November 7, 2023 Hon. Charles A. Smiley III, Presiding JudgeDepartment 1Alameda Superior CourtRene C. Davison Courthouse1225 Fallon StreetOakland, CA 94612 Dear Presiding Judge Smiley: As tenant organizations and legal services providers, we write because of concerns...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, November 8 MEDIA CONTACT: Jocelyn Cansino [email protected] 510-712-4339 Oakland City Council Passes Urgently-Needed Public Financing Reform Tuesday night, the Oakland City Council took important steps forward to phase in the...

For more than 25 years, Liz Suk, executive director of Oakland Rising and Oakland Rising Action, has worked as a nonprofit leader and grassroots organizer focused on addressing issues facing Black, brown and Indigenous people. “Progressive” became popular decades ago...

Pecolia Manigo believes her ultimate hope for Oakland — what she calls “equitable democracy” — is attainable. For evidence, she points to her own experience: Manigo was unemployed when she moved to Oakland with her infant daughter two decades ago. Now she’s the...

We represent a group of organizations in Alameda County and broadly in California, all actively engaged in voter education and outreach. We are concerned about the current confusion surrounding the process for recall of a County elected official. We hope that the Board will act decisively to ensure that the Alameda County community has clear information about the process and timing for any potential recall.

Pecolia Manigo, policy director for the political advocacy group Oakland Rising, said she learned firsthand the potential benefits of a strong public campaign financing option when she ran for a seat on the Oakland School Board last year. Manigo said...

“If we don’t have programs that really look at good governance in our city, we’ll be continually faced with the same prioritization that moves us away from community services that build safer communities for our people.” – liz suk

“We know that we’re in a city up against some major issues like housing and homelessness. The streets and infrastructure in the city haven’t been taken care of by previous administrations. In order to have those in place, we need elected officials in office who are really willing to listen to the community, and democracy dollars was going to be the program that would help us.”

Broad “People’s Budget” coalition demands investment in housing, arts, jobs, youth programs, and violence prevention instead of proposed increase in police spending. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS CONTACTS:  Lance Wilson, (341) 203-0888, [email protected] ...

“This is the boldest policy in the country that seeks to end excessive punishment and incarceration. Research has shown time and again that prolonged incarceration does not improve public safety, and actually increases recidivism. This policy seeks to end racist sentencing enhancements that have been applied almost exclusively to Black and Brown people” ” said Yoel Haile, Director of the Criminal Justice Program at the ACLU of Northern California.

As communities most impacted by violence and incarceration, we deeply feel the pain of losing loved ones and extend our deepest sympathies to the families of these recent tragedies. All stakeholders should be working hard to provide the victim’s families with the services and support they need and work to prevent tragedies like these from happening again to other families.

Defending the moratorium or calling for its gradual phasing out were several pro-tenant organizations.  Oakland Rising put out a call on social media for tenant supporters to attend the council meeting to speak in favor of renter protections. “It’s time to...

“We know, and it has been proven, that throwing more money and resources at Santa Rita Jail and ACSO is not a solution. The only solution is to divest from the ACSO and SRJ and put those resources back into the community. People deserve to be met with social services, affirming care, and support.”

“We are heartbroken and enraged to hear of yet another death related to Santa Rita Jail, the deadliest place in Alameda County,” the groups said in a statement. “For years, advocates have called out the level of abuse, neglect, death, and cruel punishment inside Santa Rita Jail. We have stood alongside families who have lost loved ones at the hands of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office and called for transparency, diversion, and accountability — yet these calls have been met with silence.”

“Sentence enhancements shift local & state funds away from desperately needed community services and put significant financial burdens on taxpayers and families statewide—each additional year in prison costs over $106,131 per person. The Alameda County District Attorney’s guidance will save the county money and allow for reinvestments in community resources, housing, education, healthcare, and more.”

An alliance of community, faith, housing, labor and Progressive Black leaders issued a statement supporting Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s decision to part ways with embattled Police Chief Leronne Armstrong.  The statement cited a need to move  past the “long shadow of Federal Oversight, scandal and cover up” that has plagued the Oakland Police Department “into an era of accountability and transparency.”

Oakland, CA – District Attorney Pamela Price’s administration announced the creation of the Public Accountability Unit, and that they would reopen cases of eight officer-involved shootings and in-custody deaths for further review to determine whether charges should be filed or not. These include the murders of Cody Chavez in 2022, Mario Gonzalez in 2021, Agustin Gonsalez in 2018 and Andrew Moppin-Buckskin in 2007. 

An Oakland ballot measure creating a public campaign financing option and strengthening transparency in election spending passed with strong support. “For too long, our elections have been funded by wealthy special interests and out-of-state donors,” said liz suk,...

“It has increased participation in lesser areas in Seattle, and voter turnout from communities of color” and in traditionally low-turnout areas, said Liz Suk, executive director of Oakland Rising, one of the groups that sponsored Measure W. “The way folks are campaigning has changed.”

Davey D talks with liz suk of Oakland Rising about the results of the Oakland election and how to hold those coming into office accountable. Listen to the conversation.

Voters overwhelmingly approved Measure W in Oakland today, signaling a desire for a more participatory, responsive, and accountable local democracy. With anti-democratic forces on the march around the nation, Oakland is pushing back. Measure W creates a Democracy Dollars program to revolutionize campaign financing for local elections. It will enable all eligible Oaklanders to receive four $25 vouchers to support local political candidates of their choice, making every household a potential donor household and bringing power back to the people.

With the passage of Measure T, we’ve taken a significant step towards addressing this lack of investment and creating equity for small businesses.

“Measure W is a way that local leaders and local organizations – like CA Common Cause and Oakland Rising – can begin to show people that leadership begins at the grassroots level. We are going to build a better democracy in our city and we’re going to build from there.”

74% of registered voters favor the transparency and good governance ballot measure.

“What we’re looking forward to with Democracy Dollars is that candidates will see that the power actually lies in the majority of Oakland who live in the flatlands, working-class, poor communities of color, immigrant, impacted by the criminal justice system,” suk said. “That if they engage those people, we could build a city that is equitable and build an Oakland for all.”

In Oakland, voters this November will decide on a ballot measure to create “Democracy Dollars” in their city. The success of Seattle’s program in increasing political engagement helped inform the efforts of the Bay Area groups promoting the ballot measure, according to the community group Oakland Rising.

“Most of us believe we should have the freedom to decide for ourselves whether and when we have children. That requires accessible abortion care – and a strong democracy.” – liz suk

On Monday night, the Oakland City Council unanimously voted to place a democracy vouchers referendum on the city’s November ballot, with all six council members present voting aye. If Oakland voters approve the measure, a new Democracy Dollars program would provide four $25 vouchers for every Oakland voter to donate to eligible city and school board candidates starting in 2024. The referendum on the November ballot also includes other provisions meant to improve campaign finance in the city, including lower campaign contribution limits and new donor disclosure requirements 

“Oaklanders deserve a local government where our representatives represent all of us — where candidates and elected officials can focus on what our communities need, not what big-money donors and special interests want. If we want to see change on issues like affordable housing, community safety, and quality schools, we need more transparency about the outside groups that are spending millions to influence our elections and we need a more responsive city government,” says liz suk, Executive Director, Oakland Rising.

So what can be done to reduce the influence of big money and shift power back to the people? The Fair Elections Oakland coalition, composed of grassroots power-building organizations and long-time democracy reform experts, feels it has found an answer in “Democracy Dollars.”….a model of public financing of elections that has been piloted in Seattle since 2017.

“We’ll see more grassroots candidates run more viable campaigns and see an increased turnout of low-propensity voters, those who have been left out will have a voice in Oakland,” suk said. “If it passes in Oakland, it can build a movement toward real campaign finance reform.” 

MapLight Releases New Analysis: “Campaign Cash: The Outsized Role of Money in Oakland Elections” FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, March 2, 2022CONTACT: Irene Rojas-Carroll, [email protected] OAKLAND, CA – High-dollar donors and special-interest groups continue...

Cat Brooks is joined by City Councilmember Carroll Fife, Pecolia Manigo , co-director of Bay Area Parent Leadership Action Network and member of the Reparations for Black Students Coalition, Maurice “André” San-Chez, teacher and hunger striker, and Oakland Rising’s Executive Director, liz suk.

On the 12th anniversary of the Citizens United ruling, it’s never been clearer that campaign finance reform is necessary to tip economic and political power back to the people and give equal footing to all – regardless of wealth.