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UC Berkeley Janitors, Parking Attendants, Cooks, and Bus Drivers Strike

If you find you parked your car in the wrong place at UC Berkeley today, this may be the day you're in the clear. Workers went on strike represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union Local 3299, and are being joined by lab techs. The story reported i n the SF Chronicle only refers to a judge's order that was violated not to strike, but it does not refer to the reasons why they did. Sloppy. This story from San Diego's Channel 10 does: UCSD Medical Center custodian Angie Mendoza said union members have been working without a contract since Jan. 31, and have been unsuccessfully negotiating a new contract since last Aug. 31. The union had a one-day strike three years ago, Mendoza said. "It helped a lot," she said. According to union spokesman William Schlitz, demands include a livable wage of at least $15 per hour, a "step pay" system that includes an annual compensation increase, and protection for benefits like

Arizmendi's Bakery On Lakeshore Ave, Near Lake Merritt

California (Oakland) 13/3-08 , originally uploaded by NicolaiKiessling . If you've never been to Arizmendi's on Lakeshore near Lake Merritt for pizza or just a morning coffee, go there. The pizza's served starting at 11:30 each day, and it's worth the wait. The place is known for its pizza much more than for its coffee.

Oakland's Government Compared To Keystone Cops In Cal Report

In yet another example of piling on, we have the California Report comparing Oakland's governance to a Keystone Cops movie. I'm not sure I'd go that far at all. But 30-year Sacramento veteran and former speaker Willie Brown staffer Bill Cavala -- who has a haircut right from a Keystone Cops movie -- thinks so. In the California Report, Cavala writes: “Cronyism” is one the charges made about virtually all elected officials. Unlike most work, political activity engenders opponents, those that would like you or your allies out of political office and replaced by themselves or their allies. To protect yourself from those opponents, politicians seek what others find in privacy in the company of people they trust. “Loyalty”, a political virtue, really means trustworthy under pressure. So when picking subordinates or employees, those of us in the political world add “loyalty” to the list of attributes we look for – along with skills, intelligence, judgment that everyone looks

Blogger Influence Studies Miss The Point - Print Media Is Dying

I happened over to Flopping Aces , a political blog, and noticed their reference and post on a study that questioned the infuence of bloggers in politics. The study was done in the "olden" days of blogging, circa 2006, and so is already questionable because there were 2 million blogs then, versus over 100 million today. But the main point missed by Flopping Aces is that with ad dollars moving toward the Internet, and reporters being laid off left and right, blogs remain the one place to go to get news. Yes, biased -- for example, we tend to be pro-Barack Obama -- but that is why people surf blogs. The bottom line is that the way we're getting our news is changing fast and in this sea of alteration is difficult to question the power of blogs. We're at a point where almost every major news channel on television looks like blogs for news, then uses their content or story idea to some degree. That fact is not in the study's discussed.

Don Perata Praised By Tribune, Dammed By East Bay Express

In what has to be the greatest example of editorial contrast in mainstream media, we have the Oakland Tribune's loving praise for Senate Pro Tem Don Perata's political style during sessions on the California budget, and then East Bay Express reporting on his rumored investigation by the FBI. On that, Robert Gammon, who was with the Tribune until about six years ago, seems to have spent much of his adult life trying to get Perata for this of that. If not him, then it was the SF Bay Guardian for a time takikng wacks at him. It's like an old saw. It can only sell papers for so long. Now, the industry's in free fall. But I digress. You be the judge. Here's the Oakland Tribune : Perata takes "textured" approach to foes By Steven Harmon MediaNews Sacramento Bureau Article Last Updated: 07/14/2008 06:54:25 AM PDT SACRAMENTO — Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata has what experts say is a textured approach to dealing with his Republican foes on the budget. Th

California High Speed Rail Authority Bypasses Oakland After My Work to Avoid This

California High Speed Rail Authority Bypasses Oakland After My Work to Avoid This California High Speed Rail , an issue I birddogged for Elihu Harris when he was Mayor of Oakland, is still alive and kicking. One of my major objectives was making sure Oakland was not bypassed in the formation of the route; something I also warned Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown about when he took office in late 1998. At the time I encouraged Mayor Harris to hand off the issue to Jerry Brown, which led to the pair arriving at a "Mayor's meeting" to advocate for Oakland's inclusion in the route system. In 1997, I successfully pushed for this article to be developed and ran in the SF Chronicle, to get the "Oakland View" in the public eye. At the time, Mayor Harris didn't believe the system would ever be funded, and so viewed it as a lost cause. But I argued that we could not afford to take a chance on that outcome and that at least Oakland should be considered. Mayor Harr

Yes We Can | Tribute to Obama, Maria Muldaur | Bonnie Raitt

"Yes We Can" is the new musical and video tribute to Senator Barack Obama for President by Maria Muldaur and Bonnie Raitt. I was asked to co-produce and distribute the video on behalf of Maria Muldaur and Joel Jaffe of Studio D Recording in Sausalito , CA. It's not to be confused with the first great "Yes We Can" video and song by Will-I-Am, which is a terrific and pioneering work of its own. Also see www.yeswecanthevideo.com "Yes We Can" - Tribute to Obama By Maria Muldaur and Bonnie Raitt Press Release: Singing Legends Team Up For Obama Tribute Song and Video Here's the video: > On Metacafe. > On Google > On My Space > On Crackle > On Sclipo > On Viddler > Dailymotion > On AOL "Yes We Can" by Zennie Abraham is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License . Based on a work at www.yeswecanthevideo.com . Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.yeswecanthevi

Women Can Be Sexist Too: Clinton Supporters And Sexism - Zennie's Zeitgeist

This video is nothing less than a monologue on how some remaining female supporters of Senator Clinton for President are, in pointing out sexism, being sexist themselves. I point to Salon.com's Editor-in-Chief Joan Walsh as a main example and as one who looks the other way when Michelle Obama is the target of sexism and racism, but not Senator Clinton, followed by Harriet Christian, the terrible and outwardly racist Clinton supporter who gained national attention for her racist and sexist rant against Senator Barack Obama at the DNC Rules Committee Meeting of May 31st..... click for the rest at Zennie's Zeitgeist .

Oakland Tribune, CC Times Layoff 24 Reporters: Bill Soliday, Dave Del Grande Some of The Notables

Long time Oakland Tribune reporters Bill Soliday and Dave Del Grande were two of the 24 Oakland Tribune and Contra Costa Times reporters let go for "financial reasons" as the newspaper industry continues to fall with the steady transfer of ad dollars from print media to online sources. I leaned of the two reporter's demise while out with friends. This story on the blog Mediafade, fills in some blanks. One reporter thinks their layoffs have to do with support of the union, The Newspaper Guild. Ha. She does not get it. Many old media folks don't get it. Just last year, the top ad buyers shifted $1 billion away from print and TV and to the Internet . It giving way to publicaions like, for example, Zennie's Zeitgeist , which is rounding up sponsors for its DNC Convention coverage. The times are a changin.

City of Oakland to Pay $2 Million To 16 Asian American Women Groped By Officer Richard Valerga

According to ResistRacism and SF Gate , the City of Oakland will pay $2 million to settle a case where Oakland Police Officer Richard Valerga sexually harrassed 16 Asian American women under the color of his role as police officer. Hopefully, the officer spends six-months in jail at least. But here's his lawyer's argument against that: When Valerga entered his no contest plea, his criminal defense attorney, Paul Brennan, said he could ask that Valerga not receive any jail time because he has no criminal history and had distinguished records as a police officer for six years and as a member of the U.S. Navy. The problem with this argument is the officer's admission of "no contest" is that it throws open to question just what he was doing during his six years of police work, and how many other women were harrassed -- I don't mean comments, but GROPING -- over that time? Come to think of it. What was he doing in the U.S. Navy?

Chevron Unfairly Attacked In Richmond, Says "Blind Emailer"

Someone's watching my blog posts about Chevron and its battle to clear its name in Ecuador and Nigeria, and sent an email I can't trace, but it provides a good counter to the East Bay Express' article which reads as a clear attack piece on the oil giant. This is what the person who calls themselves "Blind Emailer" -- anything but -- sent to me: The Richmond City Council has an excellent opportunity to improve the quality of life for its residents on July 15. That’s the day when it will meet to decide whether to allow Chevron to make important improvements at its Richmond Refinery. Chevron is proposing to make upgrades to its machinery that will enhance environmental controls, reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency and increase the amount of gas produced that meets California’s tough environmental standards – all without expanding the refinery or increasing the overall amount of fuel it produces. One would think that any responsible elected official w

"Reform Oakland" - John Russo and Courtney Ruby: "Reform Oakland" Press Meeting

Oakland City Attorney John Russo and Oakland City Auditor Courtney Ruby held a press conference calling for reforms in City of Oakland personnel and ethics policies on Wednesday, July 9th in Hearing Room Two at Oakland City Hall. Russo and Ruby (sounds like a law firm) put together a press package that's quite extensive and calls for more study than most press people will give it. But the initiatives are broken down into the following categories: 1) Strengthen Anti-Nepotism Rules 2) Reform Personnel Department Procedures 3) Fix Records Management 4) Protect Whistleblowers 5) Establish Employee Ethics Program Press from KGO Radio, KTVU, KPFA Radio, NPR, and others were there. But this is the only full video of not just the press conference speakers, but the questioners as well. The press conference was well-attended, and even drew people like Pat McClough, who ran against incumbent Councilmember Jane Brunner in this year's election battle for the Oakland District One City Coun

Oakland City Charter Violates Itself - "Gender Neutral" Provision Confusing

To provide another example of the non-systemic, biased, and arbitrary nature of the establishment and application of laws in Oakland, I present our own Oakland City Charter . The Charter reads: Section 1212. Gender References. All gender references in this Charter shall be considered neutral in form and context. (Amended by: Stats. November 1988.) Right? Well, look at this: Section 504. Duties. The City Administrator shall have the power and it shall be his duty: (a) To execute and enforce all laws and ordinances and policies of the Council and to administer the affairs of the City. (b) To attend all meetings of the Council, and its committees, unless excused, and such meetings of boards and commissions as he chooses or which he is directed to attend by the Council, and to participate in discussions at such meetings. (c) To recommend to the Council such measures and ordinances as he may deem necessary or expedient and to make such other recommendations to the Council concerning

Cheryl Thompson, Assistant City Administrator and Deborah Edgerly's Number Two, Fired - Dellums' Summer Massacre

I'm sure where this is headed -- court -- but for now, the mortar shells keep firing. Assistant City Administrator Cheryl Thompson -- Deborah Edgerly's Number Two -- was fired today in what seems to be Mayor Ron Dellums' Summer Massacre. The other problem is that Cheryl Thompson was supposedly promissed a severance package by Edgerly. Oakland City Attorney John Russo and Dellums Chief of Staff David Chai assert that Cheryl Thompson was not to receive a five-month's pay severance package that Cheryl Thompson says was promised to her by Edgerly. Russo told the Oakland Tribune that "Our position is, 'Where's this employment agreement in 2004 that you're mentioning?'" Russo said. "Does it exist? Without a written agreement, it's not even possible for us to even consider it." But here's the potential problem: if Edgerly and Thompson assert that there was a verbal agreement, then Russo or anyone else can't say it's n

Oaklanders Not Going To A's Games, Says "Marine Layer"

A blooger who calls himself "Marine Layer" -- not his name -- says that Oaklanders don't go to Oakland A's games, but there's a reason for that. Marine Layer writes : Pro-Oakland types often say that ownership has in effect spit on them and driven them away. Some non-Oaklanders have concluded that the fandom really hasn't been there in the first place. Honestly, I think it has more to do with numbers: Oakland's population is only 1/6th of the East Bay, even less of the Bay Area's 7 million. One thing I've pondered is how many former Oakland residents attend ballgames. As the Oakland Hills has taken in transplants from San Francisco and the rest of the country, certainly many longtime Oakland residents were displaced. Some have left the flats for opportunities elsewhere, especially with the erosion of the manufacturing sector. It's likely a combination of the above factors, which is rather inconvenient for partisans looking for an easy scapegoa

Deborah Edgerly's Unused Vacation Pay Not A Benefit; Edgerly's Character Defamation Continues

Look, I'm not writing this to defend fired Oakland City Administrator Deborah Edgerly' entire performance, but to act as a reasoned corrective. Phil Mattier and Andy Ross ' column today listed what Edgerly was entitled to in the way of monetary compensation: The bennies include: -- Nine weeks of vacation. -- Two weeks of management leave. -- Three weeks of executive leave. -- Ten weeks of sick leave (paid out at 33 cents on the dollar). It's a grand total payment of $90,024, city officials confirmed. Right. But what "city officials" forgot to tell Matier and Ross is that because Edgerly worked so many hours, she didn't take sick leave or management leave, or vacation pay. I like Phil and Andy, but I have to not only disagree with the way they present this information, but point an accusatory finger at the "city officials" who confirmed this information, because they could have took effort to tell Matier and Ross of the nature of the compensati

Political, Sports, and Celebrity Blog Writers Wanted - Inquire Within

If you want to express your political or sports or hollywood view unfettered and are looking for an outlet to get your blog and video work seen or just your view, send an email to zennie@sportsbusinesssims.com . You will become part of our " SBS Personalities " if you wish, which gets you your very own page and more exposure. Just send an email. We're building the next great political and pop culture blog!!