Oakland News: The Oakland Sports Forum Mayoral Debate October 29th

Oakland News: The Oakland Sports Forum Mayoral Debate October 29th

In this Oakland News, the presentation of The Oakland Sports Forum.

The Oakland Sports Forum will be Oakland’s first debate of the Oakland election season that’s focused only on the subject of the future of the sports industry in Oakland. It will be held Wednesday, October 29th, at 6 PM to 8 PM, at Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church, 3534 Lakeshore Ave, just off the intersection of Lakeshore and Mandana. It will be livestreamed via Zennie62 At YouTube.com, and at Zennie62.com, and links will be sent out via Twitter and using the hashtags #oakmtg, #oakmayor, with the specific event hashtag #oaksports.

The Oakland Sports Forum, for which eleven candidates have confirmed, also has it’s own Twitter account @OakSportsForum and Facebook page and Facebook event page.

Finally, candidates are encouraged to bring their supporters, as their will be an online and mobile straw poll, and the winner will be announced at the end of the event.

I’m very excited about this event, and it could not have happened without the approval and cooperation of Pastor H. James Hopkins and Mary Alice Cirimele, the Church Administrator.

As to how it all came about, it was at the Oakland Chamber of Commerce’s District Two Candidates Forum just about two-and-a-half months ago. I wanted to ask a question about the Golden State Warriors planned move to San Francisco, but time ran out. So, in the middle of talking with Issac Kos-Reed after the proceedings, I came up with the idea, which Barbara Leslie, the Chamber’s new President, loved, and that quickly morphed into the Oakland Sports Forum. I quickly went over to Pastor Hopkins, presented the proposal that night, and he loved it.

I then turned to a number of people who have been involved in the sports business in Oakland for help. Chris Dobbins, friend, Oakland School Board Member, and Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Board Member, agreed to be co-moderator with me. Oakland politicos Steve Lowe and Gary Flaxman have been constant sounding boards regarding the formation of the forum. The members of Save Oakland sports deserve a ton of thanks for their collective input and help. My former boss, Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris, had a lot of ideas to bring to the table. An my long-time friend Leigh Steinberg, who created the sports agent industry as we know it, was only too happy to provide his input. So, as with anything like this, I’m not working alone.

All Candidates Have Been Invited

One of the first decisions made was to invite all of the people running for Mayor of Oakland. Some say that I should have invited just a few, but even as the polls seem to point to seven people that may have a chance to get the most votes, the fact is, with Rank Choice Voting, no one can say with centainty who will win. I didn’t want to have a forum where the person who became mayor was someone that wasn’t at the forum because we didn’t invite them.

The prospect of having a large number of candidates pointed to the need for a small number of questions, but I wanted to have space for a real, live, debate. Thus, there are just four questions: three plus a “wild-card”, and all focused on matters of policy. I’ve found there’s a tendency for some to think this is a sports trivia contest; it’s not that at all. The questions reflect real, headline-making decisions the next Mayor of Oakland will have to make at some point in time.

Oakland Could Lose All Three Sports Teams

We’re at a point in time where Oakland could lose all three of its sports teams. The Oakland A’s have made attempts to move to San Jose. The Golden State Warriors have wanted to move to San Francisco. And The Oakland Raiders actions would lead some to think the next stop is Los Angeles or even San Antonio. We’re at a critical juncture where we could wind up completing the pay out of bond money for venues for teams that aren’t even here. Is that what we want? What do the current group of people running to lead our city think about this? To have a place to flesh that out is what the Oakland Sports Forum is all about.

Oakland’s Sports Legacy And The Forum

I’ve also taken time to invite legends in Oakland Sports and not just on the playing field, but in government and in the industry itself. I just want to take a moment at the start of the event to give some thanks via applause to those who have played a role in our rich sports history, and that includes Oakland Councilmembers Like Larry Reid, the current Mayor Jean Quan, Mayor Harris, Councilmembers Rebecca Kaplan and Libby Schaaf, Port Commissioner Bryan Parker and many others – I’ve reached out to a lot of people. Just a moment of thanks that’s designed to send the message that we’re all in this together, as much as we may think we’re apart. Everyone has contributed something positive to our great Oakland Sports history, but we’ve never, not once, done what I’m planning to do.

Then we will get down to business.

There was a lot of emails back and forth about questions for the candidates, and what came of that was a set of three, plus, as mentioned, a “wild card” question. Each person will have one minute to give their answer, but then we will have a full 10 minutes of discussion. During that time, the candidates can ask questions of each other – it’s free forum and the idea is to have a talk that’s lively, informative and productive for the audience. I presented the questions early on because I personally have learned that when you think you have the right answer, when it’s presented in the heat of debate battle, with an audience that’s not the case. I also believe that we can save time if the candidates are better prepared.

It’s important to understand that whoever becomes Mayor of Oakland will have to research the details behind an issue, and not just handle it on the fly. With that in mind, here are the questions:

1. Wild card question from audience submitted beforehand, asked by that person. (1 min per candidate, then 10 minute conversation period with moderators.)
2. The Golden State Warriors are working to build an arena in San Francisco.  Some say the deal is done and its too late to stop it. But others say that the Warriors belong here in Oakland, still owe Oakland and Alameda County rent that would pay off the bond that was issued to pay for arena renovation in 1998, and should not be allowed to skip town. What is your take? (1 min per candidate, then 10 minute conversation period with moderators.)
3. The Oakland Raiders and the Oakland A’s need new stadiums. As I speak, Coliseum City is in the early planning stages, but could progress better – financing has not been completely secured. Is Coliseum City the right approach, and if it’s not, then what would you push for as Mayor? The ballpark waterfront proposal? (1 min per candidate, then 10 minute conversation period with moderators.)
4. The Oakland / Alameda County Joint Powers Authority was formed to provide a government issuing body for the Raider Bonds. Lately, the JPA has been the focus of strained City and County relationships, and I’m presenting that in an open-ended fashion. What, if anything, should be done with the JPA, and as Mayor what will you do to make that happen? (1 min per candidate, then 10 minute conversation period with moderators.)

Regarding the “wild-card” question, if you know your are going to attend the forum, and have a question, please send it to me at [email protected]. I will post the questions, and allow others to vote on them online this week. If you’re there, we’ll give you the chance to ask the question, otherwise, we can do it for you.

If you know of an Oakland Sports Legend you want to bring to the forum, past or present, please do, and send me an email in advance to let me know who they are, and we will make sure to set aside a special place for them in our designated area.

Finally, if you’re a member of the media with special requests, please email me or call 510-517-7565.

Stay tuned.