❝Best Quotes of 2025❞
County Superintendent Castro: “Real fascists are really trying to come for our kids.” Azevedo: “They shouldn’t have as much stuff on me because I didn’t do nothing." BLee: “I haven't done mayor."
—In a year when public debates on a range of important issues ran longer than BART delays and public comment turned into a competitive sport, East Bay politicians gifted us a collection of quotes that were equal parts wisdom, exasperation, and pure comedy.
—Here are the moments when East Bay politics found its voice in 2025:
TRUMP 2.0
“Our country is clearly under an administration that is authoritarian and perhaps, probably on the road to fascism.”
Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas said in October, delivering one of the fiercest comments about the Trump administration by any East Bay elected official this year. Oct. 7 - East Bay MUD mulls releasing report on board director’s alleged racial bias
—“Come after us. You want to arrest us for protecting our community? Come after us,” State Sen. Jesse Arreguín said in January at a press conference protesting growing instances of immigrants being deported by the Trump administration. Jan. 24 - “Alameda County’s ranked choice voting races last fall produced a mysterious ‘overvote anomaly’.”
“Real fascists are really trying to come for our kids,”
Alameda County Superintendent of Schools Alysse Castro told the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee in March. March 6 - ICE in schools: ‘We know how to deal with arm intruders on campus,’ says superintendent
—“The fact that with the Trump administration they’re doing all sorts of stuff that no one ever contemplated. I mean, all sorts of crazy stuff. We just can’t figure out what is going to happen,” Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley in April as the county begin contemplating its June budget. April 4 - Fears of recession, loss of federal funding clouds county’s budget outlook
—“Trump is positioning himself to consolidate power, escalate repression, and move our country toward authoritarianism. We cannot and will not stand by and let this happen. Not as elected leaders. Not as neighbors. Not as people of conscience,” Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas said in June amid federal troops arriving in Los Angeles. June 11 - Fremont’s Fourth of July parade is canceled
“Our clients are terrified… and the reality is that we cannot say their fears are unfounded.”
Raha Jorjani of the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office about their efforts to accompany clients to ICE check-ins. June 19 - With fears of ICE raids increasing, Alameda County’s rapid response hotline is not available 24/7
—“What is going to happen to them, and us, if the rug is pulled out from underneath us?” said Tom Silva, a housing provider in unincorporated Alameda County, following news that Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” will significantly cut funding for Section 8. June 3 - Proposed federal cuts to Section 8 have landlords and tenants worried
—“After Trump was elected, there was really no plan. He was specific about who he’d target and kept his promise. We’re playing catch up here and we continue to play catch up,” Alameda County Supervisor Elisa Márquez said in September at the county’s Together For All ad hoc meeting. Sept. 24 - Supervisor faults county for lack of urgency on Trump policies
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
—“He’s the Sundance Kid and I’m Butch Cassidy,” Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley said of his colleague, Supervisor David Haubert. However, Haubert said he prefers the nickname “Shake and Bake,” a reference to the race car duo in the Will Ferrell comedy, Talledega Nights. Jan. 8 - “Bas makes Board of Supervisors debut.”
—“I’m just letting you know. I’m letting you know. Respectfully, letting you know if you start jumping into the unincorporated area and not respecting the supervisor, or supervisors that represent the unincorporated area, there could be ramifications,” Supervisor Nate Miley warning newly elected Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas at a meeting in February. Feb. 6 - Miley to Bas: ‘If you start meddling in my district, there could be repercussions’
“Our public investment should never fund the killing of innocent children anywhere in the world. How many more dead boys and girls will it take for us to take action and exercise our influence?”
Moina Shaiq of the Interfaith Council of Alameda County in July, adding support for the Board of Supervisors to approve an Ethical Investment Policy. July 9 - County is slow-footing hotly-debated Ethical Investment Policy
—“They’re use to the ESPN ticker. What’s the score of the game? I want to know it now. I want to know it in real time,” Alameda County Registrar of Voters Tim Dupuis in July said of the public’s desire to access election results more quickly. July 21 - County election watchdog urges Board of Supervisors to rethink registrar’s dual role
TRI-VALLEY
—“We’re in the position that we are in today, because we did not pass a very small tax measure that would have prevented the chaos that we are in now,” Pleasanton Councilmember Julie Testa, who supported Measure PP, a half-cent sales tax increase that failed in 2024. A $10 million budget shortfall later emerged. April 11 - Final weekend ahead
—“You can be a city that is full-service, and have all these nice amenities. You can be a city that doesn’t want to raise taxes, or you can be a city that says no to development, but you can’t be all three at the same time, so something’s got to give,” Pleasanton Councilmember Matt Gaidos said during a budget hearing in May as the city faces a $10 million shortfall. May 23 - Elections have consequences
“You don’t have the right to control me, mayor. I’m through letting you control me,”
Pleasanton Councilmember Julie Testa said after Mayor Jack Balch interrupted her during a council meeting in July. July 17 - East Bay Insiders TV: Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee’s first 60 days in office
—“Most cities don’t have $36 million surpluses. None probably do, to be honest, and that’s not going to go on forever,” Dublin Finance Director Jay Baksa said after the city ends Fiscal Year 2024–25 with a stunning $36.2 million General Fund operating surplus. Nov. 7 - ICE-free zones coming to Alameda County?
—“I must say I was amused by Santa Clara County’s comment that they wanted to be assured return to source since Livermore has been paying for BART over 50 years and we don’t have it, and we never will,” Livermore Mayor John Marchand said in July in response to hesitancy by Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties about joining a proposed regional transit bond measure. July 15 - Salwan wants Fremont to have a seat at the table with the Bay Area’s Big 3 cities
OAKLAND SPECIAL MAYORAL ELECTION
—“The same political operatives who installed our recalled mayor, they want us to once again trust their pick,” Loren Taylor said in a video announcing his candidacy in Oakland’s special mayoral election. Jan. 17 - “Here come the Feds.”
—“‘I haven’t done mayor’,” Barbara Lee said in January about the absence of mayor on her extensive political resume. Jan. 30 - Barbara Lee’s train wreck of a performance raises all sorts of questions
“These pay-to-play schemes have no place in Oakland and we need to make sure that the corruption is wiped out of Oakland.”
Barbara Lee said during a televised debate in March, referring to the FBI investigation of former mayor Sheng Thao. March 12 - Barbara Lee comes alive
—“You can love your grandmother but she might not be the best candidate for a position,” a 90-year-old member of the Metropolitan Greater Oakland Democratic Club said in March of 78-year-old mayoral candidate Barbara Lee. March 20 - Signs that Oakland voters are concerned about Barbara Lee’s age
—“We’ve been through a lot, and we’ll continue to go through our share of challenges. But what I know about Oakland is that we are a community that punches above our weight,” Barbara Lee said in an address to the council in May after being sworn in as Oakland’s next mayor. May 21 - Oakland’s latest new era begins
OAKLAND
“I am the son of Oakland. I am proud of this city. I will fight for this city. I have no filter. I’m going to be honest with you,”
Oakland Councilmember Ken Houston said in January after being sworn in to office. Jan. 7 - ‘With terrible choices ahead of us,’ Oakland sets tone, appoints acting mayor, council leadership”
—“I’m going to change some order in this court. Watch me, man,” Houston told Gene Hazard, one of Oakland’s most bellicose public speakers, during a council meeting in January. Jan. 10 - ‘Let’s get something on the books’: Board of Supervisors pass Just Cause Ordinance.”
—“I will be coming after you,” Houston said in May, issuing a warning to illegal dumpers during a committee meeting. May. 29 - Heart(burn) of the Bay
“We had our cuff links. We had our car clean. We just roll back and forth. We burnt some rubber, right. We had our straps, but we wasn’t shooting no guns,”
Houston in July explaining how sideshows were once staged. July 24 - Berkeley moves ahead with Flock surveillance cameras with 180-day video retention
—“This is as urgent as an earthquake. This is as urgent as a fire,” Houston said during a Rules Committee meeting on late July, urging a policy to clear homeless encampments in Oakland. July 25 - Concealed weapon permit in Alameda County could soon cost more than the gun itself
—“If we could get to 750, get to 1,000, 1,200 officers that would be great. I think it’s unrealistic,” Acting Oakland Mayor Kevin Jenkins said during a budget hearing in May. During the same meeting, appointed Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan asks the police chief to consider hiring flight attendants as police officers. May 15 - Labor union is not down with FPPC
SAN LEANDRO
“They shouldn’t have as much stuff on me because I didn’t do nothing.”
Embattled San Leandro Councilmember Bryan Azevedo said in a cringeworthy interview with ABC7. Weeks later federal investigators notified Azevedo that he was the subject of a public corruption investigation. April 24 - ‘They shouldn’t have as much stuff on me’
—“We, as councilmembers, need to be held accountable,” said San Leandro Councilmember Bryan Azevedo, who is under federal investigation, during a meeting in September for approval of the council’s code of ethics. Sept. 12 - San Leandro councilmember under FBI probe calls for accountability
—“We are looking to uplift the City of San Leandro. To make the City of San Leandro increasingly attractive to people. We want San Leandro to be an average city again,” San Leandro Mayor Juan Gonzalez III said during a committee meeting in May in which he called San Leandro a “poor city.” May 30 - Make San Leandro Average Again!
—“It’s not easy being a woman on this council,” San Leandro Councilmember Xouhoa Bowen said in November after the City Council delayed action on meting discipline against two councilmembers she accused on bullying and other misconduct. Nov. 6 - ‘It’s not easy being a woman on this council’
EAST BAY MUD
“I don’t appreciate the undertones from this board that I’m a racist,”
East Bay MUD Board Director April Chan said after the water district board called for an independent inquiry of allegations made by a vendor who is Black. April 9 - Reading the candidates for clues
TRI-CITIES
—“You can give them crypto money,” Fremont Councilmember Yang Shao said in March while mocking opponents of the city’s camping ban and advocates for the homeless. March 5 - Lateefah Simon walked out of Trump’s joint address to congress
—“This is another episode in a long line of broken promises. I’ve lived here all 56 years of my life. I’ve seen us get the shaft,” Union City Councilmember Jaime Patiño after city officials water down a proposed BART mural originally proposed to highlight the Decoto district’s rich Latino history. Aug. 14 - A mural becomes a moment
HAYWARD
“We believe them not to be accurate.”
Hayward’s acting Finance Director Mary Thomas said in October when asked about how budget numbers presented earlier in the year suddenly led to a $30 million shortfall. Oct. 9 - Oakland chews up another police chief
—“I feel like I failed. I really do, as a mayor,” Hayward Mayor Mark Salínas said in November after two of his predecessors tore into him and the City Council for allowing a massive budget deficit to occur under their watch. Nov. 21 - Swalwell joins race for governor
UNINCORPORATED AREAS
—“I’m tired of hearing the unincorporated area is so underinvested. I believe the amount is robust, but I don’t have the data to prove it,” Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley said in September in response to a growing push for budget transparency in the unincorporated areas. Sept. 29 - Nothing looks good on the menu
“See what happens when you talk about the school district?”
Bill Mulgrew, a member of the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council, said in May. While criticizing the school district an earthquake measuring 3.9 on the Richter Scale interrupted their meeting. March 19 - Ducking the debate
—“I really cherished when a guy or a gal pulled up in a truck or a car and loaded the trunk full of groceries. I didn’t get the same feeling when somebody rode in on a bicycle and took home a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread,” Chuck Moore, a member of the Castro Valley MAC said, showing his disdain for bicycle lanes in the unincorporated areas. Aug. 25 - GOP mailer uses local Dem’s words to slam Newsom’s redistricting plan
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
“I’m about the x’s and o’s, but also the Jimmy’s and Joe’s.”
Ursula Jones Dickson said, addressing morale issues at the Alameda County DA’s Office during her appointment interview with the Board of Supervisors in January. Jan. 22 - “DA applicants endure ‘longest job interview of all-time’.”
—“This is what happens when you put folks in charge of things that don’t know how it works, and they don’t know what the guardrails are,” Alameda County Superior Court Judge Thomas Reardon said in February after being forced to dismiss gun enhancement charges issued under former Alameda County DA Pamela Price. Feb. 25 - Reimagining I-980
—“I need people to know that this office is back to fight for victims. I’m going to keep that coming out of my mouth until the end of days that we represent all of the people in Alameda County,” Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson said on a podcast in October. Oct. 3 - Alameda County board weighs Ethical Investment Policy amid Israel-Gaza debate
“It is clear to me that her own agenda at this point is to undo the work that my administration did,” recalled Alameda County DA Pamela Price said of her predecessor Ursula Jones Dickson at a press conference in June. June 5 - Recalled DA Pamela Price slams replacement, accuses her of rebuilding the pathway to prison pipeline
YEAR-END PUBLISHING SCHEDULE
❝Best Quotes of 2025❞
Monday, Jan. 5 - 🗞️EBI Newsletter returns, 6 a.m. sharp