The Oakland City Council must reopen the budget amendments. I sat through last week's meeting and was thoroughly disturbed at the "Equity" Caucus' poor handling of what should be a transparent and democratic process. No one was able to see what was actually being discussed or voted on because the "Equity" Caucus presented a resolution that was not even given to the public! Defund OPD by at least 50% and invest that money in a full passage of the Black New Deal.
My name is Mari and I am an advocate of youth experiencing homelessness and a resident of District 2. I am writing to continue to urge you to defund OPD. Please reopen the budget so we can preserve funding for our youth, homelessness, jobs, and other care programs.
As Oakland residents, we continue to demand that you take immediate action to ensure the following:
1. DEFUND OPD by 50%
2. INVEST ALL SAVINGS in the Black New Deal
3. STOP the use of violence against protesters
4. CANCEL CHP's contract & remove them from Oakland
Thank you for being on the right side of history. We will remember in November, Council Members McElhaney, Gallo, Reid, and Kaplan.
My name is Adrian, I am a resident of district 3, and I continue to urge you to defund OPD. Please reopen the budget so we can preserve funding for our youth, homelessness, jobs, and other care programs.
As Oakland residents, we continue to demand that you take immediate action to ensure the following:
1. DEFUND OPD by 50%
2. INVEST ALL SAVINGS in the Black New Deal
3. STOP the use of violence against protesters
4. CANCEL CHP's contract & remove them from Oakland
Thank you for being on the right side of history. We will remember in November.
I am a resident of Oakland District 2, and I stand with APTP in urging all members of City Council to defund OPD by 50% during this budget cycle and to reinvest the savings in programs that actually make our community safer. We the people of Oakland are calling on our elected officials to invest OUR tax dollars in housing, healthcare, education, food security—and to stop using our money on guns, cages, and a police force that terrorizes our community.
Last week’s meeting was an insult to the tens of thousands of Oaklanders who have been out in the streets, making phone calls, sending emails, and attending City Council meetings to make our voices heard. The hours and hours of public comment demanding that City Council defund OPD by $150M were undemocratically brushed aside by City Council.
Councilmembers Gallo, Reid, Taylor, McElhaney and Kaplan: Last week you turned your backs on the people who elected you to represent them. You got it wrong. This week you all have an opportunity to get on the right side of this issue.
I look forward to working hard during the coming months, donating, and fundraising to get a city council elected who will pay attention to what Oaklanders demand of our elected officials. We all have our eyes on you.
I am a member of District 4 and am writing to condemn the actions of this council last week - specifically the 5 members who hastily and sneakily passed a budget that directly contradicts the overwhelming majority of the community you purport to represent. This was shameful and a blatant and flagrant disregard for your constituents and their clearly expressed desires around how to keep this community safe.
I join many others from this community in the demand that you reconsider the amendments to the budget which were unethically passed last week and move to adopt a proposal more closely resembling councilmember Fortunado Bas's, which still falls short at only defunding OPD by $25M, but is significantly better than the insulting proposal from last week.
I am appalled at the City Council's decision last week to anti-democratically force through a budget without time for review by councilmembers nor the public. It is especially appalling that this budget does not answer the calls of thousands of Oakland citizens to defund OPD by 50% and to reinvest that money in programs that truly protect our city, like affordable housing, schools & education, jobs programs, and healthcare. I support Councilmember Bas' counter-budget to reduce OPD funding by $25m this year and urge the other councilmembers to pass this budget instead.
I am extremely disturbed by the council's actions last week on the premature vote on a hastily presented and wholly inadequate midcycle budget amendment. The council MUST reopen budget discussion and further defund OPD, following the lead of Nikki Bas. Defund OPD by $25million NOW and at least 50% in the next budget cycle.
My name is Chris Apple, and I am a resident of District 1.
I am extremely embarrassed by the actions taken by the city council at the last meeting. The five members that voted in favor of that budget should be ashamed of yourselves.
I am writing to urge you to re-consider the amendments passed in that meeting. The budget that was passed in the last council meeting was a complete subversion of democracy, and I urge you to fix your mistake.
I support Council member Bas’s proposal to defund OPD by $25 million dollars. Please listen to your constituents, and fund your community, not cops!
Shame on the city council for going behind the backs of the public - who has elected you to office - and pushing through a budget that does not meet the community's desires. Defund OPD by at least 50% and re-invest that money into the communities brutalized by police violence. I support council member Bas' proposal.
Shame on your city council for not listening to the public out cry for defunding the police. The OPD needs to be defunded by 50% and that money invested in communities that have been brutalized, criminalized, and imprisoned by our racist judicial system. The police do not keep the public safe.
I was very disappointed in the council's actions last week. This seemed like some pretty obvious backdoor politics that fail to represent the constituents they're supposed to. Get it together and do the right thing. Your voters are speaking, it's time to listen. If not, please be prepared to lose your job come the next election.
I agree with the previous commenters - the manner in which the budget passed at the last meeting was completely unethical and the rules need to be revised to prevent future attempts to pass budget amendments without an opportunity for public review and comments. I support council member Bas' proposal to cut $25 in funding from OPD as a first step toward larger efforts of needed redistribution of resources to better support our city.
I ask the council to reconsider the budget recklessly and irresponsibly passed through in the last meeting. More time and review are needed to make sure this budget serves the people of Oakland.
I urge the council to reconsider the 2020 - 2021 budget passed in the last meeting. Shame on the Equity Caucus for attempting to pass budget amendments without time for the public or fellow council people to review them. It is clear that many on the council are deaf to the public outcry to defund the OPD now. I am in strong support of Nikki Fortunato Bas' proposal to cut $25 million from the police department as a beginning towards a 50% reduction in their budget overall. Please direct this money towards programs and services that would uplift the community not brutalize, criminalize and imprison.
I echo the requests of the previous commenters: amend the rules to restrict action on items not submitted into the public agenda packet by the publication deadline and reconsider the budget that was rammed through (completely unethically) by the caucus that shall not be named because the name they gave it is an abomination given what they did. CM Bas's proposal is the MINIMUM defunding of OPD that we are asking for at this time. The MINIMUM. Please do what is right for your City, and what your constituents are imploring you to do. If our current City Council Members will not act on behalf of the people, we will get new ones that do.
I ask the council to reconsider the OPD budget items that were rammed through in last week’s meeting, as the budget as passed does not reflect the needs of the citizens of Oakland as we have repeatedly stated. CM Bas’ proposal is the minimum commitment Council should make at this time. Council also needs to consider amending the council rules to Restrict Action on Items Not Submitted into the Public Agenda Packet by the Publication Deadline. We need Transparency from our public servants, not gamesmanship.
Strongly support: amending the council rules to Restrict Action on Items Not Submitted into the Public Agenda Packet by the Publication Deadline — a dirty tactic used by the so-called caucus at the last council meeting.
Strongly support: reconsidering the budget that was passed under these dirty tactics in order to better address the concerns of the citizens of Oakland around the use of our tax dollars for a militarized and racist police force that makes us less safe.
The Oakland City Council must reopen the budget amendments. I sat through last week's meeting and was thoroughly disturbed at the "Equity" Caucus' poor handling of what should be a transparent and democratic process. No one was able to see what was actually being discussed or voted on because the "Equity" Caucus presented a resolution that was not even given to the public! Defund OPD by at least 50% and invest that money in a full passage of the Black New Deal.
My name is Mari and I am an advocate of youth experiencing homelessness and a resident of District 2. I am writing to continue to urge you to defund OPD. Please reopen the budget so we can preserve funding for our youth, homelessness, jobs, and other care programs.
As Oakland residents, we continue to demand that you take immediate action to ensure the following:
1. DEFUND OPD by 50%
2. INVEST ALL SAVINGS in the Black New Deal
3. STOP the use of violence against protesters
4. CANCEL CHP's contract & remove them from Oakland
Thank you for being on the right side of history. We will remember in November, Council Members McElhaney, Gallo, Reid, and Kaplan.
My name is Adrian, I am a resident of district 3, and I continue to urge you to defund OPD. Please reopen the budget so we can preserve funding for our youth, homelessness, jobs, and other care programs.
As Oakland residents, we continue to demand that you take immediate action to ensure the following:
1. DEFUND OPD by 50%
2. INVEST ALL SAVINGS in the Black New Deal
3. STOP the use of violence against protesters
4. CANCEL CHP's contract & remove them from Oakland
Thank you for being on the right side of history. We will remember in November.
I am a resident of Oakland District 2, and I stand with APTP in urging all members of City Council to defund OPD by 50% during this budget cycle and to reinvest the savings in programs that actually make our community safer. We the people of Oakland are calling on our elected officials to invest OUR tax dollars in housing, healthcare, education, food security—and to stop using our money on guns, cages, and a police force that terrorizes our community.
Last week’s meeting was an insult to the tens of thousands of Oaklanders who have been out in the streets, making phone calls, sending emails, and attending City Council meetings to make our voices heard. The hours and hours of public comment demanding that City Council defund OPD by $150M were undemocratically brushed aside by City Council.
Councilmembers Gallo, Reid, Taylor, McElhaney and Kaplan: Last week you turned your backs on the people who elected you to represent them. You got it wrong. This week you all have an opportunity to get on the right side of this issue.
I look forward to working hard during the coming months, donating, and fundraising to get a city council elected who will pay attention to what Oaklanders demand of our elected officials. We all have our eyes on you.
I am a member of District 4 and am writing to condemn the actions of this council last week - specifically the 5 members who hastily and sneakily passed a budget that directly contradicts the overwhelming majority of the community you purport to represent. This was shameful and a blatant and flagrant disregard for your constituents and their clearly expressed desires around how to keep this community safe.
I join many others from this community in the demand that you reconsider the amendments to the budget which were unethically passed last week and move to adopt a proposal more closely resembling councilmember Fortunado Bas's, which still falls short at only defunding OPD by $25M, but is significantly better than the insulting proposal from last week.
I am appalled at the City Council's decision last week to anti-democratically force through a budget without time for review by councilmembers nor the public. It is especially appalling that this budget does not answer the calls of thousands of Oakland citizens to defund OPD by 50% and to reinvest that money in programs that truly protect our city, like affordable housing, schools & education, jobs programs, and healthcare. I support Councilmember Bas' counter-budget to reduce OPD funding by $25m this year and urge the other councilmembers to pass this budget instead.
I am extremely disturbed by the council's actions last week on the premature vote on a hastily presented and wholly inadequate midcycle budget amendment. The council MUST reopen budget discussion and further defund OPD, following the lead of Nikki Bas. Defund OPD by $25million NOW and at least 50% in the next budget cycle.
My name is Chris Apple, and I am a resident of District 1.
I am extremely embarrassed by the actions taken by the city council at the last meeting. The five members that voted in favor of that budget should be ashamed of yourselves.
I am writing to urge you to re-consider the amendments passed in that meeting. The budget that was passed in the last council meeting was a complete subversion of democracy, and I urge you to fix your mistake.
I support Council member Bas’s proposal to defund OPD by $25 million dollars. Please listen to your constituents, and fund your community, not cops!
Shame on the city council for going behind the backs of the public - who has elected you to office - and pushing through a budget that does not meet the community's desires. Defund OPD by at least 50% and re-invest that money into the communities brutalized by police violence. I support council member Bas' proposal.
Shame on your city council for not listening to the public out cry for defunding the police. The OPD needs to be defunded by 50% and that money invested in communities that have been brutalized, criminalized, and imprisoned by our racist judicial system. The police do not keep the public safe.
I was very disappointed in the council's actions last week. This seemed like some pretty obvious backdoor politics that fail to represent the constituents they're supposed to. Get it together and do the right thing. Your voters are speaking, it's time to listen. If not, please be prepared to lose your job come the next election.
I agree with the previous commenters - the manner in which the budget passed at the last meeting was completely unethical and the rules need to be revised to prevent future attempts to pass budget amendments without an opportunity for public review and comments. I support council member Bas' proposal to cut $25 in funding from OPD as a first step toward larger efforts of needed redistribution of resources to better support our city.
I ask the council to reconsider the budget recklessly and irresponsibly passed through in the last meeting. More time and review are needed to make sure this budget serves the people of Oakland.
I urge the council to reconsider the 2020 - 2021 budget passed in the last meeting. Shame on the Equity Caucus for attempting to pass budget amendments without time for the public or fellow council people to review them. It is clear that many on the council are deaf to the public outcry to defund the OPD now. I am in strong support of Nikki Fortunato Bas' proposal to cut $25 million from the police department as a beginning towards a 50% reduction in their budget overall. Please direct this money towards programs and services that would uplift the community not brutalize, criminalize and imprison.
I echo the requests of the previous commenters: amend the rules to restrict action on items not submitted into the public agenda packet by the publication deadline and reconsider the budget that was rammed through (completely unethically) by the caucus that shall not be named because the name they gave it is an abomination given what they did. CM Bas's proposal is the MINIMUM defunding of OPD that we are asking for at this time. The MINIMUM. Please do what is right for your City, and what your constituents are imploring you to do. If our current City Council Members will not act on behalf of the people, we will get new ones that do.
I ask the council to reconsider the OPD budget items that were rammed through in last week’s meeting, as the budget as passed does not reflect the needs of the citizens of Oakland as we have repeatedly stated. CM Bas’ proposal is the minimum commitment Council should make at this time. Council also needs to consider amending the council rules to Restrict Action on Items Not Submitted into the Public Agenda Packet by the Publication Deadline. We need Transparency from our public servants, not gamesmanship.
Strongly support: amending the council rules to Restrict Action on Items Not Submitted into the Public Agenda Packet by the Publication Deadline — a dirty tactic used by the so-called caucus at the last council meeting.
Strongly support: reconsidering the budget that was passed under these dirty tactics in order to better address the concerns of the citizens of Oakland around the use of our tax dollars for a militarized and racist police force that makes us less safe.