I’ve had my problems with Libby Schaaf over the years, mainly about her failure to take the problem of homelessness seriously, which has resulted in Oakland’s current crisis. But I have to say, she’s (partially) redeemed herself by opposing the City Council’s reckless attempts to ruin the Oakland Police Department by defunding it.
You’ll remember that, while the Council was crying out for cutting OPD’s budget by as much as 50% to fund their vague, shadowy “anti-violence” and social programs, Schaaf actually released a proposed 2021-2023 budget that largely preserved OPD funding. She did this, I believe, for several reasons: 1, she’s not a radical like many on the City Council, but a moderate Democrat, 2, she understands the reality of crime in Oakland, unlike so many on the Council, and 3 (maybe most important), she really felt the heat from citizens who want a strong police force to protect them. Chinatown, business interests, ordinary citizens and, yes, the Coalition for a Better Oakland all held Schaaf’s feet to the fire.
Of course, the defunders hated Schaaf’s proposal. Cat Brooks peddled her usual tired, old talking points, while the equally anti-cop head of the Police Commission, Regina Jackson, defiantly said, “This isn’t the budget that’s going to be passed.”
Well, we’re in the political silly season. Oakland’s final budget won’t be determined until June 30, so everybody’s jockeying for position. Now, we have the latest gambit: Nikki Fortunato Bas and three of her council colleagues (Fife, Kalb and Gallo) announced their own proposal earlier this week.
It’s more severe on OPD than Schaaf’s, but still, the $18.4 million it proposes to take from OPD isn’t as bad as some—including me—had feared. Bas, who fears blowback from the Brooks-Jackson crowd, justified her more timid cuts by pointing out, accurately, that it would be insane to cut OPD funding when there are no viable replacement programs to combat violence and mayhem. (I could have told her that, but she didn’t ask.) She made nice to Brooks-Jackson by hinting that bigger cuts could still happen. “That goal is still the goal,” she said.
We still have to hear from the Council members who haven’t yet spoken: Rebecca Kaplan, Sheng Thao, Loren Taylor and Treva Reid. I don’t think it’s likely they’ll come out with a collective budget statement, the way the Bas four did. But they will have to vote by June 30, and that will tell us exactly what importance they give to protecting the safety of the people of Oakland.
In the meantime, we still have 2 weeks to let the City Council know how we feel about OPD funding. Call your Councilmember. Express yourself. That’s how democracy works.
Steve Heimoff