Monthly Archives: March 2014

10 Strategies to Improve Oakland

Ten Strategies to Make Oakland Better: (2) Ask The People Who Live and Work Here

Ten Strategies to Make Oakland Better

But first, a reminder: Join MOBN!, MGO, nine mayoral candidates and more than 200 of your fellow Oaklanders at the mayoral candidate public safety debate on Thursday, April 3, 2014, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Sinai. See the original announcement here. Owing to some technical problems at Eventbrite, some Oaklanders have received the message that they can’t RSVP without selecting membership in either MOBN! or MGO. Some have received the message that the event is “sold out.” Our publicist has fixed both these problems; the debate is open to all Oaklanders, not just MOBN! and MGO members, and while enthusiasm is mounting, the debate is certainly not “sold out” ( the synagogue holds 750 people). And RSVP’s are appreciated, but not essential. So RSVP if you can, but either way, please join us.

And Now, Strategy Two:

Ask The People Who Live And Work Here

Make Oakland Better Now! was established to advocate for public safety, public works, government transparency, accountability and budget Reform. Often, however, we are recognized simply as advocates for increasing the size of the Police Department. While we stand by our position that Oakland desperately needs 925 sworn officers, much more is needed to make Oakland the city its residents want and deserve. This is the second installment in our ten part series on steps Oakland can and should take to make this a better, safer and more sustainable city. For our second strategy, we advocate well-designed, regular polling of Oakland’s citizens, sworn and civilian employees.

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4 Comments
March 31, 2014
Mayor / Public Safety / Uncategorized

Public Safety Mayoral Candidate Debate Protocol

Make Oakland Better Now! and MGO are expecting more than 200 people at the mayoral candidate public safety debate on Thursday, April 3, 2014 at 6:30 p.m. at Temple Sinai. See the original announcement here, and RSVP here. We have notified all of the participating candidates of the protocol and ground rules, and here is what we have told them:

 

Dear Mayoral Candidates:

Thanks to all of you for agreeing to participate in the MGO / MOBN! Mayoral Candidate Public Safety Debate, which as we have advised, will take place on Thursday, April 3 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Temple Sinai. We look forward to the contributions each of you make toward the public dialog about what it takes to make Oakland safer.

Our debate committee, journalist panelists and moderator have met, and agreed on the following protocol and ground rules:

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1 Comment
March 27, 2014
10 Strategies to Improve Oakland

Ten Strategies to Make Oakland Better: (1) Start Honest Discussion about Finances

Ten Strategies to Make Oakland Better

Strategy One: Start an Honest Discussion About Oakland’s Financial Condition

Make Oakland Better Now! was established to advocate for public safety, public works, government transparency, accountability and budget Reform. Often, however, we are recognized simply as advocates for increasing the size of the Police Department. While we stand by our position that Oakland desperately needs 925 sworn officers, much more is needed to make Oakland the city its residents want and deserve. Today, we begin a ten part series on steps Oakland can and should take to make this a better, safer and more sustainable city. For our first strategy, we advocate clear statements from City leadership and a definitive, inarguable agreement about Oakland’s financial obligations and how they will be paid.

Here is a challenge for any resident of the City Oakland: Do Oakland’s anticipated  expenditures over the next four years exceed its projected revenues?  If so, by how much? What is the City going to do about it?

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4 Comments
March 20, 2014
Uncategorized

Plaintiffs’ Counsel From the NSA Responds To MOBN Post

Last month, Make Oakland Better Now! published board member Paula Hawthorn’s analysis of the latest report by monitor Robert Warshaw, observing that Warshaw continued to find Oakland and its police department out of compliance with the NSA for acts and omissions not covered by the Court’s order.  As one example, Ms. Hawthorn observed that the monitor was citing officers’ failure to activate their video cameras, cameras that didn’t exist when the NSA was issued by the Federal Court.
 
Attorney Jim Chanin, who with John Burris represents the plaintiffs, requested an opportunity to respond, and we agreed.  His views follow:

 

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2 Comments
March 5, 2014