Some other SF Bay Area columnists who are friends of mine and just enjoyed an evening out with -- without talking about Oakland politics -- are still way wrong regarding Deborah Edgerly and the Edgerly Family.
Specifically, my friend Chip Johnson, who presents a picture of an Oakland that was transformed by Deborah Edgerly into a sea of people who are related to her. If you believe that, you're a totally big fool. You're also all the more foolish if you think favoritism started with her.
Hell, one major reason I accused former Mayor Jerry Brown of racism in 2000 was that I believed he picked those he was most comfortable with -- young white professionals -- over equals like myself who are Black.
In my view, what Jerry Brown would do is relegate all of the young Black employees who should be in his office to then-City Manager Robert Bobb's office and, pointing at a young African American woman in his office, say -- as he did to me during our dispute over my treatment -- see. I have Black people working for me.
That woman worked for Robert Bobb.
And then, of course, we have Jerry's friend Jacques Barzaghi, who famously embarassed Mayor Brown with his exploits of alledged attempts at "play" with female employees. Jerry went out of his way to protect Jacques. In my view, too much so from the start. So much that Barzaghi went on a huge power-trip.
Jacques Thought He Was The Mayor
Yep. Jacques thought he was the Mayor of Oakland. I remember in 1999, when I tried to get then-Mayor Jerry Brown to sign a birthday card for Oakland Raiders Owner Al Davis. I waited to see Jerry in the outer lounge area, calmly and comfortably, when out walked Jacques, who asked "What dew you want with De Mayor?" (That's how he talks.)
When I explained, Barzaghi said, "NO. You can't do that."
My response was that if he wasn't going to do that, then I would get it done around him. That set off Barzaghi, who went into a mini-tirade. NO! I AM DE MAYOR! JERRY WILL DO WHAT I ASK HIM!
Then he started flailing his arms wildly, saying "YOU CAN'T GO AROUND ME. YOU CAN'T GO OVER ME. YOU CAN'T GO UNDER ME."
I have to admit to being very pleased that I got under his skin. My response was designed to go futher, commenting that "I will then proceed anyway."
ARRGGHHH! Was what Barzaghi said, and walked off and back into the office area. I was all to happy to go to the store and buy a birthday card myself. It was worth the price of admission.
Ignored the Super Bowl Campaigner -- Me
What Jerry tried to do was totally ignore the one person who eventually came to within a few NFL owners' votes of bring the 2005 Super Bowl to Oakland. He never met with me once until we were in Atlanta, and that was a kind of "forced" encounter because I bought the "Presidential Suite" for Jerry to use while we were in Atlanta to make our pitch.
Before then, Jerry never once met with me alone, let alone at all, and I was only working on one of the most important economic development programs in Oakland's history. It was so bad, Jerry's treatment of me, that I wrote an email to a lot of people about it, and one of those persons sent that email to Jerry. He saw it and of course, our relations were not friendly as I accused him of being racist.
I know Jerry's learned something of value from that. At least, I hope so. But the point is that favoritism in Oakland is as common as drinking the water. I don't think a special investigation will do squat. We have had the FBI snooping around and asking questions if they're looking for criminal wrongdoing.
They found nothing.
Stay tuned.
Specifically, my friend Chip Johnson, who presents a picture of an Oakland that was transformed by Deborah Edgerly into a sea of people who are related to her. If you believe that, you're a totally big fool. You're also all the more foolish if you think favoritism started with her.
Hell, one major reason I accused former Mayor Jerry Brown of racism in 2000 was that I believed he picked those he was most comfortable with -- young white professionals -- over equals like myself who are Black.
In my view, what Jerry Brown would do is relegate all of the young Black employees who should be in his office to then-City Manager Robert Bobb's office and, pointing at a young African American woman in his office, say -- as he did to me during our dispute over my treatment -- see. I have Black people working for me.
That woman worked for Robert Bobb.
And then, of course, we have Jerry's friend Jacques Barzaghi, who famously embarassed Mayor Brown with his exploits of alledged attempts at "play" with female employees. Jerry went out of his way to protect Jacques. In my view, too much so from the start. So much that Barzaghi went on a huge power-trip.
Jacques Thought He Was The Mayor
Yep. Jacques thought he was the Mayor of Oakland. I remember in 1999, when I tried to get then-Mayor Jerry Brown to sign a birthday card for Oakland Raiders Owner Al Davis. I waited to see Jerry in the outer lounge area, calmly and comfortably, when out walked Jacques, who asked "What dew you want with De Mayor?" (That's how he talks.)
When I explained, Barzaghi said, "NO. You can't do that."
My response was that if he wasn't going to do that, then I would get it done around him. That set off Barzaghi, who went into a mini-tirade. NO! I AM DE MAYOR! JERRY WILL DO WHAT I ASK HIM!
Then he started flailing his arms wildly, saying "YOU CAN'T GO AROUND ME. YOU CAN'T GO OVER ME. YOU CAN'T GO UNDER ME."
I have to admit to being very pleased that I got under his skin. My response was designed to go futher, commenting that "I will then proceed anyway."
ARRGGHHH! Was what Barzaghi said, and walked off and back into the office area. I was all to happy to go to the store and buy a birthday card myself. It was worth the price of admission.
Ignored the Super Bowl Campaigner -- Me
What Jerry tried to do was totally ignore the one person who eventually came to within a few NFL owners' votes of bring the 2005 Super Bowl to Oakland. He never met with me once until we were in Atlanta, and that was a kind of "forced" encounter because I bought the "Presidential Suite" for Jerry to use while we were in Atlanta to make our pitch.
Before then, Jerry never once met with me alone, let alone at all, and I was only working on one of the most important economic development programs in Oakland's history. It was so bad, Jerry's treatment of me, that I wrote an email to a lot of people about it, and one of those persons sent that email to Jerry. He saw it and of course, our relations were not friendly as I accused him of being racist.
I know Jerry's learned something of value from that. At least, I hope so. But the point is that favoritism in Oakland is as common as drinking the water. I don't think a special investigation will do squat. We have had the FBI snooping around and asking questions if they're looking for criminal wrongdoing.
They found nothing.
Stay tuned.
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Joanna