Victory for Oakland

Elizabeth Warren is running for President and opening campaign offices across California including in Oakland, CA. The Oakland office launch will take place this Saturday November 6, 2019 at 1:00pm and is located at 900 Alice Street in downtown. This is not the first time Warren's campaign will come to Oakland.  Warren held a rally at Laney College in Oakland on May 31, 2019 that received such a large turnout it had to be moved to an outdoor field to accommodate the crowd. Photo credit: Rolling Stone Photo credit: Mercury News  Senator Warren has been a powerhouse on the ground and on the national stage seemingly energized by any questions and comments directed towards her.  She has laid out comprehensive policy positions on most major issues so much that " I have a plan for that" is becoming her catch phrase. She shows no signs of slowing down or being slowed. Warren must still defend her record and policies to communities most marginalized and under ...

Non-profit healthcare provider Blue Shield of California was founded 80 years ago and has done business from its headquarters in San Francisco, CA. As of November 2019, Blue Shield has moved its headquarters to downtown Oakland but its Foundation will remain in San Francisco.  Blue Shield is now housed on 12th Street and Broadway along with its existing 1,200 employee and an additional 100 expected by 2020 .  The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by Mayor Libby Schaaf and District 3 Councilmember Lynette Gibson-McElheney. Photo Credit: Schaaf Twitter Account Blue Shield ran an #80forOakland campaign over the course of the year contributing to community service and health projects around the City. Blue Shield also announced that it will donate $1 Million to Oakland Promise.  Oakland Promise champions itself as aiming to provide college readiness and funding for Oakland's Youth.  It started as an initiative under Mayor Schaaf and has since morphed into an...

Kamala Harris is running for President of the United States and attended the opening of her campaign office in Oakland, CA on Sunday 9/29/2019 .  The office is located in Oakland's District 2 at 3909 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610. Photo credit: East Bay Times The opening was attended by high-profile elected in Oakland including Mayor Libby Schaaf, District 3 City Councilwoman Lynette Gibson-McElheney, and Rep. Barbara Lee who is Harris's California fundraising co-chair . As some may recall, Harris announced her run from President from the steps of Oakland City Hall in January of this year. However, Harris' campaign has faced several stumbles, hurdles, and backtracks when it comes to resonating with Oaklanders.  Many Oakland natives decry Harris claiming Oakland,CA as her hometown and campaign base because Harris was technically born in Oakland but spent most of her childhood abroad in Canada.  When Harris returned to California, it was as a prosec...

On Saturday October 5, 2019, the Oakland United Coalition will host a Townhall on Community Benefits for the Oakland A's proposed developments in Oakland.  The  Oakland United Coalition is an East Oakland   coalition of residents, workers, faith leaders, youth, community organizations and unions which was founded several years ago when the City and Oakland A's were discussing redevelopment of the existing Coliseum in east Oakland as a Coliseum City. The Coalition takes a slightly different approach from groups like the International Longshoreman and Warehouse Union ("ILWU") when it comes to the A's proposed development in Oakland.  ILWU recently hosted a community forum on the proposed development at Howard Terminal in West Oakland with an clear demand that it not be approved or built at the site.  The Coalition will be hosting a townhall to discuss community benefits to demand from the A's no matter if or where the development is built. Community bene...

On Saturday 9/21/2019, I attended the Community Forum on the A's proposed Howard Terminal development in West Oakland. The forum was hosted by the International Longshoremen and Warehouse Workers Union ("ILWU") at the West Oakland Senior Center. The room was hot and packed with standing room only.  Attendees included local residents, ILWU and other union members, elders, and community leaders. Presenters raised concerns about the project in the following areas: racial equity in contracting and employment quality jobs that include job security and stability, full-time employment, union rights, benefits, and jobs that our community members are qualified for that will build their skill sets negative impact on jobs at the Port of Oakland which provides middle class incomes and that does not require higher education negative impact on ingress and egress to the Port of Oakland affecting the millions in commerce and jobs as the 5th largest port in the United State...

Verizon has launched its 5G service and plans to expand the tech to entire municipalities as 5G smart cities.  The company announced that it will be launching 5G in 30 cities across the country by the end of 2019. 5G smart cities carry  the fastest data speeds and  the  potential  for  more intelligent transportation and traffic applications, more bandwidth and greater network resources to first responders . However, s ome cities and residents already report concerns with services being available only in downtown and more affluent areas.  Others complain about the  devices that are required to be installed which including radiation emissions .  Verizon 5G has launched in California areas like San Diego  already.  It plans to do the same in Oakland, CA .  I attended a listening session in Oakland, CA on August 26, 2019 to talk with community stakeholders and Verizon leaders about what 5G can do to address pressing issues in...

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union ("ILWU") is hosting a community discussion on the Oakland A's proposed new stadium project called the "Howard Terminal"on September 21, 2019 from 11:00am to 1:00pm at the West Oakland Senior Center. The A's development is proposed to included a ballpark, transit, lodging, and commercial businesses.  The port of Oakland is the 5th largest port in the United States. The Port of Oakland handles 99% of all containerized goods moving through Northern California, representing $41 billion worth of international trade. ILWU is comprised of port workers at the port of Oakland.  The ILWU has been outspoken about the problems the proposed project presents to workers and residents in the area. They have taken a decisive position that the A's should remain in east Oakland at its current stadium instead of building in West Oakland.  They are garnering more support and visibility with regional activists like Dan...

The City of Oakland is engaging in a dangerous practice of repeated displacement, exclusion, and trauma of the City's most vulnerable residents. While the housing crisis is a statewide and national crisis, Oakland's houseless population has grown exponentially over the last several years and surging in recent years .  Reports estimate that up to 80% of those who are houseless are Black/African American residents . The City has initiated "solutions" including the Mayor's Tough Shed program and the overnight parking lot program in partnership with local churches.  However, these efforts expect to serve tens of residents and have barely put a dent in the visible tent cities and curbside communities that have been in existence for years with new ones popping up on almost every street in the City. The City's common "solution" for communities that either refuse the limited options offered by the City or have no other option is to evict them from t...

On Labor Day 2019, I joined thousands of Kaiser workers and patients at Oakland's Mosswood Park to advocate against Kaiser's proposed threats to workers as well as patient care. Kaiser's CEO resides in the Bay Area and earns $600,000.00 per month by conservative estimates.  Kaiser just entered a deal including naming rights for a Thrive City at the new Chase Center in San Francisco, CA.  Kaiser is also taking steps to erect a $900 Million office for its workforce in downtown Oakland and hopes it will be tallest in Oakland's skyline.  Kaiser benefits from tax exemptions due to its non-profit status but maintains billions of dollars in its reserves and reportedly grossed over $5 billion in the first half of 201 9. Kaiser workers are protesting the greed and corruption of Kaiser which include a proposed reduction in worker pay; creation of a two-tiered classification system that will provide less job protections and rights to the lower tier; and increase of workers...

According to the East Bay Times , the City of Oakland is partnering with four local churches to make their parking lots available for overnight parking for people who live in their vehicles.  The parking program will "accommodate a total of up to 65 vehicles" who will be able to park securely for 12 hours (from 7:30pm to 7:30am) for three (3) months.  The Interfaith Council of Alameda County and the City of Oakland will select participants with priority given to "students and families" for the first 10 spots.  Participants are required to be the "registered owners of their vehicles." The churches plan to offer participants comprehensive services of laundry, shower, bathrooms, grooming, job development recruitment, and food donations. This announcement comes as the number of Oakland's houseless residents visibly increases on all major city streets and locations.  The City estimates its homeless population exceeds 5,000 and community groups counter wi...

Oakland Police Department (OPD) has been under federal monitoring pursuant to a settlement agreement reached in the infamous Riders case in 2003.  The monitoring has proceeded for 16 years with OPD failing to meet the settlement agreement terms at each point of review . To enforce the settlement, the federal court appointed a monitor.  Part of the monitor's duties is to issue quarterly compliance and review reports to the federal U.S. District Court Judge William Orrick on the matter. The current monitor, Robert Warshaw, issued his first quarter report in March 2019 which concludes that the City is losing what progress it has made in complying with the settlement agreement.  In the month preceding the report's release, Warshaw condemned OPD's current Chief Anne Kirkpatrick for her poor leadership decisions including her handling of discipline in the killing of 31-year old mentally Joshua Palowik on March 11, 2018.  Warshaw detailed that OPD placed the four off...

The City of Oakland has the opportunity to do right by Oakland workers, residents and voters by ensuring the creation of a strong, effective Department of Workplace and Employment Standards that fulfills the voter mandates of Measure FF and Measure Z  and must be established by July 1, 2020. Many workers who are experiencing violations of their rights are either too afraid to speak up, or do not have faith that the current enforcement system will bring them justice. Those who do file claims, do so with the State Department of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE). But state enforcement offices have serious backlogs that compromise effectiveness. According to DLSE officials and legal services providers, the Oakland division of the DLSE has a 2 to 2.5 year backlog in cases. This delay impacts the ability to move a claim successfully; and in some cases, workers relocate orget deported and the DLSE ends up losing contact with them. This is a problem morelikely to happen ami...

The Oakland A's propose to build a new stadium at the "Howard Terminal" in the Port of Oakland in West Oakland. The project is privately funded and claims it will include affordable housing and commercial space. Two Bills are currently pending in the state legislature as part of the development project. SB293 (Skinner, D-Berkeley) The text proposes to change the process necessary to approve the financing plan and related bonds for the project.  Currently, the City must create a district to issue bonds that must be approved by 2/3 vote of the voters within the district. SB293 proposes a process that instead allows the City Council to adopt a resolution to create the district, financing plan including taxes, and approve and issue bonds. The bill was passed unanimously Wednesday by the Governance and Finance Committee and will be heard on the Senate floor in May. A date has not yet been set. AB1191 (Bonta, D-Alameda) This would give the State Lands Commiss...