SOLUTIONS FOR OAKLAND Vision, Issues, and Policy Platform
Website: OaklandRising.org EMAIL: Info@OaklandRising.org Find us on Facebook and Twitter
Who we are Oakland Rising is building a multiracial and multilingual, active political base in the flatlands of Oakland. Since 2009, 47,000 Oakland voters have signed on and spoken out about key issues in our neighborhoods. Our voters cast ballots at a rate that’s 13% higher than other voters in Alameda county. Together, we are making progress towards having the issues of our flatlands communities at the center of our city’s government agenda. Unlike organizations that “pop-up” when there’s an upcoming election, Oakland Rising runs campaigns 2-5 times a year, whether or not there’s an election, keeping voters in Oakland engaged year-round. At Oakland Rising, our vision and mission is deeper than a single election or a single issue. Oakland is better when we ALL have what we need to lead healthy lives and support our families. Thanks to your commitment to sign on and speak out, our collective power is growing. But the fight continues. Together, Oakland is rising.
VISION
Mission
We envision an Oakland that stands for progress and sustainability, that models what is possible in American cities of the 21st century. We believe we can find collective strength in our city’s diversity. We know that Oakland can reach its full potential when residents of any neighborhood, students of any school, riders of any bus can help lead our city into the future. We believe that this vision is possible, and that we will achieve it one conversation, one action, and one vote at a time.
Oakland Rising educates and mobilizes voters in the flatlands to speak up for and take charge of the issues impacting our lives. We are a multiracial and multilingual collaborative with deep roots in East and West Oakland neighborhoods, proving that everyday residents working together have the power to change the way our city is run. With longtime Oakland families and our newest neighbors working shoulder-to-shoulder, we are building on Oakland’s incredibly rich history to advance smart, community-first solutions for a thriving town.
the Oakland Rising Collaborative Partnership East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE)
The Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN)
Unifies community, faith and labor groups to stand up with low-income workers and communities of color. EBASE creates good jobs and healthy communities by organizing winning campaigns for change.
Recognized for groundbreaking work building progressive leadership and power of low-income Asian and Pacific Islander communities for environmental and social justice.
The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights (EBC)
Mujeres Unidas y Activas (MUA)
Advances racial and economic justice to ensure dignity and opportunity for low-income people and people of color.
A grassroots organization of Latina immigrant women with a dual mission of promoting personal transformation and building community power for social and economic justice.
Causa Justa::Just Cause (CJJC) A regional membership-based organization of working class African Americans and Latinos fighting for housing and immigrant rights and helping to build a broader movement needed for fundamental change.
Together, Oakland is Rising Take a look at the impact we’ve made: Together, we’re building an active political base of working class families in East and West Oakland. This map shows our supporters by City Council District.
oakland Rising voters By District: 2009 - 2013 District 1 = 5,290 (12%)
0% - 10%
District 2 = 5,174 (19%)
11% - 15% 16% - 20%
District 3 = 7,459 (20%)
21% - 25%
District 4 = 2,657 (7%)
26% - 30%
District 5 = 4,786 (24%) District 6 = 7,479 (28%) District 7 = 6,787 (28%)
TOTAL = 47,426 (22%)
We are increasing voter turnouT
we won “Ban the Box”
Oakland Rising voters cast ballots at a rate higher than the average.
Good quality jobs are coming to the former Army Base.
2012
2010 90%
90%
85%
85%
80%
80%
75%
75%
70%
70%
65% 60% 55%
61% Alameda County
66%
88%
Support Rate
75%
65% 60% 55%
Oakland Rising voters
* 5% higher turnout in 2010
86.4%
Alameda County
Oakland Rising voters
* 13% higher turnout in 2012
Because of your support, job applications will not ask about criminal records -- opening up hiring opportunities to the formerly incarcerated community members.
Issues Platform The following are our 5 positions on key issues effecting the City of Oakland. We are dedicated to impacting these issues through our voter outreach programs, community organizing, and policy advocacy. Strengthening Economic Opportunity Oakland’s budget, taxes and development plans should benefit all of us. We should grow and share our resources fairly, so everyone can access libraries, community centers, affordable housing, reliable transportation, and working streets and streetlights.
Building Stronger Community City government should practice responsible development that boosts beautiful neighborhoods, strong families, safe parks, excellent after school programs, local arts and culture, and Oakland pride, without pushing people out.
Ensuring Health & Safety City policies should focus on the prevention of violence and illness, and guarantee a healthy and safe environment for everyone, from our streets to our schools to our homes.
Sharing Public Dollars City government should put Oakland residents to work in good jobs, support high quality schools, grow small businesses and invest in youth programs that promote economic equity and sustainability throughout the city so we all excel.
Exercising Local Democracy Oakland should have an authentic local democracy, where elected representatives listen to what we want and we can hold them accountable for making it happen. We should have voter participation that reflects our diversity, and policies that make it easy for all of us to participate in making important decisions.
Policy Agenda In the following pages we’re excited to share with you the big fights of 2013. Specific policies that will keep Oakland on the rise for ALL of US, especially families born and raised in the flats. Our policy agenda is a collection of high-priority policies that we will be working together to win in 2013 and beyond. Together we are changing Oakland by pushing for good policies to be made into law. The Oakland we envision is vibrant, active and working. Our neighborhoods have good jobs, healthy housing, working streetlights, and open libraries, after-school programs and senior centers. Our Oakland has public safety that goes beyond policing to things like knowing our neighbors, watching out for each others’ kids, and feeling free to clean our yards and unload our cars, day or night. Together we are winning money for Oakland. Thanks to working class voters from East and West Oakland, we passed Prop 30 last fall, bringing billions of dollars back to our schools. This year we will start to see that money roll in to OUSD. Together we are bringing jobs to Oakland. In 2011, 5,000 of us said that we support good jobs at the Oakland Army Base. Thanks to your commitment to Oakland, we won a historic “good jobs policy” last year which some say is the best in the country. This year Oakland will start to see good jobs created – jobs that hire locals, pay a living wage, and are open to formerly incarcerated community members. Together we are strengthening Oakland. This year we will fight for the following policies that make Oakland stronger, safer and healthier.
OAKLAND UNITED FOR A FAIR BUDGET The quality of life we enjoy in Oakland is directly connected to the priorities outlined in our City Budget. Our parks, libraries and community centers are part of what make the town a special place to live and work. But year after year of budget cuts have weakened the city services that Oaklanders really need to lead healthy and whole lives. Our communities deserve a budget that highlights services that matter.
Solution
Public Safety Connection
Oaklanders should be setting the priorities of the budget based on the needs of our neighborhoods - City Council should be listening. Everyday Oaklanders deserve better information about the budget, and a respected voice in building a budget that funds the services we care about most.
The budget should prioritize funding for programs that provide healthy and safe spaces for our families to grow, learn and play – like libraries, parks, senior centers and after-school programs. Our police need to be accountable to their budget, and work for us by spending time solving more crimes, speaking our languages, and valuing our diverse communities.
Prioritizing “quality of life” services, like parks, libraries and senior centers, provides safe and fun places to play, learn and build relationships with neighbors. We should keep city jobs that help collect revenue – from permit fees to code enforcement to renting space for events.
City Budget Connection
Decision Maker The Mayor presents her budget proposal in April, and then the public and City Council members give input. The budget has to be passed through a City Council vote by July 1st, 2013.
In order to stop continuous budget cuts and to start restoring services, our government needs to raise more money, or revenue, each year. Revenue should be generated from those who are making more than enough – like big corporations, real estate moguls, and banks. The budget should also protect city jobs that help bring in money, like code enforcement employees and parking garage attendants.
Call to Action Call or email your City Council representative with your budget priorities and ideas, and attend a community budget forum to learn more and speak out. Please contact Jessamyn@OaklandRising.org or 510-261-2600 x103 for more information.
Healthy Homes for All The homes we live in should promote our overall health and well-being, and be affordable so we can live well-balanced lives. Yet, almost a third of Oakland’s tenants spend at least half of their income on housing costs. When housing is unaffordable, tenants are left with few options and often face unhealthy living conditions, like the presence of unwanted moisture, building dampness and mold. A national study of health-related housing problems in the country’s largest metropolitan areas ranked the City of Oakland the 39th least healthy city out of 44 areas surveyed.
Solution Oakland’s Code Enforcement division exists to respond to unhealthy conditions that Oakland tenants face, from mold to electrical issues. Code enforcement staff need to actively address the issue of mold and moisture concerns by using their authority to require that landlords identify and correct the source of moisture. Solutions include drying or removing damp materials, and cleaning or removing moldy material as quickly and safely as possible to address the causes of unwanted moisture. Our city can improve the health of our residents by paying more attention to fixing mold issues.
Decision Maker City Council’s vote to approve this resolution will prioritize the health and wellness of Oakland’s tenants. Code Enforcement will need to maintain and expand staff resources in order to make this possible.
Public Safety Connection We have an opportunity to improve the public health of Oaklanders by addressing mold. Unwanted moisture and mold have been linked to causing respiratory illnesses, such as asthma. The hospitalization rate for asthma in Oakland is 55% higher that the average in Alameda County.
City Budget Connection It’s critical that the City of Oakland makes health a priority, and monitors and solves mold issues that tenants are facing. Funding should be prioritized for Building Services in the upcoming budget cycle so there is enough staff to address all the mold issues.
Call to Action Call your City Council representative to support our Healthy Homes For All resolution. Please contact Robbie@cjjc.org or 510-763-5877 x404 for more information and to find out when the resolution will go before City Council.
Build Strong Neighborhoods Our Oakland is connected, dynamic, active and sustainable. Together, we are creating an Oakland that is increasingly energized by renewable energy, such as wind and solar power. Our vibrant neighborhoods have affordable housing, access to transit, good green jobs, safe parks and lively community centers. Continuing to develop strong neighborhoods requires public and private investments, and embracing both longtime community residents and newcomers. Together we can build this vision for the town.
Solution Diverse, vibrant, and healthy neighborhoods are the foundation of our city, and public transit provides the connection between us. As plans for development around transit move forward, the decisions made about housing and jobs can set us up for success or failure. Chinatown, located around the Lake Merritt BART station, is one such neighborhood where success can strengthen and preserve the community, while failure can result in working families being driven out. We need smart investments and policies that can create mixed-income family housing and good jobs, generate small business opportunities, and expand parks and recreation centers.
Decision Maker City Council will vote on the Lake Merritt BART Station Area Plan, and the BART Board will make decisions regarding development at the BART station.
Public Safety Connection Vibrant neighborhoods are safe, family-friendly and sustainable. As community hubs, BART stations can promote public safety by creating spaces that have a lot of foot traffic throughout the day and night. In turn, this increased activity can create a greater sense of community and shared responsibility among residents and visitors.
City Budget Connection Small businesses, mixed income residents and vibrant neighborhoods bring economic vitality and a strong tax base for the city. The Chinatown community is one of the Bay Area’s most successful retail districts. It meets the needs of the local community and serves as a regional destination for people from all over the East Bay.
Call to Action Call or write your City Council representative and ask them to stand with APEN on the Lake Merritt BART Station Area Plan. For more information, please contact vivian@apen4ej.org or 510-834-8920.
Revive Oakland! Good Jobs = LEss Violence We all need good jobs so we can stay in our homes, provide for our families, and build a healthy and peaceful Oakland. But too many families in the flatlands live on the edge of their dreams, without access to good jobs. Last year, we took one step towards changing this: thousands of people worked together to win a “good jobs policy” that creates good-quality construction and warehousing jobs for local residents at the old Oakland Army Base redevelopment.
Solution As ground breaks this year, we turn words on paper into real jobs for Oaklanders. Preparing Workers for Good Jobs: The new Job Resource Center connects job seekers with services, training, unions, and employers. We need steady funds and an effective organization running the center to ensure long-term success. Enforcing the Rules: The community oversight commission will make sure dozens of employers follow the rules. We need strong community representatives on this commission and adequate resources to support it. Winning More Jobs for Oakland: We expect the Port of Oakland to create good jobs for local workers on their half of the Army Base project, too.
Decision Maker The Mayor and City Council make decisions on the jobs center and community oversight commission. The Port Commission sets expectations for jobs on their half of the old Army Base.
Public Safety Connection More good jobs mean less violence in our neighborhoods. When people earn good wages, they don’t have to turn to the street. The good jobs policy creates openings for people with records because everyone deserves a real opportunity. Continuing to invest in good jobs for local workers helps make everyone safe.
City Budget Connection Creating good jobs for local workers puts money into our pockets, our neighborhoods, and the city’s budget. As the Army Base project generates revenue and boosts the local economy, let’s reinvest in things we care about, like the Jobs Resource Center and creating more good jobs.
Call to Action Join Revive Oakland, a coalition of dozens of group, in delivering on the promise of opportunity for our communities. Please visit www.workingeastbay.org/reviveoakland or faceboook.com/revive_ oak to get involved.
KEEP FAMILIES TOGETHER, RESTORE DUE PROCESS Immigrants are part of the fabric of Alameda County - almost one in every three residents of our diverse county is an immigrant. Our county should be a national leader in advancing inclusive policies that uphold our key values of equality and fairness, keep families together, and strengthen relationships between all communities and law enforcement. Nearly 2,000 residents of our county - our neighbors, friends, and loved ones - have been torn from their families and deported by the misnamed “Secure” Communities or “S-Comm” deportation program, violating the key principle of due process and undermining trust between community members and the Sheriff’s Office.
Solution
Public Safety Connection
Alameda County can do better. Courts, top legal scholars, and California’s Attorney General have all confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (I.C.E.) cruel and costly requests to hold immigrants for extra time are not legally required. Several counties like Cook County, IL and Santa Clara, CA have already enacted powerful policies that uphold the principle of equality under the law. It’s time for Alameda County to be a leader on this issue and end these cruel and costly detentions in our jail. We’ll save local resources and help rebuild confidence between immigrant communities and local police that keeps us all safe.
Decision Maker The Mayor presents her budget proposal in April, and then the public and City Council members give input. The budget has to be passed through a City Council vote by July 1st, 2013.
This resolution will help to even the playing field of public safety. Currently, aspiring citizens are held for days just so they can be picked up for deportation. I.C.E. often takes people before they have had their day in court. Even victims and witnesses to crimes have been swept up in deportation proceedings by this dragnet.
City Budget Connection Under S-Comm and similar programs, immigration officials ask the Sheriff to hold community members in jail for extra time when they would otherwise be released. Holding people for extra time costs money at our own local taxpayers’ expense, even while other important programs are being eliminated due to budget cuts.
Call to Action Support the “Keep Families Together-Restore Due Process” resolution and demand an end to I.C.E. holds in Alameda County! Please contact Cinthya@cjjc.org for more information.
Statewide policy watch 1. Opportunities for All: AB 218 AB 218 will help level the playing field for qualified Californians to compete for jobs and promotes public safety by reducing unnecessary job barriers for adults with a criminal record.
2. The CA Domestic Worker Bill of Rights: AB 241 AB 241 would grant basic labor protections to the workers that make all other work possible - the housecleaners, caregivers, and child care providers working in private homes.
3. Trust Act: AB 4 The TRUST Act limits unfair, wasteful detentions of aspiring citizens in our local jails for deportation purposes – people who would otherwise be released - by setting a clear, minimum standard for local law enforcement on when not to comply with burdensome “hold” requests from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Under the current version of the bill, holds would only be allowed for those convicted of serious or violent felonies under California law.
4. Global Warming Solutions Act: SB 535 Implementation SB 535 generates at least 25% of the multi-billion dollar Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to be invested in disadvantaged communities for climate projects.
5. Clean Energy and Green Jobs: Prop 39 Implementation Prop 39 implementation establishes a statewide program for energy efficiency and clean energy projects for schools and workforce development, with priority given to disadvantaged communities.
6. Renewing the California Dream: Commercial Property Tax Reform Commercial Property Tax Reform would even the playing field of property taxes by bringing big business dollars back into our state to help us improve the systems we all rely on like schools, streets, healthcare, childcare, and more.