Bay Area

“I Will Not Be Bullied,” Says Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao

Mayor Sheng Tao promised to not allow the attacks to distract her from her duties. She pledged to work with the City Council to approve a balanced budget amid the deep financial shortfall facing cities nationwide and to move ahead with the sale of the City’s half of the Oakland Coliseum to the African American Sports and Entertainment Group, which some estimate is the largest sale of public land to African Americans in history.

Published

2 years ago

July 1, 2024

Ken Epstien

Mayor Sheng Tao. FILE photo.

Community Leaders Stand Up for Mayor Against Concerted Attacks

By Ken Epstein

If Mayor Sheng Thao’s enemies, who have been working since the day she was elected to unseat her and install a representative of the old regime, had hoped she was on the ropes and that her supporters would be silenced following an unannounced and unexplained but highly publicized FBI raid on her home last week, they learned this week they were wrong.

In a short, fiery speech, the mayor came out swinging, defiant. She made clear that she does not know any more than the public about what the FBI is investigating.

She questioned why the FBI felt it had to raid her home at dawn, the day after the announcement that a recall petition made the November ballot: “What probable cause does the FBI have that justifies the raiding of the home of a sitting mayor without the courtesy of conversation?”

“I am innocent: I have not been charged with a crime,” she said.

She stated forcefully that the attack on her was politically motivated: “I want you to know about the handful of billionaires from San Francisco and Piedmont who are hellbent on running me out of office.”

She said the same people who are going after her are silent about current charges against a former elected official (Libby Schaaf) for political corruption.

“This couldn’t have gone down the way it did if I was rich, if I had gone to elite private schools, or if I had come from money,” she said.

“I am your mayor. The people who voted for me deserve to have their voices heard. I will not be bullied, and I will not be disparaged, and I will not be threatened out of this office.”

She promised to not allow the attacks to distract her from her duties. She pledged to work with the City Council to approve a balanced budget amid the deep financial shortfall facing cities nationwide and to move ahead with the sale of the City’s half of the Oakland Coliseum to the African American Sports and Entertainment Group, which some estimate is the largest sale of public land to African Americans in history.

Encouraged by Thao’s strong words, community leaders and activists are raising their voices to support her.

Walter Riley, Oakland civil rights attorney and leader of the John George Democratic Club, has been an outspoken opponent of local recall campaigns.

Riley, who saw the press conference, said, “I thought she made a strong statement and that the people who are calling for her to resign are not following the evidence and are ignoring due process. They are not behaving responsibly or showing any quality leadership when they make sensational accusations where they have no evidence to back up what they are saying.

“I do know that there is evidence that leaders of past city administrations and some of the leaders of the local recalls have committed serious violations,” he said.

David Weintraub released a statement on behalf of the Coordinating Committee of the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club, the East Bay’s largest Democratic club.

“(We are) 100% supportive of the mayor and her progressive policies and the direction she has set for our City.

“We are 100% opposed to the recall funded by wealthy interests and which have not only targeted her but progressive leaders such as our progressive DA, Pamela Price, and the former DA of SF, Chesa Boudin.“The recall efforts of all these leaders were commenced practically before they took office, much less had any fair opportunity to implement the policies they ran on and because of which were elected.

“We join Mayor Thao in questioning why she has not been told the reasons for the raid nor given an opportunity to cooperate and all this within hours of the recall petition being certified.”

Said Pamela Drake, a longtime political and police accountability activist in the city: “Our mayor along with our progressive councilmembers have made some enemies with deep pockets – developers, corporate landlords, and lock-’em-up folks – and they have come after her.”

“Additionally, her style offends some older folks and people who have a vision of how Asian women should deport themselves,” said Drake. “They’re willing to bring chaos to our city government to turn back the clock, but we must resist their rumor-mongering and negativity and give her a full term as the voters intended.”

Mona Treviño, a parent activist who has fought school closings and is organizing for a Gaza cease-fire, wrote a strong statement on Facebook:

“It’s not just me that sees that the Mayor appears to have pissed off some powerful people who are now throwing her under the bus. At the end of the day, power at the top does not have a party, it’s about power and money. This is seeping into our local representation and cannot be accepted. If you know anything about the shark tank that is politics, you know that too many people are open to the highest bidder – like this joke of a lawyer.”

She continued: “Why would anyone want any replacement who is not willing to accept the outcome of our (elections)? These people running around pouring in millions for reactionary recalls – who is leading this in elections around the country?… Shame on the powers that be (who are) throwing a local mayor under the bus. We see you.”

Servant BK Woodson, pastor of Bay Area Christian Connection, said he was concerned about the timing of the recall announcement to coincide with the FBI raid. “I don’t think these things are a coincidence,” he said.

“The idea of democracy, that people can govern themselves without the guidance of the overlords, is at risk right now,” he said. “Recalls are a way for the rich and well-positioned to override the will of the people.”

“It’s easy to abandon someone when they are down; I’m not going to do that,” he said. “She’s innocent until proven guilty. I think everyone needs to support her.”

Ken Epstien

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Activism

At the event, 16 entities signed the EIP pledge, vowing to take steps to increase public contracting opportunities in their spheres for small and historically underutilized businesses. The pledge signees included Hub International, the Port of San Francisco, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, California High-Speed Rail Authority, the Port of Oakland, Robert Graham of Webcor Builders, Holder Construction, the Weitz Company, Sky Blue Builders, Hornblower, Swinerton, Luster National, Talson Solutions, Center for Community Wealth Building, and the Construction Contractors Alliance.

Published

1 week ago

June 24, 2026

Oakland Post

Toks Omishakin, secretary of the California State Transportation Agency, was one of the speakers at the event. Photo by Shellee Fisher Photography and Design.

By Calvin Naito, Special to The Post

On June 4, a national nonprofit named the Equity in Infrastructure Project (EIP) – which aims to increase public construction contracting opportunities for small and historically underutilized businesses – held a day-long event in downtown San Francisco to rally supporters and build momentum to its cause.

It was attended by more than 100 individuals from public agencies, private firms, and other organizations committed to increasing contracting opportunities with governmental agencies, thereby creating more competition and lowering public costs.

The EIP event was held the Hyatt Regency San Francisco in conjunction with BuildIT, which aims to increase contracting opportunities for LGBT-owned businesses.

At the event, 16 entities signed the EIP pledge, vowing to take steps to increase public contracting opportunities in their spheres for small and historically underutilized businesses.

The pledge signees included Hub International, the Port of San Francisco, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, California High-Speed Rail Authority, the Port of Oakland, Robert Graham of Webcor Builders, Holder Construction, the Weitz Company, Sky Blue Builders, Hornblower, Swinerton, Luster National, Talson Solutions, Center for Community Wealth Building, and the Construction Contractors Alliance.

Following the workshop, BuildIT hosted a VIP evening reception honoring EIP, whose principals – Phil Washington, John Procari, and Rick Jacobs – accepted the award.

The event also set in motion the coalition’s efforts to implement recommendations from EIP’s “Procurement for Prosperity: A Playbook.”

The Playbook is a practical guide for public agency leaders and procurement and contracting practitioners to grow the capacity of small and first-time contractors, strengthen competition, and deliver better value for taxpayers.

Toks Omishakin, Secretary of the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), a long-time EIP supporter, also told attendees, “This is about commitment. This has been a life’s work. This is a tailwind moment.”

The event’s presenting sponsor was Hub International, one of the largest insurance brokerages in the nation, which was joined by partners Travelers Insurance and the State Compensation Insurance Fund.

After the pledge-signing ceremony, attendees participated in a workshop in which they examined the policies, practices, and programs needed to meet EIP goals, learned from practitioners, and identified next steps toward utilizing the Playbook.

Ingrid Meriwether, formerly of Merriwether & Williams Insurance Services (MWIS) and current president of Hub International’s Aligned Risk Management, MWIS, described the hard-fought lessons she and her MWIS team have learned over the last three decades administering contractor development programs (CDPs) for the City and County of San Francisco, Alameda County, City of Los Angeles, LA Metro, and other municipalities.

The CDPs help small and local construction firms win public infrastructure contracts with these government agencies. The program provides bonding assistance, contract financing, technical support, training, and other services to underrepresented businesses funded by public agencies who seek greater contracting participation with these firms.

Merriwether said programs like these “break down systemic barriers, create greater fairness, and save taxpayers money by enabling more competition. The contractor development programs have, cumulatively, over two decades, helped contractors access over $1 billion in bonding, supporting over $380 million in awarded contracts, and maintaining a loss ratio 250 times lower than the industry average – while saving participating municipalities more than $27 million in contracting costs as a result of enabling more competition.”

Rick Jacobs, EIP co-founder and co-chair urged attendees make plans to meet again in the near future “to continue building on this work, share progress on organizational commitments, and discuss how we can collectively advance the goals of the EIP pledge.”

For more information on the EIP and to access a copy of the Playbook, go online to https://equityininfrastructure.org/

Calvin Naito is communications manager for Equity in Infrastructure Project.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Oakland Museum Presents Landmark Retrospective Celebrating Beloved Bay Area Artist Mildred Howard

“Poetics of Memory” coincides with a year of major recognition for Howard. In 2026, she received the California Arts Council’s 50th Anniversary Award, honoring artists whose work has shaped California’s cultural and civic life, as well as the Museum of the African Diaspora’s Artist Impact Award. In 2025, she was awarded a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship in recognition of her transformative contributions to American cultural life.

Published

1 week ago

June 24, 2026

Oakland Post

Mildred Howard. Photo by Christine Cueto for the Oakland Museum of California, 2025.

Special to The Post

The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) opened “Mildred Howard: Poetics of Memory,” the first major museum survey of Bay Area artist Mildred Howard, on June 12.

The exhibition spans five decades of Howard’s influential work, bringing together immersive installations, found-object sculptures, archival materials, and new commissions that explore memory, identity, and power in American life.

Howard was born in San Francisco in 1945 and raised in the East Bay, where she went on to study Afro-Haitian dance, make and sell clothing, and experiment with collage and sculpture.

Her multimedia art practice emerged from these experiences, later becoming associated with West Coast conceptual art, San Francisco funk, and a vibrant community of artists like Oliver Jackson, Betye Saar, and Raymond Saunders. Since the 1970s, she has used found materials and family stories to explore memory—both individual and collective.

At OMCA, visitors enter “Poetics of Memory” through a series of intimate galleries featuring Howard’s early mixed-media pieces and sculptures, along with a large video projection of a number of her public artworks.

Together, they emphasize Howard’s interest in everyday objects as powerful carriers of individual and shared stories. Highlights include collages that remix images of the artist herself; found-object sculptures like The History of the United States with a few Parts Missing (2007) that address omissions in dominant narratives; and public works like “Locks and Keys for Harry Bridges” (2001) that transform urban space into a meditation on access and labor.

This culminates in a richly detailed “studio” environment, where works in progress, archival exhibition flyers, historic photographs of Howard and her community, postcards from fellow artists, and other materials offer insight into her creative process and daily life.

The exhibition then opens into a high-ceilinged, dramatically lit space that brings together Howard’s signature immersive installations. On one end, “Crossings” (1997/2026) – a field of hundreds of ceramic eggs leading to an ornate mirror – suggests cycles of birth, motherhood, and transition, while drawing on the emotional echoes of the Middle Passage. On the other end, “Blackbird in a Red Sky” (a.k.a. “Fall of the Blood House”) (2002) – a red glass shack bordered by a pond – also uses reflection and transparency to draw viewers into the work and prompt consideration of themes of identity and home.

Howard’s newest video installation, “Moving Stills” (2026), repurposes never-before-seen family footage she took as a teenager on a train trip to the American South. Projected onto cascading layers of translucent fabric that stretch across an entire gallery wall, the piece immerses viewers in a layered meditation on memory, migration, and time.

The “Mildred Howard: Poetics of Memory” exhibit will be on display through Oct. 11 at the Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St., Oakland, CA 94612. Museum hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours on Fridays to 9 p.m.

This story is sourced from the Oakland Museum of California press office.

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

Ferry Fares to Increase July 1 as Ridership Hits Record Highs

The Oakland and Alameda routes will increase from $4.90 to $5.10, the South San Francisco route will go up from $7.40 to $7.60, and the Vallejo route will increase from $9.90 to $10.

Published

1 week ago

June 24, 2026

Oakland Post

Courtesy photo.

By Mike Aldax, The Richmond Standard

Starting July 1, the standard adult fare for the San Francisco Bay Ferry route between Richmond and San Francisco will increase to $5.20, up from the current $4.90.

Discounted fares for eligible passengers, including youth, seniors, people with disabilities, and Clipper START users, will rise to $2.60 from the current $2.40. Children under 5 will continue to ride for free.

The Oakland and Alameda routes will increase from $4.90 to $5.10, the South San Francisco route will go up from $7.40 to $7.60, and the Vallejo route will increase from $9.90 to $10.

The adjustments are part of a systemwide fare update approved by the agency’s Board of Directors, which is moving away from a flat 3% annual increase to route-specific pricing for the 2027 and 2028 fiscal years.

This fare update arrives as San Francisco Bay Ferry celebrates a historic May, transporting 301,270 passengers. The record-breaking figure represents an 8% increase over May 2025 and marks the third consecutive month of record-setting ridership.

Furthermore, it is the sixth month in a row that passenger numbers have exceeded pre-pandemic levels. Weekend travel has been a primary driver of this growth, with average weekend ridership seeing a 56% increase compared to pre-pandemic trends.

The agency states that the fare adjustments are necessary to ensure the long-term fiscal sustainability of public ferry services. By shifting to route-specific adjustments, the agency aims to offset rising operating costs while maintaining the high levels of service frequency and reliability.