http://www.co.alameda.ca.us/rov/candidates.htm
The link above contains information on races in Oakland and Alameda County.
http://www.geocities.com/democracy_oakland/
This link contains post election information including protest and teach-in
information.
More information will be added to this
page soon.
City Wide Council Seat
District 3 Council Seat
Oakland City Measures
City Wide Council Seat (At Large
Seat)
Rebecca Kaplan
Henry Chang
We Recommend: Rebbecca Kaplan
Rebecca Kaplan is a public interest attorney who has the endorsement
of Ralph
Nader, the Green Party and the Sierra Club among many others. Rebbecca has worked
on
numerous issues including recycling and toxic issues locally. Please see the
contrast to her opponent (below).
See Rebecca Kaplan's website: http://www.rebecca-at-large.org
Henry Chang, the incumbent, is heavily supported by developers and
has NOT been
a good vote on environmental issues, or general issues relating to an open democratic
process in government.
Chang is a developer and is a business partner of Ted Dang, who recently won
a "closed bid" relating to the Bermuda building. The Oakland building
community wanted this to be an "open bid" process. Henry helped to
orchestrate this as a "closed bid" process.
Chang has been a registered Republican most of his adult life. He recently changed his registration from Republican to Democrat because the vast majority of voters in Oakland are Democratic.
Chang voted to make John Russo's vacated seat an "appointed seat" instead of holding an election for the remaining term. Henry Chang was appointed to his council seat not elected.
Chang supported the loophole in the Oakland campaign contribution law that allows him to raise an unlimited amount of soft many from corporations. The law that Chang voted against would have limited contributions to $500 per corporation or individual.
Some of the many large conservative corporations Chang has received donations
from:
$40,000 from Wal-Mart corporation.
$10,000 Gallager and Burke a paving company that benefits from development that Chang advocates for.
$6000 from Nor Cal Waste Systems which runs the Oakland incinerator that has over 200 permit violations. The incinerator is one of the biggest sources of toxic problems for the community.
$1000 from CEO of the Gap Corporation part of the Fisher family holdings (retail and timber) which is infamous for clear cutting Redwoods in Mendocino County and sweat shop labor in Asia where much of its merchandise is manufactured.
Recently when Henry Chang was asked what was his main goal for Oakland, he
indicated, that getting a Chinese Panda Bear for the Oakland zoo was his main
upcoming goal.
It apparently does not concern Chang that the Panda Bear may suffer irreversible
harm in transporting it from its natural habitat in China. Also it may cost
Oakland taxpayers $20 million to transport, feed and house the Panda's life-time
in the zoo, and that these millions of tax dollars could be better used for
the needs of Oakland's population.
District 3 Nancy Nadel vs. Hugh Bassette
No endorsement.
Nadel she has been reasonably good on environmental issues but she has been
the worst Councilmember on animal protection issues. Oakland has a tortured
situation in terms of pet overpopulation and suffering for both the animals
and the residents of numerous neighborhoods. Nadel has actively opposed any
mitigation in this area such as even a moderate spay and neuter ordinance. Nadel
is the least open minded and most arrogant of all the council members.
Nadel is openly hostile to Mayor Jerry Brown which is slightly more negative
than positive, because among other things it is slowly pushing Brown into the
more conservative community in a effort to solve practical problems facing Oakland
citizens.
Hugh Bassette is a local school teacher, who is being strongly helped by the Mayor's moneyed allies, it will be very difficult for him to be an independent council member.
The council desperately needs practical, open-minded council members, neither of these candidates probably fits this description.
NO on Measure H - Elections in only some cases
YES on Measure I - Elections in all cases
Clearly Measure I is the more democratic of the two competing measures because it allows for elections instead of vacancies filled by appointments, in all cases. This has more potential to limit the influence of power blocks on the Council and increase public oversight.