Bay Area
New Poll: Oakland Voters Overwhelmingly Want to Vote on Proposed Stadium Deal
Voters not only want to vote on any deal, but 85% also want to require a full, independent, public analysis before any deal is agreed to. Only 8% oppose this requirement, with 7% unsure. Over 75% of voters across gender, age, education, ethnicity, and in every City Council district want this independent public fiscal analysis conducted — including 85% of baseball fans.

“What is the true financial cost and our obligations for this project? The public is entitled to that,” says Councilmember Noel Gallo.
By Ken Epstein
A new poll of Oakland voters conducted by the Mellman Group for the East Oakland Stadium Alliance (EOSA) shows that city residents overwhelmingly want the right to vote on any deal the city strikes with the Oakland A’s using public funds for a Howard Terminal real estate development.
Voters also want an independent and public financial report produced on any deal before it is approved.
The poll surveyed 800 voters representing the likely November 2022 electorate in Oakland, California. Three-quarters (76%) of voters want to vote on any deal, while only 15% do not. Further, 63% strongly support putting a proposed agreement with the A’s on the ballot.
Over 70% of voters across age, gender, education, ethnicity, and sexual orientation support putting a deal on the ballot. Even 76% of self-identified baseball fans want a deal using public funds on the ballot.

James Vann. Photo courtesy of KPCC89.3.
Voters not only want to vote on any deal, but 85% also want to require a full, independent, public analysis before any deal is agreed to. Only 8% oppose this requirement, with 7% unsure. Over 75% of voters across gender, age, education, ethnicity, and in every City Council district want this independent public fiscal analysis conducted — including 85% of baseball fans.
The call for placing any proposed deal with the Oakland A’s on the ballot was originally proposed by District 5 Councilmember Noel Gallo, while District 3 Carroll Fife originally proposed an independent financial analysis of the proposed deal before it is finally approved.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, a strong booster of the building the A’s real estate development on Port public land, has publicly opposed letting the voters decide on whether they want to fund the project.
At present, the cost to the public of the $12 billion private development and baseball stadium has been estimated to be over $1 billion.
Councilmember Gallo, speaking on a conference call announcing the poll results, said he was responding to requests from Oakland residents “who are burdened by the pandemic and taxation in the city.”
“At the end of the day, what is the best investment for residents who need work crews for cleanliness in their neighborhoods and to repair the streets?” he asked.

Port of Oakland file photo.
“What is the true financial cost and our obligations for this project?” Gallo asked. “To this day we haven’t received it. We have had the same experiences with Raiders and Warriors, and we’re still paying for that.”
Gallo said that Council members are considering hiring an outside consultant to look into the financial impact of the deal. “We need to conduct a workshop for City Council, a public meeting, with a cost-benefit analysis of the financial impact (including) who is responsible for maintenance and safety for this project. The public is entitled to that.”
James Vann, a longtime advocate for homes for the homeless and for affordable housing, also spoke on the conference call. He said that “the public needs to know what the city is obligating (residents) to.”
Generally, for projects like this, the cost “turns out to be double” the official estimates, he said. “Developers always come back with requests for additional money to finish their projects.”
The Mellman Group, a well-known polling company, conducted interviews in Oakland March 31-April 6, 2022, using a registration-based sample, with multi-mode interviews.
Live interviewers called cellphones and landlines while text-to-online interviews were also employed. The margin of error for the overall results is +/-3.5% at a 95% level of confidence. The margin of error is higher for subgroups.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of May 7 – 13, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 7 – 13, 2025

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.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 30 – May 6, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 30 – May 6, 2025

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.
Activism
Asm. Corey Jackson Proposes Safe Parking for Homeless College Students Sleeping in Cars
Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), is the author of AB 90, which would require community colleges and California State University campuses to create overnight parking programs where students can sleep safely in their vehicles. With one in four community college students in California experiencing homelessness in the past year, Jackson says the state must act urgently.

By Bo Tefu
California Black Media
As California’s housing crisis continues to impact students, new legislation, Assembly Bill (AB) 90, promises to allow college students without stable housing to sleep in their cars on campus, offering a stark but practical solution aimed at immediate relief.
Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), is the author of AB 90, which would require community colleges and California State University campuses to create overnight parking programs where students can sleep safely in their vehicles. With one in four community college students in California experiencing homelessness in the past year, Jackson says the state must act urgently.
“This just deals with the harsh realities that we find ourselves in,” he said at a recent hearing.
The bill passed its first committee vote and is gaining attention as housing affordability remains a top concern across the state. California rents are more than 30% above the national average, and long waitlists for student housing have left thousands in limbo. CSU reported more than 4,000 students on its housing waitlist last year.
Supporters stress that the bill is not a long-term solution, but a humane step toward helping students who have no other place to go. A successful pilot program at Long Beach City College has already shown that safe, supervised overnight parking can work, giving students access to restrooms, Wi-Fi, and a secure environment.
However, the CSU and community college systems oppose the bill, citing funding concerns. Critics also worry about safety and oversight. But Jackson and student advocates argue the crisis demands bold action.
“If we know students are already sleeping in their cars, why not help them do it safely?” said Ivan Hernandez, president of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges.
-
Activism2 weeks ago
AI Is Reshaping Black Healthcare: Promise, Peril, and the Push for Improved Results in California
-
Activism4 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of April 16 – 22, 2025
-
Activism2 weeks ago
Newsom Fights Back as AmeriCorps Shutdown Threatens Vital Services in Black Communities
-
Activism2 weeks ago
Barbara Lee Accepts Victory With “Responsibility, Humility and Love”
-
Activism2 weeks ago
ESSAY: Technology and Medicine, a Primary Care Point of View
-
Activism2 weeks ago
Faces Around the Bay: Author Karen Lewis Took the ‘Detour to Straight Street’
-
Activism2 weeks ago
Four Bills Focus on Financial Compensation for Descendants of Enslaved People
-
Activism2 weeks ago
Teachers’ Union Thanks Supt. Johnson-Trammell for Service to Schools and Community