No direct fiscal effect on state and local entities. The effects of the measure depend on the future choices of state and local government entities and are highly uncertain. (If the election were held today how would you vote on Proposition 16?) (How did you vote on Proposition 16?)
PROPOSITION 21: EXPANDS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS’ AUTHORITY TO ENACT RENT CONTROL ON RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Allows local governments to establish rent control on residential properties over 15 years old. Local limits on rate increases may differ from statewide limit. Fiscal Impact: Overall, a potential reduction in state and local revenues in the high tens of millions of dollars per year over time. Depending on actions by local communities, revenue losses could be less or more. (If the election were held today how would you vote on Proposition 21?) (How did you vote on Proposition 21?)
PROPOSITION 22: EXEMPTS APP-BASED TRANSPORTATION AND DELIVERY COMPANIES FROM PROVIDING EMPLOYEE BENEFITS TO CERTAIN DRIVERS. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Classifies app-based drivers as “independent contractors,” instead of “employees,” and provides independent-contractor drivers other compensation, unless certain criteria are met. Fiscal Impact: Minor increase in state income taxes paid by rideshare and delivery company drivers and investors. (If the election were held today how would you vote on Proposition 22?) (How did you vote on Proposition 22?)
Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? (order of statements rotated)
“The proposed changes to how commercial and industrial properties are taxed under this year’s Proposition 15 ballot initiative are only the first step to making other similar changes to the way residential properties are taxed in the future.”
“The additional tax revenues that Proposition 15 would bring to the state’s public schools, community colleges and local governments are needed given the large revenue losses these institutions are facing as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.”
About the Institute of Governmental Studies
The Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS) is an interdisciplinary organized research unit that pursues a vigorous program of research, education, publication and public service. A component of the University of California system’s flagship Berkeley campus, IGS is one of the oldest organized research units in the UC system and the oldest public policy research center in the state. IGS’s co-directors are Professor Eric Schickler and Associate Professor Cristina Mora.
IGS conducts periodic surveys of public opinion in California on matters of politics and public policy through its Berkeley IGS Poll. The poll, which is disseminated widely, seeks to provide a broad measure of contemporary public opinion, and to generate data for subsequent scholarly analysis. The director of the Berkeley IGS Poll is Mark DiCamillo. For a complete listing of stories issued by the Berkeley IGS Poll go to https://www.igs.berkeley.edu/research/berkeley-igs-poll
Oakland – This year has brought more than its fair share of crises, but there is some great news from Oakland’s Blue Shield of California. The company and its employees stepped up their commitment to support the communities where its employees live and work.
Record-breaking fundraising by employees, together with Blue Shield’s corporate gifts, are supporting on-the-ground wildfire recovery efforts and helping people cope with the impact of COVID-19.
Blue Shield Total Donations, Volunteer Hours
“Blue Shield of California, headquarted in Oakland, Calif., and our employees continue to show how much we care for others” says Kimberley Goode, senior vice president of external affairs at Blue Shield. “For 2020, employee giving reached $1 million with our company match which is almost double employee giving in 2019.”
Blue Shield Corporate Gifts Announced
As California copes with COVID-19 the state is also facing the challenge of wildfires. Climate change, among other factors, is causing massive wildfires to happen more often, with greater ferocity and ever closer to our communities, towns, and cities. In response, Blue Shield announced a $25,000 company donation in October to the California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Relief Fund to help communities recover.
“We recognize that these wildfires – and to a larger extent climate change – are public health threats for all of us,” says Goode. “We have to listen to the science and work together to take care of our fire-ravaged communities and are proud to support nonprofits that are leading this important work.”
A Banner Year for Employee Giving
In addition to Blue Shield’s record-breaking employee giving, the company reached another impressive milestone through volunteering. More than 1,000 employees took time to help their favorite nonprofits – either virtually or in person – contributing more than 10,000 volunteer hours so far this year.
“Like everyone else in this pandemic, Blue Shield and our employees had to pivot in unexpected ways to meet the needs of our employees, members, providers and the community,” Goode said. “We quickly adapted our approaches and our employees stepped up. We like to say, ‘We Never Stop,’ and that is certainly what happened here – with employees and leaders making sure we do our part to help those who need us most.”
Oakland — Today, the Oakland City Council unanimously passed a resolution introduced by Council member Rebecca Kaplan in Opposition of Proposition 22.
Oakland stands with app-based drivers, gig workers and communities statewide who want a fair playing field. The proposition, funded by a consortium of gig companies, would deny their employees the benefits to which California workers are entitled.
In addition, the supporters of Prop 22, Uber and Lyft among them, spent approximately $184 million dollars to flood the airwaves with political advertisements to deceive the public with false claims about what the proposition would do for drivers. These companies spent a significant amount of money trying to influence the course of election that could have instead been invested in the well-being of their drivers.
At the Council Meeting, several of the speakers during Public Comment made statements and urged the Council to support the resolution. Some speakers were drivers for one of the companies supporting Prop 22, they spoke passionately of her opposition to Prop 22 due to the lack of labor protections and the economic insecurity that comes with being a gig driver. Many expressed their solidarity with drivers and their opposition to Prop 22.
As the pandemic continues, it is as important as ever that workers’ rights are protected. These gig workers are essential workers, and we must do our best to ensure that they have the benefits they need and want.
Tonight, the Oakland City Council voted to Oppose Proposition 22. We took a stand against corporate bullies and for the labor rights of the countless people statewide who value truth and fairness.
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.
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.
ONN – Scott McKibben Has Been An Asset To The Oakland Coliseum JPA As Executive Director
In my opinion Scott McKibben was wrongly set-up by the Board of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Joint Powers Authority. Scott was asked to do the work of finding a naming rights agreement partner – in other words, doing work a marketing consultant normally does – then basically accused of asking for the normal additional fee such work commands.
The Coliseum JPA Board and the City of Oakland Lawyers never told him not to ask for that, or what conflict of interest looks like in that case, even as they put him in that position. None of that should mark the excellent work Scott has done in turning an organization that has been a plaything for elected officials into a serious municipal corporation tasked with running an iconic sports venue.
Scott McKibben got the Coliseum JPA into the financial black after over a decade of losing money. Why? Because previous directors did not know how to ask for what the facility was worth in rent. Scott did.
Scott was asked to jump through all kinds of hoops by the Coliseum JPA Board. He did, and then they punished him for doing so. It sends a message that no good sports professional should consider working in Oakland.
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.
Oakland District Two Councilmember Nikki Bas’ Digitized Newsletter
Last week, I was so moved to see #MomsHouse on Magnolia Street finally become community-owned as permanently affordable, transitional housing for unsheltered mothers.
Congratulations to Dominique Walker, Tolani King, Misty Cross, Sameerah Karim and Carroll Fife for leading this movement to end corporate speculation and house more Oaklanders. I am proud to have stood with them over the last year to call attention to making housing a human right, together with Council President Rebecca Kaplan, Councilmember Dan Kalb and Assemblymember Rob Bonta.
Moms 4 Housing
Sustainable, Healthy Use of Lake Merritt – Lake Merritt Vending Pilot Program Update
Coming out of the second weekend of our Lake Merritt Vending Pilot Program, we were excited to be joined by Parks and Recreation Advisory Commissioner Dwayne Aikens, Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kev Choice, the Oakland Black Vendors Association and neighbors to:
• Promote health and safety during COVID-19,
• Support struggling small businesses and entrepreneurs in this difficult time, and
• Ensure sustainable, equitable and inclusive long-term use of the Lake.
This pilot program for merchandise vendors will take place through November 22nd on El Embarcadero and along Lakeshore to Beacon from 10am to 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
This weekend, Community Ready Corps (CRC) will be joining the pilot to promote public health during COVID. Volunteers will distribute COVID kits that have face masks, hand sanitizer and gloves to help promote compliance with the County Health Order.
My team is grateful for the collaboration of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission (PRAC), the Oakland Black Vendors Association, James “Old School” Copes, city departments, and the community to ensure access, safety and equity at the Lake for everyone in our city.
This is what an Oakland for all of us means to me — working with a coalition of diverse stakeholders to ensure the Lake, as our city’s pride, is an enjoyable public space that each of us can use.
Moms 4 Housing
TUESDAY 10/20: Oakland City Council Meeting Preview Homeless Encampment Management Policy and Community Safety
Tuesday, October 20th’s 1:30pm City Council meeting will include the following important agenda items:
Item 6: COVID-19 Emergency Response And The Creation Of Clean Air Buildings For Use Of The Community During The COVID-19 Shelter In Place Emergency.
Thanks to our awesome District 2 constituent and outgoing Cleveland Heights Neighborhood Council Co-Chair Rachel Broadwin for introducing us to Dr. Rupa Basu, Section Chief for the Air and Climate Epidemiology Section of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment at CalEPA. At our September Council meeting, I expressed concern that our air quality and temperature triggers were too high to fully protect the health and safety of our most vulnerable residents. At my urging, our Fire Department staff met with Dr. Basu to discuss recommendations for activating extreme weather Emergency Respite Centers (ERC) in Oakland. As an outcome of the conversation and further discussions with internal stakeholders and community feedback, the activation triggers for the City of Oakland have been lowered to an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 200 – Very Unhealthy (versus what was previously 250) and temperatures forecasted to reach/exceed 95 degrees for 2 consecutive days or 100 degrees in one day. We are grateful for Dr. Basu and Rachel’s important expertise as we navigate these challenging times!
Item 7: Gun Violence Top Law Enforcement Priority resolution from President Kaplan to prioritize the decrease in illegal guns and gun violence by increasing gun tracing, improving response time to shooting notifications, and prioritizing response to gun crime.
Item 8: Homeless Encampment Management resolution, which proposes to designate priority areas for encampment management and outlines actions including the criteria for assessing what locations will be prioritized for enforcement or other homelessness interventions from the city.
Item 14: Adopt either the resolution proposed by the Oakland Police Commission or Oakland Police Department banning the carotid restraint and all forms of asphyxia.
Item 16: I’m co-sponsoring with President Kaplan, a resolution Terminating the Oakland Police Department’s Participation In The Joint Terror Task Force to ensure compliance with our local and state laws and focus on threats based on evidence, not bias or racial profiling.
See details to join the meeting and provide public comment. You can also share e-comments here.
TUESDAY 10/27: Community & Economic Development Meeting – Impact Fees, Economic Recovery Recommendations
On Tuesday October 27th at 1:30pm, the Community and Economic Development Committee will discuss two important items:
Item 2: Informational report on Impact Fees for Affordable Housing, Jobs/Housing, and Transportation and Capital Improvements, and
Item 3: Informational report on the Economic Recovery Council’s Draft Recommendations.
Oakland Workers, Know Your Rights! COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave
Oakland Workers Rights
Thank you to East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE) for creating Know Your Rights materials on the emergency protections for Oakland workers passed by Council earlier this summer, which I was proud to co-sponsor.
The City’s Emergency Paid Sick Leave policy requires certain employers to provide leave to workers who test positive for COVID-19, present symptoms, are caring for family members who were exposed or present symptoms, or are at high risk from an infection. Check out and share the flyers in English and Spanish so that Oakland workers are aware of their rights!
City of Oakland; District 2 News and Resources
County Reopening Updates, Small Biz Legal Support, Grants for Home-Based Business
New County Health Orders Allow Additional Business Operations: Effective October 9, Alameda County now allows: hotels & lodging for tourism with their fitness centers and indoor pools restricted; museums, zoos & aquariums indoors at < 25% capacity; personal care services indoors with modification (services requiring removal of face covering still prohibited); gyms and fitness centers indoors at < 10% capacity with restrictions on aerobic exercise and classes. While the update allows partial reopening of libraries, Oakland Public LIbrary will remain closed for indoor services until plans are in place for safely reopening the buildings.
Beginning Friday, October 16, Alameda County will permit additional outdoor activities, including playgrounds, that follow the State’s guidance. Additionally, Alameda County is preparing to update the local Health Officer Orders to permit additional activities during the week of October 26. These activities will include: indoor dining up to 25% capacity or less than 100 people, whichever is less; indoor worship services up to 25% capacity or less than 100 people, whichever is less; indoor theaters up to 25% capacity or less than 100 people, whichever is less; expansion of indoor retail and malls at up to 50% of capacity and permitting limited food courts.
County Guidance on Safe Halloween Practices: Bay Area health officials recently released guidance on how to celebrate Halloween and Dia de los Muertos safely. Gatherings, celebrations, events or parties with non-household members are not permitted unless conducted in compliance with local and state health orders. Please avoid participating in traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door to door and do not have trunk-or-treat where treats are handed from car trunks lined up in large parking lots.
Many traditional Halloween celebrations, such as parties and door-to-door trick-or-treating, pose a high risk of spreading COVID-19 and are strongly discouraged by CDPH
Not only do traditional celebrations pose a spread risk, they would also result in great difficulty in conducting appropriate contact tracing
Local Health Departments may have additional, more stringent restrictions
CDPH recommends that families begin planning for safer alternatives.
Legal Help for Oakland Small Businesses with Lease Negotiations: Oakland has allocated $150,000 of California CARES funding to the nonprofit Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the SF Bay Area to provide legal advice and assistance on lease negotiations to small businesses that have suffered revenue losses due to COVID-19. Business owners can access these free, multilingual legal services here, such as commercial leasing webinars through mid-December, 1:1 one-hour consultations and longer-term assistance which may include lease negotiation, pre-litigation and settlement negotiations or representation in a court proceeding.
$2-4K Grants for Home-Based Businesses: Income from a home-based business is often a big source of household income for our city’s entrepreneurs. The Oakland CARES Act Home-Based Business Grant program will distribute $500,000 to home-based, for-profit businesses. Apply here by 11:59pm on Monday, November 2 in 4 languages. Priority will be given to businesses representing a broad geographic diversity in Oakland, especially those located in low-income areas or otherwise historically vulnerable communities; those who have received $4,000 or less in funding from the Paycheck Protection Program; and those with annual gross business revenue under $150,000.
Several Grants Extended:
The Oakland CARES Act Small Business Grant Program will accept applications until 5 p.m. on Friday, October 23. This program will provide $10,000 grants to qualifying Oakland small businesses that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 and have gross revenues under $2 million. Online applications and eligibility requirements in four languages are available at: mainstreetlaunch.org/oakland-cares-act-grant/
The application deadline for the Oakland CARES Nonprofit Grant Fund has been extended to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, October 28. This program will award grants of up to $25,000 to qualifying community-serving nonprofits with annual budgets of less than $1 million that address the impact of COVID-19 and the needs of low-income residents and businesses in the following areas: Health & Human Services; Economic & Workforce Development; Legal Support; Food Security; Homeless and Renter Support Services; and Education. Online applications and eligibility requirements are available at: communityvisionca.org/oaklandcares/
The application deadline for the Oakland CARES Fund for Artists and Arts Nonprofits impacted by COVID-19 has been extended to 1pm Friday, October 23. The program will distribute awards of up to $20,000 to arts nonprofits with annual budgets of less than $2.5M, while supporting individual artists with grants of up to $3,000 each. Learn more here.
Oakland Parks & Recreation Foundation’s 1st Citywide Parks Workshop: Whether you’re an experienced community leader or a new volunteer, join this free workshop taking place on Saturday, November 14, from 9:00am to 1:00pm to collaborate and learn about strategies and tools to improve Oakland parks. Learn more and register here.
East Bay Community Energy’s Resilient Home Program: Oakland has partnered with nonprofit public electricity provider East Bay Community Energy to launch a solar + battery backup program for homeowners. EBCE has partnered with Sunrun to provide no-cost / obligation-free consultations and will provide a proposal for your consideration. If you decide to move forward, there is a $1,250 incentive to homeowners that enroll their battery in the program and share power with EBCE during peak times when there isn’t a power outage. Since launch in August, nearly 700 homeowners countywide have registered for consultations. Sign up for your consultation and learn more at upcoming webinars.
Voting Reminders
Vote Early!
Given the pandemic and the threats to our democracy, please vote early. All registered voters will be sent an absentee ballot automatically to limit COVID exposure. You must register to vote to receive an absentee ballot!
You can vote in person or drop off your ballot at the Alameda County Registrar of Voters: 1225 Fallon Street, Room G1, Oakland, or put it into one of the official, free 24-hour drop boxes anytime by November 3rd 8pm. If you use a USPS mailbox, postage is free, and it’s critical to vote early!
You can also sign up to track your ballot.
October 19th is the last day for regular online voter registration.
October 20th – November 3rd, you can do same day voter registration.
On November 3rd, you can vote in person or drop your ballot off at your polling place by 8pm.
With many measures on the ballot, my go-to guides are Oakland Rising’s Voter Guide and the CA AAPI Voting Guide in seven AAPI languages.
With Oakland Love,
Nikki Fortunato Bas
Councilmember, City of Oakland, District 2
Port of Oakland 1927 to 2020
From YouTube Channel: October 14, 2020 at 05:14PM
ONN – Port of Oakland’s powerful legacy began more than 165 years ago. The Port’s past encompassed the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, two World Wars, and America’s coming of age as a global power. This two-minute video begins in 1927 when the Port was officially established and highlights significant moments in time at the Oakland seaport, airport and waterfront property.
Maritime: In the 1960s, it was the first major port on the West Coast to build terminals for container ships, a revolutionary technology at the time. Today, the Port of Oakland innovates and invests in its seaport infrastructure so that it continues to serve as a global gateway and vital U.S. export transportation hub.
Aviation: In 1962 completion of the 600-acre Oakland International Airport (OAK) complex inaugurated the era of the jetliner. Shipping giants FedEx and UPS have long-established West Coast hubs at OAK providing critical air cargo service and generating thousands of jobs.
Commerical Real Estate: The Oakland waterfront has served as a community destination since the 1950’s. It is a major player in Oakland’s current urban renaissance, creating jobs, housing, recreation and leisure activities. The Port’s portfolio includes Jack London Square where the public has access to stunning views of the waterfront, recreation, and indoor-outdoor dining options.
The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has presented difficult challenges to all three lines of business. The Port and its dedicated staff have adjusted to the dramatic changes in the work environment, with safety protocols in place.
Business recovery is underway with fresh strategies on how to succeed moving forward, responsibly and sustainably. The Port will continue to adjust, invest, and innovate, to continue its legacy as a major economic driver, supporting tens of thousands of jobs in California and touching hundreds of thousands of jobs across the nation.
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.
From Press Release: Port of Oakland has best September ever for import volume
Imports up 10.6 percent, exports up 5 percent compared to Sept. 2019
Oakland – October 14, 2020: The Port of Oakland experienced its best September ever for import cargo volume. The Port said 93,916 twenty-foot (TEU) full import containers last month beat a 2019 record of 84,901 TEUs. The Port also said today that containerized import volume jumped 10.6 percent in September compared to 2019 totals. Exports were also up 5 percent compared to September 2019. Total TEUs for September were 225,809 up 9.3 percent compared to September 2019 when TEUs were 206,539.
The Port attributed the boost in imports to U.S. retailers stocking up in preparation for the traditional holiday shopping season. Consumer products combined with pandemic-related items such as personal protective supplies helped make September a record-breaking month.
“Several months into this pandemic, we are now seeing positive signs by these cargo volume totals,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director Bryan Brandes. “As retailers make sure shelves are well-stocked, we’re waiting to see if consumers begin shopping early this holiday season.”
The Port said it’s seeing retailers hedging against another possible COVID wave this winter. Retailers appear to be building up their stocks as they continue to see the spread of more factory closures and lockdowns.
Compared to last year, this year’s first nine months show full imports up 0.4 percent and full exports down 0.2 percent.
About the Port of Oakland
The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland Seaport, Oakland International Airport, and nearly 20 miles of waterfront including Jack London Square. The Port’s 5-year strategic plan – Growth with Care – pairs business expansion with community benefits, envisioning more jobs and economic stimulus as the Port grows. Together with its business partners, the Port supports more than 84,000 jobs. Connect with the Port of Oakland and Oakland International Airport through Facebook, or with the Port on Twitter, YouTube, and at www.portofoakland.com.
From press release sent to Zennie62Media from The Port of Oakland.
Santa Clara – The Santa Clara Stadium Authority Board tonight will consider the San Francisco 49ers’ request to purchase LCPtracker, a software system for certified payroll reporting, construction site compliance management and workforce reporting. These are critical elements of reporting to the Department of Industrial Relations for compliance with state worker wage laws (e.g., prevailing wage). Sadly, this request is more evidence that the San Francisco 49ers have not been properly complying with State Prevailing Wage Law for the first six years as the manager of Levi’s Stadium.
“The exploitation of workers is especially egregious when committed by wealthy corporations who prioritize profits over people. We have a collective responsibility in Santa Clara to protect and pay low-wage workers who are employed by a billion-dollar industry.” Jean Cohen, Interim Executive Officer of South Bay Labor Council, commented.
The Stadium Authority’s review of the 49ers’ request found significant errors and omissions to enter into a contract to comply with the prevailing wage law, such as:
– Mismanagement of a public contract by requesting 90% above contract value without explaining the need for additional funds;
– Removing, without any disclosure, their duty to comply with federal and state laws, including transparency laws, e.g., Brown Act or Public Records Act; and,
– Lack of fiscal transparency.
“We are concerned that the 49ers Management Company is still committing wage theft and the City and State need to stop it,” Mayor Gillmor added. “Over a year ago, we discovered that the 49ers had not been complying with the State’s Prevailing Wage law. A year later, the 49ers submit a request to purchase a software system commonly used to comply with the prevailing wage law, but they have removed from the contract their requirement to comply with California’s Ralph M. Brown Act and the Public Records Act, and any other federal or state laws that may apply. This is not acceptable!”
This situation raises additional concerns by the Stadium Authority with how the team has managed prior contracts. In September 2019, the Stadium Authority Board rescinded the Executive Director’s delegated purchasing authority. As a result of the Board’s action, effective Nov. 8, 2019, the 49ers must now seek approval from the Board and demonstrate properly and legally procuring goods and services before contracts may be executed.
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.
San Francisco–The attorney that won one of the largest trade secret victories in the history of the United States and who represents major companies across the country has been selected as one of California’s top trade secret lawyers by legal publication California Daily Journal.
Patrick M. Ryan
Patrick M. Ryan of the law firm of Bartko Zankel Bunzel & Miller was recognized as one of “California’s Top Trade Secret Lawyers” by the California Daily Journal in its Oct. 7, 2020 special edition in its annual selection of the state’s top attorneys.
Mr. Ryan is lead counsel for several major U.S. and global companies, including currently representing Uber Technologies, Inc. in a trade secrets case, and last year he obtained one of the largest trade secret victories in United States history, totaling $845 million.
Mr. Ryan is Co-Chair of Bartko’s Antitrust Practice Group, as well as its IP Protection Practice Group, and handles cases throughout the United States involving a cross section of complex commercial litigation, antitrust, trade secrets, intellectual property, anti-counterfeiting, class action, false advertising, and constitutional matters.
During the last 21 years, Mr. Ryan has successfully litigated, on both the plaintiff and defense side, numerous matters for major corporate clients from a variety of industries, including manufacturing, automotive, software, healthcare, retail, biotech, and real estate.
Mr. Ryan has a knack for making the most complicated concepts simple to understand for judges and juries, and he regularly solves complex problems for companies—both in and out of court— with fervor and creativity. As part of his practice, Mr. Ryan also helps businesses better protect their IP and trade secrets and coordinates investigations into potential IP theft for companies accused of stealing trade secrets and for companies that might be the victim of such theft.
Mr. Ryan thanks the other members of Bartko’s victorious trade secrets’ trial team for their contribution to this honor, including Stephen C. Steinberg, Sean R. McTigue, Brian A. E. Smith, Chad E. DeVeaux, Alden K. Lee, and Joseph J. Fraresso, as well as other members of Bartko’s cutting-edge IP Protection Group, Paul J. Ortiz (IP Protection Co-Chair), Patrick E. O’Shaughnessy, and Gabriella A. Wilkins.
Bartko’s IP Protection Group helps companies fight IP Theft, counterfeiting, product diversion, and supply-chain fraud. Bartko can be reached at its website https://www.bzbm.com/ and has offices in San Francisco, phone 415.956.1900, and Los Angeles, phone 310.307.6115.
Former President Bill Clinton has come under intense attack for his full-throated defense of the crime bill of 1994 what is really called the violent crime control and law enforcement act of nineteen ninety four. It seems to me that the people who are talking (even the pundits on for example MSNBC Joy Reid, for example, and others) either weren’t really paying attention then, or and didn’t read the crime bill, or perhaps read the crime bill and forgot what it consisted of, and forgot the events that gave rise to its creation and passage.
Let me share with you but one of those events. July 1st 1993 was really a bright sunny day in San Francisco and afternoon about one o’clock and i went to the Royal Exchange to hang out early at the great Cal bar (for University of California at Berkeley students like myself, I got my master’s degree in city planning from Cal was on the Alumni Board from 98 2001 1998-2000 actually 2003 but I digress).
Bottom line is it was a great day but the television / switched to KTVU Channel 2 because just around oh three o’clock or so at that time there are reports of a shooting at 101 California Street.
Now to give you an idea where 101 California Street is with respect to wear Royal Exchange is. Royal Exchange is on Sacramento at Front Street here. If you go down Front Street, this is California. 101 California is right there, so basically just go down the block across California over here and the giant skyscraper that is 101 California is right there designed by Phillip Johnson – a steel and glass, iconic skyscraper that , when it was proposed, was unlike anything San Francisco had seen before. That’s another story.
A man by the name of Gian Luigi Ferri went up to the 34th floor to a law firm called Pettit and Martin. He got off the elevator and started to randomly shoot people using assault weapons.
There was a woman that I knew from Cal who worked at Pettit and Martin as associate. Just started, did Terry Presite, and I was worried for Terry. I was able to call her but couldn’t get a hold of her. Gian Luigi Ferri walked through her office and eventually killed nine people, injured seven others, ruining the lives of many, and impacted lives of countless people forever.
Pettit and Martin closed in 2001. That event, and others like it, gave rise to a call for a sweeping crime bill in 1994. A 363 page document that was sweeping far-reaching in scope – so for anyone to say that it negatively impacted the black community like the black folks all did did all this stuff really doesn’t know what they’re talking about to begin with.
For example, do you realize that the Violence Against Women Act started with a 1994 Crime Bill with a with the same bill that many are criticizing? Do you realize that the start of funding for halfway houses for escape places for victims of domestic violence started with the crime bill? Do you realize that the 1994 Crime Bill had an assault weapons ban that we have not had the collective will to establish today in an era of mass shooting after mass shooting after mass shooting?
Do you realize that? Do you realize that the that same bill that Bill Clinton is getting so much negative publicity for is the same bill that put 1,000 cops on the street? That funded and gave rise to community policing? They had a provision within it that said the US Justice Department was supposed to give an annual report on the use of excessive force by police programs around the United States – something that was never done.
So have you ever bothered to read the damn bill? No, you have not.
Do you realize what was going on at the time? No you don’t.
It made Oakland a safer community. It allowed us to hire more cops. It allowed us to get assault weapons off the street. We had gun buyback programs – including that, it was really effective.
The main overarching problem then in the 90s drugs were considered to be a problem of the black poor okay particularly heroin drugs weren’t thought of as being a white problem, even though all we knew we knew white folks did drugs and marijuana, but it was thought of as being a black problem.
Today, drugs are thought of, particularly heroin, as being not just a black problem but a white problem – which means it’s everybody’s problem. So now the 1994 crime bill that was so good then, because it only focused on drugs and you know black and the idea was that holy focus on black folks is now today thought out by some is being bad because hey white people new use drugs and right folks have a problem.
So now we’ve got to decriminalize everything.
You see what I’m getting at? It was okay to criminalize it when it was focused in the black community, but now that it’s a white problem oh we have to decriminalize it. Think about it. Think about what I’m saying to you. Think hard about what I’m saying to you, and at the same time we don’t have an assault weapons ban.
And you know something else that came out of the Violence Against Women Act which is still active: The Cyber Crimes Act, the act to prevent cyber bullying, which is installed in 2005 as a rider provision,
Do you know what you’re talking about when you criticize this bill? Yes there are parts of it that should not have been there, but given the climate of the times they were appropriate. Given what was happening in then they were appropriate. And again, it did sunset.
The real problem we have not solved since then is we still have an assault weapons problem. In fact, it’s enormous. We have open carry laws that people are openly defending in Georgia, walking around airports with their assault weapons saying oh this is okay at a time when terrorism is a concern, a big one, including domestic terrorism.
So in this context you’re going to tell me that the 1994 crime bill was this terrible thing? I think you need to reassess what you’re talking about, you really do.
ONN – Phil Gates, Oakland Skyline High Alum, Talks Eddie Van Halen And Phil Gates Band 3 PM EST, 10-8-2020
Phil and I go, as they say, “way back”, so I’m blessed to be able to present a friend who’s a giant in music, talk about the loss of Eddie Van Halen, remember Skyline High as we’re both Class of 1980, and get into the magic of The Phil Gates Band. Here’s his official bio:
Phil Gates was born in Chicago Ill., into a family of musicians that helped form his music style, and ability. Phil began playing musical instruments at the age of eight, and listening to a wide array of music has always been his main source of inspiration. Phil has played venues from small clubs, to the U.S. Air Force’s “Tops in Blue” World Tour, which performed in sixteen countries as well as the halftime show of the NFL Superbowl.
Phil has performed at many venues all over the world with his band. Also, the band was featured for five consecutive years on Hornblower Cruise’s “Friday Night Blues Dinner Cruise”.
Phil’s style is reminiscent of the early high energy Buddy Guy, mixed with a special blend of flavors from Jazz, Fusion, New Orleans, and the Chicago, Delta, and Mississippi Blues styles.
The Phil Gates Band won the “Beale Street Blues Kings” Competition in Memphis, and competed in the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge.
Phil has been steady contributor to the Blues Community in Southern California. He founded the Los Angeles Blues Society, and has been a valued judge for the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN, and also at many of the Guitar Center “King of the Blues” competitions in Hollywood, CA
Phil has also performed at great venues such as B.B. King’s, Cozy’s, Biscuits and Blues San Francisco, Highway 99 Seattle, WA, The Coach House, CA, The Monterey Bay Blues Festival, The Santa Clarita Blues Festival, The Topanga Canyon Blues Festival, The Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Festival, The Blues Music Awards Blind Raccoon Showcase, The Blues Nights Gossau(Blues Festival in Gossau, Switzerland), The Rock und Blues Festival in Gams, Switzerland.
Phil had the opportunity in his early years to listen and study great talent. As front of house engineer at the Caravan of Dreams Performing Arts Centre in Fort Worth, Texas, Phil worked with some of Blues and Jazz’s greatest performers to include: Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Albert King, Dizzie Gilespie, Wynton & Branford Marsalis, Kevin Eubanks, Eartha Kitt, Dianne Reeves, Bobby “Blue” Bland, and many others.
In the studio, Phil has been busy working on the follow up to the successful releases of “Phil Gates Live in the Danube Delta”, “The Twelve Rhythms”, “Phil Gates Live at The Hermosa Saloon”,“Addicted To The Blues”, and “In The Mean Time…” many of which, though not nominated, were all on the Grammy Ballot in their respective years as one of a few titles in their Category.
Phil is an accomplished session guitarist, performing on such projects as the Philip Bailey CD “Life & Love”, also with artists Kellie Blaise, Billy Shields, Maurice White, Zac Harmon, Preston Glass, L.A. Stlyz and Seabron.
His session work playing guitar has included many tracks with artists such as: Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle, Melba Moore, Freddie Jackson, Evelyn “Champagne” King, Deniece Williams, Jody Watley, Howard Hewett, Teddy Pendergrass, Brian McKnight, Ruben Studdard and Maurice White.
As a Producer, Co-Produced the award winning Blues record “The Blues According to Zacariah” with Zac Harmon, and recently has been a Co-Producer on a CD project with Little Richard. Phil also Produced the “Too Much Car For the Road” CD for Toni Dodd, “Urban Legacy” CD for Julia Jordan, daughter of renowned guitarist Stanley Jordan (who also performed on the CD). Also Phil scored an AFI film “My Normal Life”. Not to mention he has many CD’s of his own music to include “This Side Of Me”, “Should I?”, “Addicted To The Blues” ,“In The Mean Time…” , “Phil Gates Live at The Hermosa Saloon”,”The Twelve Rhythms”, and Phil gates Live In The Danube Delta”- all available on Apple iTunes, and digital audio outlets world-wide.
Phil has five endorsements with Ernie Ball/MusicMan Guitars, Evertune Bridges, Roland Corporation/BOSS, Lunastone Pedals, Janicek pics, and Ultimate Support music stands respectively.
Phil is currently the Vice President of Music and Media for the James Marshall Hendrix Foundation. (https://ift.tt/1zxSP3f).
Phil is also the Signature Band for the Sickle Cell Foundation of Orange County; for many years a strong relationship, and a great charity to help bring awareness to.
Phil is a dedicated, hard working professional entertainer that has proven time and time again, that his being dependable, and being able to work well with others can be an asset in wide array of musical endeavors.
Join us for an afternoon with Phil Gates, Thursday October 8th, 3 PM EST, 9 PM Switzerland time!
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.
OAKLAND, CA – Yesterday, October 5th, at 10:30AM Oakland City Councilmember at-large Rebecca Kaplan, held a press conference together with a coalition of leaders, to denounce the lies of billionaires who are trying to buy our elections – both in the City of Oakland, and throughout California. Large corporations, including Lyft and Uber, are spending big in this election, seeking to undermine our democracy, harm workers, and undermine our communities, while demanding sweetheart deals and special loopholes for themselves. In this upcoming November election, they are spending big, at the local level in Oakland and Statewide in California — where they also recently gave large sums to the State Republican Party.
Rebecca challenged them to “put their mouth where their money is” and debate her. Kaplan demanded they tell the voters directly why they think they should not pay their fair share for the roads and infrastructure they rely on every day.
Said Kaplan: “Locally they are demanding special treatment, tax loopholes, and monopoly power. The big money they are spending to attack me is less than the millions of dollars they could cost the people, if billionaires get to hurt workers and community. These huge corporations are trying to undermine our democracy, for California, and locally in Oakland.”
Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez added: “We can’t allow billionaire corporations to buy politicians and policies, either directly or indirectly. I’m standing up with Rebecca Kaplan because I know she will stand with regular folks against corporate greed. She’s already proven that, and that’s why they are targeting her.”
Gary Jimenez, Vice President of SEIU 1021 stated: “We are living in uncertain times and working families remain under attack. We cannot let large corporations continue to dump tons of money into our elections supporting anti worker politicians. I support Kaplan who supports working families.”
Sam Davis, Candidate for Oakland Unified School District Board said of this overreach, “We’ve seen how the huge expenditures by billionaires in our Oakland school board elections have corroded our democratic process, and we need to take a stand and say this stops here and now. Only by building a truly grassroots campaign, with thousands of voices, can we drown out the money megaphone that we are up against. I support Rebecca because she stands with our teachers and students.”
And Art Pulaski, CA Labor Federation Executive Officer, said: ““Oakland voters aren’t going to stand for Lyft’s brazen attempt to strip workers of basic rights, smear a champion of working people and buy elections.”
Randy Shaw, journalist and housing advocate, sent: “A company spending tens of millions of dollars to deprive workers of benefits via Prop 22 is now targeting a councilmember who has fought for increased affordability in Oakland. Prop 22 would make Oakland’s housing crisis much worse.”
The Facebook Live link can be found here and: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=371874683949862
HIgh resolution video of the event can be found here and: https://click.email.vimeo.com/u/?qs=f6c83dd7bbe8a3047149e1e50c76c819213151acf43d4d7dc859afdf277a41ce0741598c316ed686d86a25cacfbdffc48a9400cd91b6042e3b5ac4fe84cbacae
Vallejo, Ca – The Vallejo Police Officers’ Association today slammed a proposed “declaration of emergency” by the City of Vallejo and its Chief of Police calling it “illegal and dangerous to citizens, public safety, police and the rule of law.”
The City has called a special meeting and placed a “declaration of emergency” on the City Council agenda for Tuesday, Oct. 6, that seeks to give unprecedented powers to City Manager Greg Nyhoff to circumvent state and local laws and regulations.
The City claims the declaration is necessary to deal with the current crime wave, which necessarily concedes that the City’s neglect and mismanagement has resulted in conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of all residents, the VPOA says.
“The City does not need to declare an emergency to hire more police officers to protect citizens and businesses. It just needs to hire more cops, which it has been unable to do for years because it refuses to provide competitive wages and benefits to attract candidates – either entry level or laterals,” said members of the VPOA.
While the lack of effective City leadership is not in doubt, the VPOA said it will challenge its declaration in court and pursue all legal and administrative remedies. The proposed declaration “would allow it to bypass all civil service rules and other regulations to give the City Manager authoritarian powers until the City itself declares that the so-called emergency is over,” VPOA members added.
“This so-called declaration of emergency should cause everyone grave concern. The City effectively seeks to set aside due process, Civil Service Rules, and established law to create a dictatorship in response to its own administrative failures. This is a dangerous, illegal power grab concocted by the City’s administration that violates laws, public safety and everyone’s rights as citizens and employees of the City of Vallejo,” the VPOA warned.
They pointed out that City Manager Greg Nyhoff has been with the Vallejo for three years and Police Chief Shawny Williams has been onboard for a year.
“They are trying to pass this ’emergency’ as being necessary due to past administrations’ decisions. The reality is that Nyhoff and Williams have been, and are at, the helm, and should be held accountable. Accountability does not mean that we cast aside the checks and balances that are required of democracy,” VPOA members said.
The VPOA says the City’s and Chief’s admitted mismanagement, neglect, and incompetence for the past decade are to blame for the City’s current condition.
The City has failed to prioritize the police department. Instead of taking funds away from budgeted police officer positions to hire a $500,000 a year Assistant Police Chief to sit behind a desk, the City should be focusing their efforts on hiring highly qualified officers and developing actual strategies for a sustainable police force.
The VPOA says the so-called ‘state of emergency’ “opens the door to cronyism and is an excuse to hire more unaccountable administrative bureaucrats that will do nothing to help citizens impacted by crime.” The declaration itself says that the City wants to hire more administrators, even noting that there “is a vacant Assistant Chief position” which the City created in July without increasing the Police Department’s budget.
The VPOA said the Vallejo’s leadership is citing its own failure to implement police reforms as a ruse to justify its unprecedented action. After repeated attempts to meet with Assistant Chief Joe Allio regarding the OIR Group’s recommended reforms, the VPOA sent the City a letter on September 16, 2020 formally encouraging City leaders to work with the union to make progress on the recommendations.
Despite the VPOA’s public support of the OIR Group’s recommendations, the City did not reach out to schedule a meeting until October 1, 2020, only hours before giving notice of this proposed declaration of emergency.
“The reason Vallejo is awash in crime is that the City has starved the department of necessary funds to hire patrol officers to protect citizens,” said members of the VPOA.
“The City can’t declare an emergency when they are the one that caused the emergency. The City’s incompetent leadership has mismanaged Vallejo for the past decade. Now their solution is to declare an emergency and give unprecedented powers and authority to themselves, the people that created the situation,” members of the VPOA said.
The VPOA has offered to work with the City and Chief to implement recommendations from two independent studies of the Vallejo Police Department. One study found the VPD was unbiased and non-discriminatory in its use of force and the other study provided 45 recommendations for changes and reform. The VPOA support both studies and their reform initiatives.
“The OIR Group recommendations are important steps for the future of the Vallejo Police Department, and the VPOA maintains its commitment to work with the City toward implementing those recommendations. Nothing in the OIR Group’s report suggests or the principles in 21st Century Policing requires the City to circumvent state and local laws and regulations,” they added.
The Vallejo Police Officer’s’ Association (VPOA) was incorporated in 1957. The VPOA is the recognized bargaining unit between all Vallejo Police Officer’s and the City of Vallejo. Members include all ranks of officer’s – Captains, Lieutenants, Sergeants, Corporals and Officer’s. The VPOA does not represent the Chief of Police or the Assistant Chief of Police
The business function of the VPOA is to protect the collective interests of the members of the Vallejo Police Department and provide benefits to its members.
The VPOA is also committed to the safety and security of the citizens of Vallejo and the protection of life and property.
For more information, please visit www.vallejopoa.org
ONN – North Carolina Dem Cal Cunningham And Arlene Guzman Todd’s Affair, Steamy Texts, Made Public
North Carolina Dem Cal Cunningham And Arlene Guzman Todd’s Affair, Steamy Texts, Made Public
If the success of Paris Hilton is any indicator, Cal Cunningham, the North Carolina Democratic Candidate for U.S. Senate might just win.
The sexy text messages between Cal and Arlene Guzman Todd were made public and wound up in a publication called National File.
In all he admits the affair and is not quitting the race. Good for him.
“I have hurt my family, disappointed my friends, and am deeply sorry. The first step in repairing those relationships is taking complete responsibility, which I do. I ask that my family’s privacy be respected in this personal matter,” Cunningham said in a statement sent to The News & Observer.
“I remain grateful and humbled by the ongoing support that North Carolinians have extended in this campaign, and in the remaining weeks before this election I will continue to work to earn the opportunity to fight for the people of our state.”
And that Arlene Guzman Todd is one randy woman, that’s for sure. While this space does not condone extramarital affairs, he admits the error.
On the campaign trial, Cal has an impressive list of endorsements including the news organizations of North Carolina, and a who’s who of elected officials.
He is not taking a dime from corporate PACs, and lists low cost health care and economic opportunity for all as his priorities. In all, he is sizing up to be a good choice. Let’s help Cal, Dems, by donating!
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.
Bank Of America’s PPP Loan (Payroll Protection Program) Program Is A Horrible Mess
Early on, Bank of America was the focus of a lawsuit because the banking giant was not properly processing the Payroll Protection Program Loans that were applied for as million of businesses were being impacted by or fearing impact of the Coronavirus. The Charlotte Business Journalwrote:
Four businesses filed a lawsuit against Charlotte’s Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) on Sunday, criticizing the way it handled loan applications for the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program. The suit was filed in federal court in Los Angeles.
The lawsuit alleges BofA prioritized applications for higher loan amounts because those would generate more origination fees for the bank. The SBA previously said PPP applications would be accepted and processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
“BofA has, once again, prioritized corporate greed at the expense of its small business customers,” the suit reads. “Had BofA been honest, small businesses could have (and would have) submitted their PPP applications to other financial institutions. … As a result of BofA’s dishonest and deplorable behavior, however, thousands of small businesses that were entitled to loans under the PPP were left with nothing.”
During the frantic push to get financial shelter from COVID-19, the Small Business Administration (or SBA) had one program for economic help during disasters called “Economic Injury Disaster Loan”. I signed up for the program, but received no word back. I didn’t even get an acknowledgement of my application.
Then, the PPP program was advanced, and I applied twice (filled out the application twice because they were not acknowledging my entry) and it asked me if I was eligible for the “economic help during disasters” or “Economic Injury Disaster Loan”, between January and April, and I said yes (why would I not?). I also had not received the Economic Injury Disaster Loan I applied for.
And what was the EIDL (Economic Injury Disaster Loan) described as, you ask? This:
In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, small business owners, including agricultural businesses, and nonprofit organizations in all U.S. states, Washington D.C., and territories can apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan. The EIDL program is designed to provide economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue due to coronavirus (COVID-19).https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/economic-injury-disaster-loans
So, the PPP I got was part the EIDL I should have received, or so I understood that case to be, since both were related to the Coronavirus problem.Now, Bank of America is saying that I got an EIDL, and the PPP contained an “additional” EIDL amount of money to refinance the EIDL they say I got – but I never got even though I applied for it, too. Now, they want me to give back something that I never got out of the PPP money Zennie62Media received and disbursed to contractors. And in 10 days!
That’s nuts.
Bank of America made so many changes in the PPP Loan Application it wasn’t funny, and eventually set up an online portal for business clients. The complicated stuff about seeking a refinancing of a loan I did not get was not said then – they simply asked if Zennie62Media was eligible, which means we should get one. And a simple ask at that, since we didn’t have one, and the SBA was not responsive because it was slammed. I guess memories are short.
So now, Bank of America asked to go into my account and, of the $23,750 PPP Loan, get the $10,000 in what B Of A is calling “extra money” that in point of fact I never got – and gave me the choice, “yes”, to allow it to get it, or “no”. There was no “HELL NO” option. If so, I would have selected it, especially since Bank of America’s attempted action to me is based on a rule that did not exist when I applied for the PPP and received the loan, EIDL and all, on May 4th, 2020. Yep, you read that right.
And to add to that, we’re talking about my firm, Zennie62Media, a Delaware c-corp approved December 30,2019, and with a Certificate Of Good Standing from the State of Delaware. A firm that’s paid out several thousand dollars to my family of vlogger contractors, some who are disabled or between full-time jobs, and really needed and got another way of making money and having fun in the process.
What’s SBA Procedural notice 5000-20032: Refinance of EIDL Loans with PPP Loan Proceeds and Lender Remittance of EIDL Refinance Proceeds to SBA?
According to an online document I found called “SBA Procedural notice 5000-20032: Refinance of EIDL Loans with PPP Loan Proceeds and Lender Remittance of EIDL Refinance Proceeds to SBA”, “The purpose of this Notice is to provide guidance for when Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan proceeds must be used to refinance SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and to inform PPP Lenders of the procedure for remitting to the SBA any PPP loan proceeds designated for the refinance of an EIDL.”
And then it goes on to provide rules for handling of an EIDL in a refinancing situation that I was not involved in. And then, here’s the kicker: the entire SBA Procedural notice 5000-20032 was effective June 19th, 2020 – a good month after I received my PPP Loan on May 4th, and a full two months after I applied for it. https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/5000-20032-508.pdf
So, not only did the SBA notice not exist during the frantic frenzy to get money out to help people (ostensibly) during the early days of the Pandemic’s economic impact, it also does not call for Bank of America to go raiding someone’s bank account to get money they never received to refinance in the first place!
As explained in an August 4th 2020 Journal of Accountancy post by Ken Tysiac, a lender like Bank of America was supposed to do this: “…if a borrower received an EIDL advance in excess of the amount of its PPP loan. Lenders must notify the borrower when the first payment will be due, and the loan must be repaid by the borrower before the maturity date, either two or five years.” Not 10 days – and even then, the EIDL advance in my case was not in excess of the amount of my PPP Loan.
All of this seems to have been made just so lenders like Bank of America can get back some PPP Loan money. That even as Gerri Detweiler in Nav.com writes that “borrowers generally don’t have to repay an EIDL grant”!
Since Bank of America was sued for favoring the rich, the action its trying to take against me seems to be right along those lines, and criminal. And at that, Zennie62Media is one of a total number of black-owned businesses and black American that represented two percent of the total number of people and firms who got PPP Loans! 83 percent of the PPP Loans issued went to white folks.
Congress should write a bill or provision that helps save the little guy: simply terminate any rule that allows a Lender to try and take PPP Loan-related money back from an American who rightfully received it.
If that person or business followed all of the basic guidelines of the criteria for the PPP, fine – then leave them alone. EIDL money (It’s disaster related, right?) should simply be part of the PPP: if it’s forgiven, so be it – plus the whole program is to be terminated June of 2021, anyway (Why that is, is yet another mystery considering how many millions of people still need help in America?)
But this way where lenders like Bank of America are left to write “we understand how hard this is during this difficult time” before they take part of your money must be terminated. It will contribute to a wrecking of the American economy to a degree far worse than what we’re already experiencing now.
The Oakland City Auditor just sent a blazing press release. Here’s what she and her office wrote about the Oakland Fire Department:
Oakland – Today, Oakland City Auditor, Courtney Ruby, released a performance audit of the Fire Prevention Bureau (Bureau), a division of the Oakland Fire Department (OFD). This report examines whether the Bureau implemented the 2017 recommendations from the Mayor’s Task Force established after the tragic Ghost Ship Fire in 2016 and whether the Bureau has established adequate controls to ensure all state mandated inspections are completed and fire safety laws are adequately enforced.
The mission of Oakland’s Fire Prevention Bureau is to reduce the risk of fire throughout the City. The Bureau conducts fire safety inspections of the City’s buildings, structures, and vacant lots and performs “state-mandated inspections,” which include buildings used for public assemblies, educational purposes, institutional facilities, multi-family residential dwellings, and high-rise structures. The Bureau also oversees the City’s commercial inspection program of smaller apartment buildings and retail businesses, inspects cannabis operations, and reviews building and tenant improvement plans to ensure new construction includes all required fire safety components. Furthermore, they are responsible for fire safety in the high danger zone of the Oakland hills.
The audit found that more than three years after the City launched a major reform effort to improve fire and life safety throughout the City of Oakland, the City has made only limited progress in fully implementing the reforms set forth by the Mayor’s Task Force. The Fire Department implemented processes to identify and address high risk properties and improve communication between the Bureau and the engine companies to report potentially unsafe properties for further investigation.
The Fire Department, however, has yet to fully implement critical organizational improvements such as filling staff vacancies, creating permanent supervisor positions, implementing more robust quality control processes, establishing performance measures for inspectors, and developing operating procedures for inspections.
The audit found the Bureau inspected only 26 percent of all state-mandated facilities between September 2018 and September 2019, even though the Bureau’s staffing for fire inspectors has increased significantly. Furthermore, the audit revealed the Bureau had not inspected 51 percent of the state-mandated facilities in the last three years we reviewed. The audit also noted the Bureau lacks sufficient staffing to inspect the growing number of cannabis operations in the City. The nature of cannabis operations poses significant fire risks to the operators, neighboring properties, firefighters, and the community.
Additionally, the Bureau’s enforcement efforts are often ineffective. The Bureau’s practice has been to try and coax property owners to correct fire safety violations by re-inspecting properties. Between September 2018 and September 2019, the Bureau conducted over 800 re-inspections of state-mandated properties to ensure property owners corrected various fire safety violations. Although 236 properties implemented the appropriate corrective action, inspectors re-inspected these properties up to seven times to obtain corrective action. On the other hand, the Bureau was unable to obtain corrective action on another 493 properties, even though inspectors re-inspected these properties up to seven times.
The audit also found the Oakland Unified School District has not been responsive in correcting fire safety violations such as missing fire extinguishers and non-functioning fire alarm systems. Also, the Bureau has not operationalized its appeal process to provide property owners an opportunity to dispute the Bureau’s findings of violations in the City’s wildlife interface areas. Not operationalizing the appeals process delayed the assessment of approximately $300,000 in inspection fees in 2018 and 2019 has yet to be assessed as a result.
In response to the audit results, Auditor Ruby noted, “Two of the deadliest fires in US history have been in Oakland: The 1991 Oakland Hills Fire and the 2016 Ghost Ship Fire. Collectively these fires killed 61 of our residents. Completing this audit has been of the utmost importance to me to ensure the City is doing all it can to protect our residents—unfortunately, the audit found OFD has been slow to learn from the past and critical work remains to be done—a sense of urgency and accountability must be ignited in OFD—there is no excuse for the lack of progress.”
During this time, the Bureau’s personnel have been stretched thin from meeting its annual state- mandated inspections by other work, such as inspections required by the City’s building boom, addressing safety issues at the many homeless encampments throughout the City, and the hiring and training of new inspection staff. Additionally, the Bureau’s practice to repeatedly re-inspect properties to bring them into compliance has also diverted significant time away from conducting mandated inspections.
While the lack of progress can be partly attributed to high turnover in the Fire Department’s leadership (since 2017, the City has had three Fire Chiefs and three Fire Marshals), Auditor Ruby, stated, “In 2013, I released an audit reviewing the Department’s vegetation management inspection practices and some of these very same problems were identified, such as the need for consistent training, stronger supervision, quality control measures and clear policies and procedures to ensure the accuracy and completeness of inspections. Almost 10 years later, the current audit shows these same issues persist with building inspections.”
On a positive note, the Department has agreed to implement 29 of the 30 recommendations in the audit report. Moreover, the Department and the Bureau have begun employing a more strategic focus on implementing management and accountability systems called for by the Mayor’s Task Force and the Bureau is in the process of converting to a more advanced database, which will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Bureau’s inspection efforts.
Blockbuster Trump EPA Letter To California Gov Gavin Newsom Blasts State, Los Angeles and San Francisco Waste From Homeless Problem
A letter sent to Zennie62Media an hour ago is from the Office of United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Director Andrew Wheeler, under President Donald Trump. In it, Mr. Wheeler claims that he “is concerned that California’s implementation of federal environmental laws is failing to meet its obligations required under delegated federal programs.” Then, he details a number of examples, including one pointed, in a not too veiled political way, at San Francisco.
In the case of San Francisco, Wheeler writes:
California Governor Gavin Newsom
The EPA is aware of the growing homelessness crisis developing in major California cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, and the impact of this crisis on the environment. Indeed, press reports indicate that “piles of human feces” on sidewalks and streets in these cities are becoming all too common.? The EPA is concerned about the potential water quality impacts from pathogens and other contaminants from untreated human waste entering nearby waters. San Francisco, Los Angeles and the state do not appear to be acting with urgency to mitigate the risks to human health and the environment that may result from the homelessness crisis. California is responsible for implementing appropriate municipal storm water management and waste treatment requirements as part of its assumed federal program. The state is failing to properly implement these programs.
San Francisco is also one of the few major cities with sewers that combine stormwater and sewage flows that is not under a federal consent decree to meet the requirements of federal law. The EPA is committed to helping the state address this problem. In fact, the EPA provided the San Francisco Public Utility Commission a loan of $699 million under favorable terms pursuant to authority under the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act in July 2018 for biosolid digestors and other related projects. However, these projects will not bring the city into compliance. San Francisco must invest billions of dollars to modernize its sewer system to meet CWA standards, avoid dumping untreated and partially treated sewage into the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean where it can wash up on beaches and keep raw sewage inside pipes instead of in homes and businesses.
Even more troubling is the City of San Francisco’s years-long practice – allowed by CalEPA – of routinely discharging more than one billion gallons of combined sewage and stormwater into San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean on an annual basis. The CWA requires municipal sewage be treated to certain levels and to meet water quality standards. Nonetheless, although San Francisco’s combined sewer outfalls discharge to sensitive waters, these discharges do not receive biological treatment. Instead, San Francisco’s combined sewer overflows are designed to remove floatables and settleable solids only and do not always achieve even that low level of treatment. These discharges may be contributing to the state’s failure to meet water quality standards. By failing to maintain its sewer infrastructure, the city allowed raw sewage to back up into homes and businesses.
Here is the Trump EPA Letter from Andrew Wheeler in its entirety:
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460
September 26, 2019
The Honorable Gavin C. Newsom 1303 10th Street, Suite 1173 Sacramento, California 95814
Dear Governor Newsom:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Environmental Protection Agency are responsible for working together to protect public health and the environment in your state. As a result of the authorization of state laws and the delegation of federal authority, California administers and implements the federal Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act among other federal programs. Congress designed these statutory frameworks for the states to take the lead role in implementation, with the EPA overseeing state actions.
Based on data and reports, the EPA is concerned that California’s implementation of federal environmental laws is failing to meet its obligations required under delegated federal programs. The cost of this failure will be paid by those Californians exposed to unhealthy air and degraded water. The purpose of this letter is to outline the deficiencies that have led to significant public health concerns in California and to outline steps the state must take to address them. To ensure that appropriate steps are being taken to protect Californians, the EPA would like a remedial plan from the state detailing the steps it is taking to address the issues raised below.
The EPA is aware of the growing homelessness crisis developing in major California cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, and the impact of this crisis on the environment. Indeed, press reports indicate that “piles of human feces” on sidewalks and streets in these cities are becoming all too common.? The EPA is concerned about the potential water quality impacts from pathogens and other contaminants from untreated human waste entering nearby waters. San Francisco, Los Angeles and the state do not appear to be acting with urgency to mitigate the risks to human health and the environment that may result from the homelessness crisis. C responsible for implementing appropriate municipal storm water management and waste treatment requirements as part of its assumed federal program. The state is failing to properly implement these programs.
San Francisco is also one of the few major cities with sewers that combine stormwater and sewage flows that is not under a federal consent decree to meet the requirements of federal law. The EPA is committed to helping the state address this problem. In fact, the EPA provided the San Francisco Public Utility Commission a loan of $699 million under favorable terms pursuant to authority under the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act in July 2018 for biosolid digestors and other related projects. However, these projects will not bring the city into compliance. San Francisco must invest billions of dollars to modernize its sewer system to meet CWA standards, avoid dumping untreated and partially treated sewage into the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean where it can wash up on beaches and keep raw sewage inside pipes instead of in homes and businesses.
Even more troubling is the City of San Francisco’s years-long practice – allowed by CalEPA – of routinely discharging more than one billion gallons of combined sewage and stormwater into San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean on an annual basis. The CWA requires municipal sewage be treated to certain levels and to meet water quality standards. Nonetheless, although San Francisco’s combined sewer outfalls discharge to sensitive waters, these discharges do not receive biological treatment. Instead, San Francisco’s combined sewer overflows are designed to remove floatables and settleable solids only and do not always achieve even that low level of treatment. These discharges may be contributing to the state’s failure to meet water quality standards. By failing to maintain its sewer infrastructure, the city allowed raw sewage to back up into homes and businesses.
Overall, significant deficiencies are present, and the state has not acted with a sense of urgency to abate this public health and environmental problem. Among the other issues identified, the state’s years-long approval of the discharges referenced above under its authorized program raises serious questions as to whether it is administering a program consistent with federal law. The city’s practices endanger public health, and the EPA is prepared to take the necessary steps to ensure CWA compliance. Given the magnitude of the issues, I have asked EPA staff to consider all options available to bring the city into compliance.
The state’s lack of action in response to the homelessness crisis and San Francisco’s discharges of inadequately treated sewage prompted the EPA to review other programs administered by CalEPA for similar concerns. What we discovered after a preliminary review suggests the need for more formal and in-depth EPA oversight. For example, we are aware of numerous exceedances of state-issued National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits under section 402 of the CWA. Just in this past quarter, we identified 23 significant instances of discharges into waters of the United States in exceedance of permit limits. By way of example, the City of Los Angeles exceeded its permit limit for Indeno[1,2,3-cd) pyrene (a contaminant which is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen) by 442 percent; the University of Southern California exceeded its permit limit for copper (a metal which can adversely affect human health and the health of aquatic life) by 420 percent; and Sanitary District Number 5 of Marin County exceeded its permit limit for total cyanide by 5,194 percent. These are serious matters that warrant a strong review by California.
California has the resources to address these problems. Apart from the state’s significant tax base, California received more than $1.16 billion of federal funds to implement CWA programs just in the last five years, including $253.5 million in FY2018 and $247 million in FY2019. In addition, California received more than $152 million in categorical grants over this time to improve compliance with the CWA.
The EPA also has concerns about CalEPA’s administration and oversight of SDWA programs and public water systems within the state. Indeed, we are aware of numerous recent health-based exceedances: in just the most recent reporting quarter of 2019, California had 202 Community Water Systems with 665 health-based exceedances that put the drinking water of nearly 800,000 residents at risk. These exceedances include:
• 67 systems with 194 serious health-based exceedances of arsenic levels, impacting more
than 101,000 residents;
• 210 lead action level exceedances in just the most recent 3-year interval at 168 PWSs,
impacting more than 10,000 residents;
• two systems with serious Ground Water Rule compliance issues, impacting more than
250,000 residents; 44 systems with 154 exceedances of the Stage 1 and 2 disinfection byproduct regulations,
impacting almost 255,000 residents; and
• 25 systems with 69 violations of radiological standards, impacting almost 12,000 residents.
These exceedances call into question the state’s ability to protect the public and administer its SDWA programs in a manner consistent with federal requirements.
Under this Administration, the EPA stands ready to assist California and CalEPA to protect the health and environment of Californians. However, it is time for the state to act decisively under its authorities to address the problems identified in this letter. For each of the delegated or assumed programs discussed in this letter, I request a written response within 30 days outlining in detail how California intends to address the concerns and violations identified herein. This response should include a demonstration that the state has the adequate authority and capability to address these issues and specific anticipated milestones for correcting these problems. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Andrew R. Wheeler
NOTES
The EPA first authorized California’s base Clean Water Act program in 1973. The EPA subsequently approved the state to regulate discharges from federal facilities in 1978, administer the pretreatment program in 1989 and issue general permits in 1989. California also has received primacy to exercise Safe Drinking Water Act responsibilities in the state.
2 See, e.g., Raphelson, Samantha. “San Francisco Squalor: City Streets Strewn With Trash, Needles And Human Feces, NPR (Aug. 1, 2018) available at https://www.npr.org/2018/08/01/634626538/san-francisco-squalor-city-streets strewn-with-trash-needles-and-human-feces (last accessed Sept. 22, 2019).
3 Human waste from homeless populations is a recognized source of bacteria in water bodies. See American Society of Civil Engineers, “Pathogens in Urban Stormwater Systems” (Aug. 2014); “The California Microbial Source Identification Manual: A Tiered Approach to Identifying Fecal Pollution Sources to Beaches” (Dec. 2013); Tools for Tracking Human Fecal Pollution in Urban Storm Drains, Streams, and Beaches (Sept. 2012). These reports are
Internet Address (URL) http://www.epa.gov Recycled/Recyclable Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 100% Postconsumer, Process Chlorine Free Recycled Paper
available on the website for the San Francisco Bay Beaches Bacteria TMDL available at https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/sanfranciscobay/water_issues/programs/TMDLs/SFbaybeachesbacteria.html (last accessed September 22, 2019).
+ The EPA’s current data also indicates that 15 major Publicly Owned Treatment Works are in significant noncompliance and 11 non-major POTWs are currently in significant noncompliance. These data are publicly available. See U.S. EPA, Enforcement and Compliance History Online water facility public search tool (https://echo.epa.gov/facilities/facility-search?mediaSelected=cwa).
5 The 2006 Ground Water Rule is a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation under the SDWA aimed at providing increased protection against microbial pathogens in public water systems that use ground water sources. See 71 FR 65574.
6 These health-based concerns are associated with unaddressed significant deficiencies” identified via an audit of the system, called a “sanitary survey,” and include, for example, an opening through which bacteria could enter a well head that the system has not repaired.
I have sent this to Governor Newsom’s Office for comment, as well as the Mayor’s Office’s of LA Mayor Eric Garcetti and San Francisco Mayor London Breed for comment. Keep in mind the interesting timing of the letter with respect to the November 2020 Election and the 30 day response time, which takes us right up to just days before election day. Moreover, Wheeler just blasted Newsom for his executive order to ban the sale of gas-powered cars in 15 years. This space wishes that Governor Newsom would apply large tax credits to electric-powered supercars, as a way to hasten the transition to an electric car world.
Oakland From A Distance – In the ongoing debate against and legal challenges to the Insight Terminal Solutions Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal, there are two one constant refrains heard. One is that the Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal (where Insight Terminal Solutions is a Zennie62Media content client) is a coal terminal, when it’s not, and is designed to be a true bulk terminal that can facilitate the transport of commodities like iron ore and coal. The other is that coal can be replaced by renewables, and indeed, will be – so why bother maintaining a coal industry at all (as if it will just go away)?
The first question has been addressed so many times that those who once called the Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal a “coal terminal” have now stopped doing so. For the second question, I decided to go right to the people who would best know the answer to it: coal miners.
What did the coal miners write? Well, without revealing names, here are the entries:
1. What a big ol load of bullshit.
2. Yes it can. If they like black outs.
3. Can one make steel from renewable?
4. Well turn your power off !!!
5. You can’t melt steel without coal. Steel that builds our cars, military, sky scrappers. You people are crazy.
6. Worked in a forge plant…any electricity will melt steel…coal in steel is like flour in a biscuit…part of the recipe.
7. No substitute for coking coal .. worked it for years…all that is left here.
8. Windmills. Takes a lot of steel and coal to make one.
9. Wonder why CA is having major blackouts. They shut down their coal fired powerplants in 95 but yet bought electricity off of New Mexico
10. Screw California the whole west coast fall off the US. Wonder of the Demonrats can swim.
11. Stop sending coal power to California
12. One day these tree huggers will regret their decisions to go away from coal! It made us the superpower we are today!
13. It will take one good winter which we haven’t had in a while and theyl turn a certain grid off to keep their cities burning but rural will be without and then they’ll say well coal wasn’t so bad after all. 6 years ago AEP in Eastern, KY came 4 kilowatts of loosing their power grid during the bug snow we had. It will happen and they’ll be sorry
14. Hi I would want to ask this way: Why do you want to do away with coal?
15. If you don’t need coal. Then turn your ELC and see how much you miss it. Then think about all the work that goes into being able to warm your coffee up in the morning. Trust me u really need coal miners and COAL.
16. They are full of crap.
17. I suppose we could burn our forest up in power plants that way between that and burning down our cities we could look just like West Africa.
18. Do they know about products made from coal?
19. Make up from coal steel electricy computer components gas desiel plastic carbon fiber cement home and unlike gas it heats whey longer whit just as btu’s
Overall, the sentiment is that those in Oakland who believe that renewables can replace coal just don’t understand the basics of electric power produced from coal. America’s Power, the coal industry lobby, asked “What would it look like if we actually replaced Indiana’s coal generation with renewable generation in 2018?” and determined that it could not be done.
In 2015 Wharton asked “Can the World Run on Renewable Energy?” Then, it struggles to provide a convincing argument that resoundingly says “Yes!” The Wharton Report says “The global picture is complex. Although coal production internationally is still increasing robustly, and the International Energy Agency sees demand growth of 2.1% annually through 2019,employment — at seven million jobs worldwide — has seen some losses.” And then it gives in and admits that “China’s reliance on coal remains a formidable obstacle. Coal produces 70% of China’s energy, and almost four billion tons were burned there in 2012 — a major reason that China has become the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter. From 2005 to 2011, China (with vast natural coal reserves) added the equivalent of two 600-megawatt plants every week, and from 2010 through 2013, it added coal plants roughly equal to half of all U.S. generation. (At the same time, China is committed to renewable energy — with hydropower included, it’s already at 20%, compared to 13% in the U.S. But demand is rising and so is production: China is planning to double its power-generating capacity by 2030.)”
The truth is that China’s trend is toward a mix of energy production types, and is working to make energy derived from coal use “cleaner”. Indeed, it must be asserted that China and Japan are far ahead of the United States in advancements in coal industry technology with respect to climate change.
My question is this: why can’t America establish a top-priority plan to make traditional energy cleaner and not throw coal miners out of their jobs, with empty promises of employment in industries damaged by The Pandemic? It’s a question that deserves an answer.
Another question that deserves an answer is this: when will Oakland climate change activists start actually reading The Limits To Growth and the research that points to population growth as the real cause of climate change?
Indeed, Population Matters, the UK-based charity which campaigns to achieve a sustainable human population, to protect the natural world and improve people’s lives, reports:
The effects of global warming are already bringing harm to human communities and the natural world. Further temperature rises will have a devastating impact and more action on greenhouse gas emissions is urgently required. Population and climate change are inextricably linked. Every additional person increases carbon emissions — the rich far more than the poor — and increases the number of climate change victims – the poor far more than the rich.
The Port of Oakland just sent this press release regarding the comments of the Port of Oakland’s Maritime Director to Zennie62Media
Bryan Brandes Cranes Behind
Oakland – Sept. 28, 2020: Strategic initiatives and investment in operational improvements are the Port of Oakland’s solutions to post-pandemic business recovery and future growth. That is the message the Port’s Maritime Director delivered to the Pacific Trade Association at its Zoom meeting this month.
“We are determining our strategic initiatives right now,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director Bryan Brandes. “We’re continuing to spend and invest a fair amount into Port facilities to ensure that we’re set up for the future.”
The Port of Oakland is considering an ‘only-port-of-call’ express service. It is also looking into focusing on rail within the western states, both short-haul, and into the US interior as an opportunity for moving more cargo through the Port.
According to Mr. Brandes, the Port of Oakland is expecting a slight decrease in Oakland’s overall cargo volume in 2020 due to the pandemic but expects that to pick up in future years. Mr. Brandes is optimistic about Oakland’s maritime business and welcomed input from attendees as the Port continues to shape its strategy.
Fifteen transportation related infrastructure and software projects are being built in Oakland. Together they make up the Freight Intelligence Transportation System (FITS). “It’s a combined effort with the Alameda County Transportation Commission, the Port and the City,” said Mr. Brandes. “The new system will improve security, safety and the customer experience for those who are involved with the Port.”
A long-term project at the Port of Oakland is the redevelopment of the former Oakland Army Base. The Seaport Logistics Complex (SLC) encompasses the Port’s part of the former base. CenterPoint Landing is the first construction project at the SLC. The 466,000 square foot warehouse is on 27 acres and will soon be completed.
Three, new, huge container cranes are coming into Oakland International Container Terminal (OICT) later this fall. These will be the tallest cranes Oakland has ever had at 442 feet as measured with the boom at rest, pointed skyward (301 feet at the apex). TraPac terminal operators at Oakland also have plans to either raise cranes or bring in new, bigger cranes next year, Mr. Brandes said.
Mr. Brandes highlighted the Port’s Seaport Air Quality 2020 and Beyond Plan, “This is the Port’s plan on how it’s going to sustainably grow its cargo business while at the same time be responsible to the surrounding communities regarding air quality, truck traffic control, and providing local jobs.”
The Port is continuing its negotiations with the Oakland A’s regarding a proposed baseball stadium at Howard Terminal. The project includes a residential development next to the stadium. It requires multiple approvals before it can be formally considered by the Oakland Board of Port Commissioners.
Port officials say they are committed to the growth of container cargo volume. If the ballpark project goes through, the Port plans to ensure that it does not impede maritime activities.
Mr. Brandes emphasized that the Port’s investment in its facilities is a clear sign that the Port will be improving its infrastructure in ways that support maritime growth in Oakland.
About the Port of Oakland
The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland Seaport, Oakland International Airport, and nearly 20 miles of waterfront including Jack London Square. The Port’s 5-year strategic plan – Growth with Care – pairs business expansion with community benefits, envisioning more jobs and economic stimulus as the Port grows. Together with its business partners, the Port supports more than 84,000 jobs. Connect with the Port of Oakland and Oakland International Airport through Facebook, or with the Port on Twitter, YouTube, and at www.portofoakland.com.
In the Meantime • Part 2 | “A Purpose and a Promise”
From YouTube Channel: September 26, 2020 at 01:30AM
ONN – What’s the secret to being happy no matter your circumstances?
Get questions based on this topic here: https://bit.ly/3j3zlzu
Your Move with Andy Stanley
In the Meantime • Part 2 | “A Purpose and a Promise”
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.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce supports Amy Coney Barrett, and sent the following press release to Zennie62Media:
U.S. Chamber Supports President Trump’s Nominee Barrett for Supreme Court
September 26, 2020
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Chamber CEO Thomas J. Donohue issued the following statement today regarding President Trump’s nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the United States.
“We congratulate Judge Amy Coney Barrett and applaud President Trump for this nomination of an eminently qualified jurist. Because there has long been speculation that Judge Barrett could be the nominee, our legal team has reviewed her record in business cases, as well as her background and credentials.
Throughout Judge Barrett’s distinguished career, she has demonstrated careful fidelity to the Constitution and the rule of law. America’s free enterprise system depends on the fair application of the law, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has no doubt that Judge Barrett will treat all litigants – including the business community – fairly. She will make an excellent associate justice.”
About the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business organization representing companies of all sizes across every sector of the economy. Our members range from the small businesses and local chambers of commerce that line the Main Streets of America to leading industry associations and large corporations.
They all share one thing: They count on the U.S. Chamber to be their voice in Washington, across the country, and around the world. For more than 100 years, we have advocated for pro-business policies that help businesses create jobs and grow our economy.
ONN – Your Move With Andy Stanley: In the Meantime, Part 2 | “A Purpose and a Promise”
Andy Stanley asks:
What’s the secret to being happy no matter your circumstances?
Get questions based on this topic here: https://bit.ly/3j3zlzu
Your Move with Andy Stanley
In the Meantime • Part 2 | “A Purpose and a Promise”
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
ONN – Lyft Commercial Attacking Rebecca Kaplan, Oakland City Council At-Large Incumbent, Was Stupid
Lyft Commercial Attacking Rebecca Kaplan, Oakland City Council At-Large Incumbent, Was Stupid
Ok. So what do you call a corporate political strategy which calls for attacking an incumbent elected official who tried to get that firm to pay more taxes and treat its workers better – the same workers who are voters in that city? I call it stupid.
That’s what Lyft did in this case of Oakland At-Large Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.
Stay tuned.
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
Oakland – 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.
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.
ONN – Port Of Oakland Import Volume Up 3rd Straight Month In 2020
Port Of Oakland Import Volume Up 3rd Straight Month In 2020
Oakland, Calif. – Import cargo volume increased for the third consecutive month at the Port of Oakland in August. The Port said today that containerized import volume jumped 9 percent in August compared to 2019 totals. Exports were also up, 1.4 percent compared to August 2019.
The Port said it’s encouraged by the rebound as it enters peak shipping season which runs from August to October. Peak season is when retailers get ready for the traditionally busy shopping months of November and December.
“We remain cautious because as we have already seen, the coronavirus pandemic has created lots of uncertainty,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director Bryan Brandes. “We’re waiting to see how COVID-19 will affect our retail partners.”
The Port attributed the boost in imports to U.S. retailers restocking their dwindling inventories. Shipments include pandemic-related items such as e-commerce goods, medical equipment and personal protective equipment. The Port said the gain in August exports was due to fruit and beverage shipments doing slightly better compared to August 2019.
The Port said its year-to-date total cargo volume is down 5 percent from 2019. That’s due primarily to a 25.3 percent drop in shipments of empty cargo containers back to origin destinations.
About the Port of Oakland
The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland Seaport, Oakland International Airport, and nearly 20 miles of waterfront including Jack London Square. The Port’s 5-year strategic plan – Growth with Care – pairs business expansion with community benefits, envisioning more jobs and economic stimulus as the Port grows. Together with its business partners, the Port supports more than 84,000 jobs. Connect with the Port of Oakland and Oakland International Airport through Facebook, or with the Port on Twitter, YouTube, and at www.portofoakland.com.
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.
Protesters gathered in Oakland and across the Bay Area Wednesday night, following a Kentucky grand jury’s decision not to charge any police officers with the killing of Breonna Taylor.
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Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
If Donald Trump picks Allison Jones Rushing to replace the legendary, late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, it will be the worst pick any President Of The United States has made in recent memory. Why? Because Allison Jones Rushing, the United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, is being elevated because she fits a checkmark of couch-potato conservative positions familiar to right-wing bloggers, and nothing else.
Let’s get this out of the way: if the position were something like senior vice president for legal at the Walt Disney Company, Allison Jones Rushing is certainly presents herself well, in general. This speech before the North Carolina Bar Association last year shows her to be people-centered and very much one who prizes the gift of giving in her personal life:
That’s all well-and-good but the fact is, I personally know of a number of judges who fit that same basic criteria. We’re talking about replacing the legendary intellect that is Ruth Bader Ginsburg. We’re also talking about finding someone who has a record of high-intellectual consideration of the problems of the day, and one of clear judicial activism. Someone who moved the needle of America. Someone like, well, Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
In Allison Jones Rushing, we get someone who’s rise seems based on telling conservative elected officials that she is, well, conservative, and that’s it. At that, she is what I call a “couch-potato conservative”: one who unknowingly defines themselves as conservative by their attitudes on race, sex, and sexual orientation. Such a person does not have true respect for the American institutions of democracy and government. Such a person does not understand what a market economy is, or a socialist one, or how one American economy can have elements of both, let alone know what they are. Thus, they turn a blind to the maintenance of voting rights, or even the preservation of traditions of behavior between parties – like not campaigning when the other party’s convention is going on. They don’t understand the price mechanism or what “market failure” is, and how to fix it. In short, they’re not truly intellectual. Allison Rushing has attached herself to a “couch-potato conservative” ethic that’s come to harm America.
Ms. Rushing earned a B.A., summa cum laude, from Wake Forest University in 2004 and a J.D., magna cum laude, from Duke University School of Law in 2007, where she served as executive editor of the Duke Law Journal. But beyond that, she…
Got a massive pass during her 2018 confirmation hearing for her current job. Allison managed to skip the standard schedule; it was during Senate recess that her hearing was held. All the better to escape the stinging and burning questioning of Democrats like California Senator Kamala Harris. This is what Vox wrote back then:
Allison Rushing, a nominee for a seat for the Fourth Circuit who testified on Wednesday, is among those being considered in these hearings. She’s been called out by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights given concerns about her stances toward civil rights. Rushing had previously spent a summer working with the Alliance Defending Freedom, an organization that the Southern Poverty Law Center has classified as a hate group for its efforts to advance anti-LGBTQ policies.
“Scheduling Ms. Rushing’s hearing for October 17, 2018 over Democratic objections — during a Senate recess when senators are out of town — is just the latest example of Chairman Grassley bulldozing over the minority in order to remake the federal courts in Trump’s image,” the Leadership Conference’s Vanita Gupta said in a statement.
Sen. Hatch, in his questioning on Wednesday, opened by simply telling Rushing — “I’m very impressed with you.”
“There has been a concerted effort by my friends on the Democratic side to stall and re-stall and that’s just a fact,” Kennedy told reporters before the hearing. “We’re going to get all the nominees in front of the Senate. … Sen. [Mitch] McConnell [the Senate majority leader] has said that even if we have to stay here on Christmas Eve … we’re going to be here voting.”
The person they picked for that lifetime job is one who’s known for her summer law clerk job with the afforementioned Alliance Defending Freedom. The organization’s mission pretty much screams anti-gay, so it seems, given what she wrote back then, that South Bend Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg and his husband will not be welcome at her home any time soon.
Allison Jones Rushing justified the Defense Against Marriage Act, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman for federal purposes and allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages from other states:
In a 2013 speech at a forum titled ‘Enemies of Mankind’: Religion and Morality in the Supreme Court’s Same-Sex Marriage Jurisprudence, Allison Jones Rushing outlined her support for the Defense of Marriage Act and her opposition to the Windsor decision in which the Supreme Court struck down the discriminatory law. Ms. Jones Rushing said in the speech: “The reasons for the law were both moral and practical,” continuing on to say “the fact that DOMA codified the definition of marriage that had prevailed throughout most of human history…was evidence that the law did have a valid basis” and that the majority opinion in Windsor was written “in a unique way that calls it bigotry to believe that homosexuality does not comport with Judeo-Christian morality.”
Allison Jones Rushing, Intellectually Lighter Than Not Only RBG But Most SCOTUS Judicial Appointments, Is Part Of A Republican “Stack The Court” Strategy
Account after account takes on the view that Allison Jones Rushing has been and is being fast-tracked. Take America’s Lawyer: Mike Papantonio and Trial Magazine Executive Editor Farron Cousins talking about how little experience she has on the bench.
Takes like those are common.
There’s more coming about Allison Jones Rushing here at Oakland News Now. But my early prediction is the Senate Confirmation Hearings will eat her alive.
