Calendar

8 years! Stay tuned for list of virtual events. join us for car caravan on 1/17 starting @ the port at 11 am. This year we unite families impacted by street & state violence – knowing deeply that ALL violence is state violence and when we end state violence- we end ALL violence pic.twitter.com/2MRMY3AUwf

— Cat Brooks (@CatsCommentary) January 7, 2022

WORK WITH PUBLIC BANK EAST BAY:

If you would like to get involved, we have lots for you to do, including advocacy with local organizations, educational events like this one, social media, and more.

We are devastated to report the untimely death of our Board member, activist and engineer Jake Varghese. Read our tribute to Jake here. Our Revolution East Bay is planning a memorial for Sunday, January 9 at 4:00 pm – we’ll post details on our website when we have them.

Donate to Public Bank East Bay!

We’ve worked closely with Hank Levy, Alameda County Treasurer and Tax Collector, since he was first elected in 2018. He’s running again in 2022, and (even though his website hasn’t fully caught up), he’s including “Developing a public bank to provide access to much-needed funds for those without such access” on his campaign materials. This public acknowledgment of his intentions is a big boost for our goals; being aligned with the County Treasurer is invaluable.

Our viability study, a report mandated by the California Public Banking Act, is in revision stage and will be released soon for approval by the founding members’ governing bodies.

We expect to submit our business plan and charter application to the regulatory agencies in the middle of 2022. That is the last major step in the process of opening the bank doors!

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

Six minutes on “The Big Picture: How We Got Into this Mess and How We Get Out of It” with former United States Secretary of Labor Robert Reich.

WHAT IS A PUBLIC BANK?

A public bank is owned and controlled by the people of the city, state, or region it serves. It takes revenue deposits from the governments in its region (and can take deposits from semi-governmental organizations such as EBMUD or BART). Because it is a public entity, rather than a completely profit-driven corporation, it is in a position to both save money and make money for its depositors and — much more important — for the people who live in the cities, states, and regions using the Bank.

Instead of being a retail bank, our Bank will work with local community banks and credit unions to make better, more favorable loans to local businesses, and local individuals. Public banking has several strongholds around the world, including Germany — where public banking profits are largely responsible for the green energy surge — Costa Rica, and Vietnam. Public banks currently hold about ⅓ of the money in circulation in the world.

Learn More: http://www.publicbankinginstitute.org/

The California Public Banking Alliance has published a comprehensive resource booklet highlighting the ideas behind public banking and statewide efforts of the California public banking movement. It neatly organizes many of the overall intentions and purposes of imminent public banks, along with frequently asked questions. Some key points include:

• Statewide list of emergent public banks
• What is a Public Bank? A government owned nonprofit lending and depository institution by/for localized infrastructure and community investments
• Benefits of Public Banks
• 2019 Legislative support for Public Banks via AB 857
• Why Public Banks?
• How Public Banks will work
• We need Public Banks now
• 2021 Legislative support for the California Public Banking Option s via AB 1177
• Frequently Asked Questions … and answers

Enough Is Enough!
No Public Funded Stadium In The Port Of Oakland
For Billionaire A’s Owner John Fisher

(Wear your masks)

It is time to call a halt to the A’s billionaire owner John Fisher’s plans for a stadium in the Port of Oakland. Why are Oakland politicians and some union officials pushing spending $700 million for a privately owned stadium, hotels and 4,000 million-dollar condos for the wealthy? We need to stop this racist gentrification project at the port.

On January 19th, there will be another environmental hearing to approve the EIR that this project will follow the environmental rules. This is another charade. State politicians Nancy Skinner and Rob Banta with the support of Governor Newsom changed the rules to allow the port to be destroyed by the billionaire’s development and for it to be funded by hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer money.

While thousands are homeless in Oakland, they want Fisher who also owns the GAP and controls the KIPP and Rocketship charter school chains to take more control of the Oakland Community. Community activists and trade unionists will be speaking out against public money for this billionaire’s development scheme.

This project will also destroy 80,000 maritime jobs of ILWU and other maritime unions at the port which is critical to the Bay Area. Where will the thousands of trucks park but in the West Oakland neighborhoods. The mayor and the Port Commission and it’s chair Andreas Cluver who is also head of the Alameda Building Trades really don’ t care since they are taking orders from Fisher.

It is time to stop this scam and con game by billionaire Fisher and his rubber stamps.

Reject the EIR Report
No Union Busting In The Port Of Oakland
Working Class Housing With Public Funds
Stop Allowing Billionaires to Rip Off The People of Oakland

Initiated by United Front Committee For A Labor Party UFCLP
Endorsed by Melody Davis
https://www.facebook.com/masslaborpartyusa

Environmental Advocate Margaret Gordon Turns Against Oakland A’s Development
https://www.postnewsgroup.com/environmental-advocate-margaret-gordon-turns-against-oakland-as-development/

Please email contact@oaklandprivacy.org a few days before the meeting to get up-to-date location information or obtain Zoom meeting access info.

Join Oakland Privacy to organize against the surveillance state, police militarization and ICE, and to advocate for surveillance regulation around the Bay and nationwide.

We fight against spy drones, facial recognition, tracking equipment, police body camera secrecy, anti-transparency laws and requirements for “backdoors” to cellphones; we oppose “pre-crime” and “thought-crime,” —  to list just a few invasions of our privacy by all levels of Government, and attempts to hide what government officials, employees and agencies are doing.

We draft and push for privacy legislation for City Councils, at the County level, and in Sacramento. We advocate in op-eds and in the streets. We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and believe no one is illegal.

Check out some of what we worked on in 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019.

Oakland Privacy originally came together in 2013 to fight against the Domain Awareness Center, Oakland’s citywide networked mass surveillance hub. OP was instrumental in stopping the DAC from becoming a city-wide spying network.  We helped fight and helped win the fight against Urban Shield.

Our major projects currently include local legislation to regulate state surveillance (we got the strongest surveillance regulation ordinance in the country passed in Oakland!), supporting and opposing state legislation as appropriate, battling mass surveillance in the form of facial recognition and other analytics, mass aerial surveillance, ubiquitous license plate readers, and pushing back against ICE.

On September 12th, 2019 we were presented with a Barlow Award by the Electronic Frontier Foundation for our work, and on March 16th, 2021 s James Madison Freedom of Information Award by the Northern California Society of Professional Journalists.

If you are interested in joining the Oakland Privacy email listserv, coming to a meeting, or have questions, send an email to:

contact@oaklandprivacy.org

Check out our website: http://oaklandprivacy.org/

Follow us on twitter: @oaklandprivacy

“WATCHING YOU WATCHING US”

Oakland Privacy works regionally to defend the right to privacy and enhance public transparency and oversight regarding the use of surveillance techniques and equipment.  Oakland Privacy drove the passage of surveillance regulation and transparency ordinances in Oakland and Berkeley and is kicking off new processes in various municipalities around the Bay.  To help slow down the encroaching police and surveillance state all over the Bay Area, join us at the Omni.

NOTE: During the Plague Year of 2020 GA will be held every week or two on Zoom. To find out the exact time a date get on the Occupy Oakland email list my sending an email to:

occupyoakland-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

The Occupy Oakland General Assembly meets every Sunday at 4 PM at Oscar Grant Plaza amphitheater at 14th Street & Broadway near the steps of City Hall. If for some reason the amphitheater is being used otherwise and/or OGP itself is inaccessible, we will meet at Kaiser Park, right next to the statues, on 19th St. between San Pablo and Telegraph. If it is raining (as in RAINING, not just misting) at 4:00 PM we meet in the basement of the Omni Collective, 4799 Shattuck Ave., Oakland. (Note: we tend to meet at 3:00 PM during the cooler months from November to early March after Daylights Savings Time.)

On every ‘last Sunday’ we meet a little earlier at 3 PM to have a community potluck to which all are welcome.

OO General Assembly has met on a continuous basis for over six years, since October 2011! Our General Assembly is a participatory gathering of Oakland community members and beyond, where everyone who shows up is treated equally. Our Assembly and the process we have collectively cultivated strives to reach agreement while building community.

At the GA committees, caucuses, and loosely associated groups whose representatives come voluntarily report on past and future actions, with discussion. We encourage everyone participating in the Occupy Oakland GA to be part of at least one associated group, but it is by no means a requirement. If you like, just come and hear all the organizing being done! Occupy Oakland encourages political activity that is decentralized and welcomes diverse voices and actions into the movement.

General Assembly Standard Agenda

Welcome & Introductions
Reports from Committees, Caucuses, & Independent Organizations
Announcements
(Optional) Discussion Topic

Occupy Oakland activities and contact info for some Bay Area Groups with past or present Occupy Oakland members.

Occupy Oakland Web Committee: (web@occupyoakland.org)
Strike Debt Bay Area : strikedebtbayarea.tumblr.com
Berkeley Post Office Defenders:http://berkeleypostofficedefenders.wordpress.com/
Alan Blueford Center 4 Justice:https://www.facebook.com/ABC4JUSTICE
Oakland Privacy Working Group:https://oaklandprivacy.wordpress.com
Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity: prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com/
Bay Area AntiRepression: antirepression@occupyoakland.org
Biblioteca Popular: http://tinyurl.com/mdlzshy
Interfaith Tent: www.facebook.com/InterfaithTent
Port Truckers Solidarity: oaklandporttruckers.wordpress.com
Bay Area Intifada: bayareaintifada.wordpress.com
Transport Workers Solidarity: www.transportworkers.org
Fresh Juice Party (aka Chalkupy) freshjuiceparty.com/chalkupy-gallery
Sudo Room: https://sudoroom.org
Omni Collective: https://omnicommons.org/
First They Came for the Homeless: https://www.facebook.com/pages/First-they-came-for-the-homeless/253882908111999
Sunflower Alliance: http://www.sunflower-alliance.org/
Bay Area Public School: http://thepublicschool.org/bay-area

San Francisco based groups:
Occupy Bay Area United: www.obau.org
Occupy Forum: (see OBAU above)
San Francisco Projection Department: http://tinyurl.com/kpvb3rv

Register

Join Indivisible East Bay for our monthly All Members Meeting (AMM)! We’ll discuss our work to elect progressive candidates in and pass progressive legislation at local, state, and federal levels. We’ll also hear from guest speakers from organizations in our community and beyond.  Long-time members, potential new members, and their friends and family are always welcome!

We will get a 2022 strategy preview from our partners at Indivisible Northern Nevada and hear about potential opportunies later in the year to travel (and call in) to Reno to help hold that vital Senate seat in what’s looking to be a tough midterm election. Info on additional speakers and topics coming soon!

We’ll be holding the meeting virtually on Zoom (and we’ve hosted some faraway guests as a result- from Arizona, DC, and more!) If you’re new to Zoom or need a refresher, please check out our guide here.  We’ll open the meeting room at 12:45 PM so that folks can test and troubleshoot their tech: you’re welcome to join then or wait until we start the meeting officially at 1:00 PM.

For more information about Indivisible East Bay, visit https://indivisibleeb.org

Want to do more? Here’s how:

• Volunteer with IEB or find out how we work: info@indivisibleeb.org
• Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter
• IEB uses Slack, a chat system for talking about important issues, planning events, and team discussions. Want to join? Please drop us a line at info@indivisibleeb.org.

NOTE: During the Plague Year of 2020 GA will be held every week or two on Zoom. To find out the exact time a date get on the Occupy Oakland email list my sending an email to:

occupyoakland-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

The Occupy Oakland General Assembly meets every Sunday at 4 PM at Oscar Grant Plaza amphitheater at 14th Street & Broadway near the steps of City Hall. If for some reason the amphitheater is being used otherwise and/or OGP itself is inaccessible, we will meet at Kaiser Park, right next to the statues, on 19th St. between San Pablo and Telegraph. If it is raining (as in RAINING, not just misting) at 4:00 PM we meet in the basement of the Omni Collective, 4799 Shattuck Ave., Oakland. (Note: we tend to meet at 3:00 PM during the cooler months from November to early March after Daylights Savings Time.)

On every ‘last Sunday’ we meet a little earlier at 3 PM to have a community potluck to which all are welcome.

OO General Assembly has met on a continuous basis for over six years, since October 2011! Our General Assembly is a participatory gathering of Oakland community members and beyond, where everyone who shows up is treated equally. Our Assembly and the process we have collectively cultivated strives to reach agreement while building community.

At the GA committees, caucuses, and loosely associated groups whose representatives come voluntarily report on past and future actions, with discussion. We encourage everyone participating in the Occupy Oakland GA to be part of at least one associated group, but it is by no means a requirement. If you like, just come and hear all the organizing being done! Occupy Oakland encourages political activity that is decentralized and welcomes diverse voices and actions into the movement.

General Assembly Standard Agenda

Welcome & Introductions
Reports from Committees, Caucuses, & Independent Organizations
Announcements
(Optional) Discussion Topic

Occupy Oakland activities and contact info for some Bay Area Groups with past or present Occupy Oakland members.

Occupy Oakland Web Committee: (web@occupyoakland.org)
Strike Debt Bay Area : strikedebtbayarea.tumblr.com
Berkeley Post Office Defenders:http://berkeleypostofficedefenders.wordpress.com/
Alan Blueford Center 4 Justice:https://www.facebook.com/ABC4JUSTICE
Oakland Privacy Working Group:https://oaklandprivacy.wordpress.com
Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity: prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com/
Bay Area AntiRepression: antirepression@occupyoakland.org
Biblioteca Popular: http://tinyurl.com/mdlzshy
Interfaith Tent: www.facebook.com/InterfaithTent
Port Truckers Solidarity: oaklandporttruckers.wordpress.com
Bay Area Intifada: bayareaintifada.wordpress.com
Transport Workers Solidarity: www.transportworkers.org
Fresh Juice Party (aka Chalkupy) freshjuiceparty.com/chalkupy-gallery
Sudo Room: https://sudoroom.org
Omni Collective: https://omnicommons.org/
First They Came for the Homeless: https://www.facebook.com/pages/First-they-came-for-the-homeless/253882908111999
Sunflower Alliance: http://www.sunflower-alliance.org/
Bay Area Public School: http://thepublicschool.org/bay-area

San Francisco based groups:
Occupy Bay Area United: www.obau.org
Occupy Forum: (see OBAU above)
San Francisco Projection Department: http://tinyurl.com/kpvb3rv

Speak out against an unnecessary war with Russia which could possibly lead to the use of nuclear weapons.
If the war starts before Feb. 1, this action will still take place, to voice our opposition.

Emergency Action to say  “Negotiate, Don’t Escalate: No War With Russia”
February 1, 2022 at 11:30- 1:30pm (PST)
Ferry Bldg., San Francisco
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2022/01/26/18847610.php

There will be banners, flyers asking people to call the White House and their member of Congress, and an info table.  Capitol Hill: 800-826-3688
We are on the brink of a massive war between the US and Russia�two nucclear-armed states. The time to speak out is now!

Biden just ordered 8,500 US troops to be on heightened alert for possible deployment to Eastern Europe, as the dangerous escalation at the Russian/Ukrainian border standoff intensifies. Biden is also considering sending more warships and aircraft, and has already delivered more “lethal aid” to Ukraine. The $500 million Congress is set to pass through a fast-track vote, could and should be used on communities and climate. The Pentagon has said that there is the possibility of sending as many as 50,000 troops!

Join the Feb 1 emergency action to say “Negotiate, Don’t Escalate: No War With Russia.”
Sponsored by CODEPINK
Endorsers:  Green Party of Alameda County, Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Committee

CODEPINK’s recent webinar with Medea Benjamin and Larry Wilkerson: “Is the U.S. going to war with Russia over Ukraine?”

    http://www.GP.org
PLANET PEOPLE PEACE
before profit!

WORK WITH PUBLIC BANK EAST BAY:

If you would like to get involved, we have lots for you to do, including advocacy with local organizations, educational events like this one, social media, and more.

We are devastated to report the untimely death of our Board member, activist and engineer Jake Varghese. Read our tribute to Jake here. Our Revolution East Bay is planning a memorial for Sunday, January 9 at 4:00 pm – we’ll post details on our website when we have them.

Donate to Public Bank East Bay!

We’ve worked closely with Hank Levy, Alameda County Treasurer and Tax Collector, since he was first elected in 2018. He’s running again in 2022, and (even though his website hasn’t fully caught up), he’s including “Developing a public bank to provide access to much-needed funds for those without such access” on his campaign materials. This public acknowledgment of his intentions is a big boost for our goals; being aligned with the County Treasurer is invaluable.

Our viability study, a report mandated by the California Public Banking Act, is in revision stage and will be released soon for approval by the founding members’ governing bodies.

We expect to submit our business plan and charter application to the regulatory agencies in the middle of 2022. That is the last major step in the process of opening the bank doors!

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

Six minutes on “The Big Picture: How We Got Into this Mess and How We Get Out of It” with former United States Secretary of Labor Robert Reich.

WHAT IS A PUBLIC BANK?

A public bank is owned and controlled by the people of the city, state, or region it serves. It takes revenue deposits from the governments in its region (and can take deposits from semi-governmental organizations such as EBMUD or BART). Because it is a public entity, rather than a completely profit-driven corporation, it is in a position to both save money and make money for its depositors and — much more important — for the people who live in the cities, states, and regions using the Bank.

Instead of being a retail bank, our Bank will work with local community banks and credit unions to make better, more favorable loans to local businesses, and local individuals. Public banking has several strongholds around the world, including Germany — where public banking profits are largely responsible for the green energy surge — Costa Rica, and Vietnam. Public banks currently hold about ⅓ of the money in circulation in the world.

Learn More: http://www.publicbankinginstitute.org/

The California Public Banking Alliance has published a comprehensive resource booklet highlighting the ideas behind public banking and statewide efforts of the California public banking movement. It neatly organizes many of the overall intentions and purposes of imminent public banks, along with frequently asked questions. Some key points include:

• Statewide list of emergent public banks
• What is a Public Bank? A government owned nonprofit lending and depository institution by/for localized infrastructure and community investments
• Benefits of Public Banks
• 2019 Legislative support for Public Banks via AB 857
• Why Public Banks?
• How Public Banks will work
• We need Public Banks now
• 2021 Legislative support for the California Public Banking Option s via AB 1177
• Frequently Asked Questions … and answers

📣 It's not too late to join us! Click https://t.co/dUZC7675EC to join the discussion as we talk about Black Future Month, current updates, and the ongoing fight for Black liberation at our monthly member meeting! OPEN TO ALL! pic.twitter.com/RETUY4syE8

— Ella Baker Center (@ellabakercenter) February 3, 2022

A monthly meetings for new members, prospective members, and anyone else who would like to learn about how DSA SF works. We review
– Chapter structure and organization!
– What are our chapter priorities for the next year?
– What is socialism and why do we keep talking about it?

Register

The U.S. and Russia have 90% of the world’s nuclear weapons. Call on Congress, the White House and the media to listen to the people of Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. who Don’t Want War, don’t want NATO expansion, don’t want to further enrich the war industry or risk nuclear annihilation.
Instead, we want universal healthcare, quality education, eco sustainability, housing for all. green jobs!

Bring signs or borrow Code Pink’s. Hold a sign and/or pass out flyers urging people to email and call the White House and Congress.
Cheryl Davila and a few others will speak briefly at a short rally on the grass just west of the peace wall fountain in the park.
Then we’ll spread out along MLK Jr Wy with signs, banners, informational action flyers, also outside the Farmers Market entrance.

Click below for more info or to please RSVP:
Berkeley, CA: No War with Russia Rally 

NOTE: During the Plague Year of 2020 GA will be held every week or two on Zoom. To find out the exact time a date get on the Occupy Oakland email list my sending an email to:

occupyoakland-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

The Occupy Oakland General Assembly meets every Sunday at 4 PM at Oscar Grant Plaza amphitheater at 14th Street & Broadway near the steps of City Hall. If for some reason the amphitheater is being used otherwise and/or OGP itself is inaccessible, we will meet at Kaiser Park, right next to the statues, on 19th St. between San Pablo and Telegraph. If it is raining (as in RAINING, not just misting) at 4:00 PM we meet in the basement of the Omni Collective, 4799 Shattuck Ave., Oakland. (Note: we tend to meet at 3:00 PM during the cooler months from November to early March after Daylights Savings Time.)

On every ‘last Sunday’ we meet a little earlier at 3 PM to have a community potluck to which all are welcome.

OO General Assembly has met on a continuous basis for over six years, since October 2011! Our General Assembly is a participatory gathering of Oakland community members and beyond, where everyone who shows up is treated equally. Our Assembly and the process we have collectively cultivated strives to reach agreement while building community.

At the GA committees, caucuses, and loosely associated groups whose representatives come voluntarily report on past and future actions, with discussion. We encourage everyone participating in the Occupy Oakland GA to be part of at least one associated group, but it is by no means a requirement. If you like, just come and hear all the organizing being done! Occupy Oakland encourages political activity that is decentralized and welcomes diverse voices and actions into the movement.

General Assembly Standard Agenda

Welcome & Introductions
Reports from Committees, Caucuses, & Independent Organizations
Announcements
(Optional) Discussion Topic

Occupy Oakland activities and contact info for some Bay Area Groups with past or present Occupy Oakland members.

Occupy Oakland Web Committee: (web@occupyoakland.org)
Strike Debt Bay Area : strikedebtbayarea.tumblr.com
Berkeley Post Office Defenders:http://berkeleypostofficedefenders.wordpress.com/
Alan Blueford Center 4 Justice:https://www.facebook.com/ABC4JUSTICE
Oakland Privacy Working Group:https://oaklandprivacy.wordpress.com
Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity: prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com/
Bay Area AntiRepression: antirepression@occupyoakland.org
Biblioteca Popular: http://tinyurl.com/mdlzshy
Interfaith Tent: www.facebook.com/InterfaithTent
Port Truckers Solidarity: oaklandporttruckers.wordpress.com
Bay Area Intifada: bayareaintifada.wordpress.com
Transport Workers Solidarity: www.transportworkers.org
Fresh Juice Party (aka Chalkupy) freshjuiceparty.com/chalkupy-gallery
Sudo Room: https://sudoroom.org
Omni Collective: https://omnicommons.org/
First They Came for the Homeless: https://www.facebook.com/pages/First-they-came-for-the-homeless/253882908111999
Sunflower Alliance: http://www.sunflower-alliance.org/
Bay Area Public School: http://thepublicschool.org/bay-area

San Francisco based groups:
Occupy Bay Area United: www.obau.org
Occupy Forum: (see OBAU above)
San Francisco Projection Department: http://tinyurl.com/kpvb3rv

oscargrantcommittee-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

In alliance with the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) we organized the October 23, 2010 labor and community rally for Justice for Oscar Grant. On that day the ILWU shut down the Bay Area ports in solidarity. Our mission is to educate, organize and mobilize people against police and state repression. Sisters and brothers! The Oscar Grant Committee invites you to join us in this vital struggle.

We meet on the 1^st Monday of each month
You can join our discussion list by sending a blank (doesn’t even need a subject) email to

oscargrantcommittee-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

Email bayareadebtorsunion@gmail.com for Zoom link.

Twice monthly meetings, 2nd and 4th Wednesdays.

As you’re all aware, for the last several years I’ve been intimately involved in our MH “system”. It’s horrid and dysfunctional. In fact the WHO refers to the good old USof A, as being the worst place on the planet to be seriously mentally ill. Although it’s hard to, I believe them.

For three years now I’ve been helping to organize a very grassroots family organization – Families Advocating for the Seriously Mentally Ill (FASMI). We have lobbied, advocated, found allies, spoken up and educated and organized ourselves. Now we’re just plain fed-up and are taking our issues public as best we can.

On February 13th, Sunday, at 1:00 we will be rallying on the steps of the Board of Supervisors and some of us will stay and sleep there till their meeting Tuesday afternoon. Pamela Price and Loni Hancock will be speaking (briefly) among others – most importantly, families telling their stories (again briefly).

We’ll have art and music. Please join us and spread the word to whomever you think would be interested. I’m attaching our press release and flier.

HOSPITALS AND HOMES NOT JAILS AND STREETS

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 28,2022
Event:  Rally for HOSPITALS AND HOMES, NOT JAILS AND STREETS
for our Community Members with Serious Mental Illness

Alameda County Behavioral Health Department ignores State funds earmarked for
improving and expanding mental health infrastructure, while Supervisors vote to pour
money into Santa Rita Jail, which will conOnue to be the default warehouse of people
with mental illness.

Organized by Families Advoca.ng for the Seriously Mentally Ill (FASMI)

On Sunday, February 13, the day before Valen’ne’s Day, beginning at 1:00 p.m., a broad-based
group of family ac’vists will gather on the plaza in front of the Board of Supervisors office
building at 1221 Oak Street in downtown Oakland to demand that Alameda County redirect
resources away from incarcera’on and into desperately needed community-based facilities
and services for those with Serious Mental Illness. There will be music and speakers, including
Alameda County District AQorney candidate Pamela Price, and former State Senator Loni
Hancock, throughout the aUernoon.

Participants will remain in the plaza un’l Tuesday, when the Supervisors meet, to demand a
public mee’ng to discuss recent funding decisions taken by the BOS and Alameda County
Behavior Health.

At a ‘me when the State of California is flush with tax revenue, and when the governor has
signaled that he intends to release funds to tackle the related problems of homelessness and
untreated mental illness, it is essen’al that elected officials listen to those who live with the
consequences of untreated mental illness. Families demand that all available resources are
sought and that they are allocated in a way that will make a difference in the lives of their
loved ones.
The State Legislature has already enacted the Behavioral Health ConOnuum Infrastructure
Program (BHCIP), which makes $2.2 billion in grants available to coun’es who apply for them
to “construct, acquire, and expand proper’es” that serve individuals with Mental Illness. These
funds can be used for much needed acute and/or sub-acute facili’es and suppor’ve housing.
Yet, to date, Alameda County Behavioral Health has declined to apply during the first rounds of
grants. These funds are once in a genera’on opportuni’es to create a decent con’nuum of
mental health care in the community. There are also other grants that can be used to subsidize
staffing and other needs.

At the same ‘me that the County is ignoring the opportunity to build more and beQer
community-based treatment centers, the Board of Supervisors has voted to allocate $300
Million to Sheriff Ahern for mental health facili’es at Santa Rita Jail, which has been sued for
its inhumane treatment of mentally ill prisoners. Ac’vists agree that jail condi’ons for those
with mental illness are deplorable, but they reject the idea that jail remain the default for
dealing with untreated mental illness. Public Defender Brian Bloom, who has been a fellow
advocate along with many others calling for “Care First, Jail Last” policies, said of the recent
seQlement, “Of course I want mentally ill individuals to be treated well in jail. But there’s only
so much money (and so many clinicians!) to go around: every penny that is spent in jail is a
penny not spent on keeping someone out of jail. “ Individuals frequently wind up in jail for
minor infrac’ons or innocuous behaviors simply because there is no other place to take them:
our hospitals and outpa’ent agencies are over-burdened. Jails are the beds that never say no.
Elected officials must step up and for’fy our Mental Health System so that it delivers for the
most vulnerable and overlooked members of our society: those with serious mental illness.
The demonstra’on is sponsored by Families Advoca.ng for the Seriously Mentally Ill (FASMI), a
coali’on of family members, caregivers and supporters of those with severe neurobiological
disorders (aka SMI) such as schizophrenia, schizoaffec’ve disorder and bipolar disorder. FASMI
advocates for changes to public health funding, laws, policies and prac’ces that fail to
adequately help those with these illnesses. Families are the frontline of care and sustenance
for the mentally ill, but without the support of our ins’tu’ons and laws we are helpless to
protect our loved ones, and our family members become society’s problems.

NOTE: During the Plague Year of 2020 GA will be held every week or two on Zoom. To find out the exact time a date get on the Occupy Oakland email list my sending an email to:

occupyoakland-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

The Occupy Oakland General Assembly meets every Sunday at 4 PM at Oscar Grant Plaza amphitheater at 14th Street & Broadway near the steps of City Hall. If for some reason the amphitheater is being used otherwise and/or OGP itself is inaccessible, we will meet at Kaiser Park, right next to the statues, on 19th St. between San Pablo and Telegraph. If it is raining (as in RAINING, not just misting) at 4:00 PM we meet in the basement of the Omni Collective, 4799 Shattuck Ave., Oakland. (Note: we tend to meet at 3:00 PM during the cooler months from November to early March after Daylights Savings Time.)

On every ‘last Sunday’ we meet a little earlier at 3 PM to have a community potluck to which all are welcome.

OO General Assembly has met on a continuous basis for over six years, since October 2011! Our General Assembly is a participatory gathering of Oakland community members and beyond, where everyone who shows up is treated equally. Our Assembly and the process we have collectively cultivated strives to reach agreement while building community.

At the GA committees, caucuses, and loosely associated groups whose representatives come voluntarily report on past and future actions, with discussion. We encourage everyone participating in the Occupy Oakland GA to be part of at least one associated group, but it is by no means a requirement. If you like, just come and hear all the organizing being done! Occupy Oakland encourages political activity that is decentralized and welcomes diverse voices and actions into the movement.

General Assembly Standard Agenda

Welcome & Introductions
Reports from Committees, Caucuses, & Independent Organizations
Announcements
(Optional) Discussion Topic

Occupy Oakland activities and contact info for some Bay Area Groups with past or present Occupy Oakland members.

Occupy Oakland Web Committee: (web@occupyoakland.org)
Strike Debt Bay Area : strikedebtbayarea.tumblr.com
Berkeley Post Office Defenders:http://berkeleypostofficedefenders.wordpress.com/
Alan Blueford Center 4 Justice:https://www.facebook.com/ABC4JUSTICE
Oakland Privacy Working Group:https://oaklandprivacy.wordpress.com
Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity: prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com/
Bay Area AntiRepression: antirepression@occupyoakland.org
Biblioteca Popular: http://tinyurl.com/mdlzshy
Interfaith Tent: www.facebook.com/InterfaithTent
Port Truckers Solidarity: oaklandporttruckers.wordpress.com
Bay Area Intifada: bayareaintifada.wordpress.com
Transport Workers Solidarity: www.transportworkers.org
Fresh Juice Party (aka Chalkupy) freshjuiceparty.com/chalkupy-gallery
Sudo Room: https://sudoroom.org
Omni Collective: https://omnicommons.org/
First They Came for the Homeless: https://www.facebook.com/pages/First-they-came-for-the-homeless/253882908111999
Sunflower Alliance: http://www.sunflower-alliance.org/
Bay Area Public School: http://thepublicschool.org/bay-area

San Francisco based groups:
Occupy Bay Area United: www.obau.org
Occupy Forum: (see OBAU above)
San Francisco Projection Department: http://tinyurl.com/kpvb3rv

Join local activists with the Vets for Peace Climate Crisis and Militarism Project and Code Pink for a discussion of how US militarism, the single largest institutional source of greenhouse gasses on the planet, fuels the climate crisis. And about the growing movement to expose and fight this dangerous threat.

Vince DiJanich, a longtime activist in Vets for Peace and the Climate Reality Project, will present the Vets for Peace Climate Crisis and Militarism slide show, detailing the horrific climate impacts of US military operations. And he will describe the work of this project to raise awareness of this huge, little-discussed factor in climate destruction.

Cynthia Papermaster, a longtime activist with Bay Area Code Pink, will describe their work to fight militarism and climate change.

The Vets for Peace Climate Crisis and Militarism Project calls for  “reducing the unsustainable annual military budget; closing military bases around the world; de-militarizing US foreign policy; and redirecting funds towards mitigating the climate crisis.”

Their areas of focus include:

• Promoting full reporting of and reduction of US military emissions
• Supporting peace, oppose US militarism, and work to reduce and redirect the US military budget for human needs
• Standing for climate justice and against racism
• Educating and mobilizing fellow veterans, journalists, politicians, workers, environmental activists and the general public about the role of the military in aggravating the climate crisis.

WHERE

Online. For Zoom link, RSVP to action@sunflower-alliance.org

OTU’s Mission

The Oakland Tenants Union is an organization of housing activists dedicated to protecting tenant rights and interests. OTU does this by working directly with tenants in their struggle with landlords, impacting legislation and public policy about housing, community education, and working with other organizations committed to furthering renters’ rights. The Oakland Tenants Union is open to anyone who shares our core values and who believes that tenants themselves have the primary responsibility to work on their own behalf.

Monthly Meetings

The Oakland Tenants Union meets regularly at 7:00 pm on the second Monday evening of each month. Our monthly meetings are held in the Community Room of the Madison Park Apartments, 100 – 9th Street (at Oak Street, across from the Lake Merritt BART Station). To enter, gently knock on the window of the room to the right of the main entrance to the building. At the meetings, first we focus on general issues affecting renters city-wide and then second we offer advice to renters regarding their individual concerns.

If you have an issue, a question, or need advice about a tenant/landlord issue, please call us at (510) 704-5276. Leave a message with your name and phone number and someone will get back to you.