Dellums Watch: Keeping Tabs on Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums

Because we care deeply about Oakland, we want Mayor Dellums to succeed. However, we strongly opposed his election because he never held a municipal position in Oakland and has lived in Washington for the last thirty-five years. We are wary of some of his supporters, and wish to keep a close eye on local political machinations. This blog will be focused on politics and people, not policy perscriptions (unlike FutureOakland).

January 15, 2007

Assessing inaugural week

Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums’ gala week of inaugural events did not prove to be in as poor taste as the contributors to this blog feared, although the murder of a Adams Point resident over a parking space, which happened while Dellums hobnobbed with big donors at the exclusive cocktail reception before the black-tie dinner, underlined the need for city leaders to focus on our gravest problems. J. Douglas Allen-Taylor nonetheless managed to blame the murder, which apparently resulted from a dispute over parking in the dense neighborhood, on Jerry Brown and dense transit-oriented development (in response to which the EBX had a rare cocktail-hour blog posting). Partisan squabbling aside, there were some positive and negative signs for Oakland.

Mayor Dellums’ inaugural address produced predictably mixed reactions, with his supporters reveling in his refusal to “cop-out” by offering any sort of concrete agenda, while his detractors point out that he’s moving slower than molasses in his goal to provide leadership for Oakland’s future. Most people are more concerned by the rude and disrespectful manner with which Dellums’ supporters treated the City Council and the election of Ignacio de la Fuente as City Council President. Local blogger Miss Carnivorous points out the tension between black and brown Oaklanders in her “anti-liberal” blog, and followed that up with a long, un-PC discussion of race relations in which she calls Dellums a “black nationalist,” which is a bit of an exaggeration. He’s not actually a former Black Panther, but there is clearly a great deal of race-based support for the mayor. A USF journalism professor also commented on the racial divide exposed by the inauguration uproar, which was also the topic of a press conference organized by East Oakland community leaders.

Left-wing bloggers, however, saw the incident as an indication of how the “people” dislike Ignacio and his pro-developer Council allies (who, of course, include Larry Reid and Desley Brooks as pro-development, and Nancy Nadel as his ally). Long-time community activist Pamela Drake, on the Grand Lake Guardian, says that it showed that the audience members "were ready to hear the new mayor talk about change and would accept no less from the Council." Sanjiv Handa, writing for the Post, said the same. On the contrary, it shows how those who attend public meetings, and Dellums’ most passionate supporters, are dogmatic and unrepresentative proponents of their narrow ideology. The average Oaklander was clearly appalled and embarrassed by Dellums’ supporters’ behavior. Leftists, though, think that anger at Ignacio and the council majority is appropriate. Let’s not forget that the harsh words and overzealous tone of the public comments against Ignacio set the tone for the audience’s outburst later. Even AC Transit Director (and failed City Council candidate) Rebecca Kaplan used a speaking style more appropriate to a political rally to make her technical point about the desirability of consensus-based committee appointments. Sanjiv Handa and the Oakland Post regularly couch their reports on the City Council is extreme and divisive language. In the current Post, Handa invents the following scenario:
In a privately negotiated deal, Reid was scripted to win the Council presidency on the second round of balloting - following a 4-4 deadlock in the initial casting. However, Ignacio de la Fuente... double-crossed Reid and decided decided he wanted a fifth two-year term. He leaned on Councilmember At-Large Henry Chang to re-nominate de la Fuente - allegedly in return for a promise to make Chang vice mayor.
Unfounded assertions alleging city hall or developer deals are a staple of the Post, which encourages disrespect toward our elected officials. Practically, though, Ignacio and Dellums will be able to work together despite the display (especially since Dellums has nothing to propose).

The reader doesn’t need a review of every inaugural event, but a few were telling of the mayor’s administration. The Hyphy-Soul Showcase, which was meant to connect Dellums with Oakland’s vibrant youth culture, was thinly attended. Worst of all, it incorrectly described Hyphy music as “home-grown hip-hop with a neo-soul flair,” which is completely wrong. Hyphy, rather, combines West Coast electro rap with Oakland’s post-rave underground electronica scene, creating a fresh new dance sound that has none of the guitars, sweet vocals, or retro panache of Neo-Soul. At the event, held at Sweet’s Ballroom (which is a Jerry Brown-era historic redevelopment project), Mistah FAB, a successful local hip-hop artist, gave a speech proclaiming his wish to be a good role model for the kids. He then launched into a song about thizzin’. Mayor Dellums gave a speech repeating both his tired “I don’t have an ‘S’ on my chest” line and his befuddlement with contemporary technology of "instant communcation" which most people take for granted. Between lackluster attendance and a somewhat confused message, the Hyphy-Soul event confirmed, rather than dismissed, the difficulty 71-year-old Dellums will have connecting with the young people who are transforming and even “gentrifying” Oakland.

Overall, many of the events were disorganized and sparsely attended. The black-tie event ran out of gift bags and engraved glasses. The Experience Oakland art-walk was less about the mayor than the art galleries. Young Oakland was unsatisfied with the Hyphy event. The “Hands Around the Lake” Event drew fewer than 2500 participants, although the transition hoped for at least 5000 (and were aiming for 10k), and extensively promoted the cute event. The Grand Lake Guardian reports that union activists (probably from the city employee's SEIU chapter, local 790) were overrepresented at the ceremony, though it affirmed that Dellums is going to work with Ignacio.

Perhaps Mr. Dellums will realize that the greatest threat to Oakland’s unity are people duped by the extremist rhetoric of media publications from the Oakland Post to BeyondChron, as well as the selfish and divisive anti-growth proposals sure to come from his task forces. Fortunately, the repeated pledges of the City Council and the mayor to work together suggests that Oakland can focus on issues with which there is more common ground, such as the need to get a handle on the crime wave that is sweeping mid-sized cities across the country. Jerry Brown’s appointment of an OPD lieutenant and his relocation of the Attorney General’s office from Los Angeles to Oakland indicates that he will be working on our crime problems with the enormous resources afforded to the state. If Dellums and Brown can work together (and their shared emphasis on rehabilitating prisoners indicates that they can), Oakland may be able to make real progress on some of our most vexing social issues.

24 Comments:

At January 15, 2007 12:37 PM, Blogger Oakland Native said...

The links are fixed.

Indeed, the repeated assertion that black Oaklanders have been "shut out" of city contracting decisions is not only baseless but smells like corruption. Certainly Ignacio supporters were not concerned with city contracts. Furthermore, Ignacio expanded minority contract set-asides to include Latino and Asian firms, a move met with opposition from Geoffrey Peete's Oakland Black Caucus (who have their fingers all over Desley Brooks' and Dellums' campaigns).

Despite Dellums' best efforts to marginalize the "corporate media," increased scrutiny will accompany our mayor's high expectations. It will be difficult, especially with our more-or-less responsible City Council, for the bad old days of Wilson to return. Watch for a serious showdown over the city employees' pensions next year.

 
At January 15, 2007 1:52 PM, Blogger Oakland Native said...

Honestly, does anyone think that City Council members aren't going to cut deals for committee assignments? That's how legislatures work! Obviously the votes for City Council President were lined up in private discussions among the councilmembers. Mr. Reid may or may not have engage in such discussions, as fruitless as they eventually were.

I will repeate Jerry Brown's attack on Sanjiv Handa: he just makes shit up. Handa has no evidence whatsoever to back up his imaginary scenario, yet reports this to the Post's credulous readers as fact. And then people wonder why Dellums' supporters are rude and disrespectful, and contribute extraordinarily unproductive comment to the Council.

 
At January 15, 2007 10:09 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

J.Douglas Allen-Taylor experienced a brain freeze some time ago while eating a popsicle. At the time, the last two words he saw before losing consiousnes were "Jerry" and "Brown." These two words became cemented in his memory and upon awakening from his frozen-brain stupor he has sinced weaved these two words into every column he has subsequently written.

His obsession can therefore be described as a medical, mental disability. He's "special." And his column has a kind of "special" quality.

Sanjiv Handa is a journalist wannabe, who flunked the two basic tenets of journalism 101: "tell the truth" and "find the facts don't make them up." He spends an inordinate amount of time observing and adjusting his combover on public cable tv.

With these types "reporting" news its no wonder that most of what they say sounds a little upside down and lacks basic believablity. They are writing, not to enlighten the reader, but to have something to do when they leave home.

They are both locked into the same time warp and they suffer two versions of the same obsession: "Stuckonjerryitus".

Do they know each other?

 
At January 16, 2007 12:53 PM, Blogger Miss Carnivorous said...

You guys freaked me out by linking me. I had to go in and edit a lot for fear of losing my job!

 
At January 16, 2007 12:55 PM, Blogger Oakland Native said...

I'm sorry, Miss C - I didn't realize that your blog was private. I thought you had a point of view that should be shared. No harm done, I hope!

 
At January 16, 2007 3:08 PM, Blogger oaklandpolitics said...

you guys still talking politics? Congratulations on the 3 stooges. You guys need to keep tabs on Dellums since Ignacio is no longer the center of Oakland politics.

 
At January 16, 2007 3:37 PM, Blogger Miss Carnivorous said...

Well if they show up and escort me out, I hope you will support my right to free speech!

 
At January 16, 2007 5:02 PM, Blogger Oakland Native said...

Miss C - I certainly support your right to free speech! And while the vast majority of the region may be very liberal, your views are not outside of the American mainstream. That's why I linked to your blog - I think it's important to hear all perspectives.

Speaking of all perspectives, a commenter named Michael on Pamela Drake's blog said that he heard racist comments on all sides. While it's fair to note that the tone of local leftists certainly contributed to the embarassing outburst of the audience, racial tension is more complicated that what happened at the inauguration. Dellums would do well to shy away from controversial proposals. Deckin, you're right that eight years of responsible leadership (as well as development entitlements) will continue to help Oakland move forward; hopefully we can stay away from divisive issues in the meantime.

 
At January 17, 2007 8:06 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The point that is being overlooked among this background noise and the embarrassing spectacle that was the "ceremonial" inaugural is that this entire episode is so , , , well, STATUS QUO. How many times have we seen this picture before in Oakland? No organizing, no follow-through, no real planning or decision-making, just a bunch of folks yelling and making any artificial, self-serving distinction they can can find, including, unfortunately, race. None of this will change unless the voters of Oakland focus on how inept this entire bunch of elected folk are, which is not likely to happen. Unfortunately, it is self-fulfulling prophesy: the more that intelligent people see the lack of emotional and cerebral power resident in EVERY member of the city council, as they did on every Bay Area media outlet at the swearing-in ceremony, they just "check out." Who needs this juvenile, hostile, corrupt environment? Let's be real here. Every one of the players is this soap opera is damaged goods. Everyone, outside a small circle of insiders, knows, in their heart of hearts, that Oakland government is stunningly ineffective and, for the most part, irrelevant. That our latest super-hero (Ron, like it or not you do have an "S" on your chest. Deal with it.) had nothing to offer other than "can't we all just get along?" doesn't bode well, either. Fifteen months after announcing for Mayor, and 7 months after being elected, our "leader" says specific priorities are a "cop out," and plans to spend the next couple of months reading task force reports compiled from idealogues who have been ineffectual in Oakland for over a generation! On the other hand, the activist types, who probably think the swearing-in ceremony was par-for-the-course, can have a talk and blame-fest for the next four years. How status quo. How sad.

 
At January 17, 2007 10:47 AM, Blogger Oakland Native said...

While Dellums is already a disappointment (quite a feat, though he can make a comeback), I disagree that all of our elected officials are ineffective. In fact, I think the City Council is pretty darn good. Especially compared to the previous Council - could one imagine if Sheila Jordan and Keith Carson were still on the Council? What a nightmare!

Willie Oakton, you're right that many of the task force participants are the same old know-nothing activists that populate Council meetings and try desperately to stop any positive initiative. But that's not the whole story; Oakland's population growth is coming from young artists and hard-working immigrant, and time is not on the side of gray-haired hippies.

 
At January 17, 2007 10:57 AM, Blogger oaklandpolitics said...

Deckin,

I am taking a passive interests in the Oakland scene again. Last weeks ruckus during the ceremonies got me thinking again.
I still stand by my position that we have a better mayor than the other alternative - Ignacio. You should know that my interests in Ignacio is gone since his power in District 5 has been castrated.
Carlos, his 1st in command is gone. Carlos was the brains of the operation and since he is gone, Ignacio has been running around headless. I may disapprove of the heckler's tantrums last week but they serve to notify the public that many Oaklanders disapprove of the Perata machine politics. We want a change in the status quo. Hopefully we will get that.
I'll limit myself as an outside observer and comment time to time.

 
At January 17, 2007 8:17 PM, Blogger Miss Carnivorous said...

We will see if any of Dellum's programs to help young Black males reap any positive benefits. I am willing to try anything. At least Dellums has identified the major problem facing us.

Development is worthless unless you have a qualified, educated populace to live and work in the developed areas. We need entrepreneurs and leaders.

 
At January 18, 2007 3:50 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

To follow up on native's earlier post: Keith Carson never served on the Oakland City Council. Perhaps you confuse him with Nate Miley? And yes, Sheila Jordan was an unmitigated disaster as a councilmember long before she was an unmitigated disaster as county school superintendent, it's true. But are you seriously suggesting that Jane Bruner is an improvement? Puh...lease! Just which councilmember(s) do you place your trust in for a brighter future?

 
At January 18, 2007 7:26 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sorry Oaklandpolitics isn't keeping his blog alive. This site continues the baseless bleatings of larry, moe, and curly.

As for the inaugural cat calls at de la fuente, the epithets were racist. Most people who despise him do so because he is has left a big mess in Oakland, not because of his ethnicity. Remember, he couldn't even win his own district when he ran for mayor. The Latino community seems to be done with de la fuente.

The Adams Point killing was rightfully blamed on Jerry Brown and de la fuente. Who was mayor when Oakland racked up 148 murders? Who has been president of the council for the past 8-10 years? It sure wasn't Dellums. The three stooges believe in the teflon concept of politics. Anything your guy does is not his fault. Always blame someone else and make up something if your argument won't stand on its own.

As for the whiff of corruption on the black power block, last time I checked, it was de la fuente who was being investigated for corruption by the FBI.

Speaking of criminals, isn't Carlos on his way to prison yet?

I know this post won't see the light of day but I feel so much better for writing it.

 
At January 18, 2007 11:11 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

To anonymous above: You're too far off the mark to take seriously, nice try. Backward logic begets backward results. Try turning the brainpower straight and then pointing it forward, the whole world will look different.

Hate to be the one to tell you but Jerry Brown is no longer Mayor. And even if he were, when people make independent decisions to pursue violent solutions to their problems it's no more his fault than it is yours, Mr. anonymous. Just as recent murders in Oakland are not Ron Dellums' fault, or are they?

It may be tough but all of the obsessed, progressive Jerryatrics, including you, are going to have to muster the courage to wake up and move on.

Smellin any coffee?

 
At January 19, 2007 11:44 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks for proving my point. During the campaign, you made it clear that De La Fuente and Brown were not responsible for the spike in crime. But Dellums is after two weeks as mayor.

An apologist to the end for these two losers. You guys are so used to talking to people with short attentions spans you can't imagine anyone could catch you in your own contradictory rhetoric. But nice try.

 
At January 19, 2007 11:49 AM, Blogger Oakland Native said...

Anonymous, nobody said that Dellums was responsible for this year's crime; you misinterpreted Dan's comment. As deckin and Miss C and I all said, we are encouraged Dellums' focus on crime, and are ready to support his initiatives.

 
At January 19, 2007 3:03 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

To anonymous: I would accept thanks for proving yor point, but I can't because you had no point other than that you suffer from jerryitus and either you can't read or you think in reverse.

Here's to wishing you a bad day.

Now you can thank me.

 
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