JLDA has arranged an informal candidates forum for the District 3
City Council election. The forum is this Monday evening (5/19)
starting at 6pm in the Regatta Room of Portobello – 11 Embarcadero
West (entrance at the corner of Oak and Embarcadero).

All three District 3 candidates will be attending: Nancy Nadel, Greg
Hodge, and Sean Sullivan. You can read their candidate statements as
published in the May edition of our newsletter “JLDA Call” below.

The forum will give you to a chance to hear the candidates speak and
ask them questions. Remember the District 3 councilmember is our most
immediate contact with government representation at the City level.

Where: Portobello Regatta Room, 11 Embarcadero West (at Oak and
Embarcadero)
When: 6:00 PM / Monday / May 19th.
Candidates: Nancy Nadel / Greg Hodge / Sean Sullivan
Questions: JLDA Board / Community

Note: JLDA does not endorse any particular candidate for this
election. Their statements below are listed in alphabetical order.

**Greg Hodge**

Our collective public safety depends on more than reactive responses
to incidents of crime. It involves a coordinated response to the
underlying factors that increase the likelihood of crime and
delinquency in our communities. Through prevention and early
intervention programs, we can address high-risk behaviors and
conditions that have become too prevalent. Our strategy will not only
ensure that our community is safe, but also that we can tackle
addiction and unemployment. This is critical.

We need culturally competent diversion programs that reflect the
diversity of the communities that work and live in District 3. This is
the only way we’ll be able to differentiate those who would be better
served by programs than punishment. Research and pilot initiatives
across the nation have demonstrated that when we improve access to
basic needs such as education, health care, housing, and employment
for all of our citizens, we are more likely to have a community in
which our citizens feel safe and our businesses thrive.

A coordinated approach to public safety is one in which our community
stakeholders truly partner with our legal system and justice
stakeholders in order to develop a common voice and approach to
decreasing violence and participation in the underground economy.
Contact us at http://hodgeforoakland.com and share your ideas.

**Nancy Nadel**

As the Councilwoman representing the people of District 3, I’ve
successfully fought special interests, bloated bureaucracy, and City
Hall inaction to achieve real results. I am proud to be endorsed by
the Democratic Party, Assemblymember Sandre Swanson, Supervisor Keith
Carson, Labor Leaders, the Sierra Club, East Bay Young Democrats,
Planned Parenthood and over 100 community leaders and District 3
neighbors, among others. I would be honored to continue to serve as
your Councilwoman.

With your support, I’ve established the Campbell Village Teen
Center, with a second new Center coming; developed youth job
training/conflict resolution programs; expanded funding for hiring
police and the Crimestoppers Program; increased street lighting and
traffic signals for neighborhood safety; opened a credit union near
West Oakland BART; expanded affordable housing; created 6000+ Oakland
jobs during the housing boom; improved Lake Merritt with responsible
zoning; created new dog parks; and introduced legislation protecting
our right to reproductive healthcare without harassment.

More reforms are needed: Safety – increase neighborhood
foot/bike patrols, expand programs to reduce youth homicide;
recruit/retain police officers. Revitalization – Expand Business
Improvement Districts, restore West Oakland Train Station. Greening
Oakland – we’ve improved Bertha, Cleveland Cascades,
Lafayette, Sensory Gardens, Willow parks; must continue with
Raimondi/Fitzgerald parks, and districtwide tree plantings. For
assistance, call: 238-7003. To volunteer: http://votenancynadel.com.

**Sean Sullivan**

Many in the Jack London District know of me through my work at
Covenant House. I am grateful for the support you have given us and
the partnership that has grown since then. Over the last six years, I
have advocated for these youth in Oakland and to provide the services
they need.

I have first-hand experience at getting people off of the streets and
into shelter. Through this work, I have come to learn the needs of the
people in the streets and the services available and needed to get
people into self sufficiency. I was asked to run for city council by
the mother of a homicide victim who knew of my work. Meeting and
talking with some of you, JLD residents also drew me into the race. I
value your concerns about crime, blight and lack of leadership in
Oakland.

A safe, clean, thriving Jack London District is part of my vision and
recognizes the investment you have made in this community. That vision
of vibrancy includes an active and accessible waterfront and a policed
commercial corridor. I believe I have the energy and ability to help
bring growth that will build a solid sustainable future for our youth;
providing safe neighborhoods and opportunities for all of us. We
highly appreciate this opportunity. http://seansullivan.org

I’m glad to learn more about the CORE training, and it does look like a really good program. I encourage everyone to take it. I have not yet, but I’m contacting my building manager today to see about arranging a session for our building.

Thank you for enlightening me on CORE. The reason I brought it up is that I see on a lot of the neighborhood listservs many messages and a real push from the local Councilmember’s office to set up CORE training for your group or street or whatever, but I never see anything from Nancy Nadel about it. But as you remind me, it’s entirely possible they already did a big push in District 3 a while ago.

I find it disturbing that the CORE trainer was not equipped to deal with condos – we have so many of them here!

To be fair on the issue of CORE, Oakland used to try very hard to get neighborhood groups to go to these sessions – Harriet someone? – used to call all the time. The problem is getting people to show up. And the one Core meeting I went to, the trainer kept thinking we lived in houses or that we had building superintendents for multi-res buildings. She didn’t know how to handle this and kept saying that we should contact our HOA. The City needs to learn how to deal with condo buildings!

Oh, and on the subject of poor retail spaces, Margo Lederer Prado is the Queen of this subject in City Planning, but I heard just the other day that she’s now in business retention. My store is in one of those crappy spaces and they had an intern do a great report on how planners could do so much better using my store as an example. It doesn’t help that my “landlord” is a public corp and has no incentive to fill the spaces. I wish there was some serious motivation. It would be better for all.

City Council Members, Planning Commissioners, and City Staff should be asked why they don’t ride bikes to work, especially if they live here in the City. I got a bit of grief from Doug Boxer when I asked for more parking to be provided in new buildings being constructed downtown, because he’d rather see less parking provided (I used to feel this way). But I’ve never seen him on a bus or riding his bike! My point is that people still have cars even if they take public transit or bikes.