Debate Wrap Up: Candidates for At-Large Council seat

Candidates for At-Large Council seat face off

Nearly six months into the electoral process, four of the five candidates vying for the At-Large City Council seat squared off earlier this evening at the Kaiser Auditorium in downtown Oakland.

The debate, sponsored by the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, was the fifth in a series of six debates to introduce the candidates for City Council and City Attorney positions who are running for office in the November election.

The At-Large face off, held in front of nearly 100 potential voters and business leaders, was moderated by Paul Junge, the Chamber’s Vice President and Director of Public Policy. The candidates were presented with a series of questions by a three-person panel – Dan Cohen, principal at Full Court Press; Barbara Leslie, director of external affairs at AT&T; and Jill Broadhurst, the director of community affairs and advocacy for the East Bay Rental Housing Association.

The five candidates vying for the At-Large City Council seat are Theresa Anderson-Downs, City Councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente, At-Large incumbent Rebecca Kaplan, Mick Storm and Carol Lee Tolbert. Unfortunately, Storm was not able to attend. The candidates answered a myriad of questions regarding policy positions and shared meaningful exchanges regarding current and potential issues.

The Chamber debates for City Council seats continue to revolve around the issue of public safety, and so it was at the At-Large forum at Kaiser Auditorium. “This city will succeed when we get the jobs in and the guns out,” said Kaplan, the At-Large incumbent. “My basic principle is to stop the violence and get the illegal guns out of our city.” She also urged more research on Operation Cease Fire, which is being used by other cities to help curb violence.

De La Fuente said the police have to be provided the tools to do their jobs, with those tools including curfews and gang injunctions.

Each candidate spoke about his and her experience, which will stand them in good stead to fill the City Council post. De La Fuente has represented the Fruitvale District for many years, and served as Council President for ten. He said he’d like to expand those successful projects from the Fruitvale and make them citywide.

Kaplan was voted to her current post in 2008 and turned attention to her successes.

Tolbert, who has years of experience with area nonprofits, wants “an opportunity to work with city residents to develop policies that make sense.”

Anderson-Downs is a small business owner in Oakland and is running on the Green Party ticket. Her work centers around youth and youth services. “Our children are in peril,” she said. “They have nowhere to go, nothing to do.”

Thanks for Joining Us

Live Blogging #oakdebates | 8:02pm

That’s a wrap! The debate has ended with a large round of applause for the all of the candidates and their efforts.

Full Debate Schedule

Tonight’s At-Large debate is the fifth of six debates in this series. The full schedule is posted below; all debates are FREE and begin at 6:30pm. 

See you next week for more live blogging at the District 7 Councilmember Debate, or join us in person at the Ira Jinkins Recreation Center (9175 Edes Ave) on Tuesday, September 4. Opening statements begin at 6:30pm.

What do you think of the discussion?

Let us know your comments by following the event on Twitter tonight @oaklandchamber and using the tag #oakdebates.

Closing Statements

Live Blogging #oakdebates | 8:02pm

Candidate Lee Tolbert wants to attract housing and partner with the schools cites her school board experience to “create a new direction for our city.” Candidate Kaplan trumpets “guns out, jobs in” slogan again, wants to work with businesses and the region, says we can “move Oakland forward.” Candidate De La Fuente says that he wants to continue to “make the tough decisions” and “continue to do the work that he has done in the Fruitvale” for all of Oakland. Says that he wants to make the “city better.” Candidate Anderson-Downs wants to “decrease homeless” and focus on “restorative justice” and the youth.

On Attracting Retail…

Live Blogging #oakdebates | 7:56pm

Candidates are asked which retailers they want to attract if elected:

Anderson Downs: Target because they ‘employ ex-cons’

Lee Tolbert: Big Box, including Wal Mart and Home Depot

Kaplan: Urban Outfitters and Costco. Says that we should harness our ‘hipster’ cachet to woo retailers to Oakland.

De La Fuente: wants to streamline the application process so that “we don’t place super demands” on potential business that want to come to Oakland.

On Working with the three Oakland Sports Teams…

Live Blogging #oakdebates | 7:51pm

De La Fuente says attracting the teams is “third on his list.”  He says that the teams are important to the City but are “responsible to their stakeholders at the end of the day.” He wants to be responsible to the Oakland citizen stakeholders by “making the streets safe.”

Anderson-Downs says that she “would like the teams to stay” but would rather have a conversation about ‘restorative justice for youth’.

Candidate Lee Tolbert has had the “privilege” of working with the three teams and concedes that they are important for “civic pride” and wants to work aggressively to “keep them here” will do that by supporting Coliseum City project.

Kaplan says that “redeveloping with sports teams” is one of the “best ways to grow jobs in our community” she says that “we have the sites and the land” to make this work. Kaplan says it is one of her top two priorities to work on keeping the teams in Oakland. 

On Police Officer Pay…

Live Blogging #oakdebtes | 7:45pm

Candidate Kaplan and De La Fuente agree that some reductions are important. Candidate Anderson-Downs thinks that “its hard to justify hiring more police when schools are closing.” She would like to see the discussion shift away from police hiring to supportive youth services. Candidate Lee Tolbert wants to support youth too.

On Parcel Taxes…

Live Blogging #oakdebates | 7:40pm

Candidate Lee Tolbert thinks that “we don’t have deep pockets”  [in the city] and getting greater efficiencies from staff will be important to “eliminating’ waste and showing results form taxes. Results have to be ‘shown’ before “we can ask for more taxes.”

Kaplan wants programs to be “effective and efficient” says that she is working on putting building permits online to help with transparency, also cites that working regionally to decrease illegal dumping, and attract retail.  

De La Fuente says the “straight answer to the question is no.” He isn’t “convinced” that more money isn’t the answer instead points to staff accountability and greater controls like “GPS in police cars.”

Anderson-Downs says that she “wouldn’t vote for a parcel tax.” Mentions that city should explore ‘salary cuts’ and ‘buckle down’ to save money.  

On setting individual priorities…

Live Blogging #oakdebates | 7:30pm

Candidate are asked to list their top priorities if elected:

Anderson-Downs: youth

Lee Tolbert: public safety, jobs, schools, and economic development/retail attraction.

Kaplan: ‘get the guns out, and get the jobs in’ Includes working on the following projects: Oakland Army Base, Broadway Valdez Specific Plan, Coliseum City, and the Lake Merritt Specific Plan.

De La Fuente : public safety, keeping the jobs local and “going back to the basics” of crime prevention.

On Pension Reform

Live Blogging #oakdebates | 7:25pm

De La Fuente mentions that this is “one of the most complicated problems” he was one of the only ‘no votes’ for the PFERS bond float in this past budget term.  Anderson-Downs says “pensions don’t make sense when we are closing schools” and she “couldn’t vote for it.” Lee Tolbert says that its “an obligation” and we “must fund it” but have to do that with “real dollars” and “won’t be an easy problem to solve.” Kaplan points to her motion from the last council term that would allow for the “liabilities to become funded.”

On Economic Development

Live Blogging #oakdebates | 7:20pm

Kaplan wants to improve infrastructure in Oakland to improve attraction and development across all business sectors, cites her record of assistance with food trucks, blue bottle coffee, and the Army Base.

De La Fuente says that getting the area “safe” is the most important to getting business to locate and develop here. He also will continue to “reduce the time and cost” of getting permits in the city to facilitate business attraction.

Anderson-Downs wants to ensure that local hire and “local currency” are implemented to expand opportunities for small business in Oakland.

Lee Tolbert wants to develop partnerships across all business types to “strengthen partnerships.”

On Measure Y…

Live Blogging #oakdebates | 7:15pm

Carol Lee Tolbert says that “having beat officers is really important” but not all parts of Measure Y is working.

Rebecca Kaplan says “Measure Y is an example on why there has been such as loss of trust” between the government and the people. Kaplan says that the items in measure Y, the problem improves, it should be rewritten “not by the council” and include guarantees that “people will actually see what is written in the plan.”

Ignacio De La Fuente says that he “agrees with Rebecca” it was a ‘real challenge’ to implement Measure Y, says that city administration and police haven’t be able to implement it successfully.

Theresa Anderson-Downs feel that we need to “tweak” Measure Y and then “bring it back.” Wants to make it more ‘transparent’ and it will “work better for us.”

On Gang Injunctions…

Live Blogging #oakdebates | 7:09pm

Theresa Anderson-Downs is not for gang injunctions, citing them as “ineffective.”

Carol Lee Tolbert says that she is for gang injunctions as long as they are implemented with other supportive services.

Rebecca Kaplan thinks “implement strategies that work” the top priority for her is to get “illegal guns out of the city” and wants to implement operation Cease Fire. Says that its not clear (via the data) that gang injunctions work.

Ignacio De La Fuente thinks that ‘targeted gang injunctions’ do work, but it takes “guts” to implement the injunctions. Says that it is a good “tool for the police to do their jobs.”

On Improving Public Safety + Hiring Police

Live blogging #oakdebates | 7:04pm

Ignacio De La Fuente wants to raise the level of police staff, and help them “do more with less.”

Theresa Anderson-Downs thinks that we “have enough police” and points to community policing and implementing a “block by block’ strategy as the key to crime reduction.

Carol Lee Tolbert says that bringing benefits and pensions in line will the “only way’ to get more officers on the street and “build trust” between the community and police department. Wants OPD to come into compliance with the federal consent decree.

Rebecca Kaplan thinks “we should be providing a combination of beat cops, fire services” says that she voted against the layoffs for officers.

On Collaboration with Fellow Council Colleagues…

Live Blogging #oakdebates | 6:55pm

Rebecca Kaplan wants to ‘encourage respectful dialogue’ through promoting a friendly demeanor and modeling good behavior. Wants to bring a climate of “inclusion and respect” to the city council, points out that (if elected) she will be one of the more senior members of the council and will work to set the tone.

Ignacio De La Fuente says that his record (including his role as Council President) shows that he was able to keep the tone polite, and get work done. Says his strong work allows him to “deal with issues not personalities.”

Theresa Anderson-Downs says that its “ok to disagree” and a focus on issues can help diminish personal conflicts reduce. She will focus on the issues.

Carol Lee Tolbert points to her experience as a non-profit executive (on the school board she was dubbed along with her colleagues as the ‘dream team’). Tolbert says that it takes “more than money” to run a functional organization and instead believes in the ‘power of partnerships.’

Opening Statements + Early Questions

Live Blogging #oakdebates | 6:45pm

Each candidate is given two minutes to make an opening statement.

Candidate Lee Tolbert a native of Oakland and has been working for “23 years for Oakland Civic Pride” and wants to develop comprehensive and ‘citywide’ that makes an ‘Oakland for all of us’. She points to her experience as a former Oakland School Board member and non-profit executive, to make City Hall “open and inclusive.”

Candidate Kaplan calls this a “very important election” says that with her work on this current council she has improved local jobs and worked on stopping violence. She has “upgraded ordinances” to encourage Bites of Broadway, and helped “land a grant” to fund the free Broadway shuttle. Kaplan states that she wants to get “the jobs in and the guns out.”

Candidate De La Fuente points to his last 20 years of service in District 5, says that he has ‘fought to make the city safe” and works on “deploying and maximizing” the resources that are available. Says that he want to “continue working” to “complete the task” and “expand [his efforts] city wide.”

Finally Candidate Theresa Anderson-Downs, mother of 4 and resident of District One, says that she wants to “give back” and help create as ‘sense of ownership in the community.’ Points to her work “feeding the hungry and distributing backpacks” as keys to reducing crime citywide. Her emphasis will be on reducing the high crime rate and improving schools to ‘start the healing of Oakland.’

Candidates for Oakland City Council At Large Seat Set to Debate Tonight at the Kaiser Center

 Live Blogging #oakdebates | 6:30pm

Four of the five candidates for Oakland’s City Council At Large Seat are set to debate tonight in an open forum at the Kaiser Center, located on the shores of Lake Merritt in Oakland. The debate, produced by the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce Public Policy Committee will start at 6:30pm.  Paul Junge, the Chamber’s Vice-President and Director of Public Policy will moderate, and the candidates will be presented with a series of questions by a three-person panel – Barbara Leslie, of AT&T; Dan Cohen of Full Court Press and Jill Broadhurst, from East Bay Rental Housing. Questions will also be solicited from the audience.

There are seven council districts total in Oakland, and one at-large member for a total of eight seats. The At Large council seat has often been considered a more city-wide policy focused position, as the 8^th council member doesn’t have just one district of constituents to represent, and can instead have more flexibility to view issues with a city-wide scope. Some even consider it a stepping stone to a future run for city-wide Mayor. Incumbent Rebecca Kaplan has held the Oakland City Council At-Large seat since 2008.

Oakland Council At-Large Debate Begins, Four Candidates Discuss the Issues

Program Starts

A group of about 65 are in the audience tonight at the Kaiser Center Auditorium. Incumbent Rebecca Kaplan appeared enthused wearing a dark vest. Candidate De La Fuente arrived with a patterned tie and his trademark spectacles, and Anderson-Downs looked nice in a tan skirt and white shirt and Lee Tolbert looked sharp with a snappy white collared shirt and dark suit. The fifth candidate Mick Storm, declined to participate in the debate citing a personal schedule conflict. The candidates are settled on the dais and soon the opening statements will be underway!

Inside Info for Tonight's At-Large City Council Debate

Candidates for Oakland City Council At Large Seat will Debate Tonight at the Kaiser Center

Four of the five candidates for Oakland’s City Council At Large Seat will debate tonight in an open forum at Kaiser Center, located on the shores of Lake Merritt in Oakland.  The debate, produced by the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce Public Policy Committee starts at 6:30pm and is free to attend. Doors open at 6pm, and questions will be solicited from the audience.

 

The role of the Oakland City Council is to be an elected governing body representing the City of Oakland. There are seven council districts in Oakland, and one at-large member for a total of eight seats. If needed, the Mayor serves as the tie breaking vote. Since 1998, Oakland has had a strong mayor form of government. The mayor is elected for a four-year term and council members serve staggered four-year terms. Oakland's Mayor is subject to a tenure limited to two terms. There are no term limits for the city council members. The At Large council seat has often been considered a more city-wide policy focused position, as the 8^th council member doesn’t have just one district of constituents to represent, and can instead have more flexibility to view issues with a city-wide scope.

The job of council member for the At-Large sear has been most recently held by Rebecca Kaplan. First elected to the Oakland City Council in 2008, the former AC Transit District board member has advocated for attracting retail, housing and job-producing businesses to Broadway's Auto Row and to the Oakland Army Base redevelopment site. A resident of the Temescal district, Kaplan is the first openly lesbian City Council member.  Currently, Councilmember Kaplan is a member of both the public works and life enrichment committees of the council and represents the City of Oakland on the Alameda County Transportation Commission Board.

Many political consultants consider this year unique for the Oakland City Council in that it will have at least three new council members after the November election, a turnover unseen for 16 years. The existing council is characterized as having “fractious dynamics” and even some seated council members themselves are excited for a chance to change the tone of the conversation.

This debate will likely cover (but won’t be limited to) several critical issues concerning Oakland as a whole, including economic development, public safety, jobs, pensions, and basic services. What do you think are the biggest issues facing the city in the next four years? Please attend and submit a question for the candidates. Or let us know your comments by following the event on Twitter tonight @oaklandchamber and using the tag #oakdebates.

Candidate Backgrounds (Alphabetical by First Name)

Carol Lee Tolbert

Carol Lee Tolbert is the President and Principal Consultant of Tolbert & Associates (a School Improvement Consulting Firm), she also has been the executive director of the North Oakland Parish, Seniors Care Service, and the Education Learning Center. Ms. Tolbert is a native of Oakland and is an alumna of Oakland Technical High School. She holds both a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Human Development and Masters of Arts Degree in Public Administration from California State University, Hayward.   

Ignacio De La Fuente

Ignacio De La Fuente has been the city council member for Oakland’s District 5 since 1992. Mr. De La Fuente has served as the chair of the Council's Economic and Community Development Committee until January 1999. De La Fuente then became the first Council member to serve as Council President, and held the post of Vice Mayor from 2009-2011. Mr. De La Fuente is stepping down at this end of this term (Dec ember 2012) as the District 5 representative to concentrate on his campaign for the At-Large Council seat for Oakland.  Most recently, Councilmember De La Fuente has chaired the influential Finance & Management Committee of the council. De La Fuente also co-chairs the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Joint Powers Authority, overseeing the City’s Coliseum-Arena complex and three professional sports franchises. Mr. De La Fuente was born in Mexico City and came to Oakland to work as a machinist at age 21.

Mick Storm (not attending the debate tonight)

Mick Storm  has a campaign website at this address: http://mickstorm.com/.

Rebecca Kaplan

Rebecca Kaplan has the City of Oakland At Large councilmember since 2008. Prior to her service on the Oakland City Council, Ms. Kaplan served as At-Large Director on the AC Transit Board of Directors from 2002 to 2008. Councilmember Kaplan’s work experience includes serving as an aide for the California State Legislature in the 16th Assembly District and as an attorney. Ms. Kaplan earned a Bachelor of Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Phi Beta Kappa) and also holds a Master of Arts in Urban & Environmental Policy from Tufts University and a Juris Doctorate from Stanford Law School.

Theresa Anderson-Downs

Theresa Anderson-Downs is currently the CEO at Dandell Entertainment and is running for the At-Large seat on the Green Party Ticket. Ms. Anderson-Downs is holds a degree in business law from Heald's Business College.

--

Chamber Support

The Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce (OMCC) public policy committee does not endorse political candidates, but there is a separate political action committee OakPAC that does.  For more information on OakPAC, please contact Paul Junge, OakPAC Executive Director at pjunge@oaklandchamber.com 

Full Debate Schedule

Tonight’s At-Large debate is the fifth of six debates in this series. The full schedule is posted below; all debates are FREE and begin at 6:30pm.  All are welcome and encouraged to attend.

 

Full Recap: Candidates for District 5 Council seat face off

Candidates for District 5 Council seat face off

The four candidates running for the City Council seat representing District 5 left vacant by Ignacio De La Fuente squared off earlier this evening at the Fruitvale-San Antonio Senior Center, 3301 E. 12^th St.

The debate, sponsored by the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, was the fourth in a series of six debates to introduce the candidates for City Council and City Attorney positions who are running for office in the November election.

The District 5 face-off, held in front of nearly 65 potential voters and business leaders, was moderated by Paul Junge, the Chamber’s Vice President and Director of Public Policy. The candidates were presented with a series of questions by a two-person panel – David Tucker, municipal affairs manager at Waste Management of Alameda County; and Kerry Hamill, manager of government and community relations for BART.

The four candidates vying for the City Council District 5 seat are Shelly Garza, Noel Gallo, Mario Juarez and Dawn McMahan. The candidates answered a myriad of questions regarding policy positions and shared meaningful exchanges regarding current and potential issues.

A hot topic on all of the Chamber’s debates for City Council spots has been public safety, and that topic continued to be on the front burner in Fruitvale. “Yes, we need more police,” said Gallo. “If we agree that public safety is our number one priority, we’re going to have to pay for it.”

Juarez, a local business owner, insisted that more police could be hired with a user fee at Oakland International Airport, which is run by the Port of Oakland. “If we charge $7.95 per person,” he said, “do the math. We’ll bring in $111 million.”

McMahan, the creator of the Phoenix Rising Homeless Project and other nonprofits, called Fruitvale “a war zone,” and said that she sometimes must go to sleep while hearing the sounds of gunfire.

Garza describes herself as a government insider and insists that the next City Councilmember must implement partnerships. “Together we can be the solution” she said.

The candidates also discussed investing in the arts, education, economic development, and working together to create a welcoming environment in which to do business. Garza, in fact, went a step further, saying that she wants Fruitvale to be an Oakland destination.

The Chamber’s candidate debates continue tomorrow, Wednesday, August 29, with a face-off for the At-Large Council seat at 6:30 p.m. at Kaiser Auditorium, 300 Lakeside Drive in downtown Oakland.

Thanks for Joining Us

Live blogging #oakdebates | 8:01pm

That’s all folks! The debate has ended with a large round of applause for the all of the candidates and their efforts.

Full Debate Schedule

Tonight’s District 5 debate is the fourth of six debates in this series. The full schedule is posted below; all debates are FREE and begin at 6:30pm. 

See you tomorrow night for more live blogging at the At-Large Councilmember Debate, or join us in person at the Kaiser Center (300 Lakeside Drive.) on Wednesday, August 29. Opening statements begin at 6:30pm.

What do you think of the discussion?

Let us know your comments by following the event on Twitter tonight @oaklandchamber and using the tag #oakdebates.

Closing Statements

LIve Blogging #oakdebates | 8pm

Candidates have 1 minute to make a closing statement.

Candidate Juarez wants to “bring innovation” and believes that “government can do better” and wants to “resolve the issues of safety” and mentions that Sandre Swanson has endorsed him. Candidate McMahan says that she “became a candidate almost two weeks ago” she wants to take the work that she does to a “larger level” and she wants to innovative ways to ‘deal with gang violence’ in Oakland. Candidate Garza says that she isn’t “promising the sun and the moon to get endorsements” and then says that she has the support of Councilmembers De La Fuente and Brooks. She says that “together” the District can change. Finally Candidate Gallo says that we need to “be serious and take action” and “we need to be responsible” and “govern crime rather than have crime govern us.” Emphasizes his focus on education and looks forward to “serving” the district and the City of Oakland as a whole.

On the cost of Fire Inspections

Live blogging #oakdebates | 7:53pm

Gallo:  have to “revisit that issues with the city administrator” this needs to be fixed.

Juarez: Says that “as a business owner” this has made him “want to close the door when he sees a fire truck” – he will “deal with this” saying “it has to go.”

McMahan:  says that this “tax is a lot of money” also wants people that have outstanding parking tickets in the city to not have to pay instead “wants them to do community service instead.”

Garza: Does not support the high cost and frequency of the fire inspections. Says that a clearer permit process would improve this, and would encourage small businesses to “stay” in Oakland.

Closing statements coming next!

On Public Nuisance Issues in District 5

LIve Blogging #oakdebates | 7:47pm

--Ed Note: Audience Question, lots of public nuisance issues listed as examples--

McMahan: says that the area has lots of problems and that they all relate to “drug use” want to take a rehab (treatment) approach to the nuisance issues.

Garza: says that this is her “pet peeve” and will work to correct the issues as possible.   

Gallo:  has “zero tolerance” for graffiti, illegal dumping and other public nuisances.  Have to “not tolerate it but instead put an end to it.”

Juarez: says that OPD officers have helped with these issues. He wants to bring back the  “PSO and walking, [beat] officers” in the District.

On Oakland’s Business Climate

Live Blogging #oakdebates | 7:39pm

Juarez: says that “yes” Oakland is ‘open for business’.

McMahan: we should “invest in the arts” but the Occupy Movement and the perception of safety has made it a real challenge to do business here.

Garza: wants “District 5 to be a destination”  to do business in.

Gallo: agrees, but cautions that business owners and residents are “our customers” and should be treated as such. Says that we need to consider what our “regional position is” and keep manufacturing here (or work with our trade partners in China).

On Raising City Revenue

Live Blogging #oakdebates | 7:34pm

Gallo: supports a progressive tax and a ‘comprehensive economic development strategy.”

Juarez: we should “create a climate of safety first” and points again to the Airport user fee idea for raising revenue.

McMahan: is used to doing “big events on a shoestring budget” and says that it is possible to be creative to raise revenue.

Garza: wants to streamline the permit process (make it bilingual and online) to grow “retain and bring in big business in Oakland.”

On Hiring Police + Public Safety

Live Blogging #oakdebates | 7:29pm

Garza: right now we have to “work with what we have.” Points to leveraging private security to improve safety on the business corridors, says ‘partnerships’ are key.

Gallo: believes that we “need more officers” and we “need to pay for them.” Might have to use a ‘parcel’ or a business tax to fund it.

Juarez: we should “try new methods” wants to increase the number of officers, but we should look to “other cities” for solutions. Says that he proposes user fees on the Oakland Airport travelers, says that it has worked in New York.

McMahan: doesn’t want “cops dying on her watch” she also doesn’t want them  [the cops] to “kill innocent people either.” Mentions Prop Y, doesn’t say if she is pro or con.