2016 EAST BAY YEAR-IN-REVIEW, PART 3 – Khanna heads to Congress; Oakland moves to keep the Raiders; Ghost Ship tragedy; East Bay responds to Trump

SEPTEMBER

Sen. Bernie Sanders

>>>Progressive darling and former presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders puts his imprint on the Berkeley mayoral race by endorsing Councilmember Jesse Arreguin.

>>>San Leandro City Council moves to raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020, two full years quicker than the state mandate of 2022. Starting in July 2017, the city’s minimum wage will bump from $10 to $12 an hour.

-A scathing report on Hayward school superintendent Stan “Data” Dobbs, released a day after the school board fires him, shows a negative portrayal of his three years at the helm of Hayward schools.

>>>In the wake of 49er Colin Kaepernick refusing to stand during the National Anthem, Oakland Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan chooses to sit during the Pledge of Allegiance at an Oakland City Council meeting.

Honda’s campaign announcing its lawsuit against Khanna and Parvizshahi

>>>Rep. Mike Honda sues Ro Khanna and his campaign manager Brian Parviszhahi for illegally accessing Honda’s digital database containing valuable donor data. Later in the day, Parvizshahi resigns.

>>>The race in the 17th Congressional District gets even hotter when Rep. Mike Honda’s campaign calls Ro Khanna a “Russian hacker,” in a press release.

>>>Gov. Jerry Brown signs legislation that requires the East Bay’s Eden Health District to spend at least 80 percent of its operating budget on health care-related grants. The fate of the district is still up in the air through the end of the year with hearings possibly leading to its dissolution beginning in late January 2017.

OCTOBER
>>>The possibility of the Las Vegas Raiders becomes very real after the Nevada Legislature approves $750 million in public financing for a new stadium on the Vegas Strip. The news puts the stadium effort in Oakland into high-gear.

>>>“Eric Swalwell marries a woman”

>>>Emails posted by WikiLeaks from Democratic Party insider John Podesta shows Ro Khanna’s campaign sought Hillary Clinton’s early endorsement. Another batch of emails shows Khanna’s campaign also wanted Clinton to appear at his 2015 wedding in Cleveland.

>>>Alameda Councilmember Tony Daysog is hit with a highly negative and likely illegal pair of political mailers sent by a still-unknown group. Neither mailer contained a “paid for” clause. One portrays Daysog as a Republican, the other alleging pay-to-play over campaign contributions.

>>>President Barack Obama gets involved in two local East Bay contests when he endorses Democratic 16th Assembly candidate Cheryl Cook-Kallio in late October and then backs Oakland City Council candidate Peggy Moore just days before the Nov. 8 election. Neither does much good on Election Day.

NOVEMBER

Ro Khanna declaring victory

>>>Ro Khanna finally breaks through and clinches a seat in Congress with a decisive 20-point victory over Rep. Mike Honda. He later vows to be one of the most progressive voices in Congress.

>>>A ho-hum election in Oakland yields the status quo as the four City Council incumbents all easily win re-election, as does the Oakland school board.

>>>Alameda Councilmember Tony Daysog loses re-election and is replaced by the labor-backed Malia Vella. Councilmember Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft wins re-election, but voters in Alameda strongly cast aside Measure M1, the rent control initiative.

>>>Republican Assemblymember Catharine Baker beats Democratic rival Cheryl Cook-Kallio to retain her seat in the 16th District and Nancy Skinner defeats Sandre Swanson to represent the East Bay’s 9th State Senate District. In addition, Jesse Arreguin becomes Berkeley’s first Latino mayor and youngest ever.

>>>In Fremont, Lily Mei registers one of the biggest surprises of the local election season by defeating incumbent Mayor Bill Harrison in close race.

>>>FINAL GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS 

-State Sen. Steve Glazer during a banking oversight committee criticizing Wells Fargo following its scandal involving the creation of millions of false accounts.

>>>Rep. Barbara Lee loses out on becoming vice chair of the House Democratic caucus by just two votes. The post, instead, goes to fellow Californian Rep. Linda Sanchez.

>>>Oakland and Berkeley reaffirm their sanctuary city status in defiance of President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric involving undocumented immigrants. By years end, Alameda will begin to discuss becoming a sanctuary city.

DECEMBER
>>>A warehouse fire in Oakland’s Fruitvale District claims the lives of 36 people during a concert event at a venue named the “Ghost Ship.” Many of those tragically killed were part of the city’s bustling music and arts scene. The aftermath of the warehouse fire puts a harsh light on the city’s code enforcement policies, in addition, to the leadership of its fire chief and Mayor Libby Schaaf.

>>>Assemblymember Rob Bonta previews his 2017 legislative agenda by unveiling the framework of a bill that aims to reform the state’s bail system.

>>>Rep. Eric Swalwell co-authors a bill that could lead to a bipartisan commission for investigating Russia’s interference during the presidential election.

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2016 YEAR-IN-REVIEW

PART 2 – Oakland police scandal erupts, coal shipments banned; June election brings few surprises 

PART 3 – Khanna heads to Congress; Oakland moves to keep the Raiders; Ghost Ship tragedy; East Bay responds to Trump