City Government

OP-ED: Dan Siegel Is the Candidate Who Will Address the Issues

Published

9 years ago

November 3, 2014

By Walter Riley and Anne Weills

Many of the mayoral candidates are contributing to widespread apathy about the upcoming election by refusing to say anything important about the issues facing Oakland.

Mayor Jean Quan’s stance seems limited to statements like, “Crime is down, development is up, and I haven’t done as bad a job as some people say.”

Councilmembers Rebecca Kaplan and Libby Schaaf say they can do better, but give few specifics.

Joe Tuman claims that hiring 200 more cops will solve Oakland’s problems but does not explain why – nor convince us how – Oakland can afford more police.

Parker argues that his experience as a hedge fund banker and executive for a (lawsuit plagued) kidney dialysis company will help get city government running efficiently. And Parker denies that profiling by the police has anything to do with race.

Oakland has real problems that demand real answers. Only civil rights attorney Dan Siegel offers the leadership Oakland needs.

Only a concerted effort to reduce poverty and unemployment will make Oakland safe and prosperous. Siegel supports raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour and has specific plans to train people for well-paying 21^st Century jobs.

Oakland’s schools require serious attention. Siegel proposes universal pre-school to prepare our three and four-year-olds for kindergarten, and comprehensive afterschool programs to help students make up their educational deficits.

Crime rises with the poverty rate. Unless we fix our schools, Oakland will remain a city of high poverty and crime.

No other candidate offers a crime reduction program. Our city’s crime rates ebb and flow with no real understanding of why. And despite claims that Cease Fire is the reason why we have had only 62 murders so far, crime trend experts agree that no person and no program can take credit for the flux in crime rates.

Siegel is the only candidate to present a detailed plan that almost doubles the number of officers assigned to neighborhood patrol and investigation without increasing the total police budget. And the only campaign to demand zero tolerance for police misconduct.

The latest Chamber of Commerce poll shows that voters give the mayor and City Council negative job ratings. The incumbents have failed to govern and don’t deserve another chance.

Oakland’s voters are unhappy with their current leaders and deserve a Mayor with the vision and ability to make our City work for everyone.

Dan Siegel will be that Mayor.

Oakland Post

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Related Topics:City of Oakland Dan Siegel November 4 November 4 election Oakland Oakland Mayoral Election OP-ED Opinion Politics

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

17 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

4 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

4 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.