Say what?! Janani supports expanding Oakland's police force
A's may use Las Vegas as leverage one more time
—PROGRESSIVES IN 2022—As an assembly candidate in 2021, Oakland’s Janani Ramachandran strongly supported decertifying bad cops, advocated for abolishing the Police Officers’ Bill of Rights, doing away with qualified immunity for law enforcement, and calling for community-based groups to take the lead on certain mental health calls. The last issue, to some, depending on your perspective, is known as “defund the police.” During one candidate forum last May, Ramachandran said she wasn’t afraid to use the maddeningly imprecise phrase.
Bottom line: Ramachandran was clearly not a friend of police during her upstart run in last year’s 18th Assembly District Special Election. But with major concerns over rises in crime, Ramachandran is turning over a new leaf in 2022
Her recently announced campaign for the Oakland City Council in District 4 details the same type of movement-leading rhetoric that highlighted her assembly run. The one major difference is a surprising call contained in Ramachandran’s website for strengthening the Oakland police force.
It appears Ramachandran will attempt to argue the police reforms she has supported are still needed, but now with more cops. It will be a difficult juggling trick in a city that often despises its police department and will find it hard to comprehend how adding more of them to its ranks will help reduce police violence against its residents. In addition, others may balk at the high cost of hiring additional officers, despite evidence Oakland’s police ranks are chronically understaffed. Conversely, the Oakland police union would surely support Ramachandran’s police expansion.
Other candidates running for office this year will face a similar reckoning over previous statements and votes on “defund the police,” amid constant reports of violence in the streets. Ramachandran’s pivot is likely to be one of many sleights of hand we will see in the coming months.
ROOTED IN OAKLAND
—LEVERAGE MOVE 2022—Hopes for a new ballpark in Oakland were buoyed like no other time in this decade-long saga after the Oakland Planning Commission moved forward the Oakland Athletics’ Environmental Impact Report earlier this month. The prospect for approval next month at the Oakland City Council are very good, according to insiders. That result will likely push public excitement sky high for the $12 billion development. Pursuit for a development agreement, including a crucial deal for community benefits, comes next. Those are the dirty little details that will take months to hammer out.
—Oakland insiders expect A’s President Dave Kaval will revert to a strategy of brinksmanship in order to pressure the Oakland City Council to get the deal finalized. In hindsight, deployment of the strategy last year, featuring the threat of relocating to Las Vegas, worked like a dream. The A’s want this deal done by July at the latest. However, the city will be hard-pressed to get it before the city council for a vote prior to the traditional August recess. On the other hand, there is questions as to whether the A’s have cried wolf about Las Vegas too many times. A columnist in Las Vegas openly questioned if the A’s plan all along was to used the city as leverage to get a ballpark deal done in Oakland. “We’re the perfect foil,” he wrote.
—IN A PICKLE—When it comes to the Howard Terminal Ballpark Plan, Oakland City Council Janani Ramachandran may have make an additional pivot, similar to her new police stance. Ramachandran was a vocal critic of Howard Terminal during her assembly run last year. With the Oakland City Council appearing poised to support the ballpark project, where does that put Ramachandran? Unlike policing, she can probably wait on Howard Terminal until the composition of her race becomes clear. However, if she is elected next November, her potential role going forward with Howard Terminal will be minimal. If all goes well, the project will already have been approved by the time she takes the oath of office.
CITY & COUNTY NEWS
HAYWARD
—DRONING ON—Hayward officials approved the use of police drones on Tuesday night, along with a policy that really isn’t one. The Hayward City Council voted, 6-1, despite questions about the ability of Hayward Police to make changes to the policy without council approval. The council, though, required that police provide them with a quarterly update on the department’s drone use.
—Hayward Councilmember Francisco Zermeno said public safety is a major concern and the drone technology will be useful to the city. He also acknowledged instances when drones have been abused by law enforcement. “If it is misused. It will be stopped by us. It’s that simple,” Zermeno said. Hayward Mayor Barbara Halliday added that she was surprised by the conversation involving privacy in the digital age. “Privacy is a thing of the past,” Halladay declared. “None of us have it.”
—Hayward Police have used drones 77 times in recent years, Hayward Police Chief Toney Chaplin said. However, the technology was borrowed from other jurisdictions. Chaplin said the city having its own drones gives it flexibility to create a Hayward-tailored policy. Councilmember Aisha Wahab voted no after questioning the lack of an actual policy and the drone’s affects on marginalized residents in Hayward.
ALAMEDA COUNTY
—NEW MEMBER WANTED—The Alameda Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) is taking applications for a new public member to replace the splendidly named Sblend Sblendorio. LAFCo oversees governmental boundaries in Alameda County. Its board includes two members of the Board of Supervisors, two from the city level, two from special districts, and a public member. Download the application HERE. The deadline is Friday, Mar. 4, 5 p.m.
ON THE AGENDA
BERKELEY - THURSDAY
—HOUSING WORK SESSION—Berkeley councilmembers will resume work on the proposed Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) at a work session on Thursday evening. The proposal gives tenants the right of first refusal to collectively purchase the rental property when its owner(s) decide to sell. The legislation also allows tenants to assign the rights to an affordable housing developer. Furthermore, tenants would receive an extended escrow period and owners who sell to a qualified non-profit organization will be refunded the city’s portion of the Real Property Transfer tax.
DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS
—An item in Tuesday’s newsletter incorrectly labeled Alameda County Supervisor Richard Valle’s district. He represents District 2.
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