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After Community Complaints of Quan’s Staff’s Mishandling of $4.1 Million Job Funds,State Requires City to Hold New Hearing

Published

14 years ago

April 12, 2013

Oakland Post

Deborah Barnes

Jean Quan

Deanna Santana

By Ken A. Epstein

The state has thrown out the results of a hearing conducted by the City of Oakland on a complaint filed by 16 local nonprofits and community leaders who alleged the Oakland Workforce Investment Board had botched the legally required procedures for a fair and open opportunity for agencies to apply for federal jobs funds.
At stake are as much as $4.1 million in jobs funding, including $1.5 million for youth jobs, depending on how much money Oakland receives in the new federal budget
“The city did not meet the requirements” of legal regulations that require agencies that distribute federal funds to “seek impartial hearing officers” in handling complaints, according to a letter sent to John Bailey, director of the Oakland Workforce Investment Board (WIB) by the state Employment Development Department (EDD).
“The city chose a hearing officer that was directly involved with the issues concerning this complaint,” and therefore a new hearing “should be held before an impartial hearing officer within 30 days of receipt of this letter,” the March 25 letter signed by Jessie Mar, Chief of the EDD’s Compliance Review Office.
Under federal regulations, those who filed the original complaint must be notified 10 days in advance of the time and place of the new hearing.
The complaint had been filed against the Oakland WIB, which is overseen by the City Administrator, and the city hearing had been conducted by Deborah Barnes, who is director of the Compliance and Contracts Division for the City Administrator.
Barnes on March 8 issued a decision denying the complainant’s request to declare the process “a failed procurement” and to conduct a new process “in consultation with relevant federal and state authorities.”
In a response, the City Administrator’s Office said: “We were surprised by the EDD Compliance Review Office’s findings, particularly since the ruling was issued without the benefit of consultation with the city. We look forward to presenting the full facts, which demonstrate that the city took significant steps to be collaborative and transparent with the complainants in order to ensure an impartial hearing.”
The current complaint is the latest in public missteps in the city’s handling of federal jobs funds. It was recently brought to light that the city had to return $600,000 for on-the-job training to the state because the WIB had failed by make use of the money by the deadline, despite frequent warnings.
In addition, the WIB is also under community scrutiny for proposing to distribute youth jobs money to nonprofits, leaving out agencies that serve young people in West Oakland and Latino youth in the Fruitvale District.
The original complaint was filed on Dec. 17 against a Request for Proposals released by the city and the WIB in October, alleging that the process was mismanaged.
Among many issues, the complaint cited failure by the city to follow federal and state guidelines governing bidders’ conferences including the opportunity for questions and answers so that agencies would have “a clear understanding of contract requirements.”
Further, the city’s “i Supplier” on-line question and answer system did not function for several weeks, “resulting in two postponements of the original due date for the RFPs,” the complaint said.
The notice of the RFP postponement was “improperly disseminated to potential bidders,” providing some agencies with notice in advance of others. In addition, the complaint said funding levels in the RFPs “were not the subject of a transparent, public process, nor were they reviewed or authorized by the Oakland WIB prior to their inclusion in the RFPs,” depriving the public body appointed by the mayor of the opportunity to exercise its duty to oversee the process.
The complaint also requested “safeguards be established by the city to prohibit retaliation by any member of city/WIB staff.”
The reasons for making the complaint, according to the signers, were that the city’s mistakes had a “cumulative impact” that denied “the basic principles of fairness and a ‘level playing’ to all potential bidders and significantly contaminate(d) their morale and interest in the process…The possibility of effective collaborations…has been undermined by the chaotic atmosphere surrounding the procurement process.”
The 16 signers of the complaint included Bikes for Life, OCCUR, Pivotal Point Youth Services, Spanish Speaking Citizens’ Foundation, George P. Scotlan Youth and Family Center, Oakland Private Industry Council, Black Elected Officials and Faith Based Leaders of the East Bay, Oakland NAACP and Jumoke Hinton Hodge, the member of the Board of Education who represents West Oakland.
The city’s hearing on the complaint was held on Feb. 14, and Deborah Barnes issued her decision on March 8, giving 10 reasons for rejecting the complaint.
“With the matter of fairness and transparency as well as fair and equitable opportunities for all participating/potential proposers … it is believed that these actions did not rise to the level of material impact justifying the remedies …requested by the claimants,” Barnes wrote in her decision.
The response from City Administrator’s office said: “It is not improper for city staff to act as a hearing officer as long as the person is neither directly affected by nor will implement the final resolution of the complaint, as is the case in this situation,”
“We will ask EDD for a full review of all the facts and an opportunity to submit details demonstrating the steps we took to meet, and exceed, the requirements for an impartial hearing.”
As of press time, the Post had not received a response from the Mayor’s office.

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PRESS ROOM: Transformative Justice Coalition 2026 Voting Rights Champion Awards Reception ‘Yesterday Is Today: The Battle For Voting Rights

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE –

Published

24 hours ago

October 13, 2026

Post News Group

Featuring a Special Fireside Chat with 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing Survivor Sarah Collins Rudolph

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sixty-three years after the bombing of Birmingham’s Sixteenth Street Baptist

Church shocked the conscience of the nation, Sarah Collins Rudolph—known as the “Fifth Little Girl”—will join the Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC) for a special Fireside Chat examining the enduring connection between the civil rights struggle of 1963 and the battle for voting and civil rights in 2026.

The Fireside Chat, hosted in partnership with Attorney A. Scott Bolden of Reed Smith, LLP, will be a featured part of TJC’s 2026 Voting Rights Champion Awards Reception, held in commemoration of the September 15, 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.

Collins Rudolph survived the bombing that killed four young girls, including her sister, Addie Mae Collins, and left her seriously injured. During this extraordinary conversation, she will share her firsthand experience of the bombing, its lifelong impact, and her continuing struggle for justice.

Her appearance comes at a consequential moment for voting and civil rights in America and offers a living reminder that the struggle against racial hatred, disenfranchisement, and injustice is not simply a chapter of history. Under the theme “Yesterday Is Today: The Battle for Voting and Civil Rights in 2026,” the evening will connect the sacrifices of the Civil Rights Movement with the continuing responsibility to protect voting rights and advance justice today.

WHAT: Transformative Justice Coalition 2026 Voting Rights Champion Awards Reception

“Yesterday Is Today: The Battle For Voting And Civil Rights In 2026”

Featuring a Special Fireside Chat with 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing Survivor Sarah Collins Rudolph

WHO: Barbara Arnwine, Esquire, Founder/President/Co-Leader, Transformative Justice Coalition

Daryl D. Jones, Esquire, Board Chair/Co-Leader, Transformative Justice Coalition

Sarah Collins Rudolph, Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Bombing Survivor

A. Scott Bolden, Esquire, Reed Smith, LLP; Sponsor of the Fireside Chat and Reception

WHEN: Wednesday, September 16, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. WHERE: Location will be emailed to registrants 48 hours before the event.

WHY: Attorney Barbara Arnwine, the President & Founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC), and Attorney Daryl Jones, Co-Leader and Board Chair of TJC, said of Mrs. Collins Rudolph’s appearance that “TJC believes that it is critically important that people hear from the sole survivor of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing.” Arnwine and Jones further stated that “this event will provide people with an opportunity to hear, first-hand, the results of racial hatred through the eyes of Mrs. Collins Rudolph, who was in the church with the four little girls who were killed at the time of the bombing.”

Attorney A. Scott Bolden, the sponsor of the Fireside Chat and Reception to benefit the non-profit Transformative Justice Coalition, said, “I am proud to support the work of the Transformative Justice Coalition. This is an organization that is truly in the trenches fighting for social justice and voting rights in America.” Bolden continued, “I have been an advocate for social justice my entire life. I strongly encourage people to come hear Mrs. Collins Rudolph and support the work of the Transformative Justice Coalition.”

TJC will bestow its 2026 Voting Rights Champion Award upon Collins Rudolph in recognition of her courage, perseverance, and continuing struggle for justice.

Attorney Arnwine and Attorney Jones concluded that, “Mrs. Collins Rudolph’s determination, heart, and perseverance to survive is to be applauded. This is the reason why TJC is bestowing upon her the 2026 ‘Voting Rights Champion Award.’ The character that Ms. Collins Rudolph displayed in her struggle to survive exemplifies the depth of commitment we must have today to protect our voting rights and work toward building a more robust, multicultural, and inclusive society for the future.”

REGISTRATION & SUPPORT: Registration for the Fireside Chat and Reception is available through Eventbrite or TJC’s website. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law and are strongly encouraged. Proceeds will support the TJC John Lewis Make Good Trouble Vote Bus, which will travel across America to marginalized communities, register voters, and help take voters to the polls.

Founded in 2015 by Barbara Arnwine, president emeritus of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, where she created the national election protection program. Ms. Arnwine serves as President and Founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition, which seeks to catalyze transformative institutional change that advances justice and equality in the United States and abroad. Learn more at tjcoalition.org.

This story originally appeared on Black Press USA as “PRESS ROOM: Transformative Justice Coalition 2026 Voting Rights Champion Awards Reception ‘Yesterday Is Today: The Battle For Voting Rights”. Auto-delivered via NNPA Newswire.

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Locals Can Get Locally Grown Produce Delivered Through Urban Tilth

The standard price is $50 per week, which Urban Tilth says reflects the true cost of fresh, sustainably sourced, locally grown produce. Urban Tilth offers a subsidized “Food for All” price of $15 per week for individuals and families with extremely limited financial resources. Both options provide the same produce and service.

Published

1 day ago

October 13, 2026

Post News Group

A client receives groceries from a member of Urban Tilth. Courtesy photo.

By Richmond Standard Staff

West County residents can receive locally grown produce through Urban Tilth’s Farm to Table Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, with home delivery and pickup options available.

Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia highlighted the program in his newsletter, pointing out that his district office in El Cerrito serves as a pickup location.

Weekly or bi-weekly subscriptions include seasonal greens, vegetables, fruits and herbs. Produce comes from Urban Tilth’s North Richmond Farm and farms within 200 miles of Richmond, including small family farms and those owned by BIPOC, women and LGBTQIA+ growers.

Subscriptions also support hands-on job training for local youth and volunteer opportunities.

The standard price is $50 per week, which Urban Tilth says reflects the true cost of fresh, sustainably sourced, locally grown produce. A subsidized “Food for All” price of $15 per week is available for individuals and families with extremely limited financial resources. Both options provide the same produce and service.

Gioia’s office is located at 11780 San Pablo Ave., Suite D, in El Cerrito. To sign up or learn more about pickup and delivery options, visit urbantilth.org/heal/csa.

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Lead Story

New Protections for Ticket Buyers: Gov. Newsom Signs Assemblymember Isaac Bryan’s Bill

OAKLAND POST — Assembly Bill 1349 expands state regulation of original ticket sellers, resellers and online resale marketplaces. The law targets deceptive sales practices, ticket-buying software and speculative listings — tickets advertised for sale by sellers who do not possess them or have authorization to sell them.

Published

1 week ago

October 4, 2026

Post News Group

Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights). File photo.

By California Black Media Staff

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Sept. 27 authored by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights) that strengthens consumer protections for Californians purchasing tickets to concerts, sporting events and other live entertainment.

Assembly Bill 1349 expands state regulation of original ticket sellers, resellers and online resale marketplaces. The law targets deceptive sales practices, ticket-buying software and speculative listings — tickets advertised for sale by sellers who do not possess them or have authorization to sell them.

“Buying a ticket shouldn’t come with hidden risks or unfair practices,” Newsom wrote on social media after signing the measure.

Under AB 1349, ticket sellers are prohibited from listing tickets before they have been officially released unless they have authorization or a legally enforceable right to receive them. Online marketplaces must also take reasonable steps to prevent speculative ticket sales on their platforms.

The law prohibits sellers from using bots, multiple accounts, email addresses or internet protocol addresses to circumvent ticket limits, presale restrictions, electronic queues and other controls. It also bans websites and advertisements designed to mislead buyers into believing they are purchasing tickets from an authorized seller, venue or event organizer.

Sellers who violate certain provisions and fail to provide a promised ticket may be held liable for twice the ticket’s contracted price. Buyers may also recover nonrefundable expenses incurred while attempting to attend an event, along with reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs.

Pastor Tecoy Porter Sr., president of the National Action Network’s Sacramento chapter, said the law establishes needed accountability.

“Buying a ticket to a concert or show shouldn’t mean entering a marketplace where the rules are stacked against you. This year, we worked with a coalition of consumers, civil rights advocates, community groups, and businesses to make AB 1349 stronger. Consumers deserve enforceable rules that protect them. We thank Assemblymember Bryan for his leadership, and we will keep working to make ticketing fair for every Californian.”

Jose L. Barrera, national vice president for the Far West Region of the League of United Latin American Citizens, also praised the measure.

“Californian families deserve certain protections when they buy tickets. Assemblymember Bryan listened to communities across California and delivered a bill that puts fans first. We thank him and Governor Newsom for making it law.”