Alameda County Dems to allow non-citizens, youths to serve on central committee
Lawsuit alleges Thao later questioned police chief firing: 'F—k the Monitor for making me do this;' Scoop: Guv sending more help to fight Oakland’s crime wave; ALCO Dems oppose Thao recall
COUNTY NEWS
ALAMEDA COUNTY DEMOCRATS
—ALL DEMS WELCOME—The Alameda County Democratic Central Committee moved on Wednesday to change it bylaws to allow non-citizens, the formerly incarcerated, and teenagers as young as 16-year-old to join its ranks.
—“We are officially all-inclusive because of your hard work,” Alameda County Democratic Central Committee Chair Igor Tregub told its members.
—The bylaw change covers elected members, alternates and associates of the central committee.
—NO ON THAO RECALL—The proposed recall of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao remains in the early stages, but Alameda County Democrats are already offering their official opposition.
—The resolution passed on Wednesday night objects to the recall on the grounds that Thao inherited a rising crime rates and a historic budget deficit. It also asserts Thao is sufficiently handling the city’s public safety issues.
—“Mayor Sheng Thao has shown her commitment to improving community safety by investing in a robust and constitutional police department, strong violence prevention efforts, and new technology,” the resolution reads, “including reinvestment in the highly effective Ceasefire program which was defunded by the previous Administration after it had reduced crimes to record lows in Oakland.”
—MORE RESOLUTIONS—Alameda County Democrats also passed resolutions calling for the resignation of Hayward school boardmember Joe Ramos for incendiary remarks he made last month to a school district director, and opposition to efforts to end the use of ranked choice voting in Alameda County.
CITY NEWS
OAKLAND
—Former Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong filed a lawsuit in Alameda County Superior Court this week allegeding Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao illegally terminated him for criticisms of Robert Warshaw, the long-time federal monitor overseeing reforms at the Oakland Police Department.
Here’s the main points of the lawsuit:
The realities of federal monitoring is it incentivizes Warshaw to “continue to find ‘systemic problems’ and ‘leadership failures’ because the monitor personally benefits by requiring further supervision under the monitor’s well-compensated gaze.”
“Warshaw’s reports were nothing less than a hatchet job on Chief Armstrong,” the lawsuit states.
“Mayor Thao stated that she terminated Chief Armstrong not because of his performance or problems with the way Chief Armstrong handled the incidents under investigation, but because Chief Armstrong spoke out and criticized Warshaw.”
“The Mayor responded that the Monitor made clear she needed to place Chief Armstrong on leave because if she did not, the Monitor would step in to do it, and that would look worse for the City.” Armstrong was placed on administrative leave the same day.
“The Mayor then openly expressed her frustration with the Monitor. At least five people were present (besides the Mayor) when the Mayor made these statements. While the exact details of witnesses’ recollections vary slightly, in sum and substance, the Mayor stated in an angry tone: “F—k the Monitor for making me do this. I really didn’t want to do this.”
“Mayor Thao and the City’s wrongful conduct was a substantial factor in causing Chief Armstrong harm, including worry, anxiety, mental anguish, emotional and physical distress, and humiliation; lost compensation, retirement, and fringe benefits; damage to Chief Armstrong’s reputation, and loss of future income.”
MORE INSIDE: Subscribe today to receive all the East Bay political news in your inbox every weekday morning at 6 a.m.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to East Bay Insiders Newsletter to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.