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Assembly District 16 Race Part 1 - Campaign Contributions For Sandre Swanson - Jack Abramoff's Old Lobbying Firm For Swanson?

One thing I learned from working for the late Senator Lloyd Bentson as an intern in his Dallas office, volunteering for then-gubenatorial candidate Diane Feinstein, and from representing Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris and working under Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown was the importance of money in politics. Who contributes to a campaign is just as important as how much the campaigner has raised. With that, I decided to comb the online records of the California Secretary of State's website and with respect to several races, starting with that for California Assembly District 16. There are five contestants: Sandre Swanson, John Russo, Ronnie Caplane, Anthony Daysog, and Ed Ytuarte . I found some interesting information; I'll start with Sandre Swanson. Sandre Swanson's a good man who's served as Congresswoman Barbara Lee's Chief of Staff for many years, and who I've known well over the years, has raised a good sum of money for his District 16 Assembly race. Here's

Oakland Welcomes Plan For 63-Story Skyscraper At 19th and Broadway - Oakland Tribune

But it would not be the tallest building in California. Building may take city to new heights 63-story high-rise would be state's tallest structure; planner says it would anchor downtown By Cecily Burt, STAFF WRITER - OAKLAND TRIBUNE OAKLAND — Aside from a few iconic towers in San Francisco, California's skyline does not have much in the way of very tall buildings. That could change -- and so would Oakland's image as open for business -- if a developer holds fast to his dream of building a 63-story office skyscraper at the corner of 19th and Broadway. It would be the tallest building in California. The proposal by developer Peter Wang of Encinal Terminals got a warm reception Wednesday from Oakland's Planning Commission, which has seen a glut of residential plans but very little in the way of new office development in recent years. The last office construction in downtown Oakland — the 20-story Shorenstein building at 555 City Center — was completed four years ago and

At Event Sunday, John Russo Points To Poor Press Coverage Of Oakland

At an event with former San Francisco Supervisor Matt Gonsalez, Oakland City Attorney and California Assembly Candidate John Russo pointed to the poor coverage of the City of Oakland by the local media. "It used to be you'd have three to six people covering the City Council each time (they met)," he said. "Now, you've got maybe one or two people" In my view, it points to the reaction of the Oakland Tribune to the rising cost of running a newspaper versus reduced demand for the publications in an Internet age. The business and sports sections are done by one staff group for several different papers, but the newsroom staff which looks at local political issues per city is small and getting even smaller.

Cal's "Naked Guy" Andrew Martinez Dies In Jail -- Sad Story - CNN and AP Reports

I totally remember Andrew Martinez, who would walk around Sproul Plaza in the buff. It was a weird experience to stand there talking to someone, then he walks by, so you immediately turn your head to avoid seeing him. For all of this, I didn't think anything was really mentally wrong with him until one day in -- I think 1993 -- he was a top some building on Telegraph Avenue throwing rocks at the Berkeley police. 'Naked Guy' ex-student dies in jail Berkeley nudist was in custody on assault, battery charges Saturday, May 20, 2006; Posted: 3:39 p.m. EDT (19:39 GMT) SAN JOSE, California (AP) -- The former college student known as the "Naked Guy," who gained notoriety in the early 1990s for attending class in the buff, has died in jail, authorities said. Andrew Martinez, 33, whose stripped-down strolls at the University of California, Berkeley, got him expelled and prompted the city to adopt a strict anti-nudity ordinance, was found unconscious Thursday in a Santa Cl

City of Oakland to Pay $3.5 Million To Family of Accidentally Shot Officer - Sad Story - Oakland Trib

City to pay millions to slain cop's family FROM STAFF REPORTS - OAKLAND TRIBUNE OAKLAND — The city of Oakland is expected to pay $3.5 million to settle a civil rights lawsuit filed by the family of an undercover Oakland police officer shot to death by two fellow officers who mistook him for a criminal, officials said Friday. The settlement, which must be approved by U.S. District Judge Maxine Chesney, would putan end to a case that was another blow to a department already reeling from the Riders police misconduct scandal. The approval of the Oakland City Council is not required. A spokeswoman for Oakland City Attorney John Russo said the city's insurance carrier will cover the cost of the settlement, not taxpayer funds. On Jan. 11, 2001, undercover Officer William Wilkins, 29, was arresting a car theft suspect at gunpoint near 90th Avenue and B Street in East Oakland after spending most of the evening working for the Alameda County Drug Task Force. At about 11:15 p.m., Officer

5 PM! John Russo and Matt Gonsalez Host The Movie "Network" Sunday, May 21st At The Parkway

OR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jessica Reynolds May 19, 2006 510-594-0224 JOHN RUSSO & MATT GONZALEZ AT THE MOVIES – IN PERSON! Oakland City Attorney and Assembly Candidate John Russo and Former President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Matt Gonzalez Host a Community Forum and Special Screening of the Movie Classic “Network” Oakland, CA – Local political luminaries, Oakland City Attorney and Assembly Candidate John Russo (www.johnrusso.com) and former San Francisco Board of Supervisors and Green Party Mayoral candidate Matt Gonzalez will host a special forum on the “Uneasy Alliance Between the White House and Fox News,” a community discussion on spin-doctors and the mass media – followed by a movie screening of Sidney Lumet’s 1976 classic “Network” – at the Parkway Speakeasy Theater in Oakland on Sunday, May 21st at 5:00 p.m. Considered one of the A

NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue Puts Oakland On Notice As Needing A New Stadium For The Raiders

In his press conference of two days ago, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue stated that Oakland was one of several cities without a new stadium. To read this, click on the title of this post. It sends another signal: that in future dealings, the NFL and the Oakland Raiders will be aligned as one, whereas they were at war in the past.

Jerry Brown and Oakland Crime - Here's My Sixty

To those who brag about Oakland's property values rising under Jerry Brown, here's proof that the rise has nothing to do with him and everything to do with the Bay Area market -- crime in Oakland. What Jerry should be able to reduce, he's not done and even cut the police budget. Oakland crime rate not helping Brown in attorney general bid Opponent jumps on spike in homicides By Kim Curtis ASSOCIATED PRESS March 6, 2006 OAKLAND – More than 20 homicides in just over two months: This is not what Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown needs as he campaigns for the state's top law enforcement job. The dramatic spike comes just three months before the primary election, and Brown's challenger for the Democratic nomination for attorney general is already accusing the former governor and presidential candidate of being “asleep at the switch.” Oakland police say the number of killings so far this year is nearly triple last year's rate. “He will be held responsible for that,” said El