City Government

OP-ED: $15/hr. Minimum Wage Increase Can Raise Families from Poverty

Published

10 years ago

May 13, 2014

I’m sure you know people making minimum or near minimum wage. You probably know someone who is not a teenager struggling to get by on a low wage job. In fact half of the people in our country making minimum wage are 25 years of age or older.

We don’t need elaborate statistics to describe what an extra $10,000 per year would do for the lives of these people we all know. An increase in the minimum wage would help raise individuals and families from poverty.

Parents would no longer have to decide between paying the bills and buying food. The health and well being of entire communities would improve because, as we know, poverty causes anxiety and stress, which cause physical and mental illness.

My name is Dan Siegel and I’m running for Mayor of Oakland on a platform of social and economic justice. I will fight for a living wage in Oakland, and that means $15/hr.

Such a wage would provide an extra $10,000 in income for every Oaklander who would otherwise be making $10/hr. when California’s minimum wage goes up on Jan. 1, 2016.

Right now there are dedicated people out on the streets gathering signatures to put the question of a $12.25/hr. minimum wage in front of voters in November. It’s a good first step, and I support that effort – after all, it will mean an extra $4,500 for every minimum wage worker.

But that still isn’t a living wage in the Bay Area; rent alone will consume more than half of a $25,000 per year wage, the equivalent of $12.25/hr.

A $15 minimum wage with paid sick leave – which increases with inflation, just the way your rent and food costs do – will create an Oakland where all workers have a solid prospect of being economically secure.

Fighting for social and economic justice has been my inspiration as a civil rights attorney and as a member of the Oakland School Board. Raising the minimum wage is one more aspect of the struggle.

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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

7 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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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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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

4 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.