Comments on: 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza: Oakland’s most expensive child-care center http://www.abetteroakland.com/1-frank-ogawa-plaza-oaklands-most-expensive-child-care-center/2008-11-18 The Continuing Story of a City Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:06:35 +0000 hourly 1 By: Patrick http://www.abetteroakland.com/1-frank-ogawa-plaza-oaklands-most-expensive-child-care-center/2008-11-18#comment-29871 Patrick Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:24:42 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=1288#comment-29871 I see both sides of the issue. I do understand the desire to have something physically left behind as a result of spending Pay-Go funds. But, if something can be built with the assistance of labor that can be had for the cost of a DJ and some cole slaw, it seems that is an intelligent leveraging of the funds. However, I would disagree with using Pay-Go for a party in and of itself. That is a "feel good" measure that may win votes, but doesn't have any lasting impact on the neighborhood. I see both sides of the issue. I do understand the desire to have something physically left behind as a result of spending Pay-Go funds. But, if something can be built with the assistance of labor that can be had for the cost of a DJ and some cole slaw, it seems that is an intelligent leveraging of the funds. However, I would disagree with using Pay-Go for a party in and of itself. That is a “feel good” measure that may win votes, but doesn’t have any lasting impact on the neighborhood.

]]> By: ConcernedOakFF http://www.abetteroakland.com/1-frank-ogawa-plaza-oaklands-most-expensive-child-care-center/2008-11-18#comment-29869 ConcernedOakFF Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:08:27 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=1288#comment-29869 I honestly believe that Ms. Brooks is certifiable, but that's another topic.... However, this entire exchange between the two of them is like a sandbox fight. Why are we letting ANYONE spend ANYTHING without full council approval in the current financial situation? This is exactly the type of discretionary funding that needs to be cut, as ripe as it is for corruption (which I believe is the type of behavior Ms. Brooks has displayed in the past) I honestly believe that Ms. Brooks is certifiable, but that’s another topic….

However, this entire exchange between the two of them is like a sandbox fight.

Why are we letting ANYONE spend ANYTHING without full council approval in the current financial situation?

This is exactly the type of discretionary funding that needs to be cut, as ripe as it is for corruption (which I believe is the type of behavior Ms. Brooks has displayed in the past)

]]> By: V Smoothe http://www.abetteroakland.com/1-frank-ogawa-plaza-oaklands-most-expensive-child-care-center/2008-11-18#comment-29864 V Smoothe Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:37:09 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=1288#comment-29864 Okay, after I posted this yesterday, I had like a dozen people forward me this e-mail the Desley Brooks sent out last Friday urging people to support her at the Council. <a href="http://www.abetteroakland.com/documents/brookspaygoemail.pdf" rel="nofollow">This is what she sent (PDF)</a>. I think some of these people assumed I had not seen the e-mail before writing this post (I had). I also got the impression that many of these people appear to think that this justifies Ignacio's behavior and the e-mail he sent out attacking her for no reason. Um, it doesn't. Both of them are behaving like children. Okay, after I posted this yesterday, I had like a dozen people forward me this e-mail the Desley Brooks sent out last Friday urging people to support her at the Council. This is what she sent (PDF). I think some of these people assumed I had not seen the e-mail before writing this post (I had). I also got the impression that many of these people appear to think that this justifies Ignacio’s behavior and the e-mail he sent out attacking her for no reason. Um, it doesn’t. Both of them are behaving like children.

]]> By: Max Allstadt http://www.abetteroakland.com/1-frank-ogawa-plaza-oaklands-most-expensive-child-care-center/2008-11-18#comment-29565 Max Allstadt Wed, 19 Nov 2008 07:42:19 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=1288#comment-29565 Live blogging here. Holy crap, I just totally agreed with Nancy Nadel for the first time in ages. She just said something like "Why are we wasting two hours discussing something that's going nowhere". If you want to see the video of how it went down between Brooks and De La Fuente, check out this clip: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2310793759590308888&hl=en Live blogging here. Holy crap, I just totally agreed with Nancy Nadel for the first time in ages. She just said something like “Why are we wasting two hours discussing something that’s going nowhere”.

If you want to see the video of how it went down between Brooks and De La Fuente, check out this clip:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2310793759590308888&hl=en

]]> By: len raphael http://www.abetteroakland.com/1-frank-ogawa-plaza-oaklands-most-expensive-child-care-center/2008-11-18#comment-29500 len raphael Wed, 19 Nov 2008 04:11:32 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=1288#comment-29500 maybe nadel's constituents were so taken (in) by her that she didn't have to use her pay-go to get re-elected, but in district 1 election campaign I came across a wide swath of young parents who warbled the praises of the incumbent telling me how wonderful the incumbent was to pay for some for some very basic improvements at two or three of the local elementary schools (that should have come out ousd budget.) the parents' expectations of ousd were so pathetically low that the modest pay-go money had a disproportionate effect. in the current and foreseeable next several years of an incredibly shrinking city budget, cap the pay-go at 75K/year without any carryovers of unused amounts. remove the "capital expenditure" requirement because residents can get a whole bunch more bang for the buck out of a bunch of block parties than 4 blocks of new sidewalk. maybe nadel’s constituents were so taken (in) by her that she didn’t have to use her pay-go to get re-elected, but in district 1 election campaign I came across a wide swath of young parents who warbled the praises of the incumbent telling me how wonderful the incumbent was to pay for some for some very basic improvements at two or three of the local elementary schools (that should have come out ousd budget.) the parents’ expectations of ousd were so pathetically low that the modest pay-go money had a disproportionate effect.

in the current and foreseeable next several years of an incredibly shrinking city budget, cap the pay-go at 75K/year without any carryovers of unused amounts. remove the “capital expenditure” requirement because residents can get a whole bunch more bang for the buck out of a bunch of block parties than 4 blocks of new sidewalk.

]]> By: Max Allstadt http://www.abetteroakland.com/1-frank-ogawa-plaza-oaklands-most-expensive-child-care-center/2008-11-18#comment-29421 Max Allstadt Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:01:01 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=1288#comment-29421 I'm not against giving logistical support to a group of volunteer performers and cooks that want to have a festival in a park. If a councilmember can offer to pay for insurance and equipment rental after citizens get their act together, that seems like a fitting role to me. I also don't mind councilmembers having the resources to pay for things like street trees and trash cans. However, when the tree has a sign on it that says it was payed for by a particular councilmember, that sign constitutes campaigning as far as I'm concerned. I’m not against giving logistical support to a group of volunteer performers and cooks that want to have a festival in a park. If a councilmember can offer to pay for insurance and equipment rental after citizens get their act together, that seems like a fitting role to me.

I also don’t mind councilmembers having the resources to pay for things like street trees and trash cans. However, when the tree has a sign on it that says it was payed for by a particular councilmember, that sign constitutes campaigning as far as I’m concerned.

]]> By: Tab http://www.abetteroakland.com/1-frank-ogawa-plaza-oaklands-most-expensive-child-care-center/2008-11-18#comment-29415 Tab Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:42:05 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=1288#comment-29415 This is exactly why Pay-Go is a horrible way to govern in the first place. If you can't get five votes on the Council for a program, then it shouldn't happen...period. That's the way representative government works. To allow each CM a pot of money to spread around their district as they wish--regardless of the restrictions--is to give them a tremendous re-election advantage, which is the last thing we need. Oakland already has a congenital re-election pathology. This is exactly why Pay-Go is a horrible way to govern in the first place. If you can’t get five votes on the Council for a program, then it shouldn’t happen…period. That’s the way representative government works.

To allow each CM a pot of money to spread around their district as they wish–regardless of the restrictions–is to give them a tremendous re-election advantage, which is the last thing we need. Oakland already has a congenital re-election pathology.

]]> By: Patrick http://www.abetteroakland.com/1-frank-ogawa-plaza-oaklands-most-expensive-child-care-center/2008-11-18#comment-29409 Patrick Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:14:40 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=1288#comment-29409 Nice. I really like the "sweeper witch" that runs between the two of them. Or is that Kernighan trying to keep them apart? Nice. I really like the “sweeper witch” that runs between the two of them. Or is that Kernighan trying to keep them apart?

]]> By: Max Allstadt http://www.abetteroakland.com/1-frank-ogawa-plaza-oaklands-most-expensive-child-care-center/2008-11-18#comment-29402 Max Allstadt Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:47:49 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=1288#comment-29402 Max would like to jump in and sternly demand that they solve their differences using this wonderful local innovation in dispute resolution: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhW1dbjCT2s Max would like to jump in and sternly demand that they solve their differences using this wonderful local innovation in dispute resolution:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhW1dbjCT2s

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