While nearly 20,000 housing units have been built in her time, homelessness also grew by 131% since 2015. The persistent level of vacancies that Oakland has had in key departments, like public works, planning and building, has really impacted Oaklands ability to provide the basic services, Bas said. I hope people appreciated that I was focusing my attention on addressing Oaklands challenges, not building a political pipeline. She and her followers are now paying a huge price for that nave thinking. Despite new property taxes championed by Schaaf and rapidly rising revenues, the city remains plagued with the same key problems present when Schaaf was elected mayor eight years ago. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. To be sure, Schaaf shouldered more blame than she deserved for the citys homelessness, rising gun violence and troubled municipal finances. He has worked for the Times and its affiliated newspapers since 1980, including previous assignments as political editor, Sacramento bureau editor, projects editor and assistant metro editor. The chambers poll also found that 97% of respondents said homelessness is either an extreme or very serious problem. Still, she acknowledged, its not enough. When Nathan, a 9-year-old boy she was tutoring, ran across the gym to greet her with a hug, she recognized that her real joy was in public service. Street paving plans are held up by a shortage of 63 staff positions in the Department of Transportation. I was surprised by the lack of willingness or interest to run for office in Oakland, Schaaf said. The programs success is mixed. Facts of But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Oakland politics do not divide between Democrats and Republicans, or liberals and conservatives. [34][35], In March 2021, Schaaf announced that non-white, low-income residents of Oakland would receive $500 per month "guaranteed income" for 18 months. Let's learn more about her in today's article. [32][33] She responded, "I was sharing information in a way that was legal and was not obstructing justice, and it was an opportunity to ensure that people were aware of their rights." Not only the lovely couple enjoy a blissful life together, but they are also blessed with two beautiful children,DominicandLena. Schaaf spent her entire first day as mayor in 2015 at the Oakland Police Department, demonstrating tone-deafness to the people at a time when thousands of Oaklanders were in the streets protesting OPD shootings of Black folks. In 2010, Schaaf was elected to represent her home district, District 4, on the Oakland City Council. 31. I dont know whats fair, but my sense is that people are pretty unhappy at the moment with the state of issues in Oakland.. Moss said shes eager to see how Schaafs legacy will live on from her investments in education for Oakland children to implementing Ceasefire, the citys flagship anti-violence program. An Oakland Chamber of Commerce poll released in October shows that voters are largely dissatisfied with the city 64% of the polls respondents said they felt the city was headed in the wrong direction. Even the United Nations condemned Schaafs treatment of the unhoused, saying it constitutes cruel and inhuman treatment and is a violation of multiple human rights, including the rights to life, housing, health and water and sanitation.. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. But homelessness experts say its a quick and cost-effective way to get people indoors. She added that Schaafs administration also changed zoning codes to allow for different types of interim housing. Some political experts say Oakland is a tough city to be in charge of balancing the different interests of residents. San Francisco Mayor London Breed (left) and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf hold baseballs before a between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland As last year at at Oracle Park in San Francisco. Schaaf presided over a city that has gone through a complete transformation, from a housing boom to exploding homelessness. All Rights Reserved.Site by Value-Centered Solutions. While nearly 20,000 new housing units have been built in her time, homelessness also grew by 131% since 2015. Brown endorses candidate in Oakland mayor's race", "Sen. Boxer endorses Schaaf in Oakland Mayoral Race", "Oakland Launches New Transportation Department", "City Of Oakland Starts New Transportation Department", "Advocates hope Oakland's new Department of Transportation will transform city's streets", "Media Advisory: Mayor Libby Schaaf Launches Oakland's First Transportation Department", "City of Oakland starts new transportation department", "Mayor Libby Schaaf Hires Oakland's First Transportation Policy Director", "Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf Institutes Ban On Nighttime Street Protests", "Protests held in Oakland over mayor's new ban on nighttime marches", "Trump Calls Some Unauthorized Immigrants 'Animals' in Rant", "Trump suggests Justice Department investigate Oakland's Democratic mayor for tipping off immigrants", "Oakland Mayor Criticized For Warning People Of Pending Immigration Sweeps", "Jewish mayor of Oakland defends decision to tip off community to immigration raid", "Oakland will give low-income families of color $500 per month, no strings attached", "California Councilwoman Libby Schaaf Targeted With Swastikas in Oakland", "Flyers Of Jewish Councilwoman With Swastika On Her Face Posted In Oakland", "Jewish Oakland mayor defends decision to warn community of immigration raid", "Mayor - Oakland (RCV) Vote for One (1) Only", "Ranked-Choice Voting Accumulated Results - Mayor - Oakland", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Libby_Schaaf&oldid=1132816232, This page was last edited on 10 January 2023, at 18:57. has a bold reparations 17 cars broken into on a single night in this San Francisco neighborhood. Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. It also lays out her political achievements and failures as the citys 50th mayor for the past eight years. She equipped an entire generation of children with college savings accounts and universal preschool. De La Fuentes entry into the campaign, the division in the business community and the lack of a potent Schaaf-backed political operation cost Taylor the race. S.F.s Golden Gate Park has a new feature after storms: more lakes. Oakland Police Officers' Association On the flip side, Mayor Schaaf failed to build 5,000 units of affordable housing, as required by the state to meet Oaklands affordable housing requirements, and only issued permits for 22% of the mandated affordable housing. Oaklands next mayor is eager to hit the ground running. And the new candidates Schaaf backed often entered the races late, lacked sufficient funding and were unprepared, inexperienced and/or poorly vetted. In addition toOakland Cares, Schaaf is also active as the Leadership Council atKiva, another non-profit organization. We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. Its the kind of foundational investments that she did in her tenure that will bear fruit for the city of Oakland in the long-term, Moss said. I have seen true heroism in the public servants who Ive had the honor of serving with and learning from -- especially those magical, brilliant professionals who made up the Mayors Office, aka Team MLS. Thank you to everyone who helped us leave Oakland a more vibrant, equitable city. var sentence = "Copyright " + "© " + year; But the city reached 43% of its very-low-income housing goals, 26% of its low-income housing and 3% of its moderate-income housing goals. The IRS announced you can file your taxes starting Jan. 23. The state auditors financial-risk review of California cities ranked Oakland the 11th-worst for 2020-21. As a Black woman I never want to tear other Black people down, but Schaaf has endorsed Loren Taylor for mayor, and his values, which align with Libby Schaaf, are not the values that will support marginalized people in Oakland. That is understandable because that is what developers want to build, but thats not necessarily what Oakland needs.. In January, Oakland will swear in a new mayor, the 51st in its history. But the 50-year-old former city councilwoman, whose profilers seem unable to describe her without mentioning her high school . And the business community must decide whether it wants to unify to be a potent force in the citys electoral politics or become irrelevant. [37], Schaaf is Jewish. We blew our chance to use it. We cannot afford another year of the Schaaf neoliberal nightmare. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. We created Oakland's first Rainy Day Fund, adopted stronger fiscal practices, and grew the economy leading to Oakland's highest credit rating on record. 311 is an easy-to-remember telephone number that connects you with highly trained City of Oakland Call Center representatives who are ready to help you with requests for non-emergency City services. As Schaaf exits on Jan. 2, she leaves behind a crime-ridden city with inadequate police staffing, unfunded retirement liabilities that have grown from about $2.4 billion a decade ago to $3 billion in 2021, and general fund budget shortfalls projected to reach more than $100 million in each of the next two fiscal years. Schaaf's first roles in local government were as legislative aide to Oakland City Council president Ignacio De La Fuente[10] and special assistant to Oakland mayor Jerry Brown. At least three new ponds are visible in Golden Gate Park after the recent rains attracting birds, frolicking dogs and people taking photos. SACRAMENTO - Governor Gavin Newsom and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf issued the following joint statement regarding the Wood Street encampment clearing: "The Court's indication that it will lift the injunction in a week means Caltrans will hopefully be able to proceed to clean up the most dangerous portion of the . In her first five years, the homicide rate dropped. A Bay Area native, he holds masters degrees in public policy and journalism from University of California, Berkeley. Political experts say that while Oakland is grappling with major issues the housing and homelessness crises and violent crime Schaaf deserves credit for leading the city through some of its toughest times, including the pandemic. Officers say theyre overwhelmed by call volume, and data shows the majority of these calls are for noncriminal events such as issues related to homelessness and mental health. Schaaf also built and ran the first centralized volunteer program for Oakland public schools at theMarcus Foster Institute. 2022-12-11 - Daniel Borenstein is editor of the East Bay Times opinion pages. [36] According to the project's website, the income is funded by private philanthropic donations. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Libby had disappointed so many people., De La Fuente finished a distant third. There was a lot of criticism around the type of cabin, but the fact of the matter is she was thinking about interim housing before most jurisdictions in the region were thinking about it.. The states shortage of affordable homes threatens its golden-ness, Libby Schaaf says. [1], Schaaf won the November 4, 2014 Oakland mayoral election in the 14th round in ranked choice voting with 62.79% of the vote. In 2009, Schaaf graduated from Emerge California, a training program for women who aspire to elected office.[13]. Its the kind of foundational investments that she did in her tenure that will bear fruit for the city of Oakland in the long-term, Moss said. At best, her tenure has been mixed, said Jim Ross, a political consultant based in Oakland. "And it will be for others to decide whether that was a good job or not.". We did not have a structure in place to deal with it. Lets learn more about her in todays article. There are cities that have gone through big transformations when it was said it could never be done. Published: Aug 26, 2022. The cabin community idea was really unheard of at the time, said Moss, who also served as Schaafs chief of staff for the first two years of her mayoralty. Under her watch, Oakland has repeatedly and violently evicted residents of Oakland encampments closing as many as 12 encampments a month. Libby Schaaf was born on November 12, 1965, in Oakland, California. She referenced them as she looked back on her time in office. She has provided coverage on wildfires, mass shootings, the fatal shooting of police officers and massive floods in the North Bay. Her stop at the police department wasn't just symbolism it was a signal to the police that they were her top priority. While market rate housing is constructed for new residents, Oakland has become the third most expensive city in the country for renters, and Black Oaklanders especially face overwhelming displacement pressures. When I became the mayor, it wasnt a top concern. Delving into Schaafs charitable works, let us start with theOakland Cares. The persistent level of vacancies that Oakland has had in key departments, like public works, planning and building, has really impacted Oaklands ability to provide the basic services, Bas said. Under Schaafs watch, displacement has accelerated drastically. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Bas said council members regularly hear from residents about their frustration with the lack of services trash, illegal dumping and sanitation and said its been a significant problem. There is no treatment. Stop giving all our money to an inefficient police department without making necessary changes. While Schaaf ushered in a building boom, Lindheim said the housing crisis in Oakland is worse than ever., They grossly underperformed targets of moderate housing and they greatly over-performed targets of market rate housing, Lindheim said. Funding for the Department of Transportation came from many public resources, including Measure BB,[27] a sales tax approved in November 2014 to fund transportation projects in Alameda County. I dont know whats fair, but my sense is that people are pretty unhappy at the moment with the state of issues in Oakland.. A key component of Schaafs strategy to addressing homelessness is the community cabin program, which moves unhoused people into temporary structures. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Major companies, including Credit Karma, Blue Shield and PG&E, expanded to Oakland, further boosting the citys economy. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! OAKLAND -- At her final news conference Wednesday, outgoing Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf reflected on her eight years at the helm of one of the Bay Area's most enigmatic cities. Outside the Oakland Mayor's office, there is a photo gallery of all the bearded, stern-faced men who have served in the past 168 years. Schaaf said the biggest challenges from her time in office are the problems she inherited from previous administrations from deteriorating roads with no plans to fix them to a non-existent response to homelessness. During her administration, Schaaf capitalized on public private partnerships, using fundraising to launch city programs. [4][5], Schaaf was born in Oakland, California, on November 12, 1965. That is an increase from 93 the year she took office. But the reticence was reinforced by Schaafs lack of a political organization to support campaigns. She is dedicated to public service, community work and is devoted to . In South African townships oppressed because of unemployment, crime, drugs and violence, and where many of the population are suffering from HIV and Aids, this inspiring feature-length documentary follows the journey of six people who transform themselves through yoga, and documents the impact that yoga has on their families, and communities. Rain finally came to California. I did not feel he had a path to victory, no matter how much money was spent.. Despite those advances, some city leaders criticized Schaafs administration for failing to deliver basic city services. As a politician, she needs to maintain a healthy image in the crowd. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and City Administrator Ed Reiskin today released a two-year Proposed Policy Budget for fiscal years 2021-2023. Since then, her support has only risen, according to polls. Loandepot Park Home Plate Box B, Bisquick Fish Batter Without Beer , Palm Cove Hoa Fees , Best Cartridge For 20 Inch Barrel , Llyn Y Fan Fach Fishing , Fallout 4 Companion Console Commands , Homemade Sheep Headgate , Jennifer Dantzscher Pippin Death , Quinn Meinerz Parents , ">. The Just Recovery Budget totals more than $3.85 billion over the next two years, as shown in the table below: "As the City begins to recover from the devastating impact of the COVID pandemic, this Just . My general sense is if Libby cant do it, boy, its going to be hard for anybody because she really had the experience, the skills and the general chops to be able to do it.. People tend to be remembered by the end of their administration and if that Oakland Chamber of Commerce poll is any indication, shes not being well remembered, said Dan Lindheim, a former city administrator and current professor at UC Berkeleys Goldman School of Public Policy. She joined The Chronicle in 2016 after graduating from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. There was a lot of criticism around the type of cabin, but the fact of the matter is she was thinking about interim housing before most jurisdictions in the region were thinking about it.. The tiny Bay Area town modern life forgot: Canyon, California, The wondrous story of Tahoe's most eccentric tycoon, The story behind that odd pantry in the wall in old SF homes, Remembering the ugliest thing San Francisco ever built, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). While making the rounds, she shooed a rat away from a blanket covering someone sleeping in the pergola. Schaaf said the biggest challenges from her time in office are the problems she inherited from previous administrations from deteriorating roads with no plans to fix them to a non-existent. Its been the honor of a lifetime to serve as Oaklands 50th Mayor during the eventful years of 2015-2022. [2][3] Schaaf won re-election in 2018 with a 27% margin. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. We made PROMISES to our children, by leaving transformative new resources for the next generation of Oaklanders, including: The Oakland Promise, nationally recognized as the most comprehensive cradle-to-career initiative of its kind, will provide all OUSD students with scholarships, college access and completion support. Oakland is grappling with a high vacancy rate, with nearly one-fifth of governments jobs currently vacant. Most famously, she sparred with former President Trump after alerting residents that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement could conduct a raid. This was an unreasonable interference with the demonstration given that there had been no serious crimes committed." The mayor cannot press an agenda without the votes on the council.

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