Dick Spees urges you to vote for Libby Schaaf for City Council
I told you guys last week why I support Libby Schaaf for Oakland City Council District 4. And while I probably used more words than I needed to, what I was trying to say is that Libby’s deep knowledge of City Hall, her nuts and bolts agenda, and her longstanding devotion to Oakland make her far and away the best candidate out of the choices in this race. Additionally, I wanted to tell my readers that if you think I have been an effective vehicle for your own civic engagement in Oakland, I really hope you will support the person who was and is the same for me.
But it is true, as some commenters have noted, that I do not live in District 4, and I may not be entirely familiar with all the issues residents of that District have to deal with. So today, I want to share with you another plea for a vote for Libby Schaaf for Oakland City Council from someone who knows District 4 more intimately than just about anyone — 24 year District 4 City Councilmember Dick Spees. Here you go.
Dear District 4 Voters,
As your Councilmember of 24 years, I care deeply about our community, which is why I’m supporting Libby Schaaf as District 4’s next Councilmember.
I’ve witnessed Libby’s dedication firsthand for more than thirty years. She has lived in Oakland her entire life (including in Piedmont Pines, Merriewood and Oakmore neighborhoods), and she has volunteered in every corner of our diverse District. She has worked on habitat preservation in Redwood Park, offered free legal counseling at Dimond Library, run a Redwood Heights haunted house for foster kids, tutored at Horace Mann Elementary, and served as a Block Watch Captain in Oakmore, as just a few examples.
Libby left her career as an attorney at Oakland’s prestigious Crosby, Heafey, Roach & May law firm to pursue public service. As a Chief Aide to Councilman De La Fuente and Mayor Jerry Brown, Libby helped reduce crime and revitalize neighborhood commercial districts.
As a Port of Oakland executive, Libby brought millions of dollars to our city, to build infrastructure, reduce pollution, and grow our economy.
Considering our dire financial challenges, Oakland needs a representative with the drive and savvy to reduce City Hall’s budget, while increasing services to neighborhoods.
Libby is the only candidate with the experience to make these changes that Oakland needs. Please vote Libby Schaaf for City Council on November 2nd!
- Dick Spees
Oakland City Council Member, District 4, 1979–2003
P.S. I encourage you to visit www.LibbyForOakland.com to read more about Libby and her specific plans.
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27 Responses to “Dick Spees urges you to vote for Libby Schaaf for City Council”
October 29th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Is this an ad for Viagara?
Sure reminds me of Bob and Libby Dole!
Dick-for-Libby.com
October 29th, 2010 at 1:41 pm
Of course Dick Spees supports Jean Quan for Mayor, too. The following YouTube video counts as a “passionate plea” from Dick to vote for Jean. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2m07ScuCY8)
Is there some basis on which you want your readers to give credit to Spees’ endorsement of Libby but not to his endorsement of Jean?
Personally, I’m quite happy with Spees’ endorsements of both of these fine public servants!
October 29th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Jim –
I think it’s fair for people to decide on their own how much they want to weigh any given endorsement. I agree with Spees about Libby, and I disagree with him about Jean.
Since most of the comments that were not in favor of Libby on my original post were not questioning her citywide knowledge and experience, but rather, her familiarity with District 4 specifically, and I do not live in the District, I thought it would be helpful for people who have those particular concerns to share the perspective from the person who knows D4 better than anyone.
October 29th, 2010 at 2:24 pm
I want to thank you V for repeating the same mantra Libby Schaaf repeats at the top of her lungs every chance she gets.
Libby: I am the City Hall insider! City Hall endorses me! Look at all these endorsements from people who have failed at governing!
Dick: Libby is the City Hall insider! I endorse Libby! I am a City Hall insider!
V: Libby is a City insider, I endorse Libby! I see her all the time at City Hall!
Insiders have yet to learn that this is a losing strategy in today’s political environment. But keep going and keep spreading the word!
October 29th, 2010 at 4:12 pm
That’s pretty funny Greg, but I agree. The fact that most of the current council supports her, makes her even less attractive to me.
October 29th, 2010 at 7:04 pm
just so every knows Greg M is not Gregory McConnell
October 29th, 2010 at 7:32 pm
i’m losing track of the gregs.
is gregory mcconnell THE GREGORY MCCONNELL ?
October 29th, 2010 at 7:49 pm
with zillions of mailers arriving each day, do normal voters actually read any of them?
heck with campaign finance reform, how about voter opt-outs to get email instead of mailers and robo calls? then make PACs respect the opt-outs.
October 29th, 2010 at 8:04 pm
To heck with opt outs, it should be opt-ins. When I get all that crap in the mail it goes straight to the recycling bin.
I wonder if people would even open the e-mail before deleting it. I have been attracted to the banners showing up on the websites I’ve been browsing today.
October 29th, 2010 at 9:22 pm
I spoke with Joe Tuman today. He just seems like such a real person. He knows how to listen. I really like the guy. I know who I am voting for, I just cannot figure out what order 1, 2 or 3. I guess I will just have to vote with my heart on line one.
October 30th, 2010 at 12:56 am
RdwithCypress, what would tip you towards voting Joe #1?
October 30th, 2010 at 5:23 am
I think Joe pretty much wrapped it up for me last night. I believe he would actually serve my community in West Oakland if he wins. Believe me when I say, East and West need representation we can trust. Nancy Nadel is absent. I know she owns a home in West but I don’t think she even really lives here and she definitely does not do anything for the people here. I thing Joe turned a lot of heads last night in my community. I know they say he is a long shot but he has my first line and I sure hope he wins.
October 30th, 2010 at 10:19 am
what is this about? This press release just arrived in my email box this am. I did receive the mailer mentioned below, yesterday, with no disclosure…..
Alameda County Democratic Central Committee Violates Oakland Campaign LawsExpenditure on Behalf of Candidate Libby Schaaf lacks required Disclosure
OAKLAND, Calif.- Yesterday, voters in Oakland City Council District 4 received a mailing from the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee (ACDCC) that did not contain the disclosure required by the Oakland Campaign Reform Act (OCRA). The true source of financing for the mailer in support of candidate Libby Schaaf is also in question because required campaign disclosure documents were not filed with the City Clerk’s office or the Secretary of State.
“As the former chair of the Oakland Public Ethics Commission, I believe it is imperative for everyone to follow campaign laws,” said Ralph Kanz, also a candidate for the District 4 office. “The Central Committee flyer does not have the required Notice to Voters disclosing both who paid for the mailer and how much it cost. Without this required information the voters are denied a transparent and ethical election process.”
On October 16 the ACDCC reported having $5,537.86 in the bank, far less than the costs reported for recent mailings comparable to the one supporting Schaaf. Late on October 28 the ACDCC did report to the Secretary of State that it had received a $15,000 contribution from OakPAC, the political arm of the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. As of late yesterday afternoon neither OakPAC or the ACDCC had filed any reports with the City Clerk concerning this mailer or recent contributions.
Both OakPAC and the ACDCC endorsed Schaaf, but in the case of the ACDCC they have admitted that the endorsement process was corrupted. A September 13, 2010 email from Robin Torello, Chair of the ACDCC, to Kanz states “I am aware of one, and only one, instance in your race where unauthorized information was provided to a candidate. I do not know the source of the information or how the candidate received it.” In spite of knowing the process was corrupted, the ACDCC went forward with the process of endorsing a candidate.
“It is ironic that two days after Ms. Schaaf condemned an opponent who received the benefit of a legally reported independent expenditure, she has benefited from a mailer that violates OCRA and possibly State law as well,” said Kanz. “Monday morning I will be filing complaints concerning any and all violations surrounding this mailer. Leadership demands people who speak the truth. How candidates respond to this violation of the law speaks volumes about how they will lead the City.”
October 30th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
Alameda County Democratic Central Committee Violates Oakland Campaign LawsExpenditure on Behalf of Candidate Libby Schaaf lacks required Disclosure.
amiorlyoded- Thanks for posting! I’m going to look for a weblink and forward to our neighborhood groups.
October 31st, 2010 at 5:50 pm
The deception here is that Dick spees has nothing politically in common with Libby Schaaf. His recommendation in this race merely reflects one City Hall insider trying to promote another City Hall insider. We can do better. That’s why I voted for Jill Broadhurst.
October 31st, 2010 at 6:53 pm
The more one learns of Schaaf’s political opportunism, the more the air comes out of her campaign. District 1 has been her district for the last 20 years. As an adult Libby has not lived in District 4. She moved here several months ago just to take a Council seat. Not because she cares about the D4.
Public records don’t lie.
This is why Libby is mailing all those silly ‘roots’ mailings. She is trying to distract from her carpet bagging truth.
Vote anyone but Libby Schaaf and you will have a Council person who lives in D4 and cares about D4.
October 31st, 2010 at 7:00 pm
From another poster regarding Schaaf’s D4 arrival several months ago:
http://sf.blockshopper.com/property/13-1126-18/76_ramona/
This public record shows the sale of 76 Ramona Avenue and the sellers names, May 18, 2010.
To verify that 76 Ramona is in city council district 1, enter address at city website:
http://gismaps.oaklandnet.com/councils/Default.aspx
Ms Schaaf rented a house to move into District 4 this summer.
October 31st, 2010 at 7:01 pm
Once again, that is not true. I don’t remember exactly when Libby moved, but I had dinner at her Oakmore house in early January. So obviously she didn’t move there this summer.
October 31st, 2010 at 7:05 pm
IJ, Dick Spees is hardly a City Hall insider. He probably wasn’t an insider even in his heyday 20 years ago., even though he was influential.
if you see a pattern in his endorsements of last few years, let me know what it is. Isn’t he a liberal republican who endorses Quan?
October 31st, 2010 at 7:08 pm
Wow V – dinner in January, still less than a year ih D4. It’s OK that you support Libby, just stop with the nonsense, she is carpet bagging. Be OK that and move on.
You are supporting your friend, nothing more, nothing less.
October 31st, 2010 at 7:11 pm
I think these pro Schaff front pages by V Smoothe are doing more harm to Libby Schaaf’s campaign than good. Interesting turn of events.
October 31st, 2010 at 7:43 pm
Interesting that Ralph Kanz put out that press release since he’s clearly (and aggressively) pushing and endorsing Jill Broadhurst. Since his own D4 council candidate campaign miserably failed, it’s interesting to see him push forth this supposed violation in the last days of the election without identifying himself as an edorser of Jill Broadhurst. Talk about lack of transparency and ethics!
October 31st, 2010 at 7:51 pm
Caliblonieus, Ralph Kanz put out a formal press release endorsing Jill. Does he need to say it everytime he speaks. Everyone knows Ralph supports Jill, it’s even in one of Broadhurst’s mailers. Ralph’s ethics are good and to suggest otherwise is ridiculous.
October 31st, 2010 at 8:06 pm
Caliblondieus, do you condone campaign finance violations in general or just for your favored candidate? Do you find yourself looking the other way when Libby’s campaign violates the law but hypercritical of others even when they don’t. Do you have one standard for your favorite and another for everyone else. If you answered in the afffirmative to any of these, please refer to your Webster’s dictionary for a discussion of the meaning of the word, hypocrite.
October 31st, 2010 at 8:06 pm
Caliblondieus, do you condone campaign finance violations in general or just for your favored candidate? Do you find yourself looking the other way when Libby’s campaign violates the law but hypercritical of others even when they don’t. Do you have one standard for your favorite and another for everyone else. If you answered in the afffirmative to any of these, please refer to your Webster’s dictionary for a discussion of the meaning of the word, hypocrite.
November 1st, 2010 at 5:48 am
I got a flyer this weekend from Libby. Seems that everyone that I blame for the financial crisis in Oakland is supporting her.
November 2nd, 2010 at 9:35 am
Dick-for-Libby:
Dick Spees is a board member of the Executive Committee of Oak Chamber of Commerce:
http://www.oaklandchamber.com/about/board%202009-2010.asp
Yet, as reported in the EBExpress yesterday, neither the Alameda Democratic Party of the Oak Chamber of Commerce did not file disclosure forms with last weeks’ Schaaf mailer.
“appears to have been funded by the Oakland Chamber of Commerce’s political committee.”
“the Democratic Party has not yet reported the expenditure to the Oakland City Clerk as required by law.”
“Alameda County Democratic Central Committee, did not immediately return a phone call as to why his group has not filed the proper disclosure forms.
“Colbruno’s business partner, John Gooding, is head of OakPAC, the chamber’s political arm. Gooding also did not return a phone call seeking comment.”
My appreciation to Ralph Kranz for filing complaints with the PEC and the CA State Fair Political Practices Commission about this abuse.