Activism

Community Coalition Says ‘No’ to Coal Money in Oakland Mayor’s Race

In recent weeks a total of more than $600,000 has been donated to an Independent Expenditure Committee supporting Ignacio de la Fuente, a mayoral candidate who has gone on record in The Oaklandside as being “in favor of the coal plan.”

Published

3 years ago

November 5, 2022

Oakland Post

Rally at the Rotunda building to protest at the Rotunda Building at 300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza in Oakland on Oct. 27, 2022. Photo courtesy of No Coal in Oakland.

By Post Staff

No Coal in Oakland, a grassroots coalition of community, faith, and environmental justice groups are denouncing an attempt by coal terminal developers to influence the Oakland mayor’s race with over $600,000 of out-of-town money.

Rallying last Thursday at developer Phil Tagami’s office at the Rotunda Building at 300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, the coalition pledged to continue to resist efforts to build a coal terminal in West Oakland and to protect the health and well-being of the community.

Scheduled speakers at the rally included Margaret Gordon, West Oakland environmental activist; Igor Tregub, Sierra Club; Julia Dowell, SF Baykeeper; representatives of 350 Bay Area; Georgia Wallace, Marlay’ja, Youth vs. Apocalypse; Communities for a Better Environment; and SEIU 1021.

This summer, only a few months after City Attorney Barbara Parker’s announcement that a deal was in the works to end the lawsuit over the West Gateway terminal and ensure a ‘no coal’ future, the developers backed out of settlement negotiations.

Last week, the Los Angeles-based financier, Jonathan Brooks, contributed another $250,000 to an Independent Expenditure Committee supporting Ignacio De La Fuente in his bid for mayor.

In recent weeks a total of more than $600,000 has been donated to an Independent Expenditure Committee supporting Ignacio de la Fuente, a mayoral candidate who has gone on record in The Oaklandside as being “in favor of the coal plan.”

Most of that money comes from Brooks, who is a hedge fund operator. Brooks is the CEO of JMB Capital, the big hedge fund behind Autumn Wind LLC. Autumn Wind, headed by Vikas Tandon, which currently has the sublease on the property and threatens to develop and operate a coal terminal if local developer Phil Tagami wins his multi-million-dollar lawsuit against the City of Oakland.

“It should alarm all voters that a total of $600,000 of coal-related money has been donated by would-be coal developers – Jonathan Brooks and Phil Tagami through his shell-company OBOT – in a seeming attempt to buy Oakland’s mayoral election,” according to the No Coal in Oakland press statement.