◼Is Libby trying to give Kaplan the Schaaf?◼Fremont councilmember’s flippant defense ◼Assembly candidate could be risking union’s wrath ◼Ellen Corbett’s curiously busy lately. Before Oakland Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan gained a seat on the nine-county Bay Area Air Quality Management District… Read More ›
Fremont
Fremont mayor, vice mayor, admit to violating state campaign finance rules
The FPPC will decide this week if Fremont Mayor Lily Mei will pay a $1,406 fine for violating campaign finance rules. FREMONT CITY COUNCIL Fremont Mayor Lily Mei violated state election law after failing to report almost $24,000 in late campaign… Read More ›
EBC AGENDA | DEC 8-14 | OAKLAND strike continues; 200-unit senior market-rate housing in HAYWARD; multiculturalism in SAN LEANDRO
THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 8-14 –OAKLAND– [MEETINGS CANCELLED DUE TO STRIKE] City Council committee meetings, Tuesday, Dec. 12, start at 9 a.m. ➤Finance & Management Committee, 9 a.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]–PUBLIC SAFETY OT IN THE RED– Oakland’s overtime budget for police and… Read More ›
San Leandro councilmember opposed sending its armored police vehicle to U.C. protests
San Leandro’s Lenco Bearcat MedEvac on display at a community meeting in 2015. SAN LEANDRO CITY COUNCILAs the threat of violent protests at U.C. Berkeley this year escalated, San Leandro Police allowed the university police to twice borrow its armored… Read More ›
EBC AGENDA | NOV 17-23 | SAN LEANDRO closes its Wells Fargo account?; Pot ordinances get final approvals; FREMONT plan for rising pension costs
THANKSGIVING WEEK OF NOV 17-23 –SAN LEANDRO– Regular council meeting, Monday, Nov. 20, 7 p.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]–WELLS FARGO DIVESTITURE– San Leandro city staff is recommending against discontinuing business with Wells Fargo after some city officials and members of the… Read More ›
EBC AGENDA | SEPT 29-OCT 5 | BERKELEY, SAN LEANDRO to snuff out flavored tobacco; OAKLAND homeless havens; more market rate housing in HAYWARD
THE WEEK OF SEPT 29-OCT 5Before you know it, candidate for office next year will be meeting face-to-face in forums and community meetings, each making their case for their respective office. Last week, Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley and… Read More ›
Fremont City Council, except one member, fell under the spell of powerful landlord interests
Fremont Councilmember Vinnie Bacon said last week that a city rent board ordinance will do nothing for renters. He supports rent control. FREMONT CITY COUNCIL–PUBLIC COMMENT–Appointed Fremont Councilmember David Bonaccorsi hid behind modest change while striking populist tones. His collegaues… Read More ›
EBC AGENDA | SEPT 15-21 | OAKLAND public bank; FREMONT rent review ordinance; HAYWARD shuttle study; KHANNA town hall
THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 15-21Without a doubt, affordable housing is the biggest issue facing the East Bay. Last week, the state legislature delivered some help to alleviate the crisis, but only time will tell if the wisdom of allowing developers… Read More ›
EBC AGENDA | SEPT 1-7 | ALAMEDA to end dispensary moratorium, selects just cause elex date; SAN LEANDRO tenant relocation $$; Piedmont rages
THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 1-7As far as the dreaded August council recess period goes this was awful. Nothing much happened because the players in politics took some time to relax. Many went of vacations, near and far. I even saw… Read More ›
EBC AGENDA | June 9-15 | OAKLAND public bank; Budget deliberations; FREMONT redistricting approval; AC TRANSIT fleet study
THE WEEK OF JUNE 9-15The kids are out of school and summer is almost officially here. It’s another big week in East Bay government. Here’s your highlights: ➤Budgets in Oakland and Hayward near approval before the June 30 deadline. ➤Oakland’s… Read More ›
EBC AGENDA — May 5-11 — AC TRANSIT’s school bus controversy continues – Water rates going up? – ‘Compassionate’ UNION CITY – More HAYWARD Housing
THE WEEK OF MAY 5-11After Tuesday night in Union City it’s likely the Hayward City Council will be sitting quite alone when it comes to taking no official stance toward President Trump’s immigration rhetoric and policies. Of course, what were… Read More ›
Hayward Police say no video exists of 16-year-old shot by Fremont officers
HAYWARD CITY COUNCILHayward Acting Police Chief Mark Koller said Tuesday that no video was captured of the March 16 killing of a pregnant 16-year-old in Hayward by undercover Fremont police officers. The family of 16-year-old Elena Mondragon, who was killed… Read More ›
EBC AGENDA – April 7-13 — Budget season begins – URBAN SHIELD concerns – OAKLAND non-profits – EDEN dissolution?
THE WEEK OF APRIL 7-13When Richmond Assemblymember Tony Thurmond officially (finally!) threw his hat into the ring for state superintendent of instruction this week, he basically informally set in motion the 2018 election cycle in the East Bay. Thurmond’s announcement… Read More ›
EBC AGENDA — Mar 31-Apr 6 — Rent rehash in ALAMEDA — BILL QUIRK takes on balloons — FREMONT begins council reforms
THE WEEK OF MAR. 31-APRIL 6Saturday is April Fool’s Day. Sadly this first item isn’t a prank. The city of Hayward is celebrating the life of labor leader Cesar Chavez at City Hall on Saturday morning. Aside from Chavez’s inspiring… Read More ›
With ‘lightning speed’ Fremont moves to district elections, may expand council to seven
FREMONT CITY COUNCILFremont’s potential move from at-large to district-based elections represents the most stunning change to how the city chooses its elected leaders since its founding, said Fremont City Attorney Harvey Levine. The switch is also occurring at “lightning speed,”… Read More ›
Threat of lawsuit is pushing Fremont toward district elections
Significant changes for how Fremont chooses its elected officials could be on the horizon over the next few years. FREMONT CITY COUNCILFremont’s use of “at-large” elections violates state law, says a Southern California attorney who has successfully sued other cities by… Read More ›
How Trump is already wreaking havoc on affordable housing in the East Bay
FOR MANY IN THE EAST BAY, the early days of Donald Trump’s presidency have been at worst, an all-out assault on American democracy. At minimum, a excruciating daily mockery of common decency. But the reality television show most in the… Read More ›
Fremont, Dublin with diverging opinions about sanctuary cities
Dublin Councilmember Abe Gupta offered likely the most vociferous opposition to sanctuary cities of any official in Alameda County. SANCTUARY CITIESFremont became the sixth East Bay city to declare it a sanctuary city and become the fourth to do so… Read More ›
Khanna offers strategy for Democratic Party’s success, but hundreds shut out of town hall
Rep. Ro Khanna apologizing to constituents who were unable to hear him speak Wednesday night at Ohlone College in Fremont. 17TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTWhile congressmembers, particularly Republicans, are being harangued by constituents at town halls across the country, Rep. Ro Khanna’s… Read More ›
For Alameda County GOP, the new boss is same as the old boss
Sue Caro was reappointed last week as chair of the Alameda County Republican Party. ALAMEDA COUNTY REPUBLICANSA calming influence is returning to the moribund Alameda County Republican Party with the return of Sue Caro as chair of the local GOP…. Read More ›
For Alameda County Democrats, not everybody loves Fremont’s Bacon
Fremont Councilmember Vinnie Bacon FREMONT CITY COUNCIL |When Fremont Councilmember Vinnie Bacon appeared to be gloating last week about the city’s most recent electoral results that flew under the banner of an insurgent call for slow-growth, Councilmember Raj Salwan couldn’t… Read More ›
Following deadlocked votes, Bonaccorsi wins appointment to Fremont City Council
Appointed Fremont Councilmember -elect David Bonaccorsi will be sworn-in on Feb. 7. FREMONT CITY COUNCIL |Before taking a vote on choosing its next member, Fremont Councilmember Vinnie Bacon mildly joked about flipping a coin in case of a tie among any… Read More ›
EAST BAY CITIZEN PODCAST with Fremont City Council candidate and stem cell advocate ROMAN REED
//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/4970488/height/300/width/450/theme/legacy/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/no-cache/true/ Roman Reed EPISODE 28 | Fremont needs to appoint a new council member following the surprising election of Lily Mei as mayor. One candidate for the appointment is Roman Reed, a Fremont planning commissioner with one of the most… Read More ›
Fremont City Council pares lengthy list of possible council appointees down to 8
Fremont Planning Commissioner Roman Reed is one of eight possible candidates to fill Mayor Lily Mei’s council term. FREMONT CITY COUNCIL |Twenty-seven Fremont residents applied to fill out the remaining two years of Lily Mei’s council term, following her election… Read More ›
Fremont City Council gives itself a raise; mayor-elect rejects her own pay
FREMONT CITY COUNCIL | Fremont councilmembers will now earn $2,118 a month in salary, after approving an increase last week. In addition, the City Council approved bumping up the mayor’s monthly pay to $3,764. But Mayor-elect Lily Mei said she… Read More ›
Lily Mei is Fremont’s next mayor after upset over incumbent Bill Harrison
Fremont Councilmember Lily Mei registered one of the biggest electoral upsets in the East Bay. FREMONT | MAYOR |ELECTION 2016 |Using a deft campaign to highlight growing unease over development and traffic, Councilmember Lily Mei is Fremont’s next mayor. She… Read More ›
Eric Swalwell’s endorsement is proving to be a kiss of death for East Bay candidates
Rep. Eric Swalwell, center, campaigning for Bryan Parker last spring. along with future candidate Tojo Thomas, right, who Swalwell later endorsed for the Castro Valley school board. Both lost. CONGRESS | 15TH DISTRICT |Despite periodic news reports placing East Bay… Read More ›
Lily Mei leads Fremont mayor’s race by nearly 1,200 votes over Bill Harrison
Fremont Mayor Bill Harrison trails Councilmember Lily Mei by 929 votes. FREMONT | MAYOR |ELECTION 2016 |With thousands of ballot still uncounted as of Friday morning, the Fremont mayor’s race remains too close to call with Councilmember Lily Mei maintaining… Read More ›
ELECTION DAY IN THE EAST BAY FEARLESS FORECAST
We probably won’t find out officially until the end of the week, but Ro Khanna will win CA-17. FEATURED TOSS UPS *ALL CAPS denotes incumbents. CA17 – Ro Khanna over MIKE HONDA AD16 – Cheryl Cook-Kallio over CATHARINE BAKER BERKELEY… Read More ›
EAST BAY CITIZEN PODCAST – ELECTION DAY IN THE EAST BAY PREVIEW
//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/4812231/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/no-cache/true/render-playlist/no/custom-color/3a7ea9/ EPISODE 28 | Election Day is upon us. Or, shall we say the last throes of democracy in America is near? Nevertheless, Bay Area News Group political reporter Matthew Artz joins the podcast for a special Election Day in… Read More ›