7 The item regarding "Proof Of Vaccination Emergency Ordinance " was withdrawn from this agenda at the December 16, 2021 Rules and Legislation Committee, and rescheduled to be heard at the December 21, 2021 Special City Council Meeting at 9:30 A.M.
I strongly oppose any proposal for proof of vaccination to access spaces. Doing so is discriminatory & promotes segregation. It does not protect public health, as there are no long-term studies on the effects of the covid vaccine but many reports of adverse events resulting from those who have taken the vaccine, including blood clots, Myocarditis, Guillian-Barre, and even death. Medical treatments should be based on informed consent, not coercion. Every citizen should be responsible for their own choices in maintaining health. We need to support medical freedom while not putting more burden on small businesses or local government to enforce policies.
Do not pass this ordinance. Requiring proof of vaccination is medical discrimination. Furthermore, these gene-based COVID-19 vaccines do not prevent infection or transmission of the illness. Many places with high vaccination rates have high case rates and transmission rates. Treating an entire group of people as diseased and separating them from society has an extremely ugly history. It seems like the purpose of such an ordinance is not to protect our health, but rather to punish the disloyal. Oakland should promote tolerance and informed consent, not coercion and segregation.
Mandating proof of vaccinations is discriminating, promotes segregation, hurts small businesses, and may lead to health problems. There have been NO scientific studies on the long term effects of this vaccine and to say it’s fine because it’s just like other vaccines is misleading. Because they are new, no one knows if these vaccines will trigger future problems such as cancer or autoimmune diseases. According to VAERS, we KNOW there have already been adverse events reported like blood clots, Myocarditis, Guillian-Barre, and even deaths. The CDC says these events are rare, but where there is risk, there must be choice. The decision to vaccinate or not is NOT a one size fits all answer. Consulting with doctors and considering one’s health status such as age or conditions like diabetes or obesity will help one make an informed and intelligent decision. Further, both vaccinated and unvaccinated can transmit this virus AND if you get COVID, there is treatment. Education NOT coercion is what is needed. For some, the unknown risks may outweigh the benefits. To deny this, is foolish. Let’s not be foolish. Let’s promote health and wellness for ALL and remember the Hippocratic Oath-“First, do no harm”. For those with children or young adults, let’s be honest and stop fear mongering. They are the least likely to end up in the hospital or die, and yet they are being forced to participate in this experiment. Please stop this madness, and vote no on proof of vaccination to indoor spaces.
As a Yale, Stanford, and UC Berkeley graduate with a PhD in Biophysics, I oppose any proposal for proof of vaccination to access spaces. The decision to take a medical treatment should be decided personally based on personal health conditions and risks. Coercive rules that take away freedom of access without providing significant health benefits are discriminatory and authoritarian. A recent publication in the Lancet shows that transmission of COVID is almost the same for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(21)00648-4/fulltext). This means that requiring proof of vaccination will not prevent COVID from circulating. As a progressive lifelong democrat, I am deeply disappointed in my current representatives. I will NOT vote for or donate to anyone that supports these policies that discriminate. Oakland should be a beacon for social justice and be especially sensitive to NOT implementing policies that blatantly discriminate and use the system to oppress one group over another. Do not pass any vaccine proof access policies!
I urge you NOT to pass any ordinances that will discriminate against members of our community based on medical decisions. The most valid point against this mandate is the fact that vaccinated individuals can get and spread the virus, so it makes absolutely no sense to bar entry to other individuals who also may or may not have the virus. Please just urge individuals to stay home if they're experiencing symptoms and continue to wash their hands. Let's use some common sense here.
Government overreach plain and simple. Discrimination of any kind is unjust, unacceptable, and un-American. This ordinance is divisive and exclusionary. Denying access to public places funded by taxpayer dollars is egregious. If you want to improve the health and safety of Oakland, focus on the homeless crisis. Personal responsibility, not paternalistic government, is a cornerstone of this county. Let's keep it that way.
In the United States of America “We the People” have the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. These documents enshrine our freedoms and limit the governments ability to rule over us. We allow you to govern, but not rule us. The constitution states that anything that is repugnant to the constitution is illegal.
I’m not surprised the comments were removed. You don’t want our opinions, you want rule by fiat. Dictators rule by fiat when they bellow "Let it be done - because I say so!" This kind of fiat ignores listening, refuses to respect others, and forces inhuman solutions, just as you are trying to do here with this illegal ordinance. When you pass this, as I believe you will (since I’ve never seen you do anything "We the People" ask), you can expect a complaint against the council and potential misconduct against Councilmember Dan Kalb, which will most likely escalate to formal legal action.
I strongly urge you not to pass any proof of vaccination or mandate for a virus that has become endemic and has always been 99% survivable. This would absolutely create a segregated citizenry and is nothing less than health/medical discrimination. There are many, many people who should NOT be vaccinated under any circumstances. If they did, they would either experience severe side effects with their health or possibly not survive it at all (my spouse and I can't be vaccinated due to medical issues and past experience with vaccines). You are punishing those who choose to not be or cannot be vaccinated. That's medical apartheid.
A vaccine mandate is something a totalitarian and fascist government would do. This is currently happening with Australia, Austria, Germany, etc., with disastrous results for people and economies.
If you decide NOT to pass any type of vaccine mandate, you'll be continuing to support Democracy, individual freedom of choice, and body sovereignty. Isn't this what the Bay Area has always been about?
If you DO pass any type of vaccine mandate, my spouse and I plus our many family members and friends will no longer patronize any Oakland businesses until that mandate is removed. I will also continue to encourage others to stay far, far away from Oakland. You will wreck businesses, the local economy, and people's livelihoods and health (because some people will feel forced to get vaccinated), and will forever change the city in ways you no longer recognize.
How can you ethically coerce vaccinations against a highly survivable virus, especially given that we now know that COVID vaccines do not stop transmission? Furthermore, the median age of death with COVID as per the CDC's own data is over 80; this virus is not a significant threat to most people. Also, we have come a long way since March 2020. There are effective treatments for COVID; we are not just throwing everyone on a ventilator.
But sure, continue to attack our livelihoods and overall well-being with these ridiculous mandates because it makes it look like you're "doing something." COVID is here to stay, and cases will periodically rise and fall regardless of any mandate; sorry.
I am writing to urge you to vote not on the proof of vaccination ordinance that will be up for a vote on 12/21. This ordinance is discriminatory and will exclude our most vulnerable city of Oakland residents from gaining access to things that matter to them and to activities which promote health and wellness. It is unjust to require people to "show their papers" in a city that proclaims itself to be forward thinking and inclusive of varied lived experiences especially when the CDC has reported that vaccines do not prevent infection or spread.
In the midst of the lockdowns and mandates, the city of Oakland crime and poverty have skyrocketed. This mass formation to push for lockdowns has hurt our economy. Just drive down any given street in our city and you will see the boarded up empty storefronts and increased graffiti and trash. This ordinance will only hurt remaining businesses that are struggling to survive. I urge to to vote no on this discriminatory ordinance.
This is a health discrimination!
You have no authority to pass ordinances as if they are laws and especially ordinances that would exclude large groups of the People. Breaking the law strips your immunity and you can be held personally liable for harm against the people.
Removing comments by so many citizens that clearly oppose this proposed ordinance only reinforces the fact that THIS IS NOT ABOUT SAFETY OR HEALTH. It is about CONTROL, SEGREGATION and MEDICAL DISCRIMINATION.
The question becomes -- WHY are we being censored? WHY are our voices being silenced? Trying to silence us by deleting our comments is like trying to put out a fire with gasoline; the exact opposite occurs.
Councilmember Kalb -- as a steward of the citizens and residents of Oakland California, whom we elected to SERVE US and our best interests, I (and clearly many other concerned Oaklanders) VEHEMENTLY OPPOSE this highly discriminatory ordinance that violates basic human rights, The Nuremburg Code of Medical Ethics, and is absolute COERCION.
COERCION IS NOT CONSENT. Where there is RISK, there must be a choice. These injections carry RISKS. They do not confer immunity. They do not prevent transmission. Sars-CoV-2 has a 99.7% survival rate. There is no state of emergency. This ordinance is about control and compliance and is an outrageous overreach by yet another government official who's agenda is blindingly clear.
This ordinance would deny thousands of people fundamental rights and freedoms, and the ability to participate in society simply because they have chosen to decline an experimental injection until more safety data are available
Thank you for choosing INCLUSION over DISCRIMINATION.
Thank you for holding up your civic duty to serve the citizens of Oakland.
My comment got removed as well -- this is incredibly disturbing...how are we to believe censorship isnt' happening when dozens of comments opposing this mandate are deleted? SMH...
I'm writing today to state that Kalb's proposed ordinance to mandate vaccinations for entry into various indoor areas would further decimate small businesses and livelihoods -- particularly among people of color. Vaccination status continues to be a false indicator of public safety, as breakthrough infection rates continue to climb.
When you boil it down to its core, vaccine passport systems are the definition of medical discrimination. Worst of all, such a policy would most certainly exclude specific marginalized communities the most, including our Black and Latinx neighbors.
Oakland claims to be inclusive and respective of other cultures and beliefs but such a vaccination policy would fundamentally exclude groups, including a disproportionate number from BIPOC communities. I implore you to stop perpetuating misguided approaches to ensuring the public safety of your constituents. We've destroyed communities for far too long with our ill-guided policies -- this must end now.
Do not allow this emergency ordinance proposed by Councilmember Kalb to become a dark stain on our city's treasured history.
As we move forward for 2022- it makes not sense to continue this charade of harm to the American Citizens- Small Business. The Gene Therapy shot is does not stop transmission- it s a non Sterilizing Vaccine - does not kill the virus it only insures some protection for the recipient.
Per CDC- Fauci - the jab does not stop transmission - so mandating a lockdown and exclusionary rule is silly its is also racist. Why are liberal democrats being so racist??
I too am curious why all the previous comments, including mine, were deleted.
This ordinance will not keep residents "safer"—it will only further divide and discriminate. While COVID shots may reduce risk of hospitalization and death, they DO NOT prevent infection or spread of the virus. In fact, studies show that vaccinated individuals carry the same viral loads as unvaccinated. This, combined with no recognition for those who've recovered from COVID and therefore have superior natural immunity, belies the pretense that this ordinance is about "public health". Requiring people to “show their papers” to participate in social and civic life, access fitness centers, public libraries and even dental care disenfranchises people. In a city that claims to be inclusionary and fight against racism, this ordinance will divide and segregate people, disproportionately affecting African American, Latino and low-income residents.
I strongly oppose this proposed ordinance and urge you to vote NO!
You naive Oakland City Councilmembers are just being USED as pawns for the corporate, totalitarian compliance agenda.
Please leave us citizens (who elected you to care for us, remember?) OUT of their devastating scheme, thanks.
I strongly support requiring proof of vaccination for entering restaurants and most businesses.
I strongly oppose any proposal for proof of vaccination to access spaces. Doing so is discriminatory & promotes segregation. It does not protect public health, as there are no long-term studies on the effects of the covid vaccine but many reports of adverse events resulting from those who have taken the vaccine, including blood clots, Myocarditis, Guillian-Barre, and even death. Medical treatments should be based on informed consent, not coercion. Every citizen should be responsible for their own choices in maintaining health. We need to support medical freedom while not putting more burden on small businesses or local government to enforce policies.
Do not pass this ordinance. Requiring proof of vaccination is medical discrimination. Furthermore, these gene-based COVID-19 vaccines do not prevent infection or transmission of the illness. Many places with high vaccination rates have high case rates and transmission rates. Treating an entire group of people as diseased and separating them from society has an extremely ugly history. It seems like the purpose of such an ordinance is not to protect our health, but rather to punish the disloyal. Oakland should promote tolerance and informed consent, not coercion and segregation.
Mandating proof of vaccinations is discriminating, promotes segregation, hurts small businesses, and may lead to health problems. There have been NO scientific studies on the long term effects of this vaccine and to say it’s fine because it’s just like other vaccines is misleading. Because they are new, no one knows if these vaccines will trigger future problems such as cancer or autoimmune diseases. According to VAERS, we KNOW there have already been adverse events reported like blood clots, Myocarditis, Guillian-Barre, and even deaths. The CDC says these events are rare, but where there is risk, there must be choice. The decision to vaccinate or not is NOT a one size fits all answer. Consulting with doctors and considering one’s health status such as age or conditions like diabetes or obesity will help one make an informed and intelligent decision. Further, both vaccinated and unvaccinated can transmit this virus AND if you get COVID, there is treatment. Education NOT coercion is what is needed. For some, the unknown risks may outweigh the benefits. To deny this, is foolish. Let’s not be foolish. Let’s promote health and wellness for ALL and remember the Hippocratic Oath-“First, do no harm”. For those with children or young adults, let’s be honest and stop fear mongering. They are the least likely to end up in the hospital or die, and yet they are being forced to participate in this experiment. Please stop this madness, and vote no on proof of vaccination to indoor spaces.
As a Yale, Stanford, and UC Berkeley graduate with a PhD in Biophysics, I oppose any proposal for proof of vaccination to access spaces. The decision to take a medical treatment should be decided personally based on personal health conditions and risks. Coercive rules that take away freedom of access without providing significant health benefits are discriminatory and authoritarian. A recent publication in the Lancet shows that transmission of COVID is almost the same for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(21)00648-4/fulltext). This means that requiring proof of vaccination will not prevent COVID from circulating. As a progressive lifelong democrat, I am deeply disappointed in my current representatives. I will NOT vote for or donate to anyone that supports these policies that discriminate. Oakland should be a beacon for social justice and be especially sensitive to NOT implementing policies that blatantly discriminate and use the system to oppress one group over another. Do not pass any vaccine proof access policies!
I urge you NOT to pass any ordinances that will discriminate against members of our community based on medical decisions. The most valid point against this mandate is the fact that vaccinated individuals can get and spread the virus, so it makes absolutely no sense to bar entry to other individuals who also may or may not have the virus. Please just urge individuals to stay home if they're experiencing symptoms and continue to wash their hands. Let's use some common sense here.
REPOSTING AS MY PREVIOUS COMMENT WAS DELETED.
Government overreach plain and simple. Discrimination of any kind is unjust, unacceptable, and un-American. This ordinance is divisive and exclusionary. Denying access to public places funded by taxpayer dollars is egregious. If you want to improve the health and safety of Oakland, focus on the homeless crisis. Personal responsibility, not paternalistic government, is a cornerstone of this county. Let's keep it that way.
In the United States of America “We the People” have the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. These documents enshrine our freedoms and limit the governments ability to rule over us. We allow you to govern, but not rule us. The constitution states that anything that is repugnant to the constitution is illegal.
I’m not surprised the comments were removed. You don’t want our opinions, you want rule by fiat. Dictators rule by fiat when they bellow "Let it be done - because I say so!" This kind of fiat ignores listening, refuses to respect others, and forces inhuman solutions, just as you are trying to do here with this illegal ordinance. When you pass this, as I believe you will (since I’ve never seen you do anything "We the People" ask), you can expect a complaint against the council and potential misconduct against Councilmember Dan Kalb, which will most likely escalate to formal legal action.
I strongly urge you not to pass any proof of vaccination or mandate for a virus that has become endemic and has always been 99% survivable. This would absolutely create a segregated citizenry and is nothing less than health/medical discrimination. There are many, many people who should NOT be vaccinated under any circumstances. If they did, they would either experience severe side effects with their health or possibly not survive it at all (my spouse and I can't be vaccinated due to medical issues and past experience with vaccines). You are punishing those who choose to not be or cannot be vaccinated. That's medical apartheid.
A vaccine mandate is something a totalitarian and fascist government would do. This is currently happening with Australia, Austria, Germany, etc., with disastrous results for people and economies.
If you decide NOT to pass any type of vaccine mandate, you'll be continuing to support Democracy, individual freedom of choice, and body sovereignty. Isn't this what the Bay Area has always been about?
If you DO pass any type of vaccine mandate, my spouse and I plus our many family members and friends will no longer patronize any Oakland businesses until that mandate is removed. I will also continue to encourage others to stay far, far away from Oakland. You will wreck businesses, the local economy, and people's livelihoods and health (because some people will feel forced to get vaccinated), and will forever change the city in ways you no longer recognize.
How can you ethically coerce vaccinations against a highly survivable virus, especially given that we now know that COVID vaccines do not stop transmission? Furthermore, the median age of death with COVID as per the CDC's own data is over 80; this virus is not a significant threat to most people. Also, we have come a long way since March 2020. There are effective treatments for COVID; we are not just throwing everyone on a ventilator.
But sure, continue to attack our livelihoods and overall well-being with these ridiculous mandates because it makes it look like you're "doing something." COVID is here to stay, and cases will periodically rise and fall regardless of any mandate; sorry.
I oppose all segregation based on medical procedures. You should be ashamed of yourselves, including public libraries as part of this.
I am writing to urge you to vote not on the proof of vaccination ordinance that will be up for a vote on 12/21. This ordinance is discriminatory and will exclude our most vulnerable city of Oakland residents from gaining access to things that matter to them and to activities which promote health and wellness. It is unjust to require people to "show their papers" in a city that proclaims itself to be forward thinking and inclusive of varied lived experiences especially when the CDC has reported that vaccines do not prevent infection or spread.
In the midst of the lockdowns and mandates, the city of Oakland crime and poverty have skyrocketed. This mass formation to push for lockdowns has hurt our economy. Just drive down any given street in our city and you will see the boarded up empty storefronts and increased graffiti and trash. This ordinance will only hurt remaining businesses that are struggling to survive. I urge to to vote no on this discriminatory ordinance.
Oppose to the vaccine mandate
This is a health discrimination!
You have no authority to pass ordinances as if they are laws and especially ordinances that would exclude large groups of the People. Breaking the law strips your immunity and you can be held personally liable for harm against the people.
Removing comments by so many citizens that clearly oppose this proposed ordinance only reinforces the fact that THIS IS NOT ABOUT SAFETY OR HEALTH. It is about CONTROL, SEGREGATION and MEDICAL DISCRIMINATION.
The question becomes -- WHY are we being censored? WHY are our voices being silenced? Trying to silence us by deleting our comments is like trying to put out a fire with gasoline; the exact opposite occurs.
Councilmember Kalb -- as a steward of the citizens and residents of Oakland California, whom we elected to SERVE US and our best interests, I (and clearly many other concerned Oaklanders) VEHEMENTLY OPPOSE this highly discriminatory ordinance that violates basic human rights, The Nuremburg Code of Medical Ethics, and is absolute COERCION.
COERCION IS NOT CONSENT. Where there is RISK, there must be a choice. These injections carry RISKS. They do not confer immunity. They do not prevent transmission. Sars-CoV-2 has a 99.7% survival rate. There is no state of emergency. This ordinance is about control and compliance and is an outrageous overreach by yet another government official who's agenda is blindingly clear.
This ordinance would deny thousands of people fundamental rights and freedoms, and the ability to participate in society simply because they have chosen to decline an experimental injection until more safety data are available
Thank you for choosing INCLUSION over DISCRIMINATION.
Thank you for holding up your civic duty to serve the citizens of Oakland.
My comment got removed as well -- this is incredibly disturbing...how are we to believe censorship isnt' happening when dozens of comments opposing this mandate are deleted? SMH...
I'm writing today to state that Kalb's proposed ordinance to mandate vaccinations for entry into various indoor areas would further decimate small businesses and livelihoods -- particularly among people of color. Vaccination status continues to be a false indicator of public safety, as breakthrough infection rates continue to climb.
When you boil it down to its core, vaccine passport systems are the definition of medical discrimination. Worst of all, such a policy would most certainly exclude specific marginalized communities the most, including our Black and Latinx neighbors.
Oakland claims to be inclusive and respective of other cultures and beliefs but such a vaccination policy would fundamentally exclude groups, including a disproportionate number from BIPOC communities. I implore you to stop perpetuating misguided approaches to ensuring the public safety of your constituents. We've destroyed communities for far too long with our ill-guided policies -- this must end now.
Do not allow this emergency ordinance proposed by Councilmember Kalb to become a dark stain on our city's treasured history.
As we move forward for 2022- it makes not sense to continue this charade of harm to the American Citizens- Small Business. The Gene Therapy shot is does not stop transmission- it s a non Sterilizing Vaccine - does not kill the virus it only insures some protection for the recipient.
Per CDC- Fauci - the jab does not stop transmission - so mandating a lockdown and exclusionary rule is silly its is also racist. Why are liberal democrats being so racist??
I too am curious why all the previous comments, including mine, were deleted.
This ordinance will not keep residents "safer"—it will only further divide and discriminate. While COVID shots may reduce risk of hospitalization and death, they DO NOT prevent infection or spread of the virus. In fact, studies show that vaccinated individuals carry the same viral loads as unvaccinated. This, combined with no recognition for those who've recovered from COVID and therefore have superior natural immunity, belies the pretense that this ordinance is about "public health". Requiring people to “show their papers” to participate in social and civic life, access fitness centers, public libraries and even dental care disenfranchises people. In a city that claims to be inclusionary and fight against racism, this ordinance will divide and segregate people, disproportionately affecting African American, Latino and low-income residents.
I strongly oppose this proposed ordinance and urge you to vote NO!
You naive Oakland City Councilmembers are just being USED as pawns for the corporate, totalitarian compliance agenda.
Please leave us citizens (who elected you to care for us, remember?) OUT of their devastating scheme, thanks.
My previous comment along with other 20 comments that opposed to this ordinance got removed!!
What happened to the 21 comments that were here before? Why is there no ecomment link for the 9:30am agenda where this item got moved to?