Government

Eli Ferran Challenges Incumbent Barbara Parker in Oakland City Attorney Election 2020

Published

6 years ago

September 25, 2020

Kiki

There are two candidates running for Oakland City Attorney, the incumbent, Barbara Parker and former Deputy City Attorney Eli Ferran.

Parker has been in the office since 1991 and was elected City Attorney in 2013. She is a graduate of Harvard Law School and is a single mother of one, and a grandmother of two. Parker lives in District 2.

Ferran joined the Oakland City Attorney Office in 2008 and left in June of 2020. He is married with three children and attended law school at Loyola University in New Orleans with a brief post-Katrina evacuation stint at the University of San Francisco. Ferran resides in District 6.

The Oakland Post asked both candidates their views on three issues impacting Oakland residents: housing/homelessness, climate change, and predatory lending practices.

In their own words, here are their brief thoughts on the three issues:

Parker on Housing/Homelessness:

City Attorney Barbara Parker

I envision Oakland as a city of progressive neighborhoods, policies, and actions. Since becoming City Attorney, I proved my commitment to housing rights and homelessness prevention by authoring/sponsoring tenant protection legislation, such as the EQUAL, Fair Chance and Eviction Moratorium Ordinances.

I pursue strategic litigation to protect vulnerable tenants from abusive landlords. My commitment led to energizing our community-directed Neighborhood Law Corps (NLC), in part seeking to preserve Oakland’s racial, income, and professional diversity. The NLC has filed lawsuits that resulted in the creation of affordable housing.

In one case of substandard housing and numerous code violations, we secured a $485,000 settlement, the owner was removed and 90 units of affordable housing were created for 55 years.

I believe individuals re-entering from incarceration should not be penalized in housing, so I co-sponsored an ordinance prohibiting consideration of criminal records in rental housing applications. Because aggrieved tenants deserve protection and compensation, I secured over $1 million in various case settlements, successfully intervened in over a dozen cases during the pandemic to immediately protect tenants, allowing them to stay in their homes and stop landlords from removing belongings and changing locks.

My commitment to affordable housing and alleviating homelessness is absolute.

Parker on Climate Change

As a member of the human species, I recognize climate change as our existential challenge. In response, as City Attorney, I have not been afraid of going after the big guys. I have not shied away from suing -and will continue to go after multinational corporations for damaging our environment.

As a lead plaintiff, we have agreed to $550 million to settle a class-action lawsuit against Monsanto for contaminating waterways across the country with toxic chemicals.

I am prosecuting a public nuisance lawsuit against five major, international fossil fuel companies, including Chevron and Exxon Mobil, for their role in global warming.

After hard-fought litigation, Oakland and nine other cities and counties secured a $305 million settlement from lead paint manufacturers to clean up lead paint that poisons tens of thousands of children in California; and I successfully sued a company for discharging massive amounts of dangerous dust potentially containing asbestos or other hazardous materials into West Oakland neighborhoods and the City’s stormwater system. I continue fighting to stop the handling and storage of coal at the former Oakland Army Base. I vow to continue as a relentless protector of our environment.

Parker on Predatory Lending Practices

As City Attorney, I believe in pushing the envelope as far as legally and ethically possible to protect Oaklanders. My actions extend to stepping in when regulatory institutions fail us. It is no secret that the banking industry, including Wells Fargo, has taken advantage – illegally – of low-income and communities of color. In response, I filed a lawsuit against Wells Fargo for predatory and racially discriminatory mortgage-lending practices against African American and Latinx borrowers in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act. Wells Fargo fought back with its considerable legal resources and money.

Nonetheless, in our David vs. Goliath story, the Federal Court of Appeals recently upheld Oakland’s right to proceed with our lawsuit. This lawsuit seeks to stop these predatory practices and to compensate Oakland for lost property taxes and other damages the City suffered as a result of the foreclosure crisis that resulted in part due to predatory lending practices.

I will continue to seek ways to protect Oaklanders financially, be it against big banks, payday lenders, or others who try to take undue advantage of our residents.

For more information go to http://www.parkerforoakland.com

Ferran on Housing/Homelessness

Eli Ferran

Many in my generation of Black Oakland residents despite, education and good jobs are not able to purchase property in the City. In addition to dealing with the COVID pandemic, we are still experiencing the consequences of discriminatory policies such as redlining and an affordability crisis. Due to discriminatory lending and housing practices, those who inherit property are unable to benefit from an increase in equity that would allow them to maintain the property. About 70% of homeless people in Oakland are Black residents, and we must work with the unhoused community, homeless advocates, City staff, and councilmembers to provide real solutions to this humanitarian crisis. Those solutions include a range of emergency, transitional, and permanent housing. As City Attorney, I will work with councilmembers and City staff to make sure these policies are legal and enforced. We must also call on Alameda County to play a great role in providing mental health and housing solutions.

The housing affordability crisis is not only an Oakland problem, but it is also a regional problem that requires regional and state-wide cooperation and solutions. The City can, however, improve the elements within its control such as the zoning and permit process. As City Attorney, I would encourage the City Council to implement fair and equitable policies that encourage homeownership within Oakland. This can be accomplished by the following: (1) Establishing a dedicated California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) attorney within the City Attorney’s Office; (2) Recommending amendments to the California Building Standards Code to the Building Standards Commission; (3) Reviewing and updating regulations affecting the Planning and Building Dept.; (4) Creating and implementing a faster Planning and Building Dept. permit process; (5) Streamlining the process for building accessory dwelling units (ADU’s); and by (6) Effective use of state density bonus rules for new housing.

Ferran on Climate Change

These are unprecedented times. We are seeing wildfires spread across 3.1 million acres in California thus far, forcing thousands out of their homes. This is in addition to a pandemic with no end in sight that is disproportionately hurting low-income communities of color. Make no mistake, we are seeing the devastating consequence of climate change right before our eyes. We need climate leadership now because the alternative is not an option.

I am running for Oakland City Attorney because I believe that it is incumbent upon every one of us to build a sustainable future for our children and grandchildren. We cannot sit idly by when corporations are diminishing the air quality in our neighborhoods. As City Attorney, I will fight to hold accountable industrial polluters and work to equitably reduce Oakland’s climate emissions.

I will actively enforce the City’s Equitable Climate Action Plan (ECAP) to minimize Oakland’s contribution to climate change, focus on creating good green jobs, and improve air quality. I will be a visible, proactive, and progressive City Attorney, who will work to expand our capacity to be more responsive to the needs of our communities, especially those victimized by environmental racism.

Ferran on Predatory Lending Practices

Housing is arguably the greatest civil rights issue of our time. Historically, the government has instituted barriers to homeownership and tenancy for Black families. Neighborhood associations, landlords and financial institutions have all played a role, by promoting racial zoning laws and policies that discriminate against Black and brown homeowners seeking mortgage loans.

It is not acceptable that as recently as the early 2000’s Black communities were targeted with subprime mortgages by financial institutions. The Black community was deeply affected by the economic downturn that displaced many long time Oakland residents. The economic outcome of this pandemic is not certain; however, we must be pro-active and implement policies to prevent the same devastating effects that occurred in the last housing crisis.

As City Attorney, I will review the housing policy and laws that contribute to predatory lending. We must make it easier, not harder, to build more affordable housing. While being mindful of development’s impact on historically Black and Brown neighborhoods, which through the years have faced increasing gentrification, further displacing working-class people of color out of Oakland. As City Attorney, I will create a space for open dialogue and more transparency, where stakeholders such as community leaders and housing advocates can participate in the process.

For more information go to http://www.eliforoakland.com

Kiki

Posts by Kiki | Website

Up Next

Amid Pandemic Hardship, Two New Laws Expand Mental Health Coverage 

Don't Miss

Candidates For Oakland’s District 5 Share Their Platforms

Kiki

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of July 1 – 7, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of July 1 – 7, 2026

Published

3 days ago

July 5, 2026

Oakland Post

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.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

NPRC Joins National Grand Jury Proceedings Seeking Accountability, Constitutional Restoration

Organizers state that testimony will explore historical and political developments that they believe have contributed to the expansion of corporate influence over public institutions and governmental decision-making. Participants are expected to discuss concerns regarding constitutional governance, individual liberties, property rights, and the protection of vulnerable populations, including seniors and persons with disabilities.

Published

2 weeks ago

June 26, 2026

Oakland Post

Photo by Billie Powers.

Special to The Post

The National Probate Reform Coalition (NPRC) has joined Toll and Roll and a growing coalition of advocacy organizations, victims, whistleblowers, and citizen groups in support of a nationally broadcast People’s Grand Jury proceeding scheduled for July 1 and July 7.

Organizers describe the event as a public forum designed to examine allegations of government abuse, judicial misconduct, legislative failures, and the erosion of constitutional protections affecting millions of Americans.

The proceedings will feature testimony from victims, families, advocates, and organizations from across the country who contend they have experienced harm through government actions, institutional neglect, and failures of oversight.

According to organizers, the People’s Grand Jury will focus on concerns involving probate courts, guardianships, conservatorships, child welfare systems, property rights, civil liberties, and what participants view as a growing disconnect between government institutions and the constitutional rights of the people they are sworn to serve.

NPRC is participating because many of the issues being examined mirror the concerns raised by advocates, victims, and families who have participated in its monthly town halls. For years, families have reported cases involving exploitation of elders, questionable guardianships, estate depletion, denial of due process, and a lack of meaningful oversight within probate court systems.

“This proceeding gives victims and advocates an opportunity to place their experiences on the public record,” said Tanya Dennis, lead facilitator of NPRC. “For too long, families have struggled to have their voices heard regarding elder abuse, probate exploitation, and government inaction. This forum allows those stories to be shared before a national audience.”

In keeping with principles of transparency and fairness, invitations have been extended to legislators, members of the judiciary, law enforcement representatives, and other public officials who may wish to respond to concerns raised during the proceedings or defend actions taken by their respective institutions.

One of the primary outcomes sought by organizers is public consideration and support for the People’s Remedy and Restoration Act, a proposed legislative framework that advocates believe would strengthen oversight, increase accountability, provide remedies for victims of governmental abuse, and restore constitutional protections.

The proceedings are expected to be broadcast nationally, providing citizens throughout the United States an opportunity to observe testimony, review evidence presented, and participate in an ongoing conversation regarding government accountability and the protection of individual rights.

Advocates hope the hearings will encourage meaningful dialogue, legislative reform, and renewed public engagement in the democratic process.

Individuals, organizations, public officials, and members of the media interested in attending or obtaining access information may contact the organizers at tollandroll2025@gmail.com.

As Americans continue to debate the future of constitutional governance, judicial accountability, and the protection of vulnerable citizens, the July proceedings are expected to serve as a significant forum for public testimony and civic engagement. For more information, go to https://tollandroll.com

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Local Civil Rights Attorney, Activist Walter Riley Reveals Life Lessons from 70 Years in the Movement

Widely known in Oakland for his unifying leadership on issues of social justice and human rights, Riley is also recognized for his famous son, Raymond “Boots” Riley, a rap artist, political activist, and successful filmmaker, whose latest film, “I Love Boosters,” is now in theaters and capturing national attention.

Published

2 weeks ago

June 26, 2026

Oakland Post

Walter Riley. Courtesy photo.

By Ken Epstein

Prominent civil rights attorney and activist Walter Riley recently went on radio station KPFA 94.1 to discuss his new book co-authored with local veteran organizer Jesse Strauss: “Civil Rights and Structural Attacks: Conversations with Walter Riley.”

Born in North Carolina, Riley has lived in San Francisco, Chicago, and Detroit, but his longtime home is Oakland, California.

Over the years, he was a leader in the South against Jim Crow, participated as a student in the historic 1968 San Francisco State University strike that created Black Studies and Ethnic Studies in the U.S. and scored victories in the fight for open college admissions.

He was also a labor organizer and was involved in early Black Panther Party formations, anti-war protests, and was a leader of the Progressive Labor Party, a pro-Mao, Marxist Leninist party.

In an interview on KPFA’s “Upfront” with host Brian Edwards-Tiekert on June 18, he discussed some of his formative experiences, born in 1944 to a family of sharecroppers who worked on a tobacco farm near Durham, North Carolina.

“I came from a farming family, the ninth child of 11 children,” Riley said. “My mom and dad got married as teenagers, and they were together for their entire lives. Growing up in this large family, we had to deal with various aspects of what it meant to live in an economically depressed area with parents who had come through what they called “Hoover times” (the Great Depression) in the South.

“They were proud of every one of their children when they took some stand, to develop and show some sense of dignity,” he said.

In his neighborhood, slavery was not a distant memory. There are many people “who knew firsthand what it was to have family members that had lived as enslaved people and lived in communities where enslaved people had lived.

“(Under tenant farming), the landowner negotiated for the entire family: the farmer, the wife, the children – everybody was involved on the farm. Kids were often engaged. We had to shovel, hoe tobacco to keep the weeds from taking over, to make sure that tobacco worms didn’t eat up the tobacco. If a child was old enough to plow, they would walk behind a horse or mule and plow a field, working from sunup to sundown,” he said.

The houses did not have indoor bathrooms, running water or electricity. “A lot of the names in the Black community were the same names as these slave owners. We could see the names of folks on the streets, street names of people who had enslaved people, and they were symbols to me of a world that did not see me as a human being, that has not treated my ancestors as humans, has treated us as chattel to be sold, to be owned, to be property,” Riley said

“When we were counted by our government, we were counted only for the purposes of allowing white people, white men, to have a vote.”

By 1950, when he was 6 years old, his family moved to another house, leaving tenant farming. His father took a job in construction.

“My parents wanted the younger kids to have education,” he continued. “The older kids had to work on the farms. By the time I came along, I was the second child born in a hospital. “My parents looked forward to younger kids to have more sense of independence from the economic and social depravities that they saw around them.”

Watching television, he became aware of the suffering under Jim Crow, including the lynching in Mississippi of Emmett Till in 1955 and Mack Parker in 1959.

When he was 13, he joined a picket line in town in front of a variety store chain that did not hire Black people and became active in the Civil Rights Movement. By time he was in high school, he had become a leader in the local chapter of the NAACP and met Malcolm X and later Medgar Evers, leaders who were both assassinated.

Married and with a child, he moved with his family in the early 1960s to San Francisco, attending San Francisco State University while working full time.

He participated in the San Francisco State University strike, the longest student strike in U.S. history, where students and their supporters prevailed in the face of mass arrests and daily violent police attacks.

While many people remember the strike for its historic victory – the creation of the first Black Studies and Ethnic Studies programs in the country. “But open admissions was the thing,” he said. “Open admissions had to do with people being able to go to school for free. People should be able to go to school just because they come here and say, ‘I want to go to school. I want an education’ (because) we live in a rich country.”

Studying Marxism, including dialectical materialism, he gradually began to understand structure of the system that needs to be changed, he said. “It requires a lot of study, and it still does.”