Below is Ishmael Reed's analysis of Oakland's mayoral race. Ishmael has a brand of optimism that I lack, especially in the political arena. His choice for Oakland's next mayor is a former student of his at UC Berkeley, now a professor at San Francisco State University, Joe Tuman. Ishmael is not alone in his choice of Professor Tuman. My political advisers who visit Academy of da Corner have been backing Joe from the beginning of the race. I've listened carefully to their strategy since they correctly informed me that Ron Dellums would be Oakland's third black mayor. Personally, I have no faith in any elected politicians, white, black, latino, gay or straight. I'm more in favor of a people's democracy. Even if Joe is able to beat out the front runner Don Perata, will he be able to do any more than the previous three black mayors and the pitiful Jerry Brown who served as mayor as a stepping stone back to the governor's mansion? Some would say that even if they did nothing, which they did, it was a blessing to have the previous black mayors, Lionel Wilson, Elihu Harris and Dellums. But Obama has put the nail in the coffin that a black politician is any better, or worse, than a white. He has revealed himself to be a black man with a white heart, as they describe reactionary negroes in the Caribbean. Or we can look at the plethora of presidents (for life) and prime ministers in Africa, another genre of black men with white hearts, whose jails, prisons, dungeons and cemeteries are full of opposition leaders, even their wives (Nigeria), journalists, poets and writers. It doesn't matter what color the next mayor is, nor gender, for sure there will be no radical change.
We need a radical restructuring of the political order, but it will not happen until there is political consciousness among the masses, to the extent they will do as the people are doing in France at this hour, take matters to the street to express their displeasure with politicians who supposedly serve at the consent of the governed. At this hour what America needs is a good general strike for jobs, end of housing foreclosures, amnesty for petty criminals in jails and prisons (2 million or more, 90% under the influence of drugs at the time of arrest, along with mental health issues), a total revamping of the racist educational system, a discarding of white supremacy patriarchal mythology that allows homophobia, partner violence, emotional and verbal violence, plus conspicuous consumption to perpetuate the capitalist world of make believe.If women are 85% of the shoppers at stores and malls, if they boycotted the stores and malls for one week, the troops would come home from Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere. But we keep hoping and praying a Democrat and/or Republican will save us, even after we see their tricknology election after election, no matter what race or gender.
In Oakland at the rally on the night of the verdict in the police killing of Oscar Grant, we saw an example of people's democracy when the rally initially took place in the middle of 14th and Broadway because our Maryor Ron Dellums refused to allow the people, who are his boss, to assemble in front of city hall that they own. There shall be a rally for Oscar Grant this Saturday in front of city hall, but we understand no politicians will be allowed to speak, especially since none of them have forcefully addressed the police killing of Oscar Grant. To the contrary, those in the race for the next mayor are trying their best to accommodate and placate the police department that is nothing more than an occupying army in league with drug dealers. Imagine peace officers absorb the majority of the city budget, 300 million of 400 million. They earn $180,000 with salary and benefits, yet the murder, terror and trauma continues in the hood. Ask anyone if they feel safer in the hood, no matter the alleged crime decrease. That's like Obama telling us the job and housing crisis is actually getting better, after all, Wall Street and the banks are back to business as usual, so hold tight, prosperity is just around the corner, vote for me, I'll set you free, change is gonna come!
--Marvin X (Plato Negro)
Academy of da Corner,
14th and Broadway,
Downtown Oakland
jmarvinx@yahoo.com
www.blackbirdpressnews.blogspot.com
His latest books include Pull Yo Pants Up fada Black Prez and Yoself, essays on Obama Drama,2010; I AM OSCAR GRANT, essays on Oakland, 2010, The Wisdom of Plato Negro (Vol. I and II), 2010, Mythology of Pussy and Dick, toward Healthy Psychosocial Sexuality, Black Bird Press, 2010. Order from Black Bird Press, 1222 Dwight Way, Berkeley CA 94702.
----- Forwarded Message ----
From: "uncleish@aol.com"
To: jmarvinx@yahoo.com
Sent: Thu, October 21, 2010 8:22:21 AM
Subject: Fwd: Mr. Reed -- enjoyed your column on Oakland mayoral race / fyi on ranked choice voitng
http://www.counterpunch.org/reed10202010.html
A New Generation and a New Direction
Professor Joe: Oakland's Next Mayor?
“Oakland’s mayor revamped the police department, but hasn't received credit for the substantial decrease in crime.“Oakland’s crime problem spiraled out of control in the last two years of Jerry Brown's administration. And then it remained high in 2007 and 2008 during Ron Dellums' first two years as mayor of Oakland. Brown, however, managed to escape criticism for failing to slow the crime wave, while Dellums was excoriated for it — despite the fact that his crime numbers were never as bad as Brown's. And now, Oakland’s crime wave appears to be over, yet Dellums isn’t getting credit for that either, even though there's an argument to be made that the decisions made on his watch are partially responsible.”
“Taking office in 1990, just as a Wall Street and real estate collapse pitched the city into deep recession, Mayor Dinkins, the city’s first African-American mayor, stumbled more than once. But he also registered more successes than most New Yorkers realize, and so he laid part of the foundation for today’s New York.“‘Dinkins faced a very sharp economic downturn, and he was in the very difficult position of coming in with high expectations from many constituencies,’ said John H. Mollenkopf, a political science professor at the City University Graduate Center. ‘Yet he expanded the police force and rebuilt neighborhoods; he deserves more credit than he gets for managing that time.”’
“First, with respect to containing/controlling costs for policing: Long term, I believe we need to rethink the assumption that a police officer in Oakland must (on average) cost about $180,000/year with salary and benefits. The city council and even former Senator Perata believe this to be so. The Council limits their approaches to staffing our police department in only two ways: either they want to raise taxes to pay more officers this $180k average, or lay off officers and pay less of them that same amount.“Even Senator Perata buys into this mentality, saying he would simply find the same amount of money ($180k average) by laying off other city employees to hire back laid off police officers. I think about this differently; I question that amount. Why does it have to be $180k? Why couldn't it be $140K or $145K? Since the police contract is closed for a few more years, and I do not want to go to interest arbitration over this issue, my solution to this would be to begin offering voluntary early retirement incentives to eligible officers (10-15% of the force are within 2-3 years of retirement), and using savings from these retirements to begin hiring a new second tier of police recruits who would come in at a lower salary base. Essentially, gradually manage out my most expensive officers who are going to retire anyway--and slowly replace them with officers at a more affordable salary for the city. With an unemployment rate hovering at 20% for the city, I'm confident we could find many applicants for these jobs, even at reduced salary. More officers, in turn, reduces the need for overtime, and means that both overtime and pension costs will be less, since these are calculated by base salary. This has worked in other bureaucracies; it can work here, too.”
“As far as the most recent episode of questionable overtime payments goes, let me react in this way:“I am encouraged by the fact that our officers want to participate in a charity event; this speaks volumes to their willingness to be good civic partners here as well as in other places. I do not feel, however, that in this economic environment it is appropriate to charge overtime costs for this cause… There is a lesson here: everyone in city government (not just the police officers) should be more careful and honest stewards of public funds--and under my administration, they will be just that.”
“A former New York City police officer caught in the sweeping scandal at the 30th Precinct in Harlem was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison for dealing drugs, evading taxes and breaking into property without a search warrant.” The New York Times 9/10/96.
“Officer Schoolcraft is on suspension without pay on charges that he left a work shift on Halloween in 2009 without permission, and then failed to return, said his lawyer, Jon Norinsberg. He has filed a $50 million lawsuit claiming department officials retaliated against him, including taking him to a hospital in handcuffs that night for psychiatric evaluation, after he reported his suspicions. He has also secretly recorded roll calls that have resulted in allegations that commanders at the 81st Precinct pushed ticket and arrest quotas on officers. The police have denied the existence of quotas.” Times, Oct.15