Government
When Cherry Chan moved back to Oakland last year after living in Hawaii, she found a city that was struggling with a host of social issues, among them, brazen property crime. Chan works at a shoe shop in Oakland’s Montclair neighborhood, where she says she often sees car break-ins. “It’s become like the wild west,” she said. Early this year, In-N-Out Burger closed its location near Oakland International Airport “due to ongoing issues with crime.” Then Denny’s Restaurant followed suit. Shop owners…
On July 17, 1944, sailors were loading two liberty ships at Port Chicago in Suisun Bay, nearly 30 miles northeast of Oakland, when an explosion went off and killed 320 people, 200 of whom were Black. Among the 390 who were injured, nearly 60% also were Black. After the explosion at the port, which served as a major facility for supplying ammunition during World War II, 258 sailors protested returning to work because of the dangerous conditions and were warned…
With Oakland facing a roughly $80 million hole in the city budget, a heralded new program to bring film productions to town is on the chopping block. The Film Rebate Incentive Program, an effort to lure film and television with rebates on production costs, was approved unanimously in July by the City Council. The $600,000 initiative was left out of a contingency budget that was adopted because the city has not yet received anticipated payments from the $125 million sale…
With just days left before Tuesday’s election, Oakland North interviewed the three candidates running for Oakland’s City Council District 5 seat. District 5 extends from the affluent streets of Park Boulevard to the industrial flatlands of International Boulevard. Incumbent Noel Gallo is running, along with candidates Erin Armstrong and Dominic Prado. Each responded to the questions about their top concerns and policy plans. Their answers are presented verbatim, with editing for clarity and brevity. Noel Gallo Gallo has served as…
Oaklanders who frequent the waterfront paths along Lake Merritt are accustomed to seeing encampments and trash heaps. Last spring, though, they came upon a surprising sight. A small hand-built cabin suddenly appeared in a grassy clearing on the lake’s western shore, just a short walk from the swanky Lake Chalet restaurant. The structure looked as if it was made with permanence in mind. Sturdily built of measured wooden planks, with plexiglass windows and a corrugated steel roof, it was big…
Three Oakland council members are giving up their seats, paving the way for new leaders to join the City Council. Council Members Dan Kalb and Treva Reid, and Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan are not running for reelection in November. Their exits have created an opportunity for three new members to join the eight-member council, putting the newcomers in a pivotal position for what is shaping up to be a tough budget season. “Three new members, replacing long-standing and experienced council…
A proposal to temporarily increase campaign contribution limits for the November election has stalled, after the City Council failed to meet a quorum for the legislation’s passage. The change, proposed by Councilmembers Janani Ramachandran and Kevin Jenkins, would have increased campaign contribution limits to $800 from individual donors and $1,500 from political committees until 2027. It passed its first reading on Oct. 1 in a 5-2 vote, but at the second reading, which was scheduled for last week, several council…
At a youth town hall meeting Tuesday, Mayor Sheng Thao said she was interested in how the government can better support young people and the importance of transitional housing for 18-year-olds as they become adults. She also said that the FBI raid on her house was an attempt to stop her from creating meaningful change in Oakland. “I know I did nothing wrong, so I’m not even tripping,” Thao said. The mayor faces a recall on Election Day after less…
After several hours of debate, the Oakland City Council voted Tuesday to renew its contract with ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection technology system. The council renewed the $2.5 million contract for one year to start, instead of three, because of concerns about a lack of data and the city’s strained budget. But if the City Council does not make changes to the contract next year, it will automatically renew for the full three years. It was approved by a 7-1 vote,…