Libby Schaaf's first post-mayor comments
Libby Schaaf urges Oaklanders to support Mayor Sheng Thao; Former mayor is worried about the future of the A's in Oakland.
CITY NEWS
OAKLAND
—SCHAAF SPEAKS— Former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf does not miss the early morning protests in front of her house. But she does miss many other parts of the job she held for the past eight years.
—Schaaf, in her new role as interim executive director of Emerge California, chatted with members of the Greater Metropolitan Oakland Democratic Club on Tuesday night in a wide-ranging and frank 90-minute discussion of her tenure as mayor, the current mayor’s early performance, policing, and the fate of the Oakland Athletics and Howard Terminal.
—“One thing I don’t miss at all is the protests at my house,” Schaaf said on several occasions. “In particular when my kids were trying to do schoolwork. I don’t think that’s necessary for a robust democracy and freedom of speech.”
—Schaaf said she promised herself that she would not take a full-time job until a year after finishing her second term as mayor. “I broke that promise within 48 hours of leaving office,” she said, after deciding to lead Emerge California, a statewide group that identifies and trains female political candidates. Schaaf is a 2009 graduate of Emerge. “I felt like I owe so much to them.“
—ON BEING MAYOR—Schaaf said she misses making people feel special and meeting young children. “Showing up makes people feel honored when their mayor shows up at their church or block party.”
—“I felt personally responsible for every homicide. Every person living without a roof over their head. Every pothole. Everything is your responsibility,” Schaaf said. “I do not miss the Damocles sword that hangs over your head. Every second that something could be happening.”
—In reference to protesters outside her home: “I don’t miss living in fear of that all the time.”
—On criticism of her as mayor: “Anger against authority is absolutely legitimate and not against you personally.” Schaaf learned. “Realizing it allows you not to fight, but to listen.”
—ON THE NEW MAYOR— “I think she is doing an excellent job,” Schaaf said of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. “We all need to support her. She has the hardest job in America. Not saying I would make all the same decision, but she has made them clearly.”
—“Often you make a decision that pisses off a quarter of the public, makes another quarter happy, and half don’t even notice,” Schaaf said about decisions a mayor in Oakland has to make.
—ON POLICING—Schaaf said it was difficult to see yet another police chief fired in Oakland. But Schaaf added, “I understand and respect why she had to do it.”
—She further backed Thao’s decision to fire Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong amid criticism from the Oakland Police Commission, who said they were not consulted prior to his termination. “She didn’t have to,” Schaaf said of Thao. “She acted within her authority, for sure.”
—ON DEFUNDING THE POLICE—Schaaf said a poll commissioned during her tenure as mayor showed a majority of Oaklanders supported defunding the police. But drilling down into the data, the poll revealed just 12 percent wanted fewer cops. Among this group, most were young and white, Schaaf said.
—“The consensus wanted more investment in prevention and less police response to non-violent incidents,” Schaaf said.
—A’S IN OAKLAND—When Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said last month that the A’s were focusing their efforts on Las Vegas, Schaaf said, “I totally had a heart attack.”
—“I am worried,” she said about the increasing chances the A’s will exit Oakland for Las Vegas. “I don’t think it’s any fault of this mayor. You cannot force an owner to do what you want them to do.”
—The pandemic, high interest rates, and rising construction costs, among new issues, make the Howard Terminal ballpark project even harder to pencil out. “All of that is making an already complicated project even more complicated,” she said.
—“The thing that worries me is the timeline,” Schaaf said, referring to the January 2024 deadline issued to A’s ownership to get a stadium deal done or risk losing subsidies from MLB. “I am worried. I don’t think there’s much I can do from my little seat.”
—Schaaf said Alameda County’s participation in the proposed Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District is essential to getting Howard Terminal done.
—“The deal will not happen without that,” she said.
—This makes the upcoming appointment of a new Alameda County supervisor to replace late Supervisor Richard Valle, a staunch supporter of the county’s involvement with Howard Terminal, very important, she said.
—In a call to arms for A’s fans, Schaaf said, “It’s very important that whoever replaces Richard Valle is supportive of the Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District.”
—ON WOMEN RUNNING FOR OFFICE—Women tend to underestimate their qualifications for office, Schaaf said. They often feel burdened by personal responsibilities. In addition, women often decide to run for local office after being urged by several people. “Men tend to self-select,” Schaaf said.
—However, she believes many interested female candidates are shying away from running for office because of the proliferation of personal attacks. “I worry fewer people are interested in running because it has gotten so nasty.”
COUNTY NEWS
—RECOUNT DOUBT—The resumption on Tuesday of a board discussion with Alameda County Registrar Tim Dupuis may have been the clearest signal yet that any type of recount is very unlikely to ever happen.
—“At this point, we’re not seeing any legal direction going forward,” Dupuis said. He made the same comment last week after two months of foot-dragging about a possible recount of four ranked choice voting races from last November’s election.
—Supervisor Nate Miley reiterated the same message. “We’re still looking for that legal go-ahead to execute a recount.”
—County Counsel Donna Ziegler was far more blunt, essentially conveying to the board and the public that the board lacks any statutory power to compel the registrar to move forward with any direction they have made so far regarding a recount and possible reforms. The courts have also yielded no help.
—A separation of powers exists between the board and registrar, she said. The supervisors can suggest certain actions by the registrar, but they cannot compel him to act on their wishes. In addition, other legal avenues for a recount once available to the county have long past deadlines that go back to last December.
—SHORT-STAFFED—Between a very short-staffed Alameda County Board of Supervisors and rampant apprehension about the Levine Act, Tuesday’s board agenda was stripped thin.
—“What are we voting on then,” asked Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley.
—In addition to the loss of Supervisor Richard Valle, Supervisor Keith Carson was excused from a second straight regular meeting on Tuesday, meaning the board was down to three members.
—Supervisors David Haubert, Lena Tam, and Miley also recused themselves from several agenda items because of potential conflicts with the Levine Act, a new law enacted Jan. 1 that prohibits local elected officials from voting on items in which they have received campaign contributions in the past year. However, it only covers those received since Jan. 1.
—That meant 14 items on Tuesday's agenda had to be continued to the Mar. 28 meeting because they require a four-fifths vote of approval from the board. The additional recusals added another five agenda items moved to the board’s next regular meeting.
—Help is on the way with an appointment to Valle’s District 2 seat, but likely not in time for the Mar. 28 meeting. According to a proposed timeline for the appointment, a new supervisor is expected to be chosen as early as Mar. 30.
