Calendar
Feasibility study authorization delayed
The City Council vote to authorize a feasibility study on a public bank didn’t happen at the July 18th meeting as expected. Instead, this item has been moved to the agenda for September 19th. According to Council staff, the vote was put off due to the overly long agenda for the last meeting before summer break.
This delay is a big disappointment, of course, but there’s plenty to do in the next two months. The new budget provides only $75,000 of the study’s total cost of $100,000. When the Council does finally authorize it, their authorization will be contingent on finding outside sources for the last $25,000. So, fundraising is now a top priority for us.
How you can help grow our grassroots movement
In addition to fundraising, we need to continue building a broad base of public support for the Public Bank of Oakland. You can help by connecting us with local groups that you know about. We need:
– Tabling opportunities. We have been tabling at First Fridays and farmers’ markets around town, and we are looking for other locations. Know of an upcoming neighborhood festival or other event? Spots in East Oakland and West Oakland are especially needed.
– Speaking opportunities. We are looking for locaal organizations that would like to host a talk about the benefits of public banking. Can you suggest a political group, union local, religious community, neighborhood association, business or coop?
– Signers for our letter to City Council. More thhan forty local groups, including Causa Justa::Just Cause, Ella Baker Center, and Idle No More Bay Area, have already signed our open letter in support of PBO. We’d like to keep growing the list. Please let us know of groups to reach out to.
Talking up our public bank
We’ll need more people to do all the tabling and speaking events we’re lining up. Talking about public banking is fun! Most of the people we talk to are really glad to find out about it. If you’d like to join our outreach efforts by tabling or just passing our petition around your neighborhood – please contact us or attend our next outreach meeting on Tuesday, August 1st at 6:00pm. We’ll be in the outside seating area at Max’s Diner, 500 12th Street, Oakland.
A small reminder about donating
We don’t want to turn our newsletter into a constant plea for money, but donations and pledges are definitely needed. All thhe work of FPBO is done by volunteers. Please donate directly on our website or pledge by emailing contact@friendsofpublicbankofoakland.org. Thank you!
Berkeley Police Review Commission – Homeless Subcommittee:
Agenda action and discussion, review current policies related to homeless encampments, responses to policies and recommendations, https://www.cityofberkeley.info/uploadedFiles/Police_Review_Commission/Commissions/2017/2017-08-08%20Homeless%20Encampments%20agenda.pdf
Coal promoter and developer Phil Tagami is currently a candidate for a position on Oakland’s Police Commission. No Coal in Oakland is horrified at the prospect that this man – who proposes to bring toxic coall into Oakland and has sued the City to overthrow its popular ban on coal – could be chosen to represent residents on a city commission thattwill provide civilian oversight of the Police Department by reviewing and proposing changes to Department policies and procedures, requiring the Mayor to appoint any new Chief of Police from a list of candidates provided by the Commission, and having the authority to terminate the Chief of Police for cause.
Phil Tagami’s interview for a seat on the civilian Oakland Police Commission will be on Tuesday, August 8 at 7:00 pm at Oakland City Hall. We need you to attend. The selection panel needs to know that he is not fit to serve on the Police Commission.
Although cardboard signs will probably not be allowed in the room, you can bring a piece of paper with a message on it that you hold up at relevant moments. “Don’t pick Tagami.” “Tagami can’t be trusted.” “Tagami wants to pollute West Oakland.” “Tagami is suing Oakland.” “Tagami not fit to serve.” Be creative!
There is an opportunity to speak at the interview, but not to engage in dialogue with the panel. Speaker’s cards will be available at the meeting. We should be strategic about this so the panel doesn’t get annoyed at redundant speakers. It would be best to have people speak who can represent neighborhoods, congregations, unions, and other organizations. Speakers can invite the audience to stand to express solidarity with them, rather than having repetitive presentations.
More information is available at http://www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca1/groups/cityadministrator/documents/agenda/oak065761.pdf. Tagami’s application is on pages 129-134. Background information is also at http://nocoalinoakland.info/lets-keep-coal-promoter-tagami-off-the-oakland-police-commission/
In a totally ironic twist, Berkeley Police Assaulted people and beat one man over the head after the June 20th Berkeley City Council meeting re: Urban Shield.
Police Review Commission June 20, 2017 Subcommittee:
Agenda action and discussion, plan for investigation whether June 20 BPD was appropriate, review BPD and other documents and ask questions of Police Chief or designee.
Join Oakland Privacy to organize against the surveillance state, against Urban Shield, and to advocate for privacy and surveillance regulation ordinances to be passed by our State Legislature and around the Bay Area, including the Alameda and San Francisco County Boards of Supervisors, the BART Board of Directors, and by the Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond and Davis City Councils.
We are also engaged in the fight against Predictive Policing and other “pre-crime” and “thought-crime” abominations, drones, improper use of police body cameras, ALPRs, requirements for “backdoors” to your cellphone and against other invasions of privacy by our benighted City, County, State and Federal Governments.
Oakland Privacy (nee Oakland Privacy Working Group) originally came together in 2013 to fight against the Domain Awareness Center (DAC), Oakland’s citywide networked mass surveillance hub. OPWG was instrumental in stopping the DAC from becoming a city-wide spying network; its members helped draft the Privacy Policy that puts further restrictions on the now Port-restricted DAC, and made Oakland’s new Privacy Advisory Commission to the City Council happen. We were also the lead in having Alameda County pass the most comprehensive privacy and usage policy in the country for deployment of “Stingray” technology (cell phone interceptors). Oakland and Fremont have followed suit. In conjunction with other groups we fight against Urban Shield and other killer-cop trainings.
We have presented our work at RightsCon in San Francisco and at Left Forum and HOPE in New York City.
If you would like to attend our meeting and would like a quick introduction to what we’re doing before we dive right into the thick of our agenda, send email to contact@oaklandprivacy.org and one of us will arange to meet you before the meeting.
Stop by and learn how you can help guard our right not to be spied on by the government. Look on the whiteboard inside near the entrance to the OMNI for our exact location within the OMNI.
If you are interested in joining the Oakland Privacy Working Group email listserv, send an email to:
oaklandprivacyworkinggroup-subscribe AT lists.riseup.net
or send a request to contact@oaklandprivacy.org
For more information on the DAC check out
9:10 am Task Force Discussion Groups Small groups will generate a list of proposed actions for each question under consideration by the Task Force. (Facilitation Team) – In small groups, formulate responses to the five learning questions under consideration by the Task Force – Develop summary of small group proposals (i.e., topics with unanimous/majority support; topics requiring further study; and unresolved topics with no consensus) Attachment Discussion IV.
10:40 am Task Force Discussion Group Reports Task Force will make a preliminary assessment of the proposed actions generated in the small group discussions. Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 (Facilitation Team) – In plenary session, present summaries of small group proposals for addressing the five learning questions (with Q & A) – Preview Meeting #6 Discussion V.
11:50 am Public Comment (Chairman, Muntu Davis, MD, Department of Public Health)
The Occupy Oakland General Assembly meets every Sunday at 3 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 3:00 PM we meet in the basement of the Omni Collective, 4799 Shattuck Ave., Oakland. (Note: we meet at 3:00 PM during the cooler months, once Daylight Savings Time springs forward we tend to assemble at 4 PM).
On every ‘last Sunday’ we meet a little earlier at 2 PM to have a community potluck to which all are welcome.
OO General Assembly has met on a continuous basis for over five years! 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
Historically, Open Circle has stayed stationary in Oakland and SF.
We’re at a point where we want to bring Open Circle to areas that need further support. Last month, we were in Stockton. At this meeting, we will beginning planning where to hold the September meeting.
Join us for a community potluck and thoughtful discussion around police accountability on behalf of families directly impacted by exessive use of force.
~~~~~~~~~~
Open Circle holds space for families directly impacted by police terrorism to gather with each other and members of the community. We love and support one another. This gathering also provides opportunity and some structure to help families collaborate with each other in their struggle for justice for their loved ones.
*This is a Potluck Event, please feel free to bring a dish, snack or (non-alcoholic) beverage to share. ♥
From Oakland : BART to Embarcadero Center, transfer downstairs to MUNI and get on the T Light Trsin going south bound towards Bayview, get off on Caroll Street and walk back half a block on 3rd.
Emergency door on the armstrong side will be open so that attendees can come directly to the common room.
The Community Democracy Project is your connection to direct democracy in Oakland! Convened out of Occupy Oakland in Fall 2011, we’re gathering steam on a campaign to bring the people back in touch with the city’s resources through participatory budgeting.
Picture this: Across Oakland, Neighborhood Assemblies are regularly
held in every community. People come together to tackle the important issues of their neighborhoods and of the city. At these assemblies, people don’t just have discussions–they learn from one another, from city staff, and they make fundamental decisions about how the city should run. They decide the city budget.
Democratic, community budgeting is a powerful step toward building strong communities, real democracy, and economic justice–and it’s being done all over the world.
The budget of the City Oakland totals more than $1 billion per year. Although part of the budget must be used for specific purposes, still over half of the budget–over $500 billion per year–consists of general purpose funds paid by the taxes, fees, and fines of the people of Oakland. The Mayor and the City Council decide the city budget, with minimal input from the community.
Working together, we will not only get a seat at the table–we will REBUILD the table itself. Participatory democracy is real democracy–join us to say: Local People, Local Resources, Local Power!
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.
Workers & the Fight Against Coal
August Climate Workers Monthly Meetup
Join us for Climate Workers’ monthly membership meetup, at which we’ll be strategizing about labor’s role in the fight against coal in Oakland.
Climate Workers believes that we must defeat coal in Oakland and that workers and our unions have a critical role to play in the fight.
At this month’s Climate Workers member meet up, we’ll get an update on the fight against coal, learn how other communities have fought extractive industry (and won!), and lead a power map / brainstorm about what workers bring to the fight against coal in Oakland.
Last year, union members (including many of YOU as Climate Workers members!) were essential in beating back Oakland developer Phil Tagami’s attempt to build a coal export terminal in Oakland, CA. Hundreds of union members signed petitions, attended rallies, and spoke out at city council. And your sentiments were echoed by a historic statement against coal by the Alameda Labor Council. Together, we banned coal in Oakland!!
Now Phil Tagami is suing the City of Oakland, seeking to overturn the ban and to bring 10 million tons of coal through our city annually – escalating climate change and poisoning the lungs of working class communities of color in the path of the coal trains. Meanwhile, the jobs Tagami promised our communities are nowhere to be found. Instead, he’s forcing the city into a costly lawsuit at a time when we need our public tax dollars to fund vital community services.
Join us Tuesday for this important conversation and help inform Climate Workers’ work on this important campaign. We’ll have some light food and drinks. You do NOT need to be a Climate Workers member to attend, however we’ll start the evening with a brief orientation to Climate Workers and an opportunity to join, followed by the discussion.
Become a Climate Workers MEMBER
Build a worker-led movement for climate justice. Join today!
Monthly APTP meeting, held on every 3rd Wednesday of the month.
– Strategize on addressing proposed changes to the BART police use of force policy.
– Find out ways you can use your talents and resources to support APTP and get involved with the work, including how to join various committees such as the Black Leadership Committee, First Responders, Action, Policy, Media, and Security committees.
– Find out more about the #DefundOPD campaign.
The Anti Police-Terror Project is a project of the ONYX ORGANIZING COMMITTEE that in coalition with other organizations, like Idriss Stelley Foundation, Community READY Corps and Workers World Party – Bay Area, is working to develop a replicable and sustainable model to end police terrorism in this country.
We are led by the most impacted communities but are a multi-racial, mutil-generational coalition.
For the July meeting:
There will be report backs on some of our recent actions including the Defund OPD campaign around the city budget process, including our shutdown of the Council budget meeting. You’ll also hear about our action to protest the promotion of rapist OPD Cops at their “secret” promotions ceremony.
We’d also love to have you get involved with APTP on a regular basis, by joining one of our committees. We will have committee breakouts as part of Wednesday’s meeting, so you can learn about what the different committees do. We know you all have lots of ideas and talent, so please contribute to further APTP’s on-going work.
Some of the committees include:
– Black Leadership
– First Responders
– Action
– Comms/Media
– Policy
– Security
– Fundraising
See you all on Wednesday!
Come by our open Delegates Meetings every First and Third Thursday of the month at 7pm! We’ll give space to brief announcements, updates from working groups, proposals up for consensus, and discussion around important issues. The schedule is created weekly at the following url: https://pad.riseup.net/p/omninom
From the Oakland Post:
Adamika Village and other grass-roots organizations are hosting a town hall meeting to announce “strategic and consistent planning and implementation to stop the violence in Oakland.”
“It is imperative that the community get involved in changing Oakland’s climate of violence. We can no longer rely on anyone but ourselves to make this happen,” says Pastor Anthony Woods, Adamika CEO. “This town hall is the beginning of regular monthly meetings to assure implementation occurs. Please don’t stay home and think somebody else is going to change Oakland. We need your help,” he said.
On the agenda will be a discussion of Adamika Village’s “No Yellow Tape Day” rally at City Hall on Nov. 17 and support for efforts to find Pearl Pinson, Margarita Brown, Aniah Russell, Olivia Betancourt and Larissa Oliver, all young women still missing in the Bay Area.
The #stopkillingourkids” movement started in August 2016 with a “Mother’s Cry” rally at Arroyo Park, where mothers and fathers were provided a forum to express their grief and be heard.
Oakland! This is the caravan of the summer, mobilizing the East Bay to the South Bay for #A19 #Millions4Prisoners march and rally. Come listen, learn, network, share, reach out, march, BUILD!!!
DRIVERS and RIDERS:
This will be a full day so SIGN UP EARLY!! Use the google form at the link to let us know your needs for transportation or comment on this event!!!
Schedule:
March with California Prison Focus & RISE UP FOR JUSTICE
9:00 am – Meet at West Oakland Station, depart 9:30am
11:00 am – Gather at Raymond Bernal Jr. Park
11:30 am – March to Santa Clara County Main Jail
12:30 pm – Rally at James P. McEntee Plaza (70 W. Hedding St.)
~2:00 pm – Drive back to Oakland
M4P A19 is about standing up with and for prisoners and fighting back against:
* Private entities exploiting labor
* Companies overcharging prisoners for goods and services
* Private entities contracted by states and federal government to build and operate prisons, including immigration detention centers
* Racial disparities in America’s prison population and sentencing
* Disproportionate and unaccountable killings by police in black and brown communities
* Felony disenfranchisement laws
* Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) setting detention quotas
* Producing the world’s largest prison population
* State-sponsored murder via the death penalty
* Unjust bail bond system
SOLIDARITY – – FOR A WORLD WITHOUT PRISONS
Aug19 SAN JOSE MILLIONS FOR PRISONERS MARCH https://t.co/Y9OG5mbQiC in solidarity w/March in DC #Abolishthe13th @CAprisonfocus #humanrights pic.twitter.com/fTyT0m7DQH
— CA Hunger Strike (@CAHungerStrike) August 14, 2017
ART & SOUL will be using Oscar Grant Plaza this weekend so we will meet at 19th & Telegraph.
The Community Democracy Project is your connection to direct democracy in Oakland! Convened out of Occupy Oakland in Fall 2011, we’re gathering steam on a campaign to bring the people back in touch with the city’s resources through participatory budgeting.
Picture this: Across Oakland, Neighborhood Assemblies are regularly
held in every community. People come together to tackle the important issues of their neighborhoods and of the city. At these assemblies, people don’t just have discussions–they learn from one another, from city staff, and they make fundamental decisions about how the city should run. They decide the city budget.
Democratic, community budgeting is a powerful step toward building strong communities, real democracy, and economic justice–and it’s being done all over the world.
The budget of the City Oakland totals more than $1 billion per year. Although part of the budget must be used for specific purposes, still over half of the budget–over $500 billion per year–consists of general purpose funds paid by the taxes, fees, and fines of the people of Oakland. The Mayor and the City Council decide the city budget, with minimal input from the community.
Working together, we will not only get a seat at the table–we will REBUILD the table itself. Participatory democracy is real democracy–join us to say: Local People, Local Resources, Local Power!
Kick-off meeting to create Slingshot issue #125.
* Brainstorm articles for next issue
* Orientation on how you can submit articles, art, photographs
* Help us discuss our audience and themes for the next issue
* Discuss fundraising and distribution
* Your chance to comment on Slingshot
Everyone is welcome.
Issue #125 is due out on October 6, 2017
Deadline for Issue #125 is September 23, 2017
Moving ahead with the feasibility study
The next Oakland City Council meeting is set for Tuesday, September 18th. On the agenda is authorizing the feasibility study on establishing the Public Bank of Oakland. But authorization is only half the battle; it is contingent on finding an additional $25,000 from outside the city coffers to supplement the budgeted $75,000.
If you live outside Oakland, you can help establish PBO so it can bring beneficial banking to the whole bay area. Whether you live in Berkeley, San Leandro, Alameda, Newark or another town, let your local councilmembers know that you support PBO. Tell them to put money into funding this study.
Of course, you can also support PBO by donating or pledging financial support on our website.
How public banking can help address climate change
We’re excited to announce the next forum on public banking! Visiting from Berlin, Wolfram Morales of the Sparkassen public banks will discuss the role of public banking in financing renewable energy projects. Joining him on the panel will be Nicholas Chaset, CEO of the brand-new East Bay Community Energy agency, and renewable energy activists. Hosted by councilmembers Dan Kalb and Rebecca Kaplan, the forum is set for Monday, September 25th, from 7 to 9pm, at the Oakland City Hall.
FPBO at the Laurel street fair
Our outreach efforts got a major boost at last weekend’s Laurel street fair. We spoke with hundreds of fair-goers who hadn’t yet heard of public banking and collected 300+ signatures for our petition to the Oakland City Council.
Coming up in Oakland
We’ll continue to build public support for PBO at two more August events. On the 19th look for our table at the Latinx Cultural Festival at Peralta Hacienda Historical Park.
And on Saturday the 26th, we’ll be at the Freedom Farmers’ Market at 5316 Telegraph Avenue. This market’s mission is to bring traditional legacy foods from Black farmers and other socially disadvantaged farmers into Oakland. We hope to meet you there!