This is the big one. I've not liked an Oakland Mayor since Elihu Harris, whose politics I did not agree with most of the time, but who had the courtesy to actually answer the phone and speak to citizens. (Unlike Ron Dellums, whose office will tell you that he does NOT speak to citizens. But I did not vote for Ron, he's a burnt out comet, whom I remember with awe from the seventies, but who should never have taken the office in Oakland.)
Jean Quan's a puzzle. I ate lunch with a friend a couple days ago, a woman who owns a local green company ( if saving the Bay is green), and we seemed to hit on the same note. Uhh, she's great for local stuff. Great! Run a city like Oakland? No way. Her idea of "taking a hit in pay" is was to take a 5% cut and a 4% COLA increase. wow. i'm so impressed. Oakland's pension burden is not going away and it is the single biggest problem the city faces. Quan's token efforts show her beliefs.
Don Perata, I would not trust to give me change for a dollar. He'd hand back an IOU that would pay me two bucks in two months with a clause that I would become responsible for $20 in debt if I was unable to cash the check in ten minutes. You get the idea.
These folks make Ignacio look good.
Rebekah Kaplan had me going, but only for a short while, she's a kid in the adult playground. When I saw the shot of Quan and Kaplan arm in arm restraining the police at the last demonstration/riot downtown ( where the po po did a REALLY good job) I gave up on both of them. They were "protecting the police." Did I mention she likes being on the public payroll?
So it's down to the little guys. Tuman impresses me so far, though I have a lot of research to do yet. At least he gets that business is good for Oakland, not an evil thing to be taxed to pay for bloated salaries.
Larry Lionel Young. Come back in ten years with some experience.
Don MacLeay. Have to look further.
Marcie Hodge. As every incumbent at Peralta should be tossed out for the rank deals and lack of oversight, no thanks. Easy on the eyes though. Another politician looking for a trough.
Arnold Fields. Huh?
Gregory Harland. Nice slate, impossible however.
Terence Candell. According to his blurb, he's the second coming. Zennie endorsed him ( Well, that's what the voter info pamphlet says. Zennie says different. Makes you wonder.)
O, and vote for Courtney Ruby for City Auditor, and give her the budget to go after waste and corruption in Oakland. She's probably one of the few people who can do it. (Jean Quan assured me she was not a good person for the job, so I really am for Ruby. Quan's spent too much city money on throw away projects with no supervision.)
And remember, if you don't like the way things are going, it may be a good time to vote out the incumbent in any position. This is an important election, and with the triple choice ballots, we get a lot of power to choose. Choose wisely. Your choice may come back to haunt you. Research folks, please. Don't vote because the candidate is your peer, your party, or is the path of least resistance. Have the guts to vote for a small player if you think they will do a good job. We've all seen what Quan, Kaplan and Perata are capable of, and it's not pretty.
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