[37], Schaaf is Jewish. Sarah Ravani covers Oakland and the East Bay at The San Francisco Chronicle. This is out of control.. We achieved OPD's long-sought compliance with court-ordered reforms with our new Police Commission. has a bold reparations 17 cars broken into on a single night in this San Francisco neighborhood. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. document.write(sentence); Elizabeth Beckman Schaaf (born November 12, 1965) is an American politician who has been Mayor of Oakland, California since 2015. Bloomberg Daybreak, anchored from New York, Boston, Washington DC and San Francisco provides listeners with everything they need to know. 1965. Delving into Schaafs charitable works, let us start with theOakland Cares. For more news and updates about your favorite stars, please stay connected with us atFeatured Biography. Her "17K/17K Housing Plan" has helped increase Oakland's affordable housing . All housing helps the homeless crisis and all housing at all income levels has helped slow gentrification and displacement of Oaklanders, Schaaf said in a recent interview with The Chronicle. Apple Delays AR Glasses, Plans Cheaper Mixed-Reality Headset, Saudi Arabia Says Open to Settling Trade in Other Currencies, Stocks Snap 4-Day Rally; Dow Drops Most in a Month: Markets Wrap, Apple Gets a Boost in India as Chinese Suppliers Given Clearance. Further, she is the mayor of Oakland, California, as of 2020. And respondents were overwhelmingly concerned with gun violence 97% said its an extremely or very serious problem, and 88% said the same about crime. Moss said shes eager to see how Schaafs legacy will live on from her investments in education for Oakland children to implementing Ceasefire, the citys flagship anti-violence program. The amount of money that was spent on Ignacio was a waste, said Tramutola. 31. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Hear the latest economic, business and market news, as well as global, national, and local news. The Mayors Housing Cabinets 17k/17k Housing Plan helped protect more than 36,000 low income Oakland households from displacement, roughly doubled affordable housing production, and built nearly 20,000 new homes Oaklands biggest building boom in more than a century! This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. After the rally, demonstrators began to march onto the street. While nearly 20,000 housing units have been built in her time, homelessness also grew by 131% since 2015. Come January, Thao, as the new mayor, and her labor allies on the council will no longer be able to use Schaaf as their political foil to hide their own failures to address the citys problems. But she paid a price for her pragmatism. I believe that the housing crisis in California actually is the biggest threat to our golden-ness as astate,Schaafsaid in an interview with Bloomberg Newsat Oakland City Hall, referring to the state's nickname as the Golden State., Photographer: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images. articles a month for anyone to read, even non-subscribers! All Rights Reserved.Site by Value-Centered Solutions. Oakland is a challenging city to govern, said Doug Linney, a political consultant in the East Bay. This is the gem of Oakland and its completely trashed, the woman said, pointing to the people sleeping on the street. She holds a B.A. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Some of the highest vacancy rates are in key city functions about 30% of jobs in the building department are open and nearly a third of positions in the transportation department are open. The chambers poll also found that 97% of respondents said homelessness is either an extreme or very serious problem. Our Ceasefire Partnership gave Oakland its lowest 5-year homicide rate on record. Before the sun rose on a brisk February morning, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf looked around Lake Merritt and counted the number of people sleeping on the street for the biennial point-in-time count. A key component of Schaafs strategy to addressing homelessness is the community cabin program, which moves unhoused people into temporary structures. And respondents were overwhelmingly concerned with gun violence 97% said its an extremely or very serious problem, and 88% said the same about crime. Schaaf has responded to the housing crisis instead by criminalizing unhoused people. People tend to be remembered by the end of their administration and if that Oakland Chamber of Commerce poll is any indication, shes not being well-remembered, said Dan Lindheim, a former city administrator and current professor at UC Berkeleys Goldman School of Public Policy. . But, some say, the last few years of her administration, particularly throughout the pandemic, were less successful. And with the passage of Measure U, an $850 million bond measure that Schaaf co-wrote with council President Nikki Fortunato Bas, the city will have more money to put toward creating affordable housing. Every so often, shed pause and point to the building where her mother lived or the white Victorian home where she got married. Most famously, she sparred with former President Trump after alerting residents that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement could conduct a raid. And the pandemic has undercut the growth in business migration to Oakland that was so promising just a few years ago. She worked extensively on Oakland Police Department reform, hiring more civilian staff and pushing through a plan to coordinate the Oakland Police Department with the Alameda County Sheriff's Department, to increase the number of officers patrolling Oakland. She is the mayor of Oakland, California and a former member of the Oakland City Council. But, he said, She should get real credit. from Loyola Law School.[7]. Other legal experts pointed to similar policies in cities like New York, which have been ruled constitutional. Her style was that of a practical progressive; vocal on social justice issues, but also determined to deal with real-world problems. libby schaaf eye problems. "I have every confidence that the A's and the new mayor, Sheng Thao, will get this deal done," she said. As Schaaf, a moderate, leaves office, the progressive Sheng Thao is preparing to take over. [1] Schaaf won the November 4, 2014 Oakland mayoral election in the 14th round in ranked choice voting with 62.79% of the vote. Libby Schaaf's devastating eight-year fall from grace. An Oakland Chamber of Commerce poll released in October shows that voters are largely dissatisfied with the city 64% of the polls respondents said they felt the city was headed in the wrong direction. Since then, her support has only risen, according to polls. Bloomberg Surveillance: Early Edition with Anna Edwards, Matt Miller & Kailey Leinz live from London, Berlin and New York, bringing insight on global markets and the top business stories of the day. Some political experts say Oakland is a tough city to be in charge of balancing the different interests of residents. built in 1966 and renovated in 1996, has been plagued by noted sewage issues over recent years, lighting problems and low attendance. Oakland officials are eyeing an expansion to the city's police force to confront the increase in violent crime, which has resulted in more than 115 homicides so far this year.Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf (D) said her office is drafting a proposal to put before the City Council that would increase the number of active police officers and require the city to maintain a larger police force . While market rate housing is constructed for new residents, Oakland has become the third most expensive city in the country for renters, and Black Oaklanders especially face overwhelming displacement pressures. Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. At best, her tenure has been mixed, said Jim Ross, a political consultant based in Oakland. ICEs acting director Thomas Homan stated that ICE failed to arrest around 800 people because of the alert. The programs success is mixed. De La Fuentes entry into the campaign, the division in the business community and the lack of a potent Schaaf-backed political operation cost Taylor the race. Oakland Police Officers' Association Despite the unrelenting challenges of these times, we made historic accomplishments together. var today = new Date(); For the first time in recent history, Oakland will have a progressive mayor and a progressive-majority City Council the outcome of the November election, which Ross called a repudiation of Schaafs time in office. The mayor has only a seldom-used tie-breaking vote. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and City Administrator Ed Reiskin today released a two-year Proposed Policy Budget for fiscal years 2021-2023. Schaaf hired Matt Nichols as her Policy Director[22][28] for Transportation and Infrastructure in March 2015. Its been the honor of a lifetime to serve as Oaklands 50th Mayor during the eventful years of 2015-2022. Libby Schaaf is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. A city audit found that nearly half of the participants returned to homelessness. Heres what political experts say, Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area. We created Oakland's first Department of Transportation, 311 Call Center, Infrastructure Bond Program, and Equity-driven Paving Plan, which delivered Oakland's all-time record for roads replaced 100 miles in 3 years! In 2016, Schaaf wrote a voter-approved $600 million bond measure that helped fund street improvements. The Just Recovery Budget totals more than $3.85 billion over the next two years, as shown in the table below: "As the City begins to recover from the devastating impact of the COVID pandemic, this Just . Let's learn more about her in today's article. In addition to repaving, Schaaf created a Department of Transportation and a 311 system that residents can call to report potholes and damaged roads. Her mother was a flight attendant. This is the gem of Oakland and its completely trashed, the woman said pointing to the people sleeping on the street. The home of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf was vandalized on Tuesday, just before she voted 'no' on diverting some law enforcement budget On the garage door were phrases including: 'Defund OPD,'. She instituted one of the nations largest guaranteed income programs for low-income residents and launched a widely-lauded program called Keep Oakland Housed, which provides rent checks and legal representation for residents at risk of homelessness. Its Schaafs job to make sure the police respond in a timely manner to emergency calls, but all she has done is throw money at an agency that is already grossly inefficient. The outcomes and conditions in the city arent as positive as anybody would like. For the first time in recent history, Oakland will have a progressive mayor and a progressive-majority City Council the outcome of the November election, which Ross called a repudiation of Schaafs time in office. Also See: Grab all the details about Jane Pauley, her net worth, and married life. Rep. Katie Porter of Orange County announces she'll run for the Senate seat held by Dianne Feinstein, who at 89 is not expected to seek reelection in 2024. Stop doing the bidding of the corporate landlords and wealthy developers. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf got on her knees for Black Lives Matter amidst the Floyd riots last year and scolded all white police officers as evil racists and oppressors of innocent black people before wholeheartedly embracing the "Defund the Police" movement. There was a lot of criticism around the type of cabin, but the fact of the matter is she was thinking about interim housing before most jurisdictions in the region were thinking about it.. Schaaf also strove to increase government transparency and efficiency, build a safer city, and strengthen Oakland neighborhoods in her time on city council. [1], Schaaf won the November 4, 2014 Oakland mayoral election in the 14th round in ranked choice voting with 62.79% of the vote. Stop giving all our money to an inefficient police department without making necessary changes. Still, she acknowledged, its not enough. Every so often, shed pause and point to the building where her mother lived or the white Victorian home where she got married. It was a time when anyone in Oakland could have foreseen the dangers of the incipient "defund the police" movement. Executive director of EveryOne Home Chelsea Andrews (left) and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf walk together as they count homeless people around Lake Merritt in February. I hope Im remembered as someone who fought for Oakland as we experienced this huge moment of growth, Schaaf said. Indeed, shes a millionaire. [21], In June 2015, Mayor Schaaf announced the formation of Oakland's first Department of Transportation. And the new candidates Schaaf backed often entered the races late, lacked sufficient funding and were unprepared, inexperienced and/or poorly vetted. Schaaf acknowledged her relationships with unions, calling herself a hard ass about the citys financial health and saying she prioritized paying down the citys pension obligations and creating a rainy-day fund in hopes of avoiding future layoffs. Despite the unrelenting challenges of these times, we made historic accomplishments together. It was her most-consequential failing. Oaklands next mayor is eager to hit the ground running. [4][5], Schaaf was born in Oakland, California, on November 12, 1965. I dont know whats fair, but my sense is that people are pretty unhappy at the moment with the state of issues in Oakland.. Demonstrators met at Frank Ogawa Plaza before sunset for a rally. All housing helps the homeless crisis and all housing at all income levels has helped slow gentrification and displacement of Oaklanders, Schaaf said in a recent interview with The Chronicle. "As far as frustrations and disappointments? But homelessness experts say its a quick and cost-effective way to get people indoors. Even the United Nations condemned Schaafs treatment of the unhoused, saying it constitutes cruel and inhuman treatment and is a violation of multiple human rights, including the rights to life, housing, health and water and sanitation.. First, theyll need to stop digging. Outgoing Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf reflects on trials and triumphs in office, Public File for KBCW-TV / KBCW 44 Cable 12. Thank you to everyone who helped us leave Oakland a more vibrant, equitable city. They will now be fully in charge and accountable. Schaaf said if she could go back in time to 2015, when she first took office, she would give herself one piece of advice: That homelessness would explode the way that it did and that its not just the countys responsibility, its everyones responsibility, Schaaf said. 311 is an easy-to-remember telephone number that connects you with highly trained City of Oakland Call Center representatives who are ready to help you with requests for non-emergency City services. I hope people appreciated that I was focusing my attention on addressing Oaklands challenges, not building a political pipeline. She and her followers are now paying a huge price for that nave thinking. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Borenstein: Libby Schaafs devastating political fall from grace, Borenstein: Oakland school trustee seated even though he probably lost election, Borenstein: Seeno v. Seeno becoming building empires War of the Roses. She also built and ran the first centralized volunteer program for Oakland public schools at the Marcus Foster Institute. var year = today.getFullYear(); She is Jewish. "My other disappointment is I was able to budget for a police force of nearly 800 officers, but never actually able to reach that staffing number," she said. After 8 years of Libby Schaaf, is Oakland better or worse? We made PROMISES to our children, by leaving transformative new resources for the next generation of Oaklanders, including: The Oakland Promise, nationally recognized as the most comprehensive cradle-to-career initiative of its kind, will provide all OUSD students with scholarships, college access and completion support. Under her watch, Oakland has repeatedly and violently evicted residents of Oakland encampments closing as many as 12 encampments a month. Weve had to respond to the crisis while building a whole new system that did not exist in City Hall just six years ago.. When Nathan, a 9-year-old boy she was tutoring, ran across the gym to greet her with a hug, she recognized that her real joy was in public service. This tool lets you decide, Two major shifts sparked mental health crisis for California's LGBTQ youth, Heres everything you can bid on as the Twitter auction begins, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). That is the only pathway to a safe and healthy Oakland where all of us can thrive. Samantha Laurey, Visual Intern / The Chronicle. McManus: Are Americans ready for a long, frozen conflict in Ukraine? She referenced them as she looked back on her time in office. Dear Abby: I kept this secret for 30 years, and now I'm devastated by the outcome. In Oaklands weak-mayor governance structure, the mayor can propose a financial and policy agenda, but the ultimate power rests with the eight-member City Council. Two sports teams left the city, and a third, the Oakland As, has threatened to leave if their proposed multibillion-dollar waterfront ballpark and surrounding development doesnt move forward. That wasnt her goal, Schaaf said. To be sure, Schaaf shouldered more blame than she deserved for the citys homelessness, rising gun violence and troubled municipal finances. 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