Comments on: Open Thread

By: Gold Coast 94612

Gold Coast 94612 — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:30:33 +0000

Mayor Dellums on WED said this about his upcoming State of the City:

“It’s a once-a-year opportunity to directly communicate with the community in a way that’s unfiltered by the media and I plan to seize that moment.”

I know that he means that the state of the city is just once a year, but there is nothing keeping him from communicating with Oakland residents the other 364 days. He simply chooses not to.

http://www.foxreno.com/news/22599974/detail.html

By: livegreen

livegreen — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 06:57:32 +0000

http://UCMeP.wordpress.com/ (PS. It’s satire

By: livegreen

livegreen — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 21:27:34 +0000

Regarding DP’s plans, I have no idea what he plans for Oakland. I guess this will come out when the election gets started, but I’m negative on both our leading candidates for the same reason. They better show both Vision & their Plan to accomplish that vision. Otherwise it’s a crap-shoot.

By: len raphael

len raphael — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:52:40 +0000

LG, if voters were encouraged to give their email addresses in return for getting put on a do not snailmail political mailing list, it would dramatically reduce the lower the entry cost for candidates. there is a field now on the registration form to give that, but many voters for all the usual reasons, see political junk mail as more instrusive than snailmail junk mail.

(we caught a raft of s_t when I mass emailed for Pat McCullough’s cc campaign)

if dp found some good state board position(s) for his potential opponents, they might just pull out…

gotta wonder is dp planning to balance oakland’s deficit by hurting union workers or by raising parcel taxes sky high? or is he so confident that prop 13 will be modified in time to save oakland by raising rates or using split rolls?

-len

By: livegreen

livegreen — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:55:55 +0000

I like the NOTA idea David. I agree Ralph, I think if he runs he’s going for IRV. But there’s no way to tell how that will play out. & if others jump in the race, the debate platforms better be open to them too.

I do agree with JQ that Russo shouldn’t raise the $ limit for contributions. People are just going to get mailed over with repetitive redundant empty junk mail (it will be bad enough as it is).

By: david vartanoff

david vartanoff — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:01:38 +0000

So the Kagemusha (shadow warrior) will be wheeled out once again to fool the opposing army. Even more than IRV we need the none of the above system (if NOTA gets a plurality, all the others are defeated and new candidates must run)) with the added rule that anyone defeated by NOTA be banned from running for two cycles.

By: Ralph

Ralph — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:46:56 +0000

lg, heard that same rumor – wonder if thinks enough people are disgusted with DP’s tactics and JQ’s lack of fiscal responsibility, that he can exploit IRV to his advantage. Despite what he says, I think it really is about him. Right about now, I would pick Richard Nixon over any of these candidates. Why is there such a void in Oakland leadership?

By: livegreen

livegreen — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 05:45:00 +0000

I’ve heard an interesting rumor that our beloved Mayor will be running again…

By: Naomi Schiff

Naomi Schiff — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 17:20:14 +0000

Really enjoyed the morning newspapers with their BART fail news! Congratulations and thanks to those who worked on this.

By: Livegreen

Livegreen — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 16:02:55 +0000

Somebody forwarded me a link to the great “Monorail”-Music Man parody from the Simpsons. Entertaining and entirely appropriate. Enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEZjzsnPhnw