City Government

Opinion: Full Funding For Apprentice Training and City Job Centers

Published

8 years ago

March 29, 2018

By Desley Brooks | District 6 Councilwoman

Construction is booming in Oakland. From almost anywhere in the city you can see cranes, building materials stacked near the streets and people in hard hats working hard throughout the day.

As our city undergoes this much needed growth it’s imperative we make sure local residents benefit from the jobs as well as the buildings that are created. Too often that hasn’t been the case. That’s why I’ve proposed proactive legislation focusing on construction sector jobs that will help provide job security and training within these booming industries.

For sixteen years I’ve worked to keep Oaklanders employed, with a holistic approach including worker protections, living wages and appropriate training. I’ve advocated for serious investment into places that prepare young adults for the working world because I know sustainable jobs require proper preparation and training. These programs focus on providing real work experience, industry specific hands-on training and the life skills necessary for success to under resourced communities. My efforts have been aimed at not only ensuring that profitable temporary jobs go to Oakland residents, but that residents also have a pathway to careers, business ownership and true economic security.

This is why I’ve introduced legislation that provides funding for Cypress Mandela, the Laborers Local 304 Training Foundation, Oakland Job Centers and other programs with successful records of developing, growing and sustaining workforces in Oakland.

Building a strong economy requires making sure that our communities have the resources required to produce a skilled workforce, with well trained workers equipped to handle modern industry jobs. The institutions that once provided our communities with entryways to careers are waning while programs like those supported in the legislation

I’ve proposed pick up the slack. Too often these organizations are left without the support of local government to provide the services our communities so desperately need. We cannot expect these programs to function at their full potential while they lack the resources needed to operate.

The legislation I’ve presented ensures adequate funding for places like Cypress Mandela so they are better able to serve all Oakland residents. Some may argue that the allocation of resources towards these organizations is unfair, that all communities deserve entryways to gainful employment. I remind those people that these programs exist to focus on communities that are often left out of other efforts aimed at hiring, training and retaining local workers.These communities deserve real support too. Investing in these often overlooked communities is money wisely spent, providing benefits for community-at- large. For example just last year, Cypress

Mandela passed the first class of students to receive railroad specific training. This training provided them with the skill set necessary to maintain our BART system and keep over 50,000 daily riders safe. That’s a return every BART rider in the Bay Area benefits from. Investing in programs like those supported by my legislation guarantees that every community has an opportunity to participate in our thriving economies and that no Oakland resident is left behind. Please join me and call your Council Member and ask them to support this legislation and provide the necessary funding to keep our community working.

The legislation is scheduled to be heard at the Community Economic Development Committee (CEDA) on April 10, 2018 at City Hall.

Please call and email your Councilmembers and let them know you want Oaklanders to be a part of the economic boom taking place in our city. Come to the City Council committee meeting and show your support.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 24 – 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 24 – 30, 2025

Published

7 days ago

December 25, 2025

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

Oakland Council Expands Citywide Security Cameras Despite Major Opposition

In a 7-1 vote in favor of the contract, with only District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife voting no, the Council agreed to maintain its existing network of 291 cameras and add 40 new “pan-tilt-zoom cameras.”

Published

2 weeks ago

December 21, 2025

Oakland Post

At the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference, Flock Safety introduces new public safety technology – Amplified Intelligence, a suite of AI-powered tools designed to improve law enforcement investigations. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

The Oakland City Council this week approved a $2.25 million contract with Flock Safety for a mass surveillance network of hundreds of security cameras to track vehicles in the city.

In recent weeks hundreds of local residents have spoken against the camera system, raising concerns that data will be shared with immigration authorities and other federal agencies at a time when mass surveillance is growing across the country with little regard for individual rights.

The Flock network, supported by the Oakland Police Department, has the backing of residents and councilmembers who see it as an important tool to protect public safety.

“This system makes the Department more efficient as it allows for information related to disruptive/violent criminal activities to be captured … and allows for precise and focused enforcement,” OPD wrote in its proposal to City Council.

According to OPD, police made 232 arrests using data from Flock cameras between July 2024 and November of this year.

Based on the data, police say they recovered 68 guns, and utilizing the countywide system, they have found 1,100 stolen vehicles.

However, Flock’s cameras cast a wide net. The company’s cameras in Oakland last month captured license plate numbers and other information from about 1.4 million vehicles.

Speaking at Tuesday’s Council meeting, Fife was critical of her colleagues for signing a contract with a company that has been in the national spotlight for sharing data with federal agencies.

Flock’s cameras – which are automated license plate readers – have been used in tracking people who have had abortions, monitoring protesters, and aiding in deportation roundups.

“I don’t know how we get up and have several press conferences talking about how we are supportive of a sanctuary city status but then use a vendor that has been shown to have a direct relationship with (the U.S.) Border Control,” she said. “It doesn’t make sense to me.”

Several councilmembers who voted in favor of the contract said they supported the deal as long as some safeguards were written into the Council’s resolution.

“We’re not aiming for perfection,” said District 1 Councilmember Zac Unger. “This is not Orwellian facial recognition technology — that’s prohibited in Oakland. The road forward here is to add as many amendments as we can.”

Amendments passed by the Council prohibit OPD from sharing camera data with any other agencies for the purpose of “criminalizing reproductive or gender affirming healthcare” or for federal immigration enforcement. California state law also prohibits the sharing of license plate reader data with the federal government, and because Oakland’s sanctuary city status, OPD is not allowed to cooperate with immigration authorities.

A former member of Oakland’s Privacy Advisory Commission has sued OPD, alleging that it has violated its own rules around data sharing.

So far, OPD has shared Flock data with 50 other law enforcement agencies.

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Black Arts Movement Business District Named New Cultural District in California

Located in the heart of District 3, the BAMBD is widely regarded as one of the nation’s most important centers of Black cultural production — a space where artists, entrepreneurs, organizers, and cultural workers have shaped generations of local and national identity. The state’s recognition affirms the district’s historic importance and its future promise.

Published

2 weeks ago

December 20, 2025

Oakland Post

Councilmember Carroll Fife celebrates major milestone for Black arts, culture, and economic power in Oakland. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

Oakland’s Black Arts Movement Business District (BAMBD) has been selected as one of California’s 10 new state-designated Cultural Districts, a distinction awarded by the California Arts Council (CAC), according to a media statement released by Councilmember Carroll Fife.

The BAMBD now joins 23 other districts across the state recognized for their deep cultural legacy, artistic excellence, and contributions to California’s creative economy.

“This designation is a testament to what Black Oakland has built — and what we continue to build when we insist on investing in our own cultural and economic power,” said Fife.

“For years, our community has fought for meaningful recognition and resources for the Black Arts Movement Business District,” she said. “This announcement validates that work and ensures that BAMBD receives the support it needs to grow, thrive, and continue shaping the cultural fabric of California.”

Since taking office, Fife has led and supported multiple initiatives that strengthened the groundwork for this achievement, including:

Restoring and protecting arts and cultural staffing within the City of Oakland.
Creating the West Oakland Community Fund to reinvest in historically excluded communities
Advancing a Black New Deal study to expand economic opportunity for Black Oakland
Ensuring racial equity impact analyses for development proposals, improving access for Black businesses and Black contractors
Introduced legislation and budget amendments that formalized, protected, and expanded the BAMBD

“These efforts weren’t abstract,” Fife said. “They were intentional, coordinated, and rooted in a belief that Black arts and Black businesses deserve deep, sustained public investment.”

As part of the Cultural District designation, BAMBD will receive:

$10,000 over two years
Dedicated technical assistance
Statewide marketing and branding support
Official designation from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2030

This support will elevate the visibility of BAMBD’s artists, cultural organizations, small businesses, and legacy institutions, while helping attract new investment to the district.

“The BAMBD has always been more than a district,” Fife continued. “This recognition by the State of California gives us another tool in the fight to preserve Black culture, build Black economic power, and protect the families and institutions that make Oakland strong.”

For questions, contact Councilmember Carroll Fife at CFife@oaklandca.gov.