Despite the unrelenting challenges of these times, we made historic accomplishments together. In 2016, Schaaf wrote a voter-approved $600 million bond measure that helped fund street improvements. Schaaf spent her entire first day as mayor in 2015 at the Oakland Police Department, demonstrating tone-deafness to the people at a time when thousands of Oaklanders were in the streets protesting OPD shootings of Black folks. The housing shortage in California is at the root of the state's biggest problems, said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, who wants to expand the use of local bonds to promote more building in one of . Political experts say that while Oakland is grappling with major issues the housing and homelessness crises and violent crime Schaaf deserves credit for leading the city through some of its toughest times, including the pandemic. The contrast with the current occupant couldn't be greater. 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. That dissatisfaction also extended to the citys leadership 42% of the polls respondents rated Schaafs performance poorly. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Police officers told them to keep to the sidewalks, and cited California Vehicle Code Section 2800, making it an arrestable offense not to comply with the police order. In May 2015, Mayor Schaaf instituted a ban on un-permitted nighttime marches on public roadways in Oakland, citing existing city policies. She repaved 161 miles of the citys crumbling roadways, but residents complain about the amount of trash on city streets in the span of one year, enough garbage landed on city streets to cover the length of 13 football fields. I did not feel he had a path to victory, no matter how much money was spent.. [6] Growing up in Oakland's District 4, Schaaf attended Head-Royce School and Skyline High School, both in Oakland. Weve had to respond to the crisis while building a whole new system that did not exist in City Hall just six years ago.. [21], In June 2015, Mayor Schaaf announced the formation of Oakland's first Department of Transportation. A key component of Schaafs strategy to addressing homelessness is the community cabin program, which moves unhoused people into temporary structures. Elizabeth Beckman Schaaf (born November 12, 1965) is an American politician who has been Mayor of Oakland, California since 2015. But the city reached 43% of its very-low-income housing goals, 26% of its low-income housing and 3% of its moderate-income housing goals. For more news and updates about your favorite stars, please stay connected with us atFeatured Biography. Jeff Tumlin was named Interim Director[25] of the department in June 2016. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. has a bold reparations 17 cars broken into on a single night in this San Francisco neighborhood. Bloomberg Daybreak, anchored from New York, Boston, Washington DC and San Francisco provides listeners with everything they need to know. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf was a target of HBO's Bill Maher on Friday night over her handling of a controversy surrounding supposed nooses found at Lake Merritt. An estimated 60% or more are Black. She is dedicated to public service, community work and is devoted to . Schaaf also strove to increase government transparency and efficiency, build a safer city, and strengthen Oakland neighborhoods in her time on city council. That dissatisfaction also extended to the citys leadership 42% of the polls respondents rated Schaafs performance poorly. In addition to that, shes a former member of the Oakland City Council. There are those on the left who also respect the financial realities, such as Schaaf and Loren Taylor, the self-described pragmatic progressive councilmember who ran unsuccessfully to succeed her. It was a time when anyone in Oakland could have foreseen the dangers of the incipient "defund the police" movement. The chambers poll also found that 97% of respondents said homelessness is either an extreme or very serious problem. Schaaf failed to expand MACRO, a model for mental health emergency support to Oaklanders that does not lead with law enforcement, and which could free up officers to handle actual crime. My general sense is if Libby cant do it, boy, its going to be hard for anybody because she really had the experience, the skills and the general chops to be able to do it.. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. 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. Schaaf, 54, grew up in Oaklands District 4, where she attended Head-Royce School and Skyline High School. var year = today.getFullYear(); Invest in our communities to ensure housing as a human right, good jobs to support Oakland families, mental health care and youth programs, safe roads and clean streets. But the city reached 43% of its very-low-income housing goals, 26% of its low-income housing and 3% of its moderate-income housing goals. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. In 2009, Schaaf graduated from Emerge California, a training program for women who aspire to elected office.[13]. When I became the mayor, it wasnt a top concern. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". A year later, her Drake-backed fried chicken chain opens first Oakland restaurant this week. Previously, she covered breaking news and crime for The Chronicle. 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. Chelsea Andrews (left) of EveryOne Home and Schaaf participate in Februarys homeless count around Lake Merritt. As a politician, she needs to maintain a healthy image in the crowd. Learn how your comment data is processed. Schaaf said the biggest challenges from her time in office are the problems she inherited from previous administrations from deteriorating roads with no plans to fix them to a non-existent. 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. Required fields are marked *. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and City Administrator Ed Reiskin today released a two-year Proposed Policy Budget for fiscal years 2021-2023. Oakland is a challenging city to govern, said Doug Linney, a political consultant in the East Bay. Schaaf said the biggest challenges from her time in office are the problems she inherited from previous administrations from deteriorating roads with no plans to fix them to a non-existent response to homelessness. Residents are mostly split in their opinions of Schaaf. A mayor who serves all of Oakland, not just the wealthy few, someone with the courage to undo the Schaaf painful legacy and allow Oakland to heal. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Samantha Laurey, Visual Intern / The Chronicle. Universal Pre-school Access for all 3 and 4 year olds within a decade, funded by the voter-approved parcel tax Measure AA. It also lays out her political achievements and failures as the citys 50th mayor for the past eight years. Remember, this was literally in the middle of the Black Lives Matter Movement, and Anti Police-Terror Project had been bringing Black people into the streets to protest state violence for five consecutive years. "I know I put my heart and soul into serving my beloved hometown," she said. Residents are mostly split in their opinions of Schaaf. That is the only pathway to a safe and healthy Oakland where all of us can thrive. Her mother was a flight attendant. 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 bieennial point-in-time count. 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. The cabin community idea was really unheard of at the time, said Moss, who also served as Schaafs chief of staff for the first two years of her mayoralty. But, he said, She should get real credit. Its been the honor of a lifetime to serve as Oaklands 50th Mayor during the eventful years of 2015-2022. In addition to repaving, Schaaf created a Department of Transportation and a 311 system that residents can call to report potholes and damaged roads. That first year, 24% of likely voters said the city was on the wrong track and 61% said it was headed in the right direction, according to the Chamber of Commerce annual poll. While Schaaf ushered in a building boom, Lindheim said the housing crisis in Oakland is worse than ever., They grossly underperformed targets of moderate housing and they greatly over-performed targets of market rate housing, Lindheim said. McManus: Are Americans ready for a long, frozen conflict in Ukraine? Profile: Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf Then, during one of Schaaf's own volunteer experiences with Oakland Carestutoring children at a local schoolshe hit a tipping point. She referenced them as she looked back on her time in office. This bloated police budget has done nothing to improve public safety; in fact,annual homicides increased from 93 when Schaaf took office to 133 in 2021. Controversial Mayor Libby Schaaf of Oakland, Calif., is touting her opposition to President Trump's policies against illegal immigration -- while mayoral challengers criticize her for the. Manjoo: Your gas stove may be killing you. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. 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. 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. Not only the lovely couple enjoy a blissful life together, but they are also blessed with two beautiful children,DominicandLena. Further, she is the mayor of Oakland, California, as of 2020. His candidacy was always a longshot, especially given his troubled two-decade tenure on the council, but it sucked up more than $500,000 of outside spending that could have helped Taylor counter more than $700,000 of independent expenditures for Thao. She oversaw the city as it dealt with tragedy when the Ghost Ship fire killed 36 people at a warehouse party. In 2016, Schaaf wrote a voter-approved $600 million bond measure that helped fund street improvements. Major companies, including Credit Karma, Blue Shield and PG&E, expanded to Oakland, further boosting the citys economy. She repaved 161 miles of the citys crumbling roadways, but residents complain about the amount of trash on city streets in the span of one year, enough garbage landed on city streets to cover the length of 13 football fields. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Meanwhile, homelessness is worse. articles a month for anyone to read, even non-subscribers! [18], In the race for Oakland mayor, Schaaf was endorsed by Governor of California Jerry Brown[19][20] and US Senator Barbara Boxer. a widely lauded program called Keep Oakland Housed, changed zoning codes to allow for different types. Your email address will not be published. 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. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. [14], During her tenure on the city council, Schaaf fought to raise the minimum wage,[15] voicing her support for Measure FF,[16][17] also known as Lift Up Oakland, a $12.25 minimum wage ballot initiative which passed in a landslide on November 4, 2014. But she paid a price for her pragmatism. Schaaf said the biggest challenges from her time in office are the problems she inherited from previous administrations from deteriorating roads with no plans to fix them to a non-existent response to homelessness. In South African townships oppressed because of unemployment, crime, drugs and violence, and where many of the population are suffering from HIV and Aids, this inspiring feature-length documentary follows the journey of six people who transform themselves through yoga, and documents the impact that yoga has on their families, and communities. Polling showed Schaaf was widely popular in 2015, the year after her first mayoral election. However, her house in Oakland, where she resides with her family, came to the attention of many after itwas vandalized as the threatof federal troops looms back in July. 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). Stop doing the bidding of the corporate landlords and wealthy developers. She is right that the contentious environment on the council discouraged prospective candidates. 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. "There are moments of just unbelievable joy, like riding in that first Warriors' victory parade and seeing just the beauty of Oakland on full display. "I have every confidence that the A's and the new mayor, Sheng Thao, will get this deal done," she said. In her first five years, the homicide rate dropped. 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. But, some say, the last few years of her administration, particularly throughout the pandemic, were less successful. In addition to repaving, Schaaf created a Department of Transportation and a 311 system that residents can call to report potholes and damaged roads. This was an unreasonable interference with the demonstration given that there had been no serious crimes committed." But, he said, She should get real credit. She led Oakland through not easy times.. Still, she acknowledged, its not enough. The states shortage of affordable homes threatens its golden-ness, Libby Schaaf says. She easily won reelection in a 10-candidate field in 2018. The 50th Mayor of Oakland, Libby Schaaf, is a happily married woman. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Despite voters suggesting a different form of leadership, Schaaf said she hopes residents will remember her as a fighter. As Schaaf, a moderate, leaves office, the progressive Sheng Thao is preparing to take over. Her political allies on the council when she became mayor were all eventually ousted or opted not to seek reelection. In January, Oakland will swear in a new mayor, the 51st in its history. Also See: Grab all the details about Jane Pauley, her net worth, and married life. Weve had to respond to the crisis while building a whole new system that did not exist in City Hall just six years ago.. Show this thread. Despite those advances, some city leaders criticized Schaafs administration for failing to deliver basic city services. OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf says the city is working to deal with a spike in homicides with more than a dozen seen this year so far. Her name wasnt on the ballot, but the 2022 Oakland elections were a disaster for outgoing Mayor Libby Schaaf, the culmination of her eight-year fall from grace. Published: Aug 26, 2022. A Bay Area native, he holds masters degrees in public policy and journalism from University of California, Berkeley. Schaaf has been mayor here for a year, a surprising victor who used an endorsement from Governor Jerry Brown to vault herself to a decisive 63 percent victory. [32][33] She responded, "I was sharing information in a way that was legal and was not obstructing justice, and it was an opportunity to ensure that people were aware of their rights." And the pandemic has undercut the growth in business migration to Oakland that was so promising just a few years ago. Demonstrators met at Frank Ogawa Plaza before sunset for a rally. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 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. Libby Schaaf is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party. She equipped an entire generation of children with college savings accounts and universal preschool. By October, that had plummeted to 35%. she exclaimed. 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.. Oakland is one of those cities on that cusp and Mayor Libby Schaaf is a great leader and inspiring Mayor who is determined to see that happen. In the citys housing element from 2015 to 2023, which lays out how a city will plan for new homes, Oakland reached 174% of its goal for above-moderate-rate housing. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served on the Oakland City Council. During her administration, Schaaf capitalized on public private partnerships, using fundraising to launch new city programs. She added that Schaafs administration also changed zoning codes to allow for different types of interim housing. Let's learn more about her in today's article. [2][3] Schaaf won re-election in 2018 with a 27% margin. It was fitting that her last press conference would be about a program for universal preschool access. I'm a Black woman and a co-founder of the Anti Police-Terror Project. OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Police are investigating an act of vandalism at Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf's house. We must pay close attention to both the people and policies who get support at the upcoming city elections. As an Oakland native, the town is a roadmap of Schaafs life history: Its where she grew up as the daughter of a shoe salesman and a flight attendant, where she graduated from Skyline High School and where she raised her two kids. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Its a humanitarian crisis, Schaaf said. Here Are Four Ways to Spot Greenwashing, The School Board Queen Endorsed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, The School Board Queen: How a Florida Mom Is Shaking Up US Education, The Idea of Parental Rights in Education Goes Back to the 1950s, Ryan Salame Invested Big In ASmall Town, Now Its Tangled Up In FTXs Fallout(Podcast), Fight to Regulate Crypto atCrossroads as Ripple Ruling Looms. When it came to the mayoral race this year, Schaafs popularity was so tarnished that business leaders who shared her concern about a labor takeover of city government failed to unify behind a candidate, and some dismissed Taylors candidacy because he was endorsed by Schaaf. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The first enforcement of this ban was on May 21, during a #SayHerName[29] march, a nationwide coordinated march focused on ending state violence against black women and girls in the US. 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. 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. That wasnt her goal, Schaaf said. The housing shortage in California is at the root of the states biggest problems,said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, who wants to expand the use of local bonds to promote more building in one of the countrys priciest areas for real estate. We created several public-private partnerships to test innovative approaches with private dollars, like the Cabin Community Shelter Model and Keep Oakland Housed that prevented 1800 families a year from entering homelessness and won HUD's National Partnership Award. We did not have a structure in place to deal with it. By nearly every metric, she has decreased community safety and increased human suffering of those already most marginalized. After 22 years with the City of Oakland, I believe more than ever in the power and promise of local government. Your email address will not be published. If Im looking at (her) legacy, I dont think she left her successor in a particularly great spot, Lindheim added. document.write(sentence); As Schaaf exits on Jan. 2, she leaves behind a crime-ridden city with inadequate police staffing, unfunded retirement liabilities that have grown from about $2.4 billion a decade ago to $3. 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. All Rights Reserved.Site by Value-Centered Solutions. 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! Heres what Sheng Thao plans to do first, Is Oakland more progressive than San Francisco? Bas said council members regularly hear from residents about their frustration with the lack of services trash, illegal dumping and sanitation and said its been a significant problem. Some political experts say Oakland is a tough city to be in charge of balancing the different interests of residents. This is out of control.. In 2016, Schaaf wrote a voter-approved $600 million bond measure that helped fund street improvements. From 2010 to 2020, the city population increased by 50,000, but the Black population shrank by 14% and the number of Black youth under 18 decreased by 29%. Libby had disappointed so many people., De La Fuente finished a distant third. November 4, 2014 Oakland mayoral election, List of mayors of the 50 largest US cities, "Councilwoman Libby Schaaf files to run for Oakland mayor", "Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf wins re-election", "Mayoral election in Oakland, California (2018)", "Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf Is Our East Bay Person of the Year", "De La Fuente to challenge Schaaf for Oakland mayor in 2018", "Mayor-elect Schaaf: Now is 'Oakland's time', "Oakland voters approve two tax measures, minimum wage hike", "Gov.
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