Oakland News: Parker For Mayor Buzz, Fruitvale Station At Grand Lake

Oakland News: Bryan Parker, Fruitvale Station At Grand Lake Theater, Police Substation At Adams Point.

Bryan Parker For Mayor Of Oakland Reaches Successful Campaign Milestone

Bryan Parker, the Oakland digital company exec who’s running for Mayor Of Oakland, held a campaign fund raiser last night at Liege in Old Oakland that was so successful, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan should be on alert.

The Bryan Parker For Mayor effort set $20,000 as a reachable goal for their preliminary fund raising efforts, and more than surpassed it. As Mr. Parker, who this blogger’ supporting in his run, said today “We are at $24,000 now, and it’s just the day after (the event).”

Indeed, it was so great, and so many people showed up to the event, that attendees were spilling outside and to the sidewalk.

Parker’s campaign is called “Tilt Oakland Forward,” and he said before last night, that if it can reach its goal of $20,000 between June 19 and June 29, it will be a quantifiable, public demonstration of support for his run for Mayor Of Oakland.

Folks, Mr. Parker is there, so count him in as official.

Here’s a video from Mr. Parkers event at Uptown Body And Fender:

He’s using Crowdtilt, the crowdfunding platform, to help him raise money online. For more information on Parker’s run, visit his website here: BryanParker.org

Not The First Use Of Crowdfunding For Politics In The Bay Area

In case your wondering, this is not the first time crowdfunding has been used for a San Francisco Political Campaign. Memo Morantes, a candidate for San Mateo County Supervisor, used crowdfunding to help him clear his campaign debt in 2012. And Sacramento City Council Candidate Steve Hansen used a WordPress blog, and the MailChimp email system to raise over $80,000 for his successful run. Hansen, Like Parker, an Obama Campaign Volunteer, took a page from President Obama’s political playbook, and realized that crowdfunding does democratized fundraising.

Fruitvale Station At Grand Lake Theater

As I write this, and am watching the NBA Finals in Georgia, Michael B. Jordan, who plays Oscar Grant, is at The Grand Lake Theater and used the new Facebook Instagram Video app to tell that he was on the way to Oakland:

http://instagram.com/p/azY4D-uCCU/#

It’s a great event not just to announce the Fruitvale Station movie but also for Oakland itself. For all practical purposes, Fruitvale Station is the first well-publicized independent movie that actually puts a focus on Oakland Culture.

What people will see in the movie is not just the awful BART police tragedy that took Mr. Grant’s life at 22, but the beautiful diversity that makes up Oakland.

You can’t tell an Oakland story without showing that. You just can’t.

Fruitvale Station opens July 25th.

Police Subtation In Adams Point

The seemingly endless reports of robberies and attacks in Adams Point Oakland was the catalyst for a new mobile police substation. This is what was sent to me, last night:

Last night the Oakland Police Department took their high visibility mobile Command Post to two areas in Oakland that have been identified as having increased robberies – 24th Street and Telegraph Avenue and Grand Avenue and Bellevue Street. Area Captains will be moving the Command Post throughout the City to deter crime.

Stay tuned.