Activism

Loren Taylor Hopes to Use Federal “Opportunity Zone” Tax Breaks to Foster Local Development

Published

4 years ago

December 5, 2019

The Oakland City Council is seeking ways to minimize displacement of tenants and small businesses and leverage community benefits under the federal Opportunity Zone Program in the U.S. tax code created by the Trump Administration, which has so far been criticized for offering huge tax breaks to wealthy investors who open businesses or build real estate projects in low-income urban neighborhoods.

Under current tax regulations, there are no requirements for investors to consult with city governments or create jobs, build affordable housing or other projects to promote equity and programs that would benefit local communities.

Recently, there have been exposés, including in the New York Times, citing how these Opportunity Zone programs around the country have enriched billionaires. Congresswoman Rashida Talib (D – Mich.), among others, is backing legislation to repeal this part of the tax code. “The American people have been scammed,” she said.

Locally, District 6 Councilmember Loren Taylor has been working with the City Administration to design an Opportunity Zone program that can be leveraged to develop projects that serve Oakland neighborhoods, while avoiding some of the most damaging aspects of the Trump regulations that would displace local residents and businesses.

“There has been a very intentional focus on bringing equity and a community orientation to a program that was not designed to do so. We all acknowledge that,” said Taylor, speaking at Tuesday’s Community and Economic Development (CED) Committee meeting.

“We’re doing a little bit of judo, using other people’s momentum against them so that we can advance our own efforts. That’s really what we’re doing on behalf of our community,” he said.

Gloria Bruce of East Bay Housing Organizations said, “This (legislation) carries a lot of urgency about displacement and how investment can happen without displacement. “As currently framed at the federal level, (the regulations) are place-based, not people based; so, we really need to center people in this conversation,” she said. “Nationally, there has been a big amount of investigative reporting, (including) in the New York times, about how this tool has mostly been used to (fund) projects that have already would have happened or things that are luxury development(s). we don’t want that to happen in Oakland.”

The federal government has designated 30 Oakland census tracts in East and West Oakland as Opportunity Zones. Investors who make a long-term investment or property in one of these census tracts can defer or reduce their federal capital gains taxes.

“Oakland’s Opportunity Zones have more renters, higher poverty rates, and larger Black and Latinx populations than the city overall,” according to the report prepared by city staff for Tuesday’s Community and Economic Development (CED) committee meeting.
While the city seeks to promote equity and community benefits in local development, “federal regulations do not currently require local community benefits or investor reporting to local governments, (although) projects must still comply with local development regulation”.

According to the staff report, “…local governments can influence Opportunity Zone investment by highlighting and supporting beneficial local projects.” There are a number of potential local projects proposals, but the underlying obstacle. is where to find funding or investors.

“The City’s Opportunity Zone goals should be to increase engagement and local awareness of the designation, help direct investment to projects that benefit Oakland’s Black population, communities of color and women-owned businesses, and prevent displacement due to loss of affordable residential and commercial space,” the report said.

Seeking to implement Opportunity Zones in Oakland, the city administration has already formed an Opportunity Zone Working Group that includes the Departments of Economic and Workforce Development, Planning and Building, and Housing and Community Development.

The City has also received funding from the Rockefeller Foundation to create a new position, Chief Opportunity Zone Officer, (who has already been hired) to support equitable development in Opportunity Zones, whose work will be supported by two VISTA volunteers.

“The first reported investments in Oakland, as well as nationwide, have been in hotels and primarily market-rate housing located in the Uptown/Downtown area,” the report said. “Funds for projects in West and East Oakland exist but are still raising capital.”

Seeking to repeal the Trump Tax Code regulations, Rep. Tlaib said in a statement, “Opportunity Zones were supposed to help uplift low-income community and those living in poverty, but instead we are seeing them benefit billionaires and their luxury projects….the current Opportunity Zone law fails to drive real benefits to low-income communities instead often rewarding President Trump’s donors.”

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Activism

S.F. Black Leaders Rally to Protest, Discuss ‘Epidemic’ of Racial Slurs Against Black Students in SF Public School System

Parents at the meeting spoke of their children as no longer feeling safe in school because of bullying and discrimination. Parents also said that reported incidents such as racial slurs and intimidation are not dealt with to their satisfaction and feel ignored.

Published

12 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church. Photo courtesy Third Baptist Church.

By Carla Thomas

San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church hosted a rally and meeting Sunday to discuss hatred toward African American students of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church, along with leadership from local civil rights groups, the city’s faith-based community and Black community leadership convened at the church.

“There has been an epidemic of racial slurs and mistreatment of Black children in our public schools in the city,” said Brown. “This will not be tolerated.”

According to civil rights advocate Mattie Scott, students from elementary to high school have reported an extraordinary amount of racial slurs directed at them.

“There is a surge of overt racism in the schools, and our children should not be subjected to this,” said Scott. “Students are in school to learn, develop, and grow, not be hated on,” said Scott. “The parents of the children feel they have not received the support necessary to protect their children.”

Attendees were briefed last Friday in a meeting with SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne.

SFUSD states that their policies protect children and they are not at liberty to publicly discuss the issues to protect the children’s privacy.

Some parents said they have removed their students from school while other parents and community leaders called on the removal of the SFUSD superintendent, the firing of certain school principals and the need for more supportive school board members.

Community advocates discussed boycotting the schools and creating Freedom Schools led by Black leaders and educators, reassuring parents that their child’s wellbeing and education are the highest priority and youth are not to be disrupted by racism or policies that don’t support them.

Virginia Marshall, chair of the San Francisco NAACP’s education committee, offered encouragement to the parents and students in attendance while also announcing an upcoming May 14 school board meeting to demand accountability over their mistreatment.

“I’m urging anyone that cares about our students to pack the May 14 school board meeting,” said Marshall.

This resource was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library via California Black Media as part of the Stop the Hate Program. The program is supported by partnership with California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.

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Activism

Oakland Ambassadors Strengthen Ties and Aid Efforts in Ghana

Oakland natives and esteemed members of the African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG), Jonathan P. Jones and Dr. Maritony Efua Jones, recently embarked on a significant journey to Ghana as guests of the World Martial Authority Ghana. This trip signifies a crucial opportunity to bolster partnerships, explore new avenues of collaboration, and contribute to impactful initiatives in Ghana.

Published

18 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Elder Jorg Klebingat, Flint Mensah, Richard Burton, H.E. Dr. Maritony Jones, Amb. Jonathan Jones, Elder S. Gifford Nielsen, Elder Alfred Kyungu. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

This trip signifies a crucial opportunity to bolster partnerships, explore new avenues of collaboration, and contribute to impactful initiatives in Ghana.

Upon their arrival at Katota Airport in Accra, Ghana, the Joneses were warmly received by His Royal Majesty Okatakyie Asafo Boakye III, the distinguished king of Sanzule Kingdom in the Eastern Nzema, and Etse Nyamedi of World Martial Authority, Ghana.

Nyamedi accompanied the Joneses to the city of Mepe, which had recently experienced flooding, to assess damages and engage with local leaders, elders, and youth regarding the city’s urgent needs after major floods last fall.

Key concerns and priorities identified by the community include comprehensive flood mitigation measures, agricultural support, housing initiatives, educational enhancements, improved healthcare access, and the development of communal recreational spaces.

The Joneses were also graciously invited to meet with leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at their headquarters in Accra. This meeting provided insights into ongoing humanitarian efforts in Ghana and explored avenues for collaboration to further assist Ghanaian communities.

The LDS leaders shared their prompt response to the recent flood, demonstrating their commitment to humanitarian aid by dispatching substantial supplies including medical provisions, sanitation items, blankets, and food to assist flood victims just four days after the disaster.

Additionally, Boakye extended a special invitation to the Joneses to his palace, where they were pleasantly surprised with a heartfelt recognition ceremony. Maritony Jones was honored as the Queen Mother of the Sanzule Kingdom in acknowledgment of her dedicated work, while Jonathan Jones was lauded and welcomed as the ambassador of the Sanzule Kingdom, symbolizing a meaningful homecoming to their ancestral land.

The visit not only strengthens ties between Oakland and Ghana but also underscores the collaborative spirit and commitment to meaningful progress and humanitarian endeavors shared by all involved parties.

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Activism

Calif. Anti-Sex Trafficking Advocates Discuss Competing Bills, Strategies

Advocates from across California are challenging state officials and community leaders to support legislation that provides resources and services for survivors and victims of human trafficking, as well as assistance as they transition back into civil society.  Some of those advocates are also calling for more effective state policy to curtail trafficking, a crime that has an outsized impact on Black children, particularly girls.

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Oakland Post

Shutterstock

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Some of those advocates are also calling for more effective state policy to curtail trafficking, a crime that has an outsized impact on Black children, particularly girls.

According to the FBI, a report covering a two-year period found Black children accounted for 57% of all juvenile arrests for prostitution. In addition, 40% of sex trafficking victims were Black and 60% of those victims had been enrolled in the foster care system.

“It is time to hold the perpetrators who take advantage of our children accountable,” said the Rev. Shane Harris, a San Diego-based activist, former foster youth and founder of the Peoples Association of Justice Advocates, (PAJA), a national civil rights organization and policy think tank.

“It is time to send a thorough message that if you seek to buy a child for sex, you will pay the highest criminal penalties in this state,” added Harris who was speaking at a rally at the State Capitol earlier this month. Harris was speaking in support of Senate Bill 1414, authored by Sen. Shannon Grove (D-Bakersfield), which calls for people who buy sex from minors to be punished with a felony. The punishment includes a two-year prison sentence and a $25,000 fine.

Harris said the PAJA is the only civil rights organization in the state that supports SB 1414.

Harris urged other Black-led groups who favor anti-trafficking legislation more focused on criminal justice reforms (as opposed to stiffer penalties), to “join the movement.”

Many of those civil rights groups fear that SB 1414 could lead to the incarceration of more Black youth.

Those sentiments were echoed in a panel discussion organized by Black women advocates on April 26 to examine the cause and effects of human trafficking in California’s Black communities. The virtual event was hosted by the Forgotten Children, Inc, a faith-based nonprofit that advocates for survivors and victims of human trafficking through anti-trafficking campaigns and initiatives.

Panelists shared the psychological impact of sexual exploitation on youth and children in the long term.

Author and educator Dr. Stephany Powell shared statistics and information revealing that African American women and girls are the most trafficked nationwide.

Powell, who serves as the senior advisor on law enforcement and policy at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation said that national data indicates that sex trade survivors are disproportionately women of color. She stated that male survivors often go unnoticed because boys rarely report trafficked crimes.

Powell said that decriminalizing prostitution in California could increase human trafficking. She argued that Senate Bill 357, authored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), which was signed into law in 2022 and legalized loitering for prostitution, caused a surge in street-level prostitution.

Panelist and psychologist Dr. Gloria Morrow shared opposing views on decriminalizing prostitution. She said that decriminalizing prostitution could help survivors gain access to state resources and support.

Despite opposing views, Powell and Morrow agree that the Black community needs resources and educational programs to address human trafficking.