City Government

Mayoral Candidates Spar Over Homeless Solutions

Published

8 years ago

September 27, 2018

Speaking at a mayoral forum Wednesday evening at the First Presbyterian Church of Oakland were candidates (L to R): Marchon Tatmon, Pamela Price, Libby Schaaf and Cat Brooks. Photo by Ken Epstein.

Oaklanders who attended Wednesday’s mayoral forum were impressed by the civic dialogue among the candidates, although some felt incumbent Libby Schaaf struggled to respond to the criticisms of her administration.

Sponsored by the TechEquity Collaborative, East Bay for Everyone, and the Northgate Neighbors, the forum was held at the First Presbyterian Church on Broadway in Oakland on Wednesday, Sept. 26.

Nathan Moon of Northgate Neighbors said the goal of the event was to talk about “what’s true about Oakland today, and what we want to be true about Oakland during the next four years.”

Participating candidates were incumbent Libby Schaaf, local activist and radio host Cat Brooks, housing specialist Marchon Tatmon and civil rights attorney Pamela Price. The moderator was Wendy Tokuda, broadcast veteran.

Although there are other candidates in the race, this forum only invited those who had raised the highest number of individual contributions from the community, excluding candidates like Saied Karamooz, who is self-funded.

“Cat Brooks was a shining all-star, as usual,” said Oakland activist John Jones III. “But I would say Marchon Tatmon gets rookie of the year, and Pamela Price has lost no steam from her role as a civil rights attorney.”

Jones said he took pleasure in watching Tatmon’s growth throughout his campaign so far.

Community member Ken Pratt agreed that Brooks was “outstanding,” Tatmon had “upped his game,” and he said that “Libby’s up against the ropes.”

Mayor Schaaf praised what she considers her achievements over the last four years, including the construction of Tuff Shed encampments that house a handful of the city’s homeless residents, the Oakland Promise nonprofit, the Ceasefire program designed to reduce crime and her decision to warn the city about upcoming ICE raids, which angered the Trump administration.

Tatmon discussed his Oakland roots, his dedication to housing Oakland’s unhoused families and his vision for a clean, safe, and economically resilient Oakland.

Nino Parker, founder of the Homeless Green Team, an organized effort to assist homeless encampments in keeping their area clean and safe, said, “In the forums right now, I’m listening very carefully for the mayoral candidates that have the most to offer for the poor and the homeless.”

In her two-minute-response, Brooks delivered a rapid-fire list of the many steps she would take as mayor to address the city’s homeless crisis, including utilizing City-owned abandoned buildings to immediately house Oakland’s homeless neighbors.

Addressing the issue, Pamela Price said, “There’s not a shortage of funds. There’s a shortage of political will” to respond to the homeless crisis in Oakland.

All the candidates supported the Prop. 10 campaign for the repeal of the state Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act that currently forbids municipalities from extending rent control to many residential buildings.

Prop. 10 will be on the ballot in November, along with Oakland’s local elections.

Oakland has ranked choice voting, which means every voter has three votes, ranked in order of preference.

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Alameda County

The Marin City Flea Market Is Back

The Marin City Flea Market returns on May 23, offering arts, crafts, vintage items, and collectibles. The market aims to uplift local vendors and celebrate cultural diversity.

Published

2 days ago

May 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Customers shopping in Marin City Flea Market. Photo courtesy of marincityflea.org.

By Godfrey Lee

After a long absence, Marin City will once again hold its flea market. The market will have its grand opening on Saturday, May 23, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the St. Andrew Presbyterian Church parking lot on 101 Donahue St. It will be held every fourth Saturday of the month

The market will be free to the public

There will be arts, crafts, vintage, collectibles, and other items on sale at the market. Interested vendors can contact info@marincityflea.org or text (415) 484-2984 for more information.

“The Marin City Flea Market’s mission is to uplift local vendors, celebrate cultural diversity, and provide an accessible community space where creativity, entrepreneurship, and connection can thrive,” says their website, marincityflea.org.

The flea market is sponsored and run by the Rotary Club of Marin City.

For more information, contact info@marincityflea.org. Or text to (415) 484-2984

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Amsterdam News

School District Extends Supt. Dr. Denise Saddler’s Contract for a Second Year

The Oakland Board of Education has extended Superintendent Denise Saddler’s contract through June 2027, promoting her from interim to permanent superintendent with a salary of $367,765.45 per year.

Published

2 days ago

May 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Supt. Dr. Denise Saddler. File photo.

By Post Staff

The Oakland Board of Education voted this week to extend Superintendent Denise Saddler’s contract for another year, from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.

Under the new agreement, Saddler’s job title will become “superintendent”; she will no longer be called “interim.”

Along with the new title, she will receive full superintendent benefits and salary at $367,765.45 per year, according to the employment agreement.

The vote to approve the new contract passed 5-2 at Wednesday night’s board meeting.

Saddler’s original interim contract was for one year. The school board was planning to select a permanent superintendent by the fall but earlier this year decided to delay the search.

The new contract reflects the Board of Education’s “determination that continuity in executive leadership is in the best interests of the district as Oakland Unified continues implementation of its fiscal stabilization strategies, academic priorities, labor relations initiatives, and operational improvements,” the employment agreement reads.

In November, the board approved a $150,000 contract with a consulting firm to carry out that search, but Board President Jennifer Brouhard told KQED last month that the process never got off the ground.

“No work was done, no money has been paid for the work (to) the search firm for the superintendent search,” Brouhard said. “Hopefully, we’ll be resuming that in the early part of the fall.”

Dr. Saddler was born and raised in Oakland, attended local schools, and has dedicated more than 45 years of her career to serving Oakland students and families.

She began her career in 1979 as a teacher of students with disabilities. Over the years, she has served as a teacher, principal, district leader, and teachers’ union president.

While working in OUSD, she has served as principal at Chabot Elementary, area auperintendent, and executive leader for Community Engagement and Educational Transitions. She has also supported schools as a principal coach and substitute principal and taught at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Education.

Dr. Saddler holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Mills College and master’s degrees in special education and in Staff Development and Administration.

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Activism

Mayor Barbara Lee Joins National Public Safety Leaders to Advance Proven Violence Reduction Strategies

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee attends a two-day meeting with other mayors and public safety leaders to discuss violence reduction strategies; Oakland has seen a 39% drop in homicides.

Published

2 days ago

May 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Oakland was one of four cities participating in a public safety convening. Courtesy image.

By Post Staff

Mayor Barbara Lee this week joined Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and public safety leaders from Oakland for a two-day meeting focused on advancing cutting-edge public safety strategies, including focused deterrence and violence reduction.

The meeting brought together civic and public safety leaders from Oakland and Indianapolis to locations in Baltimore and Philadelphia to share lessons learned and identify innovative approaches to crime prevention, intervention, and enforcement.

The participating cities are widely recognized for pioneering community-centered public safety models that prioritize prevention, accountability, and sustained investment in neighborhood-based solutions

Oakland’s delegation included Department of Violence Prevention (DVP) Chief Holly Joshi, Oakland Police Department Assistant Chief Casey Johnson, and Ceasefire Director Annette Jointer.

Oakland’s participation underscores its continued leadership in advancing evidence-based violence reduction strategies and building a public safety system that integrates law enforcement with community intervention and prevention programs.

Oakland continues to see historic reductions in violence, reflecting coordinated efforts across the Department of Violence Prevention, Oakland Police Department, Ceasefire, and community-based partners, including:

Violent crime down 22%
Homicides down 39%
Lowest homicide total in nearly 60 years

These gains reflect sustained investment in focused deterrence strategies, real-time intervention, and expanded community violence interruption programs.

“Public safety is not achieved by any one agency alone—it requires coordination, trust, and a shared commitment to prevention and accountability,” said Lee. “We are proud to stand alongside cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Indianapolis that are proving what works. We are seeing real progress in reducing violence in our communities, and we remain committed to building on that momentum through strategies that center prevention, intervention, and strong partnerships with residents.”

“Oakland’s progress shows what is possible when cities invest in focused deterrence and wraparound supports that reach people most at risk,” said Joshi. “Our work is grounded in building trust, responding quickly to emerging conflicts, and connecting individuals to services that interrupt cycles of violence. This convening was an opportunity to strengthen that work through shared learning with peers who are advancing similar strategies nationwide.”

Said Johnson, “Effective public safety requires a balanced approach that combines accountability with deep collaboration across agencies and communities.”

“We are seeing meaningful reductions in violent crime because of strong partnerships between law enforcement, DVP, Ceasefire, and community organizations,” said Johnson. “Engaging with peer cities allows us to refine and improve the strategies that are making Oakland safer.”