The City is facing a new round of budget deficit problems. Oakland is projecting a deficit of nearly $19 million for this year. Part of the deficit is due to the drop in anticipated revenues, such as property and sales taxes and surcharge of Oakland Coliseum ticket sales. The other major portion is budget overruns. Oakland’s police department looks to exceed its budget by $3 million and other departments by an additional $1.5 million.
Thus far, the mayor and the City Council have been reluctant to review the budget process to trim wasteful spending. It is going to have to be done soon. The City must find creative ways to reduce spending, not simply fire employees and cut services.
One sure way to reduce City spending is to terminate the Federal judge oversight of the Oakland Police Department. The City Council, with the blessing of the City Attorney’s office, agreed to extend the oversight until 2013 at a cost of about 650,000 per year. That will mark 10 years of federal oversight of our police department and the spending of millions of tax dollars.
The terms were not released by the City, claiming that they are part of a negotiation. That seems to be a rather full-of-holes statement since the agreement will have to be filed with the Federal court and agreed upon by the judge. Once the judge signs it, it becomes a public record for all to review. Why not just release the terms now so the citizens can see how their money is being spent and why their police department is still under federal oversight?
The mayoral campaign is heating up everyday. Don Perata has received the endorsement from the Oakland Police Officers Association. The OPOA made it clear that new leadership is needed to solve Oakland’s basic crime problems and police department management. It appears to be a slap to Councilwoman Jean Quan since she has been interacting with the police department through on the Council for eight years now.
Ms. Quan has revved up her campaign as well. She is focusing on implementing instant run off voting so that the election will be held in November instead of June. The extra time will allow Ms. Quan to build a grass root effort and neighbor-to-neighbor campaign.
It looks like incumbent Mayor Dellums may have effectively removed himself from the race. Recent disclosure shows that he has failed to pay taxes of $239,000.00 for the years 2005- 2007. The mayor’s terse statement vowing to resolve the IRS debt has done little to assure the city he is engaged in problem solving.
It appears that some of Dellums’ supporters have reached out to Ms. Quan, or at least are looking for a new candidate. Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown has denied any interest in running for mayor of Oakland. He jokingly stated that there’s an arrest warrant out for him if he ever appears in Oakland. Some of his supporters have commissioned a poll and continue to feel out his candidacy.
The California state races are becoming more and more interesting as well. There is a louder and more persistent cry for Senator Diane Feinstein to enter the race. The thinking goes that she can accomplish more as governor of a large state than one of a 100 U.S. senators. Many Democrats believe that her firm, focused leadership will guide California out of its Sacramento-induced budget crisis.
People are pushing even harder for San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom to run for Lt. Governor. The thinking goes that by working under Governor Feinstein’s tutelage, he will become a more focused and productive politician. When Ms. Feinstein‘s term ends, Mr. Newsom would be in place to succeed her as governor.
A poll commissioned by the Jobs and Housing Coalition showed that 96% of voters say the City needs to attract more businesses and jobs to Oakland. That comes as no surprise. Many Oaklanders fully understand we need to grow our economy. More jobs would mean more revenue for City services, more quality of life services for every neighborhood, and revitalization throughout Oakland.
We have to be able to employ our residents and create job opportunities. It will take dedicated Council members who are focused on bringing job-producing businesses to Oakland so that we stabilize and rebuild neighborhoods, improve our schools, and create jobs throughout town. That growth will maximize Oakland’s potential and produce long-term employment opportunities, thus enhancing our quality of life.
What all of that boils down to is the City tackling our major problem: crime. We need a clear effort to break the grip of drug-fueled crime and strengthen rehabilitation measures to be able to combat local crime. We need a commitment from our City leaders that crime, economic development and improved schools will become their top priority. These are the things that will rebuild Oakland.
Clinton Killian is an attorney in downtown Oakland, an Oakland resident, a former Oakland Planning Commissioner. He can be reached at: (510) 625-8823 or email: clintonkillian@yahoo.com.
Misisipi Mike
facebook
twitter