While City officials have spent the past months focused on business license taxes, scant attention has been paid to the impacts of unavoidable spending cuts
Tim, I salute your analytic and communication skills and dedication. It seems to be time to round up all of our friends and neighbors and march down to City Hall, demanding fiscally responsible prioritization of attention to these matters, and fiercely underlining to our elected officials (I was going to use another word, but...) that there is already no more time for messing around. My personal response to this long-developing mess which has so gutted and paralyzed Oakland for the past years is different. I am moving out of Alameda County (and Oakland) on Monday, along with my business. 28 years of citizen activism working issues and campaigns to elect common-sense-infused leaders has produced about zero. I will miss so many people, shops, trees ... but I see this as a ship that is already 90% submerged and about to go under ... aside from the similar dysfunction over at OUSD. Living outside our means, failing to have basic administrative processes working reliably, nurturing internecine feuds instead of working collaboratively, and taking on huge social experiments (the results of which we see on our streets, parks, and sadly too often when they break into our homes or vehicles, or shoot up a neighborhood with apparent impunity -- the consequences are coming home to roost in unescapable ways. I feel like a chump for paying my business licenses (yes, 2) and revenue based taxes accurately and timely ... especially when the city decided I needed two licenses (retail and prof svcs) for the same business -- while they were ignoring, year after year, the scofflaws and deadbeats. Adios, Oakland
I am sorry and I dont blame you. The results of the elections of 2024 and beyond will influence my long-term plans (stay or go).
I truly dont understand why common sense based candidates havent been elected all along. However, a majority of the conversations in Nextdoor seem to indicate that people are fed up with the so-called Progressives. I hope they translate that frustration into votes for moderate candidates who actually care about Oakland.
Another great article. It's my understanding that measure Z ends this year. Oaklanderstogether is working on a replacement measure that would also make it hard to fire police, but the millions OPD currently gets from Z goes away. The replacement measure increases the funding for police, fire, and other safety programs. It needs 28,000 signatures by tomorrow. We were at 22000 last weekend.
I edited for clarity as my initial comment was confusing.
Measure Z does end this year. It currently sends $2M of the ~$30M to Fire, then splits the rest 60/40 between OPD (~$17M) and DVP (~$11M). The replacement maintains most of the provisions but also requires that 75% of the portion for violence prevention must be granted to ‘Community Based Organizations’. I.e., to the organizations the drafted the measure. It also changes the oversight structure and authority of the SSOC—giving it more power, if I recall correctly from their original presentation.
The restraint required to not note that Bas needs to maintain union backing for her Supervisorial bid, and therefore will do anything to avoid layoffs, is quite impressive.
Cutting police and fire now would just accelerate the doom loop. How any adult doesn't see this is really astonishing. You have to really establish a safe environment first that allows businesses and families to thrive, then you get a tax base...then you can do all the useless grift.
Thank you, Tim, for your devastating analysis of how Oakland has come to circle the drain. We need to inform as many voters as possible about these sobering facts. If anyone happens to live in Crestmont, you'll have an opportunity to question the Mayor about these issues at our HOA meeting, tomorrow night (Monday) @ 7pm. She's got a lot of explaining to do.
Tim, thanks for distilling this all down to show the simple truth that the Council is choosing to cut public safety over pet projects and social experiments
Nikki : "...shifting our budget towards greater equity and addressing systemic disinvestment in vulnerable and marginalized communities"
The City Council should take a look at the survey (Talking Transitions, I think?) where a majority of Oaklanders wanted more (responsible) police, not less. This was interesting because 'Police' was not explicitly listed in the survey, it was communicated as a 'write-in' for the OTHER option.
However, we know that Sheng and her bloc are beholden to their political alliances and will serve them at the expense of regular Oaklanders.
The outline of what should be done now is clear. It's also clear that this mayor and this city council will not do the right thing because the city unions that fund our politicians' campaigns will not allow it and the majority of Council and the Mayor believe that police do not reduce crime.
Declare a fiscal emergency now and notify all city unions, employees, and outside vendors, including non-profits.
They should start the process of laying off all the managers and staff in the Department of Violence Prevention and the Economic Development Department. In the case of the DVP, those departments are ineffectual at best and a pork barrel at worst.
Next, cancel or don't renew all contracts with non-profits for anti-violence except those that are part of Cease Fire. None of them other than Cease Fire has ever proven effective.
Then, start looking at flattening managerial levels.
Next, review all employee benefits other than pensions for existing employees.
Cut them down to what neighboring cities offer.
Consider either much higher employee contributions to retirement plans or switching to 401k-type plans for new employees.
Fill all the vacant positions in Fire and Police and budget to hire additional cops to reach 1,200, 911 overhaul, and much more police tech, such as a bunch more license plate scanners, full-blown surveillance cameras, drones, and GPS darts, to minimize the need for pursuits.
Eliminate all anti-violence programming other than Cease Fire.
Reduce MACRO funding and limit it to East Oakland with 24x7 coverage.
Keep the existing homeless services, arts, parks and recs, etc, without increase.
No city funds to be used for building housing unless mandated by State or County.
Only after the above cuts have been made, increases to police and fire budgeted for, and every department scrutinized for inefficiencies and ineffectiveness place a large parcel tax on the Nov ballot to replace the expiring Measure Z to cover the massive shortfall.
Tim, I salute your analytic and communication skills and dedication. It seems to be time to round up all of our friends and neighbors and march down to City Hall, demanding fiscally responsible prioritization of attention to these matters, and fiercely underlining to our elected officials (I was going to use another word, but...) that there is already no more time for messing around. My personal response to this long-developing mess which has so gutted and paralyzed Oakland for the past years is different. I am moving out of Alameda County (and Oakland) on Monday, along with my business. 28 years of citizen activism working issues and campaigns to elect common-sense-infused leaders has produced about zero. I will miss so many people, shops, trees ... but I see this as a ship that is already 90% submerged and about to go under ... aside from the similar dysfunction over at OUSD. Living outside our means, failing to have basic administrative processes working reliably, nurturing internecine feuds instead of working collaboratively, and taking on huge social experiments (the results of which we see on our streets, parks, and sadly too often when they break into our homes or vehicles, or shoot up a neighborhood with apparent impunity -- the consequences are coming home to roost in unescapable ways. I feel like a chump for paying my business licenses (yes, 2) and revenue based taxes accurately and timely ... especially when the city decided I needed two licenses (retail and prof svcs) for the same business -- while they were ignoring, year after year, the scofflaws and deadbeats. Adios, Oakland
I am sorry and I dont blame you. The results of the elections of 2024 and beyond will influence my long-term plans (stay or go).
I truly dont understand why common sense based candidates havent been elected all along. However, a majority of the conversations in Nextdoor seem to indicate that people are fed up with the so-called Progressives. I hope they translate that frustration into votes for moderate candidates who actually care about Oakland.
And I wish you luck, wherever you go.
This is a breathtakingly enormous contribution to the residents of Oakland. Thank you, Tim Gardner, from the Coalition for a Better Oakland.
Another great article. It's my understanding that measure Z ends this year. Oaklanderstogether is working on a replacement measure that would also make it hard to fire police, but the millions OPD currently gets from Z goes away. The replacement measure increases the funding for police, fire, and other safety programs. It needs 28,000 signatures by tomorrow. We were at 22000 last weekend.
I edited for clarity as my initial comment was confusing.
Measure Z does end this year. It currently sends $2M of the ~$30M to Fire, then splits the rest 60/40 between OPD (~$17M) and DVP (~$11M). The replacement maintains most of the provisions but also requires that 75% of the portion for violence prevention must be granted to ‘Community Based Organizations’. I.e., to the organizations the drafted the measure. It also changes the oversight structure and authority of the SSOC—giving it more power, if I recall correctly from their original presentation.
Thank you Tim. The city is doomed with a city council of career politicians that never looked at a P&L.
The restraint required to not note that Bas needs to maintain union backing for her Supervisorial bid, and therefore will do anything to avoid layoffs, is quite impressive.
Cutting police and fire now would just accelerate the doom loop. How any adult doesn't see this is really astonishing. You have to really establish a safe environment first that allows businesses and families to thrive, then you get a tax base...then you can do all the useless grift.
Thanks Tim! A disconcerting heads-up!!
Thank you, Tim, for your devastating analysis of how Oakland has come to circle the drain. We need to inform as many voters as possible about these sobering facts. If anyone happens to live in Crestmont, you'll have an opportunity to question the Mayor about these issues at our HOA meeting, tomorrow night (Monday) @ 7pm. She's got a lot of explaining to do.
Tim, thanks for distilling this all down to show the simple truth that the Council is choosing to cut public safety over pet projects and social experiments
Nikki : "...shifting our budget towards greater equity and addressing systemic disinvestment in vulnerable and marginalized communities"
The City Council should take a look at the survey (Talking Transitions, I think?) where a majority of Oaklanders wanted more (responsible) police, not less. This was interesting because 'Police' was not explicitly listed in the survey, it was communicated as a 'write-in' for the OTHER option.
However, we know that Sheng and her bloc are beholden to their political alliances and will serve them at the expense of regular Oaklanders.
G-d help us.
What must be done to cope with our massive deficit but won't be.
𝗟𝗲𝗻 𝗥𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹 𝗖𝗣𝗔 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝗮𝗸𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝟭 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰
The outline of what should be done now is clear. It's also clear that this mayor and this city council will not do the right thing because the city unions that fund our politicians' campaigns will not allow it and the majority of Council and the Mayor believe that police do not reduce crime.
Declare a fiscal emergency now and notify all city unions, employees, and outside vendors, including non-profits.
They should start the process of laying off all the managers and staff in the Department of Violence Prevention and the Economic Development Department. In the case of the DVP, those departments are ineffectual at best and a pork barrel at worst.
Next, cancel or don't renew all contracts with non-profits for anti-violence except those that are part of Cease Fire. None of them other than Cease Fire has ever proven effective.
Then, start looking at flattening managerial levels.
Next, review all employee benefits other than pensions for existing employees.
Cut them down to what neighboring cities offer.
Consider either much higher employee contributions to retirement plans or switching to 401k-type plans for new employees.
Fill all the vacant positions in Fire and Police and budget to hire additional cops to reach 1,200, 911 overhaul, and much more police tech, such as a bunch more license plate scanners, full-blown surveillance cameras, drones, and GPS darts, to minimize the need for pursuits.
Eliminate all anti-violence programming other than Cease Fire.
Reduce MACRO funding and limit it to East Oakland with 24x7 coverage.
Keep the existing homeless services, arts, parks and recs, etc, without increase.
No city funds to be used for building housing unless mandated by State or County.
Only after the above cuts have been made, increases to police and fire budgeted for, and every department scrutinized for inefficiencies and ineffectiveness place a large parcel tax on the Nov ballot to replace the expiring Measure Z to cover the massive shortfall.
And limit work from home to one day a week without a short term medical excuse.