Oakland News: Mayor Quan Says Chinese Read More Newspapers Than “Average American”

This Oakland News starts with my inability to get this comment Oakland Mayor Jean Quan made out of my head.

In 2011, I found a video-clip where Mayor Quan had appeared before a Chinese media group in San Francisco and said “First, let me say to the Chinese American media: we know that members of the Chinese community, and our immigrant community probably read more papers than any average American. I think the average Chinese immigrant was reading two to three papers a day. If anything, our people probably keep newspapers alive in our part of the World, because, if you notice the Tribune is shrinking, and they’re using the Oakland name. But the Chinese community with the reading of newspapers and the Internet, is expanding and it doesn’t seem to shrink. I also note, frankly, that the Chinese community does a better job of reporting local issues, does better research, than the media as a whole (applause), particularly complex issues. And of course, for our community, we’re often invisible in the media. And we often catch the stories that the media won’t run…”

Ok, I want you to think about that, and in this context: take what Jean said and then remove “Chinese” and replace it with “Causasian,” or “white”. Mayor Quan would have been immediately branded a racist. What bothers me is that Quan said this as the sitting Mayor of Oakland, and it was ignored by the traditional media, proving that she was correct, to a degree.

But the point is I don’t care that she has that view, but I do care that Quan’s the Mayor of Oakland and holds that point of view. Match that comment with her other statement that Oakland’s no longer a black town – one that she made to the National Journal. Quan was very quick to let all know that there were fewer African Americans in Oakland. Quan told the NJ that she reported to someone in an email that ““And so, you asked me what my challenge is. Well, my challenge is to let people know what the new Oakland looks like. Somebody just sent me an email saying, ‘Oh, you should have more black police since more than 50 percent of your residents are black.’ And I’m like, ‘Actually, no, 28 percent of my residents are black, but we’re pretty evenly divided between blacks, whites, Latinos, and Asians these days.’ But that’s their image of Oakland–and this is somebody who lives in the Bay Area.”

Here’s the video that I presented in 2011:

It’s disturbing that Quan would chose to focus on telling someone in the Bay Area that Oakland’s not a black city. It makes me think Mayor Quan’s working with the editor and publisher of Oakland Magazine to show that our city’s almost completely devoid of black people. (The latest issue of Oakland Magazine, as of this writing, has one photo of one black person that has nothing to do with a paid ad. And that picture comes with a subject that impacts low-income African Americans. In other words, black faces are used in articles about perceived ‘black problems’. That’s Oakland Magazine, and I’m not kidding.)

I don’t think Jean wakes up and puts a white hood over her head, but I am starting to think she has what’s best referred to as a ‘Chinese superiority complex’ which is just as bad as the white version.

Bryan Parker Joe Tuman Crash Wellstone Democratic Club Endorsement Meeting

I posted this last week, but it’s worth repeating:

The Wellstone Democratic Club is the latest focal point for the craziness that has become the 2014 Oakland Mayor’s Race. The organization, over 200-strong, is going to held its endorsement meeting to determine who to back to be the next political leader of Oakland.
Due to the actions of some Wellstone members like Community Activist Pamela Drake – a backer of Oakland Mayor Jean Quan and a very vocal and involved club member – candidates Joe Tuman and Bryan Parker, two of the best known and well moneyed participants, were not invited to the meeting.Washington
Her claim was that Parker and Tuman were not progressive. Joe was so upset over that view, he used choice words to pepper his comments to me.
So Joe Tuman and Bryan Parker crashed the party – on my encouragement. I even tried to get Sam Washington and Micheal Johnson, who are running for Mayor and District Six City Council, respectively, to go. Johnson did. Washington was celebrating his 18th wedding anniversary.
It’s very wrong to exclude people who are running for the office. It’s galling. It’s even more so when you realize that Parker and Tuman provide a powerful challenge to Mayor Quan.
Fortunately, it was Pam Drake who paved the way for Parker and Tuman to speak when they arrived. That was a great thing to do rather than cause a sir by trying to kick them out.
Because Tuman and Parker arrived, there was no candidate who got the 55 percent majority of votes to land the endorsement – Quan and Oakland Councilmember Libby Schaaf got the most votes.

Acts Full Gospel Church Excludes Press, Public From Mayor’s Debate

An in the sprit of exclusion that seems to be spreading like a virus in Oakland Politics, we have the Acts Full Gospel Church holding Monday’s debate, but excluding all of the public and all of the press save for the Oakland Post under the legendary Paul Cobb.

I don’t care that Cobb gets an exclusive, but I do care that Acts Full Gospel Church and Bishop Bob were the one’s doing the excluding. The result was only about 60 people for the debate. The candidates should have just walked out of the event.
Next time please do that.

Brenda Roberts Is Running For Oakland Auditor

Just as I predicted, the recently open seat for Oakland Auditor has a lone candidate for it: Brenda Roberts, CPA. Ms Robert’s name is listed on the official City of Oakland elections pdf document, but it’s hard to pin down good information about her. She’s just filed her statement of intent with the Oakland City Clerk, but the phone number listed next to her reported role as Director of Internal Audit at AAA Northern California give a voice mail and a name not hers.

Still, Courtney Ruby’s got to decide what she’s going to do as the walls are starting to close in on her politically. I said this was going to happen. Right now, Ms. Roberts’ name is the only one for Oakland Auditor. Ruby’s efforts at running for Mayor aren’t going well and she’s the sitting Oakland Auditor. What’s she going to do? Let’s sit back and watch this play out.

Warriors Rick Welts Says They Are Not A Priority For Oakland

I had the pleasure of meeting Golden State Warriors President Rick Welts at the Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club Breakfast to kick off SF Pride Parade Sunday. (As an aside, I was honored to be part of media for the weekend but dismayed that I was one of a minority of straight folks covering it. It endangers the LGBT message to have polarization be the norm. )

At any rate, when I was introduced to Welts, I immediately asked and then demanded that he keep the team in Oakland. Rick said that was not going to happen as they already purchased Salesforce land at $180 million. I said that the Warriors were not leaving Oakland without a fight, to which he said that “The Warriors aren’t Oakland’s priority.” I said “you mean Jean (Quan the Mayor)”, and Rick looked down for a beat, said nothing about Jean, but just shook his head. Then we shook hands, with me saying “You’re not leaving Oakland. We need owners to be boosters of Oakland.”

I then went to track down Quan and also Oakland Port Commissioner Michael Colbruno. I told Jean we needed to sue the Warriors (because they owe the Coliseum JPA $60 million in base rental payments that would pit the JPA against Oakland and Alameda County in a collection fight if the Warriors skipped town.) Mayor Quan just waved me off like I was nothing. I don’t like that aspect of Jean’s behavior, and it’s really something she needs to stop doing.

After I blasted the Warriors on Twitter, Colbruno then said via tweet that he and Quan pitched the waterfront to Welts. Well, I didn’t see them talking after I talked to Rick, and I know because I went over to Jean right away. Maybe they caught each other later, but I saw Rick leave the room. At any rate, Welts didn’t mention it to me at the time, and Colbruno didn’t square the timing of their encounter with me.

Whatever the case, Warriors brass has made it known many times that Oakland has leadership problems, and by that they mean not just Mayor Quan but everyone – but mostly Jean. Oakland’s electeds need to get some real balls and stand up for the city. Right now, we’re being made fun of left and right.

A member of the San Francisco Hotel Council, where I was a guest at their table at the same breakfast event, told me that Quan gave a speech to the Bay Conservation and Development Commission, where she said “At first, I didn’t think the Warriors leaving Oakland for San Francisco was a big deal, but now I get it.” His mouth was agape.

Oakland’s Number Nine Most Dangerous In America

I close by reporting that Oakland’s the ninth most dangerous city in America. That’s better than when we were number 3 in 2010. But our rate of robberies is such that there’s a one in 12 chance you’ll get hit.

That happened Monday night, in Adams Point, where a black man with a white hoodie robbed a woman, got in a silver car, and it drove off as she screamed. But not before the man got off a gun shot – the bullet grazed a car nearby, but it could have been a person.

Frankly, I’m tired of reading that it’s generally a black man doing the crime. Maybe we as African Americans in Oakland should vow to take up the act of a public flogging of anyone black who does this.
No, I’m not signing on to Mayor Quan’s racist view of the World, ether. Racism created the climate where some young black men see no way to a better life than taking things from people. Ending racism and bringing in more diverse job opportunities can do the trick. Oakland hasn’t done that.

Stay tuned.