A Better Oakland » gossip

And the horse-trading begins

V Smoothe — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:07:00 +0000

Rumor has it Paulette Hogan has cut a deal with Don Perata. She’s dropping out of the mayoral race in exchange for him giving her and Sanjiv Handa 5 minutes to speak on every agenda item at any Council or committee meeting that they attend. Councilmembers and staff are understandably freaking out, as this would lengthen council meetings by 2-3 hours. How’s that for public input?

Wither the Acorn prosecutions?

V Smoothe — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:04:09 +0000

Remember what a big dog and pony show OPD put on when they rounded up The Edge’s nephew and others in the sweep of the Acorn project? I swear, didn’t they roll in their with tanks? You will recall that police had been mightily embarrassed in the Chauncey Bailey Project reportage, which included the fact that the YBMB raid was delayed because two cops were on a camping trip. Cops made a big deal about the arrests but most of those arrested were soon set loose. (Hush-hush!) A source now reveals the reason. Word is a certain former police department official, under increasing pressure from the Council about incessant overspending, thought he could bring in a little extra cash by renting out spare space in the building. In the process of trying to make some extra room, he tossed all the department’s saved evidence. Oops! Now we really can’t arrest our way out of the problem.

OPD: A little too choosy?

V Smoothe — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:54:01 +0000

Rumor has it that former City Administrator Deborah Edgerly, who has been unemployed since her termination last year, was recently turned down for admission into Oakland’s police academy. According to her attorney, she is planning to sue, alleging that the agility test discriminated against her on the basis of her age and gender. City Attorney John Russo declined to comment, stating it was a violation of the City Charter for any government official to provide meaningful and honest responses to the public.

SPOTTED on Clay Street

V Smoothe — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:21:01 +0000

Former Green Rebecca Kaplan may not have been fighting for a parking space, but she’s not the low-carbon diva she claims to be. One citizen caught her unloading her bicycle from a snazzy yellow Hummer a few blocks from City Hall. Pedal power, indeed.

POLITICAL PARTYING

V Smoothe — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:17:48 +0000

A certain wannabe Oakland mayor hosted dinner for a dozen of his closest friends at one of Rockridge’s most exclusive restaurants last weekend. According to a political consultant who moonlights as a maitre d, The Don spent the entire remainder of the California Democratic Party’s election budget on some choice meats. The whole hog, that’s for sure.

From kitten to cougar

V Smoothe — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:01:57 +0000

Scandal-ridden School Board Member Chris Dobbins got in a heap of trouble for a late-night date with an underage student last year, but he claimed he’s changed his ways. Now we get some confirmation that his tastes in the ladies may be maturing: one gossiper spotted him wining and dining in Glenview with an older woman: League of Women Voters President Helen Hutchinson.

CANYON QUAN?

V Smoothe — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:50:59 +0000

Jean Quan has suddenly starting backing off her plans to run for mayor of Oakland. While the official story is that she is scared to go up against Don “whole hog” Perata, a tipster thinks he has another explanation. The erstwhile Montclarion was just spotted over the hill, collecting her mail at the post office – in Canyon! That’s just a burb too far.

SPOTTED: Nancy Nadel not so enviro-friendly?

V Smoothe — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:33:33 +0000

Ultra-lefty stateswoman Nancy Nadel got a lot of flack for backing bans of styrofoam cups and plastic bags. But what did our West Oakland maven tote to the NCPC last night? According to one crime preventer, she pulled a styrofoam box of Jamaican take-out from a plastic bag. Note to Nancy: that won’t get your groove back.

KISS AND MAKE UP?

V Smoothe — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:26:33 +0000

Some of Oakland’s gossipy gadlys have noticed that longtime enemies Desley Brooks and Ignacio de la Fuente have been voting together quite a bit lately. Several people saw them leave Pican recently after a late-night dinner date. Kissing and making up? One bourbon-soused diner says it looked like more than that.

OVERHEARD at the Den

V Smoothe — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:13:45 +0000

Bespoke suited developer Phil Tagami, while buying drinks for one and all, won’t leave his theater lust at the Fox. A tipsy source reports that he’s planning to transform the Parkway into an ultra-exclusive $100 a ticket venue, with the aid of $60m in city money. How’s that for attracting Hollywood?