City Government

Oakland Voters Hit with Fake Polls and Negative Campaigning

Published

9 years ago

September 2, 2016

In the past week Oakland residents have been receiving an anonymous voter survey attacking Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan and falsely claiming that one of her opponents for the at-large city council seat—Peggy Moore— has the endorsements of two prominent local lawmakers.

The email, which was sent out to hundreds of Oakland voters last week and commissioned by Moore’s campaign, contained a list of questions asking how compelling each statement was as a reason to vote for Moore, who until Aug. 12 was Mayor Libby Schaaf’s senior special advisor.

The survey stated that two popular East Bay political leaders, Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Assemblyman Tony Thurmond, had endorsed Moore.

Both Lee and Thurmond have confirmed to the Post that they are not supporting Moore.

Some of the statements presented negative remarks against Kaplan, such as one that says “she has few real accomplishments to show from her 15 years as a politician.”

“This campaign move against me is full of lies, including using wrongfully the names of two of the most prominent elected officials,” said Kaplan in an interview with the Post. “How dare they send this out and not put their names on it.”

A number of political observers characterized the survey a “push” poll, criticized as a dishonest form of political campaigning, which is frequently anonymous. Posing as a political poll, this kind of survey asks questions skewed in favor of one candidate or side of an issue and maligns the opposing candidate or side.

In an interview with the Post, Moore said her campaign paid for the survey and that it was intended to help her campaign find messaging that would best help promote her candidacy for City Council.

“We commissioned to have the poll sent out but it was written incorrectly,” said Moore.

“(The endorsements) were a misprint and totally the wrong question, (which) was intended as a hypothetical,” she said.

Explaining why the email poll did not inform the public that it was sponsored by her campaign, Moore said, “We didn’t do anything unconditional or out of character” for these kinds of polls.

Moore’s campaign has since sent out clarifying emails to those who responded to the survey.

Meanwhile, in at least two other local election campaigns, Oakland voters have been contacted via phone by anonymous voter surveys that pose as research polls and oppose the renter protection measure and District 5 School Board incumbent Roseann Torres.

According to several participants, one phone poll appeared to seek voter opinions on Measure JJ—the renter protection ballot measure—but presented opposing arguments to passing rent control in Oakland and asked if they were compelling enough reasons to vote against the measure.

Jahmese Myres, campaign director for East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE), told the Post she received the call and assumes that whoever commissioned the survey is doing research about what negative messages will most resonate with voters.

“It’s certainly not a surprise but we live in a city with 60 percent renters that values folks being able to stay in their communities and values diversity,” Myres said.

“I’m sure that the voters will support Measure JJ, despite this heavily paid-for opposition campaign,” she said.

Sources also told the Post that another anonymous phone survey attacking School Boardmember Torres and supporting her opponent, Huber Trenado, who is backed by Great Oakland (GO) Public Schools, was making the rounds in Oakland.

The poll distorted Torres’ history as an attorney and dishonestly said she showed up late to school board meetings, according to Torres’ campaign.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 24 – 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 24 – 30, 2025

Published

14 hours ago

December 25, 2025

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

Oakland Council Expands Citywide Security Cameras Despite Major Opposition

In a 7-1 vote in favor of the contract, with only District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife voting no, the Council agreed to maintain its existing network of 291 cameras and add 40 new “pan-tilt-zoom cameras.”

Published

5 days ago

December 21, 2025

Oakland Post

At the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference, Flock Safety introduces new public safety technology – Amplified Intelligence, a suite of AI-powered tools designed to improve law enforcement investigations. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

The Oakland City Council this week approved a $2.25 million contract with Flock Safety for a mass surveillance network of hundreds of security cameras to track vehicles in the city.

In recent weeks hundreds of local residents have spoken against the camera system, raising concerns that data will be shared with immigration authorities and other federal agencies at a time when mass surveillance is growing across the country with little regard for individual rights.

The Flock network, supported by the Oakland Police Department, has the backing of residents and councilmembers who see it as an important tool to protect public safety.

“This system makes the Department more efficient as it allows for information related to disruptive/violent criminal activities to be captured … and allows for precise and focused enforcement,” OPD wrote in its proposal to City Council.

According to OPD, police made 232 arrests using data from Flock cameras between July 2024 and November of this year.

Based on the data, police say they recovered 68 guns, and utilizing the countywide system, they have found 1,100 stolen vehicles.

However, Flock’s cameras cast a wide net. The company’s cameras in Oakland last month captured license plate numbers and other information from about 1.4 million vehicles.

Speaking at Tuesday’s Council meeting, Fife was critical of her colleagues for signing a contract with a company that has been in the national spotlight for sharing data with federal agencies.

Flock’s cameras – which are automated license plate readers – have been used in tracking people who have had abortions, monitoring protesters, and aiding in deportation roundups.

“I don’t know how we get up and have several press conferences talking about how we are supportive of a sanctuary city status but then use a vendor that has been shown to have a direct relationship with (the U.S.) Border Control,” she said. “It doesn’t make sense to me.”

Several councilmembers who voted in favor of the contract said they supported the deal as long as some safeguards were written into the Council’s resolution.

“We’re not aiming for perfection,” said District 1 Councilmember Zac Unger. “This is not Orwellian facial recognition technology — that’s prohibited in Oakland. The road forward here is to add as many amendments as we can.”

Amendments passed by the Council prohibit OPD from sharing camera data with any other agencies for the purpose of “criminalizing reproductive or gender affirming healthcare” or for federal immigration enforcement. California state law also prohibits the sharing of license plate reader data with the federal government, and because Oakland’s sanctuary city status, OPD is not allowed to cooperate with immigration authorities.

A former member of Oakland’s Privacy Advisory Commission has sued OPD, alleging that it has violated its own rules around data sharing.

So far, OPD has shared Flock data with 50 other law enforcement agencies.

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Black Arts Movement Business District Named New Cultural District in California

Located in the heart of District 3, the BAMBD is widely regarded as one of the nation’s most important centers of Black cultural production — a space where artists, entrepreneurs, organizers, and cultural workers have shaped generations of local and national identity. The state’s recognition affirms the district’s historic importance and its future promise.

Published

5 days ago

December 20, 2025

Oakland Post

Councilmember Carroll Fife celebrates major milestone for Black arts, culture, and economic power in Oakland. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

Oakland’s Black Arts Movement Business District (BAMBD) has been selected as one of California’s 10 new state-designated Cultural Districts, a distinction awarded by the California Arts Council (CAC), according to a media statement released by Councilmember Carroll Fife.

The BAMBD now joins 23 other districts across the state recognized for their deep cultural legacy, artistic excellence, and contributions to California’s creative economy.

“This designation is a testament to what Black Oakland has built — and what we continue to build when we insist on investing in our own cultural and economic power,” said Fife.

“For years, our community has fought for meaningful recognition and resources for the Black Arts Movement Business District,” she said. “This announcement validates that work and ensures that BAMBD receives the support it needs to grow, thrive, and continue shaping the cultural fabric of California.”

Since taking office, Fife has led and supported multiple initiatives that strengthened the groundwork for this achievement, including:

Restoring and protecting arts and cultural staffing within the City of Oakland.
Creating the West Oakland Community Fund to reinvest in historically excluded communities
Advancing a Black New Deal study to expand economic opportunity for Black Oakland
Ensuring racial equity impact analyses for development proposals, improving access for Black businesses and Black contractors
Introduced legislation and budget amendments that formalized, protected, and expanded the BAMBD

“These efforts weren’t abstract,” Fife said. “They were intentional, coordinated, and rooted in a belief that Black arts and Black businesses deserve deep, sustained public investment.”

As part of the Cultural District designation, BAMBD will receive:

$10,000 over two years
Dedicated technical assistance
Statewide marketing and branding support
Official designation from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2030

This support will elevate the visibility of BAMBD’s artists, cultural organizations, small businesses, and legacy institutions, while helping attract new investment to the district.

“The BAMBD has always been more than a district,” Fife continued. “This recognition by the State of California gives us another tool in the fight to preserve Black culture, build Black economic power, and protect the families and institutions that make Oakland strong.”

For questions, contact Councilmember Carroll Fife at CFife@oaklandca.gov.