BART Board’s train wreck
Oakland councilmembers are getting a big pay raise; Azevedo's 'Ukraziness'
—SIMON OUT—BART Board Director Lateefah Simon, one of the East Bay’s rising political stars, was forced to vacate her seat after the transit agency determined her new residence is not within her district’s borders. BART officials made the stunning announcement prior to Thursday’s board meeting.
—In a social media post on Thursday, Simon reiterated that BART had vetted her move last year from Richmond to an apartment near the MacArthur BART station in Oakland. BART officials told the San Francisco Chronicle that they have no record of Simon broaching the subject, but the report suggests a mix-up between Simon and BART officials may have occurred
In her posting, Simon said her decision to move followed a number of incidents that made her fear for her safety and that of her child. Simon’s current residence is just a stone’s throw from the represents.
—Nevertheless, the news is a big disappointment for many in East Bay politics who hold Simon in high regard. A fervent advocate for low-income residents and supporter of public transit for all, Simon was elected to the BART board in 2018 and quickly become a darling of the progressive movement in the East Bay.
—The news is also a problematic for BART from a public relations standpoint. Over the years, Simon has been on the forefront of the transit agency’s push for greater accountability within its own police force. Some advocates may view BART’s decision to push Simon out as a mere technicality being used against a blind woman of color who has fought recent against the status quo. BART officials now begins the process for making an appointment to replace Simon.
CITY NEWS
OAKLAND
—WAGE BUMP—Oakland councilmembers may soon be getting a pay raise. The Oakland Public Ethics Commission unanimously approved a 6.3 percent increase for councilmembers on Wednesday night. The bump in pay will increase councilmember’s salaries from $97,000 a year to $103,000 a year. The new pay scale, however, is far more than Consumer Price Index, the mechanism in which the City Charter ties to wage increases for councilmembers.
ALAMEDA
—PROJECT HOMEKEY GRANT—Alameda received a $12.3 million state housing grant that will lead to 47 units of modular housing for formerly homeless residents, the city said on Thursday. The project to be built on an oddly-shaped parcel on 5th Street, is intended as interim housing for individuals and families. Alameda will pitch in $2.3 million for the project’s operations over the next five years. Construction will begin this spring, the city said, and is slated for opening in the next eight months.
BERKELEY
—U.C. WORKAROUND—The controversy between U.C. Berkeley and Berkeley NIMBYs who asserted the addition of 2,600 more Cal students violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is nearing a possible resolution. A court earlier this month then froze enrollment at U.C. Berkeley. The order again bolstered calls to reform CEQA, which is often used as cudgel by NIMBYs to block housing density, and, frankly, whatever they don’t like in the neighborhood, their city, or region.
—State lawmakers on Friday morning announced a legislative work-around against the issue of student enrollment as a separate CEQA project. From practical point of view, the plan allows the Cal students, already approved for enrollment this fall, to head into the classroom. “It was never the intent of the Legislature for students to be viewed as environmental pollutants,” state Sen. Nancy Skinner said on Friday. The move is attached as a trailer to an existing budget bill.
SAN LEANDRO
—UKRAZINESS—San Leandro Councilmember Bryan Azevedo, also a candidate for mayor this fall, is taking heat on various social media platforms for a Facebook posting about the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces that was far too petulant for such a somber topic. Recall, the controversy in San Leandro this month when two Ukraine rallies were organized for the same city park and nearly the same time. Prior to the Mar. 1 rally, Azevedo lashed out against the “haters” apparently taking away the focus from his effort.
—It’s not the first time Azevedo expressed a strange sense of humanity within a somber subject. Following the tragic death of San Leandro school boardmember Christian Rodriguez just prior to Christmas, Azevedo posted a comment to his Facebook page thanking the deceased for installing his “hardware” flooring.
ELECTION 2022
—BIG CHECKS—Alameda County District Attorney candidates Pamela Price received $4,000 from the California Conference Amalgamated Transit Union on Thursday, according to a campaign finance report… Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern’s re-election campaign received $7,500 from a Diablo “homemaker” named Wendy Allard on Wednesday, according to a campaign finance report.
—ALAMEDA USD BOND—A campaign committee has formed in support of the Alameda Unified School District’s $298 million facilities bond measure that is slated for the June primary ballot. A committee named “Alameda Forward” filed a statement of organization on Wednesday with the Alameda County Registrar of Voters office. The committee appears led by veteran East Bay consultant Angela Ramirez Holmes.
FILING DEADLINE UPDATE
—5PM DEADLINE NEARS—Although most of the big June primary races have their filing deadlines extended to next Wednesday in the cases where the incumbent is not re-election, the likely ballot is rounding into form. Keep an eye on the Alameda County Board of Supervisor race for the late Wilma Chan’s District 3 seat. Specifically for the two names that have not yet taken any steps toward filing—Alameda Councilmember Malia Vella and former State Senate Majority Leader Ellen Corbett. Below are some of the notable names that finished their filing requirements on Thursday:
Shawn Kumagai, 20th Assembly District
Jennifer Esteen, 20th Assembly District
Aisha Wahab, 10th State Senate District
Lily Mei, 10th State Senate District
Cheryl Cook-Kallio, Alameda County Board of Education, District 7
Surlene Grant, Alameda County Supervisor, District 3
Yesenia Sanchez, Alameda County Sheriff
—ROCK THE RE-VOTE—The Alameda County Democratic Central Committee took another vote on the matter of Fremont Councilmember Raj Salwan’s removal on Wednesday. Central Committee Vice Chair Igor Tregub said on Wednesday that the committee failed to vote on the underlining issue last month about Salwan’s actual removal. In subsequently weeks, several central committee members apparently had a change of heart and shifted their vote further in Salwan’s favor.
—Twenty-seven voted against Salwan’s removal from the committee, eight supported his removal, and eight abstained on Wednesday. The action last month followed Salwan’s endorsement of embattled Fremont Mayor Lily Mei for state senate. A bylaw passed last October prohibited members from endorsing candidates like Mei, which the committee, in a separate vote, had determined to have made anti-LGBT votes and actions. The move against Salwan was unsuccessful and roiled some local Dems. A vote for censure against Salwan last month also failed.
—ACDEMS CHAIR RACE—Alameda County Democrats are still mourning the loss of labor leader and Central Committee Chair Terry Sandoval, who recently passed away. Questions about who will be appointed to lead the local party are already being raised. Two names are been floated—Igor Tregub, the current vice chair, and central committee member Julie M. Waters.
—Tregub may have an edge after years of work at the grassroots level. Tregub also won widespread plaudits for his handling of last month’s contentious meeting involving discussions for removing Raj Salwan. Waters, a respected leader in local and state politics, in addition, to the labor movement, however, may not currently have the votes to become chair, according to several Alameda County insiders.
DATEBOOK
—SPELLING BEE RETURNS—After a pandemic-related hiatus, the Alameda County Spelling Bee Championship returns this Saturday. Elementary and junior high students will compete at Dublin High School. The event will be livestreamed on the Alameda County Office of Education’s Facebook page, starting at 9 a.m. The top two spellers in each level will represent Alameda County at the statewide Spelling Bee Championship on May 14.
—SAN LEANDRO TIME CAPSULE—Events this year celebrating San Leandro’s 150th anniversary begin on Mar. 21, 5 p.m., at City Hall. Local officials will offer remarks on the city’s sesquicentennial prior to opening a time capsule from 1972.