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Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
60th Year, No. 21
Weekly Edition. Edition. June 7 - 13, 2023
postnewsgroup.com
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Pushes MLB to Reconsider Involvement in Oakland A’s Relocation Process
(Clockwise from top left:) Police Commissioner Regina Jackson. File photo. | Police Commission Chair Tyfahra Milele. File photo. | Rashidah Grinage, a Coalition for Police Accountability coordinator. File photo. | Cathy Leonard, president of the Coalition for Police Accountability. File photo.
Dysfunction Plagues Oakland’s Top Cop Search While Crime Rates Rise
Thao seeks to boost crime reduction and hire a new chief By Ken Epstein The City of Oakland’s leadership is seeking to beef up police presence in affected neighborhoods as Oakland, along with many other cities across the country, experiences a rising crime wave. Meanwhile, resources are drying up as federal pandemic funding comes to an end.
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao The city is already increasing enforcement and is moving toward placing more officers and crime prevention personnel on city streets, strengthening the respected Ceasefire crime reduction program, and providing six police academies to bring more officers into the department, according to Mayor Sheng Thao. In an interview this week with
Assistant Chief Darren Allison KTVU2, Thao said she is working closely with the Oakland Police Department under the seasoned leadership of 25-year veteran Assistant Chief Darren Allison, while the city searches for a new police chief to replace LeRonne Armstrong, who was fired in February by the mayor. However, a national search for a new chief is hampered by dysfunction on the city’s powerful Oakland Police Commission, accord-
ing to many observers. Though she has already allocated funds to pay for the search, Mayor Thao said in her KTVU interview that the commission has not agreed on hiring an executive search consultant and has therefore not yet begun the search process. “I am pushing and pressuring them to actually finally agree on a consultant,” she said. “We are waiting for the police commission to actually go and sign with the consultant.” Critics are saying the failure to hire a search consultant and a variety of other issues undermining the functioning of the commission are the responsibility of the commission’s chair, Tyfahra Milele, who they want to step to down. “I wouldn’t know why they haven’t found a consultant, except
that they are inept,” said Rashidah Grinage, a member of the Coalition for Police Accountability, which helped establish and now monitors police commission activities. In a letter this week to commissioners, Cathy Leonard, president of the Coalition for Police Accountability, detailed 10 concerns about Milele’s leadership. “If she is allowed to remain as chair … the damage done … will be significant,” the letter said. “Losing the credibility and trust of the community, the city and the federal court may have the effect of prolonging the federal oversight over the police department.” According to the letter, Milele attended an OPD retreat before Armstrong was fired but did not tell other commissioners. The letter also stated that the commission did not have the standing to weigh in on the firing
of the chief because Milele failed to subpoena records related to the handling and mishandling of an internal OPD case against Sgt. Michael Chung, which was connected to the chief’s firing. Milele also interfered with the work of the commission’s Inspector General, resulting in an Ethics Commission complaint, the letter said. According to KTVU, Milele wrote a response saying that the commission is “very actively involved in searching for a new police chief,” and said that “we worked diligently on this paramount assignment, as we have on multiple occasions.” In a strongly worded press statement, Milele blasted KTVU’s news reporting and her critics, who include members of the Police Commission and police accountability activists, saying, “We are profoundly disappointed by a troubled local TV station’s (reporting) ... that repeats inaccurate, malicious assertions and fails to take into account verifiable facts that were made available to the writer of the … screed.” Backing Milele’s leadership, former Alameda County Chief Assistant District Attorney Terry
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Washington, DC — Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12) today sent a letter to the Commissioner of Major League Baseball, Rob Manfred, requesting that he reconsider his direct involvement in the negotiations of the Oakland Athletics potential relocation to Las Vegas. The Oakland A’s have been actively negotiating a deal with Las Vegas legislators to fund a new ballpark and relocation to Las Vegas. According to press reports, Commissioner Manfred has committed to waiving the relocation fee, which is standard for any team seeking to leave their home city. Such action could be
Wiley, an unsuccessful candidate in November for Alameda County DA, supported her at a May 25 police commission meeting. “From my viewpoint, I have a very positive view of this commission,” Wiley told the commission. “And I think that her leadership should continue.” Regina Jackson, currently a Continued on page 10
“MLB’s continued active encouragement of the A’s abandonment of Oakland and the East Bay runs counter the rationale supporting MLB’s century-old exemption from federal antitrust law. I ask you to reconsider efforts to subsidize or otherwise encourage the relocation of the Oakland A’s out of the East Bay.” Congresswoman Lee is exploring legislation to address the century old MLB’s anti-trust exemption as it relates to franchise relocation. Read the full text of the letter below. Dear Commissioner Manfred, I write regarding the future of the Oakland Athletics Baseball Club in the East Bay. Many of my constituents in the East Bay and I are increasingly frustrated with the continuing apparent failure of the team and Major League Baseball to deal in good faith with local government agencies. The City of Oakland and Alameda County have been home to the A’s for five and half decades. Multiple generations of Oaklanders have grown up identifying with the team’s dogged
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Supportive Housing Community Land Alliance Addresses Invisible Pipeline to Homelessness
Teslim Ikharo, the CEO of the Supportive Housing Community Land Alliance, speaks at the Oakland Museum on May 20. By Tanya Dennis
Former Alameda County Chief Assistant DA Terry Wiley
perceived as incentivizing the team’s relocation, which runs counter to the rationale behind the MLB’s century-old exemption from Anti-Trust laws and has been consistently upheld by Supreme Court rulings. “I write regarding the future of the Oakland Athletics Baseball Club in the East Bay. Many of my constituents in the East Bay and I are increasingly frustrated with the continuing apparent failure of the team and Major League Baseball to deal in good faith with local government agencies,” wrote Congresswoman Lee. “The City of Oakland and Alameda County have been home to the A’s for five and half decades. Multiple generations of Oaklanders have grown up identifying with the team’s dogged efforts and hard-earned triumphs. The A’s organization adds significant tangible economic benefit to our region, including numerous good paying jobs at Oakland Coliseum. But as important is the sense of unique shared cultural identity that surrounds the team and its local fanbase,” Congresswoman Lee continued.
Last year, Alameda County lost 87 beds for people encountering mental health challenges because of SSI’s low reimbursement rate to board-and-care facilities. These closures are causing an invisible pipeline to homelessness. On May 20, at the Oakland Museum, the Supportive Housing Community Land Alliance (SHCLA) presented an innovative solution, entitled permanent supportive housing, where residents retain a unit for as long as they live. In addition, SHCLA advocates for democratizing beauty, noting that individuals who live in boardand-care have little access to art and beauty, a modality that assists in healing and recovery from mental illness. SHCLA CEO Teslim Ikharo is an urban strategist, community
convener, and impact investor who uses finance, real estate development, social services and public policy to make positive change. Ikharo previously worked in affordable housing developments and with formerly incarcerated and homeless populations. Ikharo says, “SHCLA’s permanent supportive housing model provides permanent housing without conditions -- for example, the person doesn’t have to be sober to acquire a bed or space.” The target audience in Alameda County are residents 30% below the median income with mental health issues. Many are homeless even with family support. Currently there are 15,000 people experiencing homelessness with half located in Oakland, Oakland is the epicenter of homelessness and 47% are African American,”
Ikharo said. In 2021, Alameda County’s Home Together 2026 Plan determined that $2.5 billion was needed for their five-year plan to house the homeless population.. Ikharo believes the solution to attain that goal are Land Trust non-profit community organizations that assure permanent affordability for low-income residence. These organizations select geographic boundaries, Oakland, Alameda County or California and once they identify their geographic boundaries, they utilize a re-sell formula attached to the deed of the property that states use and affordability limits. The funds for land trust projects typically come from public sources like city, county and state \which are used to purchase land and buildings. Land trust’s unique approach is they separate ownership of the land from the building. By splitting title between the land and improvements, the land trust then sells the building to low-income owners, while the trust retains ownership of the land. Retaining ownership of the land ensures that, in the interest of the community, the property retains the use intended, which is low-income, affordable housing. If the owner gets into financial trouble, the land trust can either purchase the home back or find another buyer.
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