Oakland’s First Mayoral Forum Sets Pace for Race
Published on Saturday, June 12, 2010
Last updated on 01:22AM, Sunday, June 13, 2010
Oakland Mayoral Forum - June 10
With Tuesday’s Primary a thing of the past, the 2010 political season is off and running full throttle.
This was evident Wednesday when the first Oakland Mayoral Forum was held at the appropriately named First Unitarian Church
near downtown, with six of the eight contenders for City Hall’s highest office showing up to face a peaceful, but serious, crowd
that is more than ready for a new regime.
Sponsored by the 100 Black Men of the Bay Area organization, Black Women Organized for Political Action and OaklandSeen.
com, those ready to address the public were Terence Candell, Greg Harland, Orlando Johnson, Rebecca Kaplan, Don MacLeay
and Jean Quan. Conspicuously missing was Don Perata and Oakland’s current Mayor, Ron Dellums. Their reasons for not
attending this historic forum were never made clear.
Those that did attend, however, were poised and prepared as they each fielded questions ranging from the current budget,
education including charter school funding, gang injunctions and employment. As Harland said in his closing remarks, he came
ready for this day.
A standout for the evening was Candell. He was well rehearsed in his answers and had a vocal delivery that brought out more
than one amen and hallelujah from the audience. Showing up with an entourage that held up signs with his picture on cue, the
only thing missing was a brass band as he stood to deliver his impassioned commentary.
Candell, when addressing the issue of gang injunctions and youth problems, said that what the city was really in need of are 20
teen centers to keep youth from hanging out on the street corners. “Those centers,” he said, “need to be open until 10 o’clock
and not six as they are currently.”
His comment that crime in Oakland, after all, starts at 7 p.m. received a few chuckles and yet another amen. A local
businessman and parent, he, like the other mayoral candidates, are tired of the business as usual mentality at city hall and want to
see Oakland youth educated and prepared for college and trained to work in fields that pertinent for this day and time.
Harland said what everyone on the panel and in the audience was thinking, racism is an under-current that needs to be addressed
immediately. He says the youth in this area face the major issue of race when they graduate from high school and look for that
first job. One after the other these strong candidates promised if elected they would seek viable ways to bring in more green
jobs into area and see to it there are more job readiness programs Rebecca Kaplan reminded everyone that the crime problem is
a matter of economics and reiterated that the unemployed and the under-employed must have equal access to local
apprenticeships and job training.
For their closing remarks, each of the contenders were asked to rank their opponents much in same way that Oakland voters
will face the first ever ranking system vote in November. Most declined to do so in their remarks, preferring the gracious way
out.
MacLeay said that he was very impressed about his opponents, but admonished voters to think it through and listen and learn
everything possible before making a choice. In her closing remarks, Quan said that the diverse populations of this city want a
hands-on, approachable mayor that supports the schools and will lead in economic development. She wants to keep Oakland a
top “green” city by bringing in more green industries. Organizing Oakland block by block, it is her vision to see the city walkable
again.
This important dialogue not only brought insight as where each of these community movers and shakers stand, but also brought
to light that Oakland is on the brink of major change.
From Oakland Local.com
Published on Saturday, June 12, 2010
Last updated on 01:22AM, Sunday, June 13, 2010
Oakland Mayoral Forum - June 10
With Tuesday’s Primary a thing of the past, the 2010 political season is off and running full throttle.
This was evident Wednesday when the first Oakland Mayoral Forum was held at the appropriately named First Unitarian Church
near downtown, with six of the eight contenders for City Hall’s highest office showing up to face a peaceful, but serious, crowd
that is more than ready for a new regime.
Sponsored by the 100 Black Men of the Bay Area organization, Black Women Organized for Political Action and OaklandSeen.
com, those ready to address the public were Terence Candell, Greg Harland, Orlando Johnson, Rebecca Kaplan, Don MacLeay
and Jean Quan. Conspicuously missing was Don Perata and Oakland’s current Mayor, Ron Dellums. Their reasons for not
attending this historic forum were never made clear.
Those that did attend, however, were poised and prepared as they each fielded questions ranging from the current budget,
education including charter school funding, gang injunctions and employment. As Harland said in his closing remarks, he came
ready for this day.
A standout for the evening was Candell. He was well rehearsed in his answers and had a vocal delivery that brought out more
than one amen and hallelujah from the audience. Showing up with an entourage that held up signs with his picture on cue, the
only thing missing was a brass band as he stood to deliver his impassioned commentary.
Candell, when addressing the issue of gang injunctions and youth problems, said that what the city was really in need of are 20
teen centers to keep youth from hanging out on the street corners. “Those centers,” he said, “need to be open until 10 o’clock
and not six as they are currently.”
His comment that crime in Oakland, after all, starts at 7 p.m. received a few chuckles and yet another amen. A local
businessman and parent, he, like the other mayoral candidates, are tired of the business as usual mentality at city hall and want to
see Oakland youth educated and prepared for college and trained to work in fields that pertinent for this day and time.
Harland said what everyone on the panel and in the audience was thinking, racism is an under-current that needs to be addressed
immediately. He says the youth in this area face the major issue of race when they graduate from high school and look for that
first job. One after the other these strong candidates promised if elected they would seek viable ways to bring in more green
jobs into area and see to it there are more job readiness programs Rebecca Kaplan reminded everyone that the crime problem is
a matter of economics and reiterated that the unemployed and the under-employed must have equal access to local
apprenticeships and job training.
For their closing remarks, each of the contenders were asked to rank their opponents much in same way that Oakland voters
will face the first ever ranking system vote in November. Most declined to do so in their remarks, preferring the gracious way
out.
MacLeay said that he was very impressed about his opponents, but admonished voters to think it through and listen and learn
everything possible before making a choice. In her closing remarks, Quan said that the diverse populations of this city want a
hands-on, approachable mayor that supports the schools and will lead in economic development. She wants to keep Oakland a
top “green” city by bringing in more green industries. Organizing Oakland block by block, it is her vision to see the city walkable
again.
This important dialogue not only brought insight as where each of these community movers and shakers stand, but also brought
to light that Oakland is on the brink of major change.
From Oakland Local.com
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