Next Meeting: Oakland’s New Budget
Public Safety in Oakland – General Meeting, October 2011
As you all may have read in the papers today, or heard last night, Police Chief Batts has resigned, and Oakland will be searching, yet again, for a new Chief of Police.
A couple of years ago, Chief Batts gave a stirring speech to our club about his plans for fighting crime in Oakland. To paraphrase, at the end of his talk, he said that he could not succeed without the community getting involved. I think that this is equally true for the next Chief.
But what kind of involvement? For years, the City has been trying to strike some sort of balance between increased law enforcement measures, and measures to encourage young people in Oakland from turning towards crime. Chief Batts left behind three law enforcement proposals that have yet to be endorsed or rejected: 1) Expanding the use of Civil Gang Injunctions; 2) Implementing Youth Curfews; and 3) Beefing up our Loitering Ordinance. These are measures that some categorically reject as violations of civil liberties, and that some accept as a necessary measure to save lives and control crime. Many, though, are unsure, or have yet to be heard from.
Though Chief Batts is gone, the City’s acceptance or rejection of these measures will help determine what kind of Police Chief, or what kind of Police Department that we will have for years to come.
At the next Club Meeting, we will discuss these issues and decide whether MGO wants to take a public position as they will soon go back to the City Council.
The meeting will be at:
Dimond Library
3565 Fruitvale Avenue
Thursday, October 20, 2011
7:30 PM
November 2011 Election: Club Endorsements
The MGO Democratic Club has made the following ballot measure voting endorsements for the Nov. 15th mail-in election in Oakland:
Shall the Oakland City Charter be amended to return the City Attorney to an appointed position?YES – Measure I (needs 2/3 vote)
Shall the City of Oakland establish a five year temporary fiscal emergency parcel tax to preserve essential city services, including fire, police services, and police technology, youth violence prevention, library, services, parks and recreation, and street repair, by establishing an $80 parcel tax for single-family homes and specified amounts for multi-family and commercial properties with an exemption for low-income households?
YES- Measure J
Shall the Charter be amended to allow the City of Oakland to change the deadline for fully funding its Police and Fire Retirement Plan to a new financially responsible deadline?
May 2011 Meeting: Recidivism and Drug Offenders
Hope to see you all there!
MGO DEMOCRATIC CLUB
PRESENTS
RECIVIDISM
In the
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
RELATED TO DRUG OFFENDERS
a panel featuring
Alameda County Deputy District Attorney Matt Gaidos
Criminal Attorney Ted Stalcup
(who has extensive experience with drug treatment; his father got drug courts started in Contra Costa County)
Thursday May 19th
7:30 pm
Dimond Library
3565 Fruitvale Avenue
Oakland.
Next Meeting: Tax Reform
PLEASE JOIN US
Metropolitan Greater Oakland Democratic Club
And the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club
Invite you to a presentation on
THE GOVERNOR’S PROPOSED TAX EXTENSIONS AND PROGRESSIVE TAX REFORM: A PRIMER
BY CA TAX REFORM ASSOCIATION
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LENNY GOLDBERG.
Greenberg has been involved with major tax legislation in CA for 20 years and has directed and worked on a number of statewide tax initiative campaigns. He was a member of the CA Commission on Tax Policy in the New Economy and is a leading advocate for reform of Prop 13.
APRIL 21, 2011, 7:30 P.M.,
Dimond Library,
3565 Fruitvale Avenue,
Oakland, CA 94619.
Metropolitan Greater Oakland Democratic Club 