Oakland Rising Blog
Bring a Neighbor to the Polls
As we all know, the upcoming election on Nov. 6th will impact communities across California. If we work together we can inspire and change the course of our future. With that in mind, Oakland Rising is calling election day, “Bring a neighbor to the polls day.” We are committed to turning out thousands of low-income, immigrant and voters of color and we need your help to ensure that government is accountable to ALL Californians. It’s up to all of us!
There are 4 opportunities for you to walk with Oakland Rising this November.
Todos Somos Oakland
“Todos somos Oakland” means we are all Oakland. For the last 20 days, our Daily Team members have been talking to their neighbors, voters in East & West Oakland, because we believe that by working together we can build an Oakland for everyonePoised to reach 10,000 Oakland voters in time for the June Primary, Oakland Rising has been polling voters to understand the issues that will motivate them to get to the polls for the June and November elections.
California’s Day of Reckoning
California is facing its “day of reckoning,” according to Governor Jerry Brown, who recently released his revised budget proposal, revealing a deficit of $15.7 billion. In his May 14th statement, the Governor said that the budget deficit has increased by $7 billion since his original projections in January due to revenues being less than expected.
Defend Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), Defend Your Vote!
In 2006, 69% of Oakland voters adopted Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV). We first got to see RCV in action during the 2010 election. It was instrumental in the outcome of the mayoral election by allowing residents to vote their conscious and to disrupt the coronation of the Big Money candidate for the first time in the city’s history. We also saw a huge surge in turnout of low-income voters and voters of color who make up the majority of Oakland residents.
But now, Ranked-Choice Voting is under attack. And that is an attack on democracy and on the participation of voters of color.
Oakland Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente, a longtime close friend and ally of failed mayoral candidate, Don Perata’s, will ask the city council to put the proposed repeal of ranked choice voting on the November ballot. Even though most believe he doesn’t have the votes from his fellow council members to put the repeal on the ballot, we are outraged at this attack on democracy.
We are both born and bred Oakland natives working to empower and mobilize residents throughout our city to stand up and take charge of the issues impacting our lives. Ranked Choice Voting is one piece of that. Stand up for it now.
Notes From the Field
With Oakland Rising’s first campaign of the year rapidly coming to a close, we have already contacted over 4,000 Oakland voters living in the flatlands of East and West Oakland to get their opinions about three tax initiatives that will potentially be on the November ballot.
Behind the Merger: Effort’s to Tax California’s 1%
For the last 6 months, Oakland Rising as a part of the California Millionaires Tax Coalition, had been educating and mobilizing voters to support the Millionaire’s Tax. As many of you have probably heard by now, the Millionaires Tax and the Governor’s initiative have reached an agreement and merged efforts to qualify a new tax initiative for the November ballot.
Trayvon and the American Legacy of Injustice
The killing of Trayvon Martin at the hand of a man named George Zimmerman in Sanford Florida, has set news centers on fire- from the New Black Panther Party’s $10,000 bounty for Zimmerman’s capture, to the Miami Heat basketball team posing collectively in hoodies to honor the boys passing, to the mass response for just
Oakland Rising Honors Sandré Swanson
Assemblymember Sandré Swanson proudly represents the vibrant East Bay communities of Oakland, Alameda, and Piedmont. An area native with deep ties to the community, Mr. Swanson was elected to his first term in the California State Assembly in 2006.
Oakland Rising Honors Nikki Henderson
Nikki Henderson is the current Executive Director of People’s Grocery. People’s Grocery is a health and wealth organization – our mission is to improve the health and economy of West Oakland through the local food system. We pursue positive community change and address social determinants of health through a food lens. We work to ensure that community self-determination plays a large part in the revitalization of low-income neighborhoods.
Electrify A Generation
“This millionaire’s tax they’re talkin’ about? That could electrify a generation.”
That’s what Van Jones, former White House green jobs czar and founder of our partner organization Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, recently said about our Millionaire’s Tax initiative.
Check out the great news coverage it’s getting:
Bring a Neighbor to the Polls
As we all know, the upcoming election on Nov. 6th will impact communities across California. If we work together we can inspire and change the course of our future. With that in mind, Oakland Rising is calling election day, “Bring a neighbor to the polls day.” We are committed to turning out thousands of low-income, immigrant and voters of color and we need your help to ensure that government is accountable to ALL Californians. It’s up to all of us!
There are 4 opportunities for you to walk with Oakland Rising this November.
Todos Somos Oakland
“Todos somos Oakland” means we are all Oakland. For the last 20 days, our Daily Team members have been talking to their neighbors, voters in East & West Oakland, because we believe that by working together we can build an Oakland for everyonePoised to reach 10,000 Oakland voters in time for the June Primary, Oakland Rising has been polling voters to understand the issues that will motivate them to get to the polls for the June and November elections.
California’s Day of Reckoning
California is facing its “day of reckoning,” according to Governor Jerry Brown, who recently released his revised budget proposal, revealing a deficit of $15.7 billion. In his May 14th statement, the Governor said that the budget deficit has increased by $7 billion since his original projections in January due to revenues being less than expected.
Defend Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), Defend Your Vote!
In 2006, 69% of Oakland voters adopted Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV). We first got to see RCV in action during the 2010 election. It was instrumental in the outcome of the mayoral election by allowing residents to vote their conscious and to disrupt the coronation of the Big Money candidate for the first time in the city’s history. We also saw a huge surge in turnout of low-income voters and voters of color who make up the majority of Oakland residents.
But now, Ranked-Choice Voting is under attack. And that is an attack on democracy and on the participation of voters of color.
Oakland Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente, a longtime close friend and ally of failed mayoral candidate, Don Perata’s, will ask the city council to put the proposed repeal of ranked choice voting on the November ballot. Even though most believe he doesn’t have the votes from his fellow council members to put the repeal on the ballot, we are outraged at this attack on democracy.
We are both born and bred Oakland natives working to empower and mobilize residents throughout our city to stand up and take charge of the issues impacting our lives. Ranked Choice Voting is one piece of that. Stand up for it now.
Notes From the Field
With Oakland Rising’s first campaign of the year rapidly coming to a close, we have already contacted over 4,000 Oakland voters living in the flatlands of East and West Oakland to get their opinions about three tax initiatives that will potentially be on the November ballot.
Behind the Merger: Effort’s to Tax California’s 1%
For the last 6 months, Oakland Rising as a part of the California Millionaires Tax Coalition, had been educating and mobilizing voters to support the Millionaire’s Tax. As many of you have probably heard by now, the Millionaires Tax and the Governor’s initiative have reached an agreement and merged efforts to qualify a new tax initiative for the November ballot.
Trayvon and the American Legacy of Injustice
The killing of Trayvon Martin at the hand of a man named George Zimmerman in Sanford Florida, has set news centers on fire- from the New Black Panther Party’s $10,000 bounty for Zimmerman’s capture, to the Miami Heat basketball team posing collectively in hoodies to honor the boys passing, to the mass response for just
Oakland Rising Honors Sandré Swanson
Assemblymember Sandré Swanson proudly represents the vibrant East Bay communities of Oakland, Alameda, and Piedmont. An area native with deep ties to the community, Mr. Swanson was elected to his first term in the California State Assembly in 2006.
Oakland Rising Honors Nikki Henderson
Nikki Henderson is the current Executive Director of People’s Grocery. People’s Grocery is a health and wealth organization – our mission is to improve the health and economy of West Oakland through the local food system. We pursue positive community change and address social determinants of health through a food lens. We work to ensure that community self-determination plays a large part in the revitalization of low-income neighborhoods.
Electrify A Generation
“This millionaire’s tax they’re talkin’ about? That could electrify a generation.”
That’s what Van Jones, former White House green jobs czar and founder of our partner organization Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, recently said about our Millionaire’s Tax initiative.
Check out the great news coverage it’s getting:
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