What I Think

Libby Schaaf throws shade on the Raiders; Agenda notes from across the East Bay

East Bay Insiders headquarters on the Oakland Riviera.

One month into the new East Bay Insiders newsletter and there’s already a lot to digest. A whole slew of very big and likely to be very contentious races are just beginning to come into focus and local city government is just rounding into form. As we start the subscription-only phase of the East Bay Insiders newsletter, here’s some of my insights.

—It’s too bad Oakland City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas decided against running for the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. She’s running for re-election to her council seat, instead. But the more I watch her preside over the city council, the more I could envision her sitting on the county dais. She’s kind of like a younger version of Wilma Chan. Cool and measured.

—That being said, Chan would have never went whole hog with police activists last year on the issue of defunding the police like Bas did. It was never political prudent, but Bas got intimidated by Oakland activists. Now she may pay a price now that crime is rising. If a credible candidate runs against her this fall, she might have to hustle a bit to win re-election. Watching candidates forsake “defunding the police” on the campaign trail this year will be interesting.

—I don’t think San Leandro Councilmember Bryan Azevedo ultimately runs for mayor. Running for council in that city is a piece of cake. Nobody runs. Thinking you can be the mayor after one year in office is another thing. Everybody will be watching and his grasp of how government functions is still shockingly rudimentary. He’s going to get figured out by voters as an empty suit, if he hasn’t already. I think he’s deathly afraid of speaking in public.

—Don’t count out Dublin Councilmember Shawn Kumagai in the 20th Assembly District race. Running for office is a skill that cannot be practiced and his main opponent, labor leader Liz Ortega-Toro, has never done it. I predict Ortega-Toro faces an early steep learning curve. In her favor is the fact labor support might be able to paper over some of her potential mistakes.

—Somebody other than Hayward Councilmember Mark Salinas needs to run for mayor. Why isn’t there any names out there is astonishing. For one, he’s not very popular within his own council.

—Oakland Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan is a talented public official. But running for the District 3 seat on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors doesn’t seem like a good fit. When I think of Kaplan I don’t think of Oakland Chinatown, San Leandro, Alameda, or San Lorenzo. I think of Supervisor Keith Carson’s Oakland and Berkeley district. Alameda Councilmember Malia Vella is a formidable candidate and the front runner, if only the Asian Pacific Islander groups don’t get in her way. I still can’t believe a white male from Walnut Creek was appointed to replace Wilma Chan.

—Yes, Howard Terminal get built.