Running out the clock
Supervisor Haubert made Measure W public speakers wait an extra five hours to address them; Alameda Health System's line of credit with the county is hemorrhaging.
☕️MORNING BUZZ
—The Alameda County Board of Supervisors once again made it harder for the public to weigh in on housing and homelessness spending, delaying Tuesday’s Measure W sales tax discussion until late in the evening.
The special meeting—announced only a day earlier—was packed with residents eager to speak on the issue.
But just after 1:30 p.m., Board President David Haubert adjourned to closed session, leaving the overflow crowd waiting.
Supervisor Nate Miley urged Haubert to take the Measure W item first, noting the size of the audience.
“No,” Haubert said. “It’s listed at the end of our agenda,” adding that the board planned to use part of the closed session as a lunch break.
Although board chairs often reshuffle agendas to accommodate major items, Haubert pushed the discussion off until 5:30 p.m. Public comment—60 speakers in all—didn’t begin until 6:45 p.m.
Tenant advocate Leo Esclamado blasted the delay, saying the board forced residents to wait nearly six hours while giving the East Bay Rental Housing Association’s CEO more than 10 minutes of speaking time earlier in the evening. “That’s essentially silencing us,” he said.
The move highlights a long-running complaint about the board’s meeting practices: marathon closed sessions and scheduling tactics that make it harder for constituents to participate. It’s not a new phenomenon. It’s been the norm for decades.
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