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El Ayuntamiento de Alameda Aprueba Moratoria de Aumento de Renta en tumultuosa reunión

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Una reunión del Consejo de la Ciudad de Alameda se tornó violenta sobre una propuesta de moratoria en aumentos de alquiler la semana pasada.

 

 

En la reunión del 4 de noviembre, que duró más de siete horas, el Consejo aprobó por unanimidad una moratoria de 65 días en los aumentos de alquiler por más de ocho por ciento y detuvo desalojos sin culpa.

 

 

 

Un miembro del consejo dijo que era la más grande reunión que la junta había visto nunca, con más de 90 personas que se inscribieron para hablar. Las cámaras del consejo de 15 asientos se llenaron rápidamente y se desbordaron en salas adyacentes, el pasillo, así como la biblioteca cruzando la calle.

 

 

Debido a la política primero-venir primero-servir del consejo para los exponedores, exponedores a favor de la tierra, quienes se habían inscrito temprano, tomó toda la primera hora de deliberaciones y llenó el espacio de asientos en las cámaras.

 

 

Una hora en la reunión, después de escuchar en su mayoría a propietarios hablar, los inquilinos se inquietaron y comenzaron a cantar, “Dejennos Hablar!” Mientras los inquilinos trataron de entrar en las cámaras, se produjo un altercado. El Asistente Provisional del Administrador Municipal Bob Haun resultó herido, y Bob Davis, de 68 años, y Jon Klein, de 64 años, fueron detenidos.

 

 

Davis fue arrojado al suelo por un oficial de policía y recibió una lesión que dejó manchas de sangre en el piso de la alcaldía. Davis fue acusado de agresión de un funcionario público y de resistirse al arresto. Klein fue arrestado bajo sospecha de agresión a un agente de policía y obstruir a un oficial de policía, según un informe de la CBS.

 

 

Tras el incidente, la reunión continuó con grupos alternos de oradores en pro y en contra, lo que permitió tanto a los inquilinos y a los propietarios hablar.

 

 

Muchos propietarios “mamá y papá”, dijeron que cualquier tipo de control de la renta sería debilitante y causaría una división entre ellos y los inquilinos. Muchos afirmaron que mantenían la renta muy por debajo del precio de mercado, y sólo aumentaron los precios cuando fue absolutamente necesario.

 

 

Ellos dijeron que esperaban para dar al Comité Consultivo de Revisión de Alquileres (RRAC) la oportunidad de trabajar.

 

 

El comité de revisión de la renta, que ofrece la mediación, ha existido desde alrededor de 1979. El comité crea un ambiente donde los propietarios e inquilinos pueden hablar entre sí frente a una parte neutral para resolver disputas.

 

 

Sin embargo, las decisiones del comité no son legalmente vinculantes.

 

 

Los inquilinos en Alameda constituyen más del 50 por ciento de los hogares. Un estudio presentado en la reunión del consejo mostró que los precios de alquiler en Alameda habían aumentado un 54 por ciento entre 2000 y 2013.

 

 

El mismo estudio mostró que la renta había aumentado 52 por ciento desde 2011 para 20 edificios residenciales con 50 unidades o más.

 

 

La renta media en la Alameda para el tercer trimestre de 2014 fue $ 2.057 y más de $ 1800 para un estudio.

 

 

Garfield Kincross, que ha vivido en Alameda durante más de 20 años y ha sido un empleado federal por más de 30 años, dijo que recibió un desalojo sin culpa. “Yo podría ser un sin techo si el hotel en San Francisco no me acepta. Yo podría haber terminado viviendo en mi coche, tomando duchas en San Vicente de Paúl. Yo trabajo con el gobierno, y esto simplemente no me sienta bien conmigo”.

 

 

Los alquileres de edificios multifamiliares construidos antes de 1995 no se pueden aumentar más de ocho por ciento durante la moratoria. Estas unidades representan el 70 por ciento de la oferta de alquiler de la ciudad.

 

 

El límite a los aumentos de alquiler es acumulativo y tiene en cuenta los aumentos de alquiler impuestas en los últimos 12 meses. Las casas unifamiliares y condominios están exentas de la moratoria, según el Mercury News.

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Bay Area

Oakland Teachers Ramp Up Strike Readiness

In an escalation of labor pressure, hundreds of teachers boycotted district-organized Professional Development (PD) sessions, instead attending a mass, Oakland Education Association (OEA) rally this week at Lake Merritt to demand the Oakland Unified School District begin bargaining “in good faith” for a new union contract.

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Oakland teachers rally for new contract, Wednesday, March 15, 2023. Photo courtesy of OEA.
Oakland teachers rally for new contract, Wednesday, March 15, 2023. Photo courtesy of OEA.

By Ken Epstein

 

In an escalation of labor pressure, hundreds of teachers boycotted district-organized Professional Development (PD) sessions, instead attending a mass, Oakland Education Association (OEA) rally this week at Lake Merritt to demand the Oakland Unified School District begin bargaining “in good faith” for a new union contract.

 

The rally Wednesday afternoon was held at the Lake Merritt Amphitheater, across from the Oakland Museum.

 

Chairing the rally, OEA Vice President Kampala Taiz-Rancifer said the union has been trying to negotiate for months with the school district for a new contract but has not received responses to its demands for “dignity, respect in the workplace … for a living wage (and)… for student supports and community schools.”

 

“Oakland has been bargaining with OUSD for safe and racially just community schools,” she said. “We are here today to demand that OUSD bargain with us in good faith.”

 

OEA Interim President Ismael Armendariz said, “Today, we took a step in having a labor action; we walked out on our [professional development]. That is an escalation.”

 

“OUSD has been bargaining with OEA since October,” he continued.  “We have a 51-member bargaining team that spent hours crafting [21] bargaining proposals. OUSD has come to the table with two unserious proposals and zero counter [proposals].”

 

Criticizing the district’s approach to bargaining in public, he said, “We cannot bargain on Facebook Live; we are going to bargain at the table.”

 

He accused the district of spreading “fear, uncertainty and doubt to divide us as workers,” which is a “boss tactic,” adding that the district is talking about a budget crisis, even though it has received $66 million from the state to develop community schools.

 

“There is always a budget crisis when we’re bargaining,” Armendariz said.

 

OEA is getting ready to take a vote to see if members are prepared to strike if necessary. Also, word is circulating that some union members are getting ready for a short unauthorized or wildcat strike to demonstrate teachers’ willingness to stand up to the district.

 

Even though the district is not in financial difficulties, it has passed a budget proposal that includes possible school closures or mergers, as well as layoffs and a hiring freeze.

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Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌

Women’s History Month: Assemblywoman McKinnor Joins Panel of Legislators at Sacramento Event

Last week, Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) joined a diverse panel of women legislators at the “Women in California’s Legislature: 2023 Speaker Series on California’s Future” luncheon to discuss the essential roles they play in shaping governmental policies benefiting Californians. The event was hosted by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento.

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Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) speaks at the Women in California’s Legislature event in Sacramento on March 8. The Women’s History Month event was hosted by the Public Policy Institute of California. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.
Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) speaks at the Women in California’s Legislature event in Sacramento on March 8. The Women’s History Month event was hosted by the Public Policy Institute of California. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

By Antonio Ray Harvey
California Black Media

Last week, Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) joined a diverse panel of women legislators at the “Women in California’s Legislature: 2023 Speaker Series on California’s Future” luncheon to discuss the essential roles they play in shaping governmental policies benefiting Californians.

The event was hosted by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento.

This year’s class of legislators includes the largest number of women in state history — 18 senators and 32 assemblymembers. Joining McKinnor on the panel were state Senators Janet Nguyen (R-Garden Grove), Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) and Assemblymember Liz Ortega (D-San Leandro).

McKinnor said she made the decision to get into politics after seeing the video of police officers beating motorist Rodney King in Los Angeles in 1992.

Over the years, McKinnor said, a major influence on her policy decisions are the lessons gleaned from raising a family.

“I think (women) bring diversity to the table because we are about taking care of our families,” McKinnor said. “So, the legislation that you see coming out of this (panel), I believe, will be around housing, jobs, equity and public safety. The women here are going to make a tremendous difference because we take care of our families differently.”

Before McKinnor was elected to the California State Assembly in June 2022, she served as civic engagement director for the nonprofit LA Voice and previously served as operational director for the California Democratic Party and chief of staff to several members of the State Assembly. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting from California State University Dominguez Hills.

Left, Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, PPIC’s president and chief executive officer, was the moderator of the event. Left to right, Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood), District 61; state Sen. Janet Nguyen (R-Garden Grove), District 36; Assemblywoman Liz Ortega (D-San Leandro), District 20; and Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) of District 9. The Women in California’s Legislature event was hosted by PPIC in Sacramento on March 8, 2023. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

Left, Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, PPIC’s president and chief executive officer, was the moderator of the event. Left to right, Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood), District 61; state Sen. Janet Nguyen (R-Garden Grove), District 36; Assemblywoman Liz Ortega (D-San Leandro), District 20; and Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) of District 9. The Women in California’s Legislature event was hosted by PPIC in Sacramento on March 8, 2023. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

McKinnor is currently chair of the Public Employment and Retirement Committee. She serves on other policy committees, including the Business and Professions Committee, Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee and the Governmental Organization Committee.

McKinnor’s legislative priorities include California’s continued COVID-19 recovery, increased funding for public education, expanded universal access to healthcare, the state’s housing and homelessness crisis and reforming the state’s criminal justice system.

“I never thought I’d be in politics in 1992. I thought I had better get off the sofa and pay attention to what’s going on,” McKinnor said. “After that, I didn’t sit down, and I got involved in the community.”

Black women are 7.7% of the total U.S. population and 15.3% of the total number of women in the country, according to the U.S. Census.

In the 2021 study, the State Innovation Exchange (SIE) — a group that advocates for representation in state legislatures — and the National Organization for Black Elected Legislative Women (NOBEL Women) took a deep dive into their analysis of women serving in government.

SIE and NOBEL Women reported that Black women fill just 4.82% (356) of 7,383 state Legislature seats across the United States. That same year, eight state legislatures convened without a single Black woman in their ranks: Vermont, South Dakota, Hawaii, Arizona, Idaho, Nebraska, Montana, and North Dakota — all places with Black populations falling in a range from 2% to 6%, the study revealed.

Currently, there are five Black women in the California Legislature: McKinnor and Assemblymembers Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City), Mia Bonta (D-Alameda), Akilah Weber (D-La Mesa) and Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Ladera Heights). They are also members of the California Legislature Black Caucus.

Smallwood-Cuevas is the lone Black woman among 40 state senators.

“I am the 20th Black woman to be elected to the (California) Legislature,” McKinnor said at the event held on International Women’s Day. “Sen. Lola Smallwood became the 21st Black woman. So, we still have a lot of work to do.”

PPIC, the nonprofit that organized the event, bills itself as a nonpartisan think tank with a mission to inform and improve public policy in California through independent, objective, nonpartisan research. Former California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye is PPIC’s president and chief executive officer.

Ophelia Basgal, an affiliate at the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at University of California, Berkeley, and a senior executive consultant for Inclusion INC, provided the opening remarks.

All the women legislators who participated in the event are members of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, a political body that represents and advocates on the behalf of the diverse interests of women, children, and families.

The panelists discussed gender diversity in state politics, how personal interests play out in politics, legislation they are currently working on, setting better policy for the state, and offered advice to women who are interested in running for office.

“In addition to the vision and experience, we bring that voice into the room that is often unheard and unseen,” said Ortega, a longtime labor leader and activist from an immigrant family. “We will make sure we are seen and heard and deliver (policies) for all in the state of California and the United States.”

The Sheraton Ballroom in downtown Sacramento was filled with women and men listening to the 60-minute conversation between the women that was at times passionate, thought-provoking, reflective and lighthearted.

“We’ve been truly inspired by this distinguished panel for their questions, insight, and answers,” Cantil-Sakauye said to the audience. “Thank you for making this (speakers’ series) memorable.”

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of March 15 – 21, 2023

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 15 – 21, 2023

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The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 15 - 21, 2023

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