Newly constructed buildings in Oakland will be all-electric after the Oakland City Council unanimously approved an ordinance Tuesday night prohibiting the installation of natural gas in new structures. City leaders said the ordinance is fundamental for Oakland to achieve its… Read More ›
Libby Schaaf
Gloating follows a long night of election returns
A day after Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty may have learned who will be his successor, the irascible retiring elected official tweeted a snarky message for the likely losing candidate. Dublin Mayor David Haubert appears poised to be the winner… Read More ›
Oakland police chief applicants unlikely to be vetted by the public
The Oakland Police Commission extended Interim Chief of Police Susan Manheimer’s contract to Dec. 8. The move comes after the commission was scheduled to provide Mayor Libby Schaaf with a short list of potential candidates by the end of this… Read More ›
Biden chooses Harris, a former Alameda County prosecutor, as his running mate
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden chose Sen. Kamala Harris, an East Bay native, as his running mate. “I have the great honor to announce that I’ve picked Kamala Harris — a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one… Read More ›
Gift that could keep giving: Kamala Harris endorses Oakland at-large candidate Derreck Johnson
Oakland at-large City Council candidate Derreck Johnson received a major endorsement on Monday from Sen. Kamala Harris. And with Harris on the short-list to be Joe Biden’s vice-presidential nominee, the endorsement could loom even larger in the fall. “I’ve known… Read More ›
Challenger sends Rebecca Kaplan a mid-year fundraising wake-up call
Oakland At-Large Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan is one of the city’s most well-known politicians, and seemingly one of its more popular. But her re-election campaign received a major wake-up call after one of her challengers, Oakland restaurateur Derreck Johnson, posted strong… Read More ›
Schaaf vs. Trump
Hell is another four years of this racist in the White House.-Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf responding to President Trump, who said Oakland, Baltimore, Detroit, and Chicago, is “like living in hell.”
Oakland City Council, school board, begins move toward defunding police
After property damage and looting swept through Oakland two weeks ago in the wake of the killing of George Floyd and the national refocus on police brutality that followed, city officials are bringing legislation to the forefront to match the… Read More ›
Oakland Police Commission, mayor fire police chief without cause
In a stunning development Thursday night, the Oakland Police Commission wielded its power to dismiss a sitting police chief. Police commissioners unanimously voted to fire Oakland Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick without cause. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf concurred with their decision…. Read More ›
Schaaf warns ICE
Don’t bring it to Oakland.-Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf responding in a tweet on Friday to news report that ICE agents are eyeing a return to the Bay Area. Two years ago, Schaaf tipped off locals about an impending raid on… Read More ›
Did public discourse in Oakland finally reach its nadir?
They still urinating in the council’s face and call it rain.-Gene Hazard, a prodigious Oakland City Council public commenter, castigating the city attorney’s office on Feb. 6 for not providing a report on the legality of Mayor Libby Schaaf’s state… Read More ›
Schaaf recommends former Lafayette city manager as interim city administrator
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, in a letter to the City Council last Thursday, offered the appointment of former Lafayette city manager Steven Falk as interim city administrator. Last December, Oakland City Administrator Sabrina Landreth announced her resignation from the post,… Read More ›
Bonta backs Steyer for president
East Bay Assemblymember Rob Bonta is endorsing billionaire Tom Steyer for president, it was announced Wednesday. Bonta, who represents Oakland, Alameda, and San Leandro in the Assembly, lauded Steyer for his leadership in standing up to Big Oil, along with… Read More ›
Schaaf not swayed by Bloomberg’s visit to Oakland
You didn’t think wealthy Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg came to Oakland just to enjoy a cup of coffee, did you? Bloomberg visited Oakland last Friday and met with Mayor Libby Schaaf. Television camera crews and journalists walked with them… Read More ›
Undersheriff said Oakland PD stood them up at Moms 4 Housing eviction
Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan had a seemingly innocuous question for Rich Lucia, the Alameda County undersheriff. Why were Alameda County sheriff’s deputies deployed to evict the members of the Moms 4 Housing coalition last Tuesday morning, and not the… Read More ›
Moms 4 Housing activists in Oakland protest SB50 presser
San Francisco state Sen. Scott Wiener unveiled the latest version of SB50, the legislation that would allow upzoning for housing developments near transit centers, at a press conference on the steps of Oakland City Hall on Tuesday morning.
Phil Tagami rages against Oakland leaders
Developers are builders. Some view their role in grandiose terms, seeking projects and structures that will last the test of time. Few though are as brash as Phil Tagami, who has delighted in posing for pictures puffing from a fat… Read More ›
Democratic presidential hopefuls are wooing Schaaf, Bonta
When Sen. Kamala Harris abruptly shut down her presidential campaign on Dec. 3 it freed many high-profile Democrats in the state and the East Bay who had supported her effort to begin looking to back other candidates. Democrats such Gov…. Read More ›
Oakland, Berkeley, Hayward mayors back movement for customer-owned PG&E
A group of 22 California mayors and five county supervisors representing more than 5 million residents want PG&E to become a public co-op. A letter from the growing number of civic leaders was sent Monday to the California Public Utilities Commission urging them to consider the idea of a customer-owned public utility. The argue the […]
Oakland: Kaplan calls for audit of Schaaf’s signature education initiative
Oakland Council President Rebecca Kaplan wants the city auditor to look into allegations that Mayor Libby Schaaf gave away office space at City Hall to Oakland Promise, her signature program for childhood education, free of charge. Oakland Promise is a… Read More ›
Under Quan and Schaaf, ICE used the Oakland Airport to deport 27,000 immigrants, says report
A bombshell report showed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement used the Oakland Airport to deport 27,000 undocumented immigrants between 2010 and last October despite Oakland’s status as a sanctuary city. The investigation reported by the East Bay Times on Sunday… Read More ›
Oakland: Schaaf is missing, Kaplan is concerned
In early 2018, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf took the unusual step of alerting undocumented immigrants in Northern California that agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were on the their way to remove those living illegally in the… Read More ›
Schaaf implies she will again warn public if ICE raid info is received
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf tossed out the first pitch at Monday’s night A’s game with a looping strike. A half-inning later, Schaaf threw a brush back pitch at President Trump, implying in a tweet, that she would blow the whistle… Read More ›
Schaaf on risk in government
Government does not do risk well. Honestly we are f–cking wimps when it comes to risk.—Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, known privately to drop a heavy payload of f-bombs, speaking April 25 at the Nation Swell Summit in San Francisco.
A’s ballpark legislation passes early committee; another bill to be heard Wednesday
Like an early season extra-inning baseball game, A’s fans waited all afternoon for an opportunity to show their support for an Assembly bill that could stitch together a crazy quilt of land trust issues for the proposed Howard Terminal ballpark… Read More ›
Oakland City Council votes to hold off for now on collecting Measure AA parcel tax
Fearing Oakland voters will become further disillusioned with their city government and uncertainty over a legal fight that could determine the fate of last November’s controversial Measure AA result at the ballot box, the Oakland City Council decided late Tuesday… Read More ›
Schaaf warns Trump during her inauguration speech
Here in Oakland, if you come to destroy the lives of our immigrants living in peace, we will resist you. If you come to spread fear and division, we will stand up to you.-Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf warning President Trump… Read More ›
A’s pick Howard Terminal for new Oakland ballpark
If all goes well, the new A’s ballpark would be ready in time for the 2023 season.
With close races, Oakland’s election night will likely bleed into morning
Look for extremely close toss-up races in Oakland’s Districts 2, 4, and a nail biter in District 6 next Tuesday.
OAKLAND D4: Michelson abruptly suspends council campaign
With just over three weeks until Election Day, Oakland City Council District 4 candidate Charlie Michelson announced Sunday afternoon that he has suspended his campaign. The reason for his departure from the race, according to a message on Facebook, is… Read More ›