News

Bernie Sanders’ Endorsement of Kaplan Gives a Lift to Her Campaign

Published

3 years ago

October 30, 2020

Senator Bernie Sanders has weighed in on the Oakland City Council-at-Large race by endorsing Council President Rebecca Kaplan.

Former Berkeley Mayor and longtime friend of Senator Sanders, Gus Newport, who now resides in Oakland with his wife Kathryn Kasch, called Kaplan to let her know that Senator Sanders has decided to endorse her.

Sanders endorsed Kaplan because “she has been a strong advocate of fairness and justice, in the face of a handful of billionaires who are seeking special loopholes for themselves to the laws everyone else has to follow.”

Kaplan has been singled out for a blizzard of negative campaign ads after she said Lyft, the ride-sharing mega-corporation, should not be exempt from taxes or granted other monopolies and special treatment.

Since her statement, Lyft has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars attacking Kaplan – more than any other candidate this election. Bernie Sanders has, throughout his life, also been a powerful advocate for tax fairness, and making sure billionaires pay their fair share.

Mayor Newport said, “I am just so pleased that my dear friend Bernie Sanders has endorsed Rebecca Kaplan. She is the most progressive candidate and has the experience of effective policymaking Oakland needs. Oakland voters should re-elect Kaplan to the Oakland City Council At-Large seat. Rebecca and Senator Bernie Sanders share core values, and both believe the billionaire corporate money in politics has to stop.”

Council President Rebecca Kaplan stated:

“I am incredibly touched and honored to receive the endorsement of Senator Bernie Sanders. I appreciate his many years of dedicated leadership fighting for a more humane and equitable society, and our shared commitment to fundamental fairness, as we work to make sure our democracy is not for sale, and that the needs of workers and community are protected.”

Kaplan has also received the endorsement and support of the Alameda County Democratic Party, firefighters, nurses, the Sierra Club, and numerous community leaders.

Businessman Geoffrey Pete said Kaplan has shown incredible courage in standing up to companies like Lyft that have targeted her with their negative advertising campaign, and she has steadfastly fought for equity for the Black community.”

For more information please visit http://kaplanforoakland.org/endorsements/.

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Michelle Snider

Associate Editor for The Post News Group. Writer, Photographer, Videographer, Copy Editor, and website editor documenting local events in the Oakland-Bay Area California area.

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of September 27 – October 3, 2023

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 27 – October 3, 2023

Published

1 day ago

September 29, 2023

Oakland Post

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 27 - October 3, 2023

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Bay Area

WCCUSD Unveils Fingerprinting Party Dates for Volunteer Badges

The WCCUSD is hosting a series of six fingerprinting parties at different district schools in September, October and February. Reportedly, the process takes little time investment, the volunteer badges are free, and the visits are drop-in — meaning, no appointment is necessary.

Published

3 days ago

September 27, 2023

Oakland Post

Photo by Kathy Chouteau.

By Kathy Chouteau, Richmond Standard

Are you a parent, legal guardian, or community member who wants to volunteer at a West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) school or event?

If so, first, you need to get fingerprinted and badged at one of the district’s upcoming fingerprinting “parties.”

Here’s a rundown on the WCCUSD’s fingerprinting parties, which will all be held on their respective dates from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.:

, Sept. 2, Collins Elementary, Multi-Purpose Room (MPR), 1224 Pinole Valley Rd. in Pinole;
, Sept. 9, Harding Elementary, cafeteria, 7230 Fairmount Ave. in El Cerrito;
, Sept. 16, Lupine Hills Elementary, MPR room, 1919 Lupine Rd. in Hercules;
, Sept. 23, Helms Middle School, MPR room, 2500 Rd. 20 in San Pablo;
, Oct. 7, Lovonya DeJean Middle School, MPR room, 3400 Macdonald Ave. in Richmond;
, Feb. 10, Harding Elementary, cafeteria, 7230 Fairmount Ave. in El Cerrito.

Note that prospective volunteers should complete the online application (at https://www.beamentor.org/linkpages/mentorasp/specialprojects/wccusd/Default.asp) BEFORE attending a WCCUSD fingerprinting party. Anyone who already has a WCCUSD volunteer badge does not need to apply for one again. Questions? Contact (510) 307-4526.

Black History

Guy Bluford: First African American in Space

Following Sally Ride (America’s first female astronaut) by just two months, Guy Bluford’s spaceflight aboard Space Shuttle Challenger provided another visible moment when more young people could see and be inspired by people like themselves flying into space. Bluford served as a mission specialist on the STS-8 mission and his jobs were to deploy an Indian communications-weather satellite, perform biomedical experiments and test the orbiter’s 50-foot robotic arm.

Published

3 days ago

September 27, 2023

Oakland Post

Dr. Col. Guion Stewart Bluford Jr. Image courtesy of NASA.

By Jennifer Levasseur, Vickie Lindsey, and Amy Stamm

Forty years ago, on Aug. 30, 1983, Guy Bluford flew into history as the first Black American in space.

Despite launch delays totaling six weeks, the spectacular first night launch of a Space Shuttle brought full circle NASA’s promise of a more inclusive astronaut corps.

Following Sally Ride (America’s first female astronaut) by just two months, Bluford’s spaceflight aboard Space Shuttle Challenger provided another visible moment when more young people could see and be inspired by people like themselves flying into space.

Bluford served as a mission specialist on the STS-8 mission and his jobs were to deploy an Indian communications-weather satellite, perform biomedical experiments and test the orbiter’s 50-foot robotic arm.

Following that first mission, he flew three more times to space on STS-61A, STS-39, and STS-53. By the time of his retirement from NASA in 1993, Bluford had spent more than 28 days in space over the four missions.

At the time of his first mission, Bluford was a 40-year-old Air Force officer with a doctorate in aerospace engineering.

Reluctant to be in the spotlight, his goal was not to make history, but fly into space, do his job, and return safely.

Growing up in a middle-class household in the 1950s and 1960s with educated parents (his mother was a teacher, and his father was a mechanical engineer), Bluford was raised to believe that he could do anything he wanted despite racist social restrictions.

He enjoyed math and science, particularly in school. Ignoring the advice of his high school advisor to learn a trade or skill, Bluford went on to college to earn his undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering at Penn State University in 1964, also finishing as a distinguished Air Force ROTC graduate.

After his decades of service to the aerospace community in a variety of roles, having spoken dozens of times about his astronaut career and work in aviation, Dr. Guion Bluford was recently appointed by President Joseph Biden as a member of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Advisory Board.

Editor’s note: Jennifer Levasseur, Vickie Lindsey and Amy Stamm are writers for a NASA blog