Bay Area

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Faces Recall Efforts One Year Into Term

A group of Oakland residents, dissatisfied with Mayor Sheng Thao’s approach to combating crime and ensuring public safety, have initiated a recall campaign against her, one year into her term. The recall campaign is being led by Brenda Harbin-Forte, a former Alameda County Superior Court judge, who was removed from the Oakland Police Commission by Thao last year in June.

Published

3 months ago

January 23, 2024

Oakland Post

Residents have been reported to be “fed up” with Thao’s perceived lack of action in addressing crime and public safety issues in the city, mainly citing the past year’s events with Oakland Police Department (OPD).

By Magaly Muñoz

A group of Oakland residents, dissatisfied with Mayor Sheng Thao’s approach to combating crime and ensuring public safety, have initiated a recall campaign against her, one year into her term.

The recall campaign is being led by Brenda Harbin-Forte, a former Alameda County Superior Court judge, who was removed from the Oakland Police Commission by Thao last year in June.

The notice of intent that was submitted over the weekend asserts that firing OPDs Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong has led to a spike in violent crimes and has created a public safety crisis that has led to “the city’s reputation as one of the most dangerous in America.”

The notice of intent adds that Thao has failed to appoint a new police chief in nearly a year after Armstrong’s dismissal and has also failed to declare a state of emergency in the city which she promised in September to do if a police chief had not been hired by the end of the year.

“Lives have been lost, property destroyed, businesses have shut down, and fear and collective trauma are daily occurrences for Oaklander,” the letter states. “We, the concerned citizens, therefore demand your recall for the sake of our city’s future.”

Armstrong was dismissed in February by Thao over allegations of mishandling officer misconduct cases. In December, the Police Commission submitted his name to Thao to be considered for reinstatement to the position along with two other candidates but the mayor rejected all three candidates and asked the commission to propose new ones delaying hiring a chief until March.

According to end of year OPD reports, all crime increased by 17% from 2022 to 2023; violent crime rose by 21%; robbery by 38%; burglary by 23%; and motor vehicle theft by 45%.

Soon after firing the chief, Thao and her administration also failed to submit an application for crime fighting funds that would’ve given Oakland an estimated $15 million for additional police patrols, squad cars, and automated license plate readers to track down suspected perpetrators of crime.

Thao acknowledged these mistakes in her State of the City address in October, saying that “the buck stops with me” and that her main objective as mayor is to ensure public safety in the community.

In response to the recall efforts, Thao said she wants people to come together and fight for the city they love.

“I have the best job in the world. That’s because every day I have a chance to fight for a safer, more affordable, and more prosperous Oakland,” Thao said in a statement. “I ask all Oaklanders to help me achieve that vision with hope and collaboration and push aside fear and division.”

Her chief of staff, Leigh Hanson, also issued a statement against those attempting to recall the mayor.

“This recall effort is led by losers. Men who ran against her for mayor and lost. I know for a fact that if Mayor Thao had lost the election, she would have conceded gracefully and found a legitimate job that contributed to moving our community forward,” Hanson said.

Hanson added that she believes the Oakland community is “smarter than this” and “will resist the urge to be distracted by a desperate attempt for relevance.”

In an unrelated note, Thao is not the only elected official in the Bay Area facing a recall campaign. Alameda District Attorney Pamela Price is also under scrutiny, with recall organizers accusing her of being “soft on crime” as theft, robberies and shoplifting have increased over the last year.

Organizers have 160 days to gather signatures from 10%, or about 25,000, registered voters in Oakland to get the recall onto the ballot.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

17 hours ago

April 26, 2024

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.

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

4 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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Bay Area

State Controller Malia Cohen Keynote Speaker at S.F. Wealth Conference

California State Controller Malia Cohen delivered the keynote speech to over 50 business women at the Black Wealth Brunch held on March 28 at the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center at 301 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco. The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.

Published

6 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

American Business Women’s Association Vice President Velma Landers, left, with California State Controller Malia Cohen (center), and ABWA President LaRonda Smith at the Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the ABWA at the Black Wealth Brunch.

By Carla Thomas

The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.

“Our goal is to educate Black and Brown families in the masses about financial wellness, wealth building, and how to protect and preserve wealth,” said ABWA San Francisco Chapter President LaRonda Smith.

ABWA’s mission is to bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership, education, networking support, and national recognition.

“This day is about recognizing influential women, hearing from an accomplished woman as our keynote speaker and allowing women to come together as powerful people,” said ABWA SF Chapter Vice President Velma Landers.

More than 60 attendees dined on the culinary delights of Chef Sharon Lee of The Spot catering, which included a full soul food brunch of skewered shrimp, chicken, blackened salmon, and mac and cheese.

Cohen discussed the many economic disparities women and people of color face. From pay equity to financial literacy, Cohen shared not only statistics, but was excited about a new solution in motion which entailed partnering with Californians for Financial Education.

“I want everyone to reach their full potential,” she said. “Just a few weeks ago in Sacramento, I partnered with an organization, Californians for Financial Education.

“We gathered 990 signatures and submitted it to the [California] Secretary of State to get an initiative on the ballot that guarantees personal finance courses for every public school kid in the state of California.

“Every California student deserves an equal opportunity to learn about filing taxes, interest rates, budgets, and understanding the impact of credit scores. The way we begin to do that is to teach it,” Cohen said.

By equipping students with information, Cohen hopes to close the financial wealth gap, and give everyone an opportunity to reach their full financial potential. “They have to first be equipped with the information and education is the key. Then all we need are opportunities to step into spaces and places of power.”

Cohen went on to share that in her own upbringing, she was not guided on financial principles that could jump start her finances. “Communities of color don’t have the same information and I don’t know about you, but I did not grow up listening to my parents discussing their assets, their investments, and diversifying their portfolio. This is the kind of nomenclature and language we are trying to introduce to our future generations so we can pivot from a life of poverty so we can pivot away and never return to poverty.”

Cohen urged audience members to pass the initiative on the November 2024 ballot.

“When we come together as women, uplift women, and support women, we all win. By networking and learning together, we can continue to build generational wealth,” said Landers. “Passing a powerful initiative will ensure the next generation of California students will be empowered to make more informed financial decisions, decisions that will last them a lifetime.”