As the City puts together our budget, the resounding message I've been hearing from Oakland's residents is that we love our town. I'm also hearing-and it should come as no surprise-that crime and City finances are the greatest challenges to maintaining the city we love.

Oakland is worth fighting for. But how exactly should we fight for it?

Here are my priorities:

#1 Focus on the immediate reduction of crime.

We must support rebuilding sworn and civilian staffing in Oakland's police department and support reforms to improve policing, as well as maintain successful prevention and intervention strategies. Also, we know that per-employee benefit costs are rising steeply over the next five years, so even if we can afford increased spending on non-public-safety positions today, it will seriously jeopardize our ability to continue increasing or even maintaining public safety funding in the future.

These threats still exist in the proposal from Councilmembers Brooks, Reid, and Gallo, which I strongly oppose. That proposal would create a $9 million deficit, cut ALL new civilian positions proposed for the Oakland Police Department, and end ALL assistance from California Highway Patrol, and it would dramatically increase permanent funding for non-public safety staff. 

Instead, I support Council President Kernighan's proposal, which balances our need to increase public safety, stabilize other critical services, and maintain some fiscal discipline.

#2 Admit we are in a fiscal hole and don't dig it any deeper.

I would love to give city workers raises - I unequivocally believe they deserve them, particularly our lowest-wage temporary workers. But how can we take on new compensation obligations when we haven't figured out how to pay for the obligations we already have? Oakland has $1.5 BILLION in unfunded benefit liabilities. The proposal discussed above doesn't put a single dollar towards paying this down. 

Our five-year financial forecast shows that if even if we resume our actuarially required payments for these benefits, along with necessary capital spending in our next budget, Oakland will still be $200 million over-budget in five years. We can't ignore this threat any longer. Our predecessors did, and look where it's gotten us.

As with raises, we must also exercise extreme caution in adding new permanent City positions. Oakland is continuing to pay for on-going expenses with one-time revenues. It might look balanced this year, but it's not sustainable.

Despite our differences, I believe all of Oakland's officials are in public service with a sincere commitment to doing what's best for our communities. Please appreciate how hard it is to say "no" when every advocacy group is begging you to say "yes", and when the needs are very real and pressing. Please urge Oakland's Council to face-up to Oakland's fiscal stability right now, or else ALL the services we value could be even further decimated in the future.

A CALL TO ACTION: BE HEARD TONIGHT & JUNE 27th!

Our Oakland is worth fighting for. Arm yourself with information and come fight for your priorities TONIGHT at 6:30pm and again on Thursday, June 27th at 6:30pm. There's an excellent comprehensive link to budget materials and press coverage at http://oaklandwiki.org/2013_Budget_Discussion and great in-depth analysis at http://oaktalk.com/ . You may email all Councilmembers your thoughts at DL-Councilmembers@oaklandnet.com.

Our Oakland is worth fighting for. Thanks for being in the fight with me. 

With Oakland-love,

Libby

Visit SafeOakland.com 

6/15 (Sat) Woodminster Office Hours, Woodminster Cafe, 5020 Woodminster Lane, 10:00-noon.

6/17 (Mon) Piedmont Pines Neighborhood Assoc., 7:30 - 8:30p.

6/18 (Tues) City Council Meeting, City Hall, Chambers, 5:30p

6/19 (Wed) Safe Oakland Speaker Series -- Gerald Chaleff: Can Constitutional Policing Make Safer Streets?, Holy Names Univ - Valley Theater, 7:00-9:00p

6/20 (Thur) Rules & Legislation Committee, City Hall, 10:45-noon.  

6/20 (Thur) ABAG's Executive Board Mtg, MetroCenter Auditorium, 101 8th Street, 7:00 - 9:00p.  

6/22 (Sat) Mosaic work and celebration at Maxwell Park, 4503 Fleming, 11:00a - 1:00p.     

6/23 (Sun) Montclair Farmers Market Office Hours, 9:30-11:30.

6/24 (Mon) Boys & Girls Club Talent Contest Fundraiser, Yoshi's, 510 Embarcadero West, Jack London Sq., 7:30 - 9:00p. 

6/25 (Tues) Finance Committee, City Hall, HR3, 9:30-12:30p

6/25 (Tues) CED Committee, City Hall, HR3, 2:00 - 4:00p

6/25 (Tues) Public Safety Committee, City Hall, HR3, 6:00 - 8:00p

6/26 (Wed) FINAL Safe Oakland Speaker Series -- Mark Kleiman: Decision Making, Punishment & Crime, Holy Names Univ - Valley Theater, 7:00-9:00p  

6/27 (Thur) Rules & Legislation Committee, City Hall, 10:45-noon

6/27 (Thur) Beat 13Y North Hills NCPC, Fire Station #7, 1006 Amito Drive, Berkeley 94705, 6:30p.