Courtney Ruby, the Oakland Auditor who’s changed her mind and is running for Mayor of Oakland after saying she was, then dropped out in August of 2013, has to stand on her record as Oakland’s elected City Auditor.
Courtney Ruby has used the City of Oakland’s Auditors Office to conduct not-well-veiled smear campaigns on those Oakland business persons and politicians she apparently judged as vulnerable. Other than her ugly and divisive attack on Oakland’s two African American politicians, Ruby produced a report of a so-called “audit” of the Fox Theater that not only attacked how much money the developer, California Capital Group, was making from the project, but in the process of gathering information to write the report, sources told this blogger that Ruby even looked into how Mr. Tagami met his wife.
Additionally, this is what I wrote when I first reported on this issue on October 4th 2011 – it’s worth repeating:
in the report Ruby fails to state, even once, the long history of the Fox Theater. She only mentions that the Fox was purchased by the City in 1996. Nothing about how long the building was closed for – almost 30 years. Nothing about how much damage was done to the structure, including rotting support frames and extensive water damage from rains. Nothing about why the change orders were necessary. Nothing. Nada. Zero. Zip.
Also nothing of the City of Oakland Community and Economic Development Agency’s (CEDA) own response to the report, something left out of the SF Chronicle’s account, even though the reporter was provided with the information.
For example, this is CEDA response to Ruby’s claim the Fox costs increased 172 percent or about $58 million:
The final development costs for the Fox Theater, including acquisition, pre-development, soft
and hard construction costs, was approximately $90.9 million. These actual costs were in
line with the development costs presented to the Council in 2001 and again in 2003 and 2004
for the complete restoration of the theater.And there’s more. But it’s rather stupid to list every noted CEDA response here, when the one main issue – the real problem that led to the cost increases – is NEVER discussed.
The overall condition of the Fox Theater.
Folks, the Downtown Oakland Fox Theater was in worst shape that you can imagine, and I know this from my own visits to the Fox before Phil got involved in it, and from conversation with Phil over the years after he became involved in its renovation. Tagami took on an impossible job and did it.
City Auditor’s Report Is Awful,
In closing, for now, the City Auditor’s report is just plain awful, and a terrible smear job on a person who has suffered and sustained much to redevelop a building that many said could not be saved. Why Ruby chose to do this audit is the real question and one never asked until now. What Ruby did looks, feels, and smells like a hit job on one man, Phil Tagami.
The question is why? Did Ruby not get a ticket to some concert there or something? What’s the deal? What motivated this?
Courtney Ruby is an awful candidate for Mayor of Oakland. Bryan Parker, Libby Schaaf, Joe Tuman, Dan Siegel, and even the incumbent, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, are better choices.
Stay tuned.