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This is another terrible article from Paul T. Rosynsky. He never does his homework. If he did, he'd have mentioned that one can get tickets through SBS by just clicking on the title of this post. But instead he goes and talks to SMG's Mark Kaufmann, who makes the ridicious statement that "this is more popular than the Super Bowl." Right Mark. That's only because you couldn't go to the Super Bowl. That's SMG for you, always out to keep the Coliseum Authority in medocrity. ....Super Bowl tickets were going for almost $3,000 in the open market, versus have that for the NCAA March games. March Madness is sold out The only way to see popular college basketball tournament at Oakland Arena is on television (BS - Zennie) By Paul T. Rosynsky, STAFF WRITER, Oakland Tribune OAKLAND — March Madness is coming to the Oakland Arena next month but the only way to see the popular mens' college basketball tournament is to watch it on the television. The event, wh...

I attended an interesting political function at The Parkway Theater. Oakland City Attorney John Russo and former San Francisco Supervisor Matt Gonsalez hosted a presentation of the famous movie "Inherit The Wind." Prior to the movie, the two staged a kind of town hall meeting. Overall the event was a success and the movie was remarkable, even if it's not a true rendition of the events surrounding the "Scopes Trial." I have found that events with a twist like this one work to get people to political functions. It seems that people in Oakland -- this new group -- aren't as interested in politics as the Oaklanders of 13 years ago, when I was writing for the Montclarion. I don't know why this is, but my guess is it's a combination of the Internet, and the need to work more than one job just to make ends meet.

This item is from the Oakland Post, with a link to the article The 100,000-member Alameda Labor Council Wednesday announced its endorsement of former Congressman and Mayoral candidate Ron Dellums on the steps of Oakland City Hall. More than 100 rank and file union members interviewed candidates for Mayor and City Council on January 30. Their recommendations were reviewed and voted on by the Executive Committee and Delegate Assembly. "Working people in Oakland want opportunity and inclusion," said Sharon Cornu, Executive Secretary Treasurer. "Oakland voters are fortunate to have many good choices on the June ballot. Our unions have worked closely with all the candidates and have benefited from their leadership. But Ron Dellums offers new hope and vision for our members, working families and communities." Dellums will keynote the Council's Annual Awards Dinner on March 23 at the Oakland Airport Hilton. The Council represents 130 local unions, including public...

It seems that those who back Ignacio don't do so because they really think he can move Oakland forward, but because he can move them ahead -- at the expense of others. Take the matter of those billboards up around town that show De La Fuente's face. They weren't paid for by his campaign at all, but by Clear Channel, and as a payback for being able to maintain hundreds of billboards around town -- at the ire of some who consider them either an eyesore, or promoting vices like drinking in poor and minority areas. Former Oakland Tribune and now East Bay Express writer Robert Gammon exposed this problem of influence peddling last year, but it got no repeat print. Well, here it is again, both below and in the title post link. It's a good read. The world's largest billboard company, in tandem with the Oakland Chamber of Commerce, is exploiting a loophole in state campaign finance law to help Ignacio De La Fuente become Oakland's next mayor. Over the past year, ...

This photo -- from the Oakland Post -- tells it all. District 6 Councilmember Delsy Brooks points an accusatory finger at Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown during a recently-held town hall meeting. The full story is at The Oakland Post, and the article can be seen with a click on the title of this post. This may explain why Jerry's seeking residence in San Francisco's Pacific Heights. Too bad. I think staying in Oakland will do wonders for his campaign.

Here's an excerpt, but click the title of this post to read the full article.: Oakland City Attorney John Russo said communities of color were very much a part of two issues his office handled lately: liability insurance rates tied to zip codes, and the city's agreement with Caltrans to remove blight. Russo said he supports a plan by Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi to ask insurance companies to stop relying on where persons live when rates are set for policies. And, he said, it took the city filing a lawsuit to get Caltrans to step up and agree to clean up its properties many of which were in minority communities in East and West Oakland. Dressed in a white shirt, blue slacks and sneakers, Russo was playing Dad as his two small sons played a Madden video game football in his City Hall office where there's a photo of Martin Luther King Jr. on a wall and a small figurine of another one of Russo's heroes: former New York Knicks star Willis Reed. A native of Brooklyn,...

This is Oakland Focus' early endorsement for the Oakland Mayors' Race and the California Government Assembly contest. Ron Dellums is not only an Oakland legend, but the person least warped by Oakland's internal politics. Thus, he can't be influnced by greedy developers who say they can build a structure without public subsidy just to get city approval, then come back and say "We need public money" after they've gotten the contractual "go-ahead" they begged for. So when you hear some Oaklander say that with Dellums "Everyone's hand will be out asking for something" just say "Well, doesn't Ignacio De La Fuente have his hand out to get donations from developers? Didn't De La Fuente try to use city money to purchase the 'black church vote?' And if so, is that action just a reminder of how some of his supporters may see Oakland's African American community? As just having it's hand out?" Don't...