Hello Washington: Are YOU Listening?

Today, the day after the exit polls, one must ask the question:
Hello Washington: Are you listening?
That question and the answer is open to a great deal of interpretation, speculation and mistranslation of whatever message yesterday’s Republican victories truly mean.

One thing that is crystal clear is the misnomer touted by such “Right Wing Idiots” like Michele Bachmann, Eric Cantor and John Boehner that ‘Americans said by their votes that they (citizens of the USA) want to continue the Bush Tax cuts for the top 3% of the wealthiest’ is total BS. Obviously these presumed leaders of the next House session are already out of touch with what America wants.

Cantor in his acceptance speech last night said: “Americans want a government that listens to it’s people.” So why aren’t those Republicans listening? Because they are rich and do not care what anyone who is NOT rich wants, period.

Now that the election is over, it is time for the “Lame Duckers” to get back to Washington immediately - not wait until the 15th of this month. We all (every unemployed American) need to be calling the Whitehouse Comments Line [Comments:202-456-1111 Switchboard: 202-456-1414 FAX: 202-456-2461] and tell Mr. Obama the real meaning of what happened yesterday.

Tell our President that the Democrats shot themselves in the foot by ignoring the 99ers and the unemployed in this country. That He (our President) failed to acknowledge the 99ers or hold a town hall meeting with unemployed Americans and thus the Democrats lost the House (and nearly the Senate) and every exit poll proves that the #1 issue effecting those who did vote was the unemployment issue. We cannot eat Health Care, nor does that pay the rent. Health Care Reform is important but it should have never taken a priority position over the unemployment crisis!

As long as you are on the phone to the Whitehouse, it would behoove you to let the President know that extending the Bush tax cuts for the top 3% of the richest Americans even ONE day is NOT ACCEPTABLE! (Obama will like that, as he agrees - but we need to let him know we support him on this issue!)

You may also wish to express to President Obama how the Congress needs to return to Washington NOW not 2 weeks from now. America is in crisis and Washington has taken far too much time off, ignoring the needs of the unemployed hurting so badly in America today. If Obama does not wish to be a 1 term President (and I for one still support him) then Congress MUST pass a Tier 5 and extend the dates for filing UI extensions - set to expire at month’s end.

There is precious little time, as if they wait to return on the 15th - they will adjourn once again a week later for their Thanksgiving break. Most 99ers will not be having a Thanksgiving this year - so Congress needs to get their work done now:

Put a stop to the tax breaks for the top 3% of wealthiest Americans

Pass a Tier 5 - for all UI “exhaustees” in every state

Extend the UI filing dates set to expire on November 30th and December 5th.

Remember that it was Unemployment and shafting the long term unemployed that lost you the House yesterday and failure to handle the 3 tasks above, will likely result in Democrats losing the Senate and the Presidency too in 2012. The hurting unemployed have long memories and there are millions of unemployed in this country. Multiply the unemployed by the 10 to 15 other voters (minimum) that they can influence and there goes the next election.

And to the “Right Wing Idiots” like Michele Bachmann, Eric Cantor and John Boehner: Listen up! America does NOT want you to waste your time

Repealing Health Care
Repealing Financial Reform
Impeaching our President

You really need to hit the ground running and spend all of your time fixing what is wrong in this country. Hint: WE NEED JOBS in America! If you waste your time on an agenda that does not help those hurting Americans, then brace yourselves for a bumpy 2 years and a Democratic landslide in 2012. [I must confess I hope Republicans are too dumb to take this advice - but pray the “Lame Duckers” do!]

African Americans Fail To Vote, No Blacks In Senate

The Term "African Americans" is a Twitter Trending Topic as of this writing because after Illinois Senator Roland Burris depature, there's no black Senator in the U.S. Senate for the first time in this century, and for several years. Moreover African Americans failed to come out and vote in large numbers, as was the case in 2008.

This blogger, who's African American, voted, and has missed only one vote in 30 years of voting. For modern blacks not to vote, after ancestors have fought so hard to have the right to do so for decades, is almost criminal, or should be.

Moreover, for African Americans to complain about the election outcome, yet not vote, is even more criminal. It's like allowing other people to exact control over government, without being asked to do so.

More on this later.

Senator Barbara Boxer Thanks Her Supporters

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer beat back a strong challenge from former CEO Carly Fiorina to retain her seat as California Senator. To celebrate, Senator Boxer sent out this letter:

Dear Zenophon,

Rallying with supporters last night in Los Angeles

We did it! Together, we delivered a huge victory for the people of California last night, and it would never have been possible without you.

I can't thank you enough for standing with me and being a part of this tough, hard-fought campaign -- through thick and through thin.

Thousands of volunteers. 140,000 individual donors. Over one million online supporters. All together, an incredibly powerful grassroots force, working together to keep moving California and our country forward.

You proved that strong grassroots support can overcome millions of dollars in attack ads from the special interests and their secret donations.

You demonstrated that hundreds of thousands of people can join together, make their voices heard, and stand up to the big corporate goliaths.

And you showed that anytime we needed your help, you would step up and rise to the challenge.

It wasn't easy -- but it was so powerful.

I'm so proud of everything we accomplished, together, in this campaign -- and I look forward to continuing to stand with you in the weeks and months ahead.

Whether it's creating jobs, building a new clean energy economy, reducing the threat of climate change, protecting our coastline, defending a woman's right to choose, or ensuring equal rights for all, you know that I'm going to keep fighting -- and I need you right there with me.

So stick with me, and let's keep working every day to make California and our country the very best it can be!

In friendship and with great gratitude,

Barbara Boxer

U.S. Senator

Oakland Mayor's Race: Police Are Mayor-Elect (?) Don Perata's First Focus

If first choice results hold under Ranked Choice Voting, and given his 11 percent lead, there's little reason to think otherwise, Don Perata will be Oakland's Mayor-Elect.

Mayor-Elect Perata got 35 percent of the first choice votes; the full results will be by Friday, but his lead's large enough to pull the top Oakland politicians, from Councilmember Larry Reid to AC Transit Executive Director (and former Alameda County Supervisor) Mary King to his party at Z-Cafe on 27th and Broadway.

But in apparent victory, Perata set up what will be his first political battle of his mayoral term: the reinstatement of 80 Oakland Police Officers.

Laying off 80 Oakland Police Officers this year was a controversial move to cut the City of Oakland's budget, and caused a packed City Council meeting where police officers listened to a community that didn't seem to like them very much. Not so Don Perata.

Asked on video to come by this video-blogger what his first move will be as Mayor, Perata, in a horse voice, said "I'm going to reinstate the 80 police officers."

But newcoming District 4 Oakland City Councilmember-Elect Libby Schaaf wasn't so fast to rubber stamp Perata's desire. At her celebration party at Monahan's in the Oakland Hills, Schaaf said that Oakland Police and public safety are very important, but she's not ready to do it "without the money." Schaaf's very concerned to know where the money will come from to take that action.

And that frames the politics of money for Oakland. In an environment of scarce resources, paying for service ideas is much harder, and the Oakland City Council much more skeptical of any idea, even the reinstatement of 80 police officers, without a plan for paying for it.

Stay tuned.

San Francisco Voters Turn Down Hotel Tax Increase In Prop J

San Francisco businesses breathed a sigh of relief today as voters rejected Prop. J Tuesday, turning down a 2 percent increase to San Francisco's hotel tax. If Prop. J passed, the hotel tax increase would have affected businesses throughout the City, not just hotels.

"Small businesses, local restaurants, San Francisco hotels and the Chamber of Commerce all want to thank the voters of San Francisco for rejecting Proposition J that would have harmed the City’s number one industry from rebuilding after the recession and offering new jobs and new opportunities," said Kate Ryken from Economic Recovery SF, a coalition of San Francisco business organizations that opposed the measure.

Prop. J would have hiked San Francisco’s current 15.5 percent hotel tax by 2 percent, making the City's hotel tax the highest in the nation at 17.5 percent. The spike would have made San Francisco unaffordable for many potential visitors, meeting and conference planners, and would have resulted in the loss of more than 2,000 union jobs in S.F., according to the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce.

"We are pleased that San Franciscans voted NO on Proposition J. This ill-conceived initiative would have not only cost the City millions of dollars in visitors and meetings and conventions spending which translates to decrease in revenue for the City and job loss,” said Patricia Breslin, executive director of Hotel Council of San Francisco. “This is an important time for San Francisco. Our businesses are just starting to get their economic footing again and Prop. J would have halted their progress."

Indeed, increasing taxes is not the right decision at any level right now. The economy, from a jobs perspective, is just too weak at this point in time.

Stay tuned.

John Boehner And GOP Will Attack Health Care And Debt Limit - Stupid Idea?

GOP Ohio Rep. John Boehner (photo at left) And GOP Kentucky Senior Senator Rep. Mitch McConnnell appeared before the press just a few minutes ago, saying they has a "pleasant conversation" with President Obama, but that they planned to work to repeal the Health Care Bill, and (perhaps) not extend the Debt Limit. Are these stupid ideas?

The reason Republicans won the House and gained (as of this writing) six Senate seats is not just because the unemployment rate is so high, but that it's been consistently high for three years now. It's just gotten worse after the credit crunch of 2008.

Still, victory in an election can make the most sober person drunk with stupidity, and that was the case with John Boehner and Mitch McConnnell Wednesday morning.

"This is a repudiation of the policies of this administration," Rep. Boehner said. But Rep. John Boehner got it wrong. The problem is that people want a laser focus on job creation. The passage of the Historic Health Care Bill was great, but what was lacking was a continued focus on the economy. Perhaps getting out of Afghanistan - or reducing our presence - and cutting the defense budget are the two jobs President Obama has now. That's where the jobs money is.

Then Obama must push to use that money for a manufacturing subsidy program so American small business can hire people.

Big Government Is Not The Problem

For the GOP to say "big government" is the problem is a joke. The massive credit crunch forced government spending Worldwide. The problem is that many people in America, particularly the "white, no college" demographic, either can't get it, or because of a lack of education, doesn't know how to under the problem.

The problem, simply, is we don't have enough money is our system to get to businesses to produce jobs, and we're not creating enough new businesses to employ people.  And that's a Worldwide problem.  If the GOP doesn't get that over the next two years, their gains will be lost in 2012.

Stay tuned.

Oakland Mayor's Race: Don Perata, Then Tuman, Kaplan For Mayor

Today marks the end of a long and exciting Oakland Mayor's Race. This blogger has talked extensively on and off camera with all 10 of the candidates, created over 300 minutes of video interviews, and read a lot of information on all of them. Former State Senator Don Perata who will be the best choice for Mayor. The simple reason is, for all of the issues lobbed at him, Perata is a leader who gets things done.

That written, political newcomer Joe Tuman is the second choice, followed by At-Large Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan. This was tough, because for a long time, Perata's run for Mayor was a surprise in that a higher office seemed the more logical direction - like Senator. But Perata, for some years now, has expressed desire to be Mayor of Oakland, got an early start, kept his focus, and never looked away. Perata followed the advise then-Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris gave to me more than once: make sure they're always talking about you. And everyone has. Meanwhile, Perata has been above the fray, talking about the need to support Oakland's police and bring leadership back to the Mayor's Office.

In Oakland, Perata has a lot of chits to cash in. When I left the City of Oakland after The Super Bowl, it was Perata who's support for me never wavered. Perata, from the time I was a columnist for The Montclarion to my work for Oakland, has never once turned his back on me. And that's true for a lot of people.

What swayed my vote to Perata was that others like some at the Welstone Democratic Club, were talking about Perata helping "big developers like Phil Tagami" as if that's a bad thing. First, Phil, who's a friend, is not a "big developer" but a hard worker. Second, I knew Phil when he was working in real estate and struggling to make it. Phil's an Oaklander who worked his way up, while some of the same people who are now in the Welstone Club were working for Oakland City Council people, and in some cases sleeping with them.

I'm sick and tired of Oaklanders pulling other Oaklanders who've made it down. It was the comments from those who were doing this, that was the final issue for me. Before that point, I'd considered Rebecca for a long time, and still feel she would do a good job as Mayor. But Rebecca doesn't have quite the gravitas that Perata has. Indeed, Joe Tuman has more. Moreover, Joe really get that people are upset with the Oakland Parking Problem. He will work to stop predatory parking, and I don't think Rebecca will do that.

Tuman is a surprise. A 29-year Oaklander who really has groomed himself into "Citizen Joe," a man who can lead Oakland. I've had hours of conversations with Joe and continue to be impressed with his grasp, not just of the issues, but of the structure and culture of Oakland leadership - that's rare.

Finally, I give a special tip of the hat to Green Party Candidate Don Macleay. As I wrote last week, Don's campaign effort has grown and matured and he's developed a "man of the people" brand, that had he started a year ago, could have pushed him into the Mayor's Office. Don's a good man who's an Oakland treasure.

Rand Paul Wins: Kentucky Elects Man Called "Wacky, Kook" As Senator

Rand Paul, the ophthalmologist son of Rep. Ron Paul, is projected to win the Kentucky Senate seat, beating Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway in today's election race.

In picking Paul over Conway, Kentucky selected a person considered too racist and extremist to represent them, and called "wacky" and a "kook" by others.

A person, Rand Paul, who said that the 1964 Civil Rights Amendment should not apply to the private sector. A person who, more than once, has made statements indicating his outright misunderstanding and at times incredible stupidity with America.

Kentucky, Rand Paul is now your wacky Senator:



This would not have happened were it not for the terrible shape of an economy that's growing, but not producing enough jobs to make a difference for middle America. The unemployment rate is 10 percent in Kentucky. That problem has brought out a terrible element. The Rand Paul supporter who seems to advocate violence against women:



While that is not the fault of Rand Paul, it is the fault of Rand Paul supporters, who probably feel their actions were justified in the end because their candidate won.

Sick.

Oakland Mayor's Race: Arnie Fields Hates Jerry Brown

Arnie Fields is, from this bloggers view, the unofficial Mayor of Oakland. The block of 7th Street that runs next to the BART tracks and contains the BART West Oakland Station, is marked by "Fields For Mayor" signs, all over the place. Only a billboard for "Marcie Fields For Mayor" provides a momentary break from the "Fields For Mayor" images. That, and Fields owns the popular Revolutionary Cafe that's in the middle of the block at 1612 7th Street, which also has his signs.

Arnie Field may not win the race for Mayor of Oakland, but Fields is certainly a force in Oakland. Arnie Fields is an energetic, friendly, and knowledgeable Oaklander who's primary reason for running for Mayor is his anger with former Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, who he describes as a "kook." This blogger reminded Fields that that "kook" was about to become Governor of California - or so it looked - and Fields said "I hope not." Arnie Fields blames Jerry Brown for making Oakland into what he says is "Gotham City."

That gives you some idea of the kind of conversation Fields and I had and is in the video above.

Arnie Fields Real Estate Guy

There are people who don't take Arnie seriously, but in meeting and talking with him at length, especially off-camera, that's a mistake. This effort has been as much for the objective of eliminating the stereotypes people in Oakland have about the candidates, and in Fields, I've succeeded. Arnie Fields is a married father of three children between the ages of 13 and 21 (two boys and one girl to "even out the testosterone in the house" as he said), who specializes in rehabilitating properties in Oakland. Arnie grew up in Oakland and eats, sleeps, and drinks the culture of our city.

He says that prior to 2000, there was "a house for everyone in Oakland," but Jerry Brown's 10K program - which caused the construction of market rate high density housing in downtown Oakland - took out that era of reasonably priced homes and made Oakland a place where such inexpensive single family home ownership is not longer possible.

Talking With Arnie

Arnie Fields talks started with a kind of introduction to the block of West Oakland he built. Pointing to a neighboring clothing business, he said "People come all over to buy her clothes, she's the best in the Bay. Come and visit her." Arnie says they brought in a bike shop and "the Berkeley Liberation Radio, which is right around the corner, on Peralta" as well as the Revolution Cafe.

Fields says the City of Oakland was trying to demolish the entire block; they saved it, he says, when he and his wife created a historic district. He blames Jerry Brown for getting rid of the old Lincoln Theater, and essentially trying to erase the culture and infrastructure of West Oakland. Arnie says it's wrong for the City to try and destroy its historic structures. Fields forcefully says Oakland has "the largest stock of historic buildings in the country."   Fields says the housing stock in Oakland is "almost 80 years old."

As you can see, Fields has so much to say and has done so much in Oakland, it's hard to keep him on the basic topic of running for Mayor of Oakland, but I did succeed. But it's also why Fields does not perform well in forums: his mind is all over the place, and forums can't pin him down by the way they're ran.

Arnie Fields Is Fighting Corruption

Arnie Fields says his run for Mayor is to root out corruption. In our talk, he pointed directly to the Community and Economic Development Agency and repeated what's become a common theme: that CEDA is corrupt and using fees on building owners to help the City of Oakland pay for services outside of its department responsibilities in areas like building permits and enforcement. If elected, Fields would kick out much of the CEDA management.

Fields also says he will "get rid of the blight ordinance" which he says causes buildings to be slated for demolition and have gotten rid of the inexpensive housing in Oakland. He says that Oakland's population has decreased because of these actions by about 10 percent. (Now, in 2010, Oakland's population is at 399,484, in 2005 it was at 395,274, which is a net increase. Sorry Arnie.)

Arnie Wants To Cut The Fat

Fields asserts that as Mayor he's going to cut 500 CEDA code enforcement officers that he will reduce to 250 positions. Arnie's more interested in shifting money from CEDA to public service, but overall he doesn't have a plan for reducing the deficit. "I want. We're going to become pro-business...cut the red tape," he says, "and eliminate the tax liability" Oakland has at present.

Fields wants to restore Oakland's old buildings to pass on affordability to Oaklanders.  "Before Jerry Brown showed up, you were able to rent a house in Oakland for $600 to $700 a month," he says, "the whole house."  

Fields As Mayor

Fields says his Mayor's office is going to be "a beacon of love and hope" for all.  He will thin down the Mayor's staff and be at all of the council meetings.   "We are going to have a zero-tolerance for litter" in Oakland.

Fields Supports BB

Arnie Fields supports Measure BB because he says "We need more education."   He also says he will push for a 100 percent high school graduation rate.

Fields Will Not Sue The A's

Fields does not want to sue the Oakland A's.   He wants to work with the A's to make them see the benefits of being in Oakland.

You can learn more about Arnie by visiting his website Fields4Change.com and watching the video.

Stay tuned.

American Liberty in Jeopardy? You decide

Is our Liberty in jeopardy here in America? You decide for yourselves, or perhaps you have already decided with your vote.

A government of the rich, by the rich and for the rich is far more likely to continue with Republicans back in power. We should know for sure very shortly.

But what you may not know, is that the Democrats are not much better. How can the rich (and there are no poor folks in Congress) ever really understand the struggles and despair of the impoverished? Look at their priorities and it is easy to see how disconnected every member of Congress is from “main street America.”

Since early this year, Washington has left millions of unemployed workers without the money, in the form of jobless benefits, to pay their rent or mortgage and feed themselves and their families. These most unfortunate souls are known as the 99ers. Had the Democrats not been so arrogant as to assume the 99ers would vote for them no matter what, and instead passed the Tier 5 bill before they recessed (yet again) they (the Dems) would not be sweating bullets worrying about their jobs. Hey Ms. Pelosi - I’ll bet you are not laughing at the 99ers now.

This Summer, the Democrats refused to budge on funding Unemployment extensions using money from TARP or the Stimulus Package.

But, Wall Street bankers and hedge fund managers, saw a proposed $19 billion tax shifted from their assets onto working people. While the toothless financial reform bill passed by Congress earlier this year was initially to be paid for by taxing the institutions most responsible for the financial meltdown of 2008, the Democratic leadership caved to Republican objections, agreeing to fund it instead with money left over from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP)—funds that otherwise would have gone to decrease the US deficit. Instead, those billions in deficit reduction will be gouged out of programs that benefit the working class and the poor.

So Democrats refused to compromise to get badly needed UI benefits passed for hurting Americans, but they did compromise with Republicans to fund the so called Financial Reform Bill via those TARP funds. What is more important? Saving Americans from homelessness and starvation, or passing a weak Financial Reform Bill that barely makes a difference to Wall Street moguls, crooks and thieves?

Also let us not forget, while slashing funds for the jobless and the working population generally, Congress approved $33 billion to pay for the escalation of the nine-year-old war and occupation in Afghanistan, bestowing billions of dollars on a corrupt Afghanistan regime. Although there may not be oil in Afghanistan - there is reportedly over $1 trillion in untapped minerals in the earth there.

Taken together, these actions provide an unmistakable portrait of a government that is of the rich, by the rich and for the rich—one that is utterly unresponsive to the needs and wishes of the vast majority of the American people. The actions of the US Senate (the “millionaires club”), the House (where the average net worth is $650,000) and to some extent the Obama White House are determined by the interests of the banks, the corporations and the wealthiest one percent of the population, while the majority of the country, the working people, are abandoned to the mercies of the capitalist “free market.”

The Democratic House and Senate leadership have blamed Republican obstinacy for the defeat of these meager relief measures. The reality, however, is that both big business parties accept the doctrine of deficit reduction and agree that social spending—including the pittance offered to the unemployed—must be curtailed to that end. As for the Obama White House, it declined to make an issue of millions of workers being left destitute.

What is to account for the chasm that divides the interests of the working class majority from the policies of the two big business parties? According to the latest data released by the Congressional Budget Office 4 months ago, the income gap between the top 1 percent, America’s millionaires, and the rest of the population more than tripled between 1979 and 2007. During that period, the top one percent saw its after-tax income increase 281 percent, compared to just 25 percent for the middle fifth of the population.

No wonder the Democrats stand to lose the House and maybe the Senate as well. If and when that happens, the Democrats will have no one to blame but themselves. Had they passed Tier 5 they would be sitting pretty, confident of winning enough seats to safeguard their majorities in both the House and Senate.

No matter what happens as a result of today’s voting, Congress should NOT wait another 2 weeks to get back to Washington - as is scheduled. They should return immediately and get that Tier 5 Bill passed and extend the UI filing dates as well.

There is wide speculation that the lame-duck Congress will not be addressing the unemployment issues of Tier 5 or extending filing deadlines at all. If that proves to be the case, then there is little doubt that America will erupt into violent protests in towns across the nation - likely by Christmas.

Perhaps the Government is already aware of what is sure to come, as they seem to be preparing for civil unrest here on our own shores. They are already spending millions to arm the guards patrolling our unemployment offices.

According to RTTV News:

Twenty thousand additional U.S. uniformed troops, set to be trained by 2011, are to help as a response to the threat of a possible mass terror attack or civil unrest following an economic collapse. But despite assurances from the Pentagon, many Americans are worried by the prospect of seeing the military guard in the streets.

Oakland Mayor's Race: Larry Lionel Young Interview

Larry Lionel Young, Jr. is running for Mayor of Oakland to "make change," and if he were elected, at 30, he would be the youngest Mayor in Oakland's history.

Young, who's worked as a real estate broker for five years, said that his reason for running is to give a positive message to black and brown people who are struggling and incarcerated in jail. He also points to the economic problems faced by Oaklanders "facing foreclosure" as another reason he elected to run for Mayor of Oakland.

Oakland Can't Police It's Way

Young says that Oakland can't "police its way" out of crime problems. The graduate of Westlake and of Claremont Middle School, Berkeley High School, and after Laney and Diablo Valley Colleges, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, favors programs rather than jails to help Oakland's youth in particular. He wants to reallocate money from public safety to parks and recreation programs. "Currently 75 to 80 percent of our budget goes to public safety. That's a lot of pie."

Young also wants to improve the facades of Oakland's buildings, pointing to large parts of International Boulevard that have dilapidated structures that he wants upgraded. Part of the reallocated funds would be used for that purpose.

Oakland Police Salaries Too High

Larry Lionel Young feels the best way to reduce the money spent on public safety is via lowering Oakland police salaries - "From $72,000 to $49,000 is the best way for us to accomplish our vision," he says. Young thinks Oakland officers he's talk to agree with him - not all of them, but the majority of the officers Young has talked to.

On the matter of City of Oakland employees, Young wants to have Oakland workers live in Oakland, in fact he wants that as a requirement of maintaining employment.

No On Measure BB

LL Young, Jr. does not favor any of the tax-based proposals on the ballot, particularly Measure BB. In fact, the only ballot measure he favors is Measure L.

Racism in The Campaign?

Larry feels that some of the reason he's not well known is due to, in some cases, racism. "I tell you this. There's a lot more glamorizing for the news to portray a young black man being shot on BART than there is one who's running for Mayor." In that way, he's correct. If the media were not so lazy, not so much racist, Young's story would have been told over and over again in the newspapers and TV channels covering the race.

The Mayor's Office Under Larry Young

Larry says his Mayor's Office will be ran by a person who's a good listener and is "more hands on and involved." His agenda is for Oakland to be the best place to work, best place to live, and best place to visit.

Oakland Sports And Larry Young

On the matter of maintaining the A's in Oakland, Larry's not well-versed on how that can be done - I had to explain it. He feels its important to keep them here, but if they decide to leave, he feels Oakland has "plenty of options" to replace them. He doesn't favor spending public money on sports stadiums.

The Young Campaign

Larry Lionel Young says his campaign has been endorsed by "The People," and has not worked to raise money. He claims that he has no campaign expenses and that everything in terms of communication has been by word of mouth. Indeed, he has and does not see the need for, a website. I've got on him about this, but that's his way. What's head-scratching is that Young refers to YouTube videos, but does not see the need for a website.

With this, can Young even gain visibility and votes?  We shall see.

JaMarcus Russell Avoids Indictment

Former Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell was not indicted by a grand jury in Alabama. Russell was charged with a felony of possession of a controlled substance, which turned out to be a drink that contained cough syrup ingredient codeine, according to The New York Times.