2014 COUNTERPOINTS COLUMNS


Thoughts On The Oakland Mayoral Election

Aside from who won or lost, who did well or poorly in the race?
November 13, 2014


Niggas, Bitches, Hoes, And Steven Tavares

An East Bay political columnist's mysoginy and anti-Black racism on his Twitter account
October 31, 2014


Oakland Needs To Clean Up Its Own Trash

Oakland got mugged by Waste Management in the awarding of the city's new waste disposal contract—do we have to be stuck with that?
October 3, 2014


What Does AB&I Foundry Want From Oakland City Government?

The company and its employees have made thousands of dollars in contributions to candidates in this year's mayoral election, as well as in past Oakland city elections
September 22, 2014


A Word Of Caution About Judging The Results Of That New Oakland Mayoral Election Poll

Rebecca Kaplan's lead is not so "commanding" as local news media headlines would make you think
September 17, 2014


Chip Johnson's Garbage Fantasy

In which the Chronicle columnist imagines that Oakland City Council's decision to dump the Waste Management contract was done in anger, only
August 23, 2014


In The Face Of Continued Kaplan Silence, More Campaign Finance Allegations Emerge

Payments were made to Kaplan's ballot measure campaign committee by two companies renegotiating contracts with Oakland
August 14, 2014


Did We Win, Lose, Or Draw In The A's Lease Negotiations?

Difficult to answer, since it's not sure what we were actually trying to accomplish, other than keeping the A's here for a few more years
August 1, 2014


Ms. Kaplan's Silence Is Not An Option

The Oakland City Councilmember and Oakland mayoral candidate needs to speak to the allegations of campaign finance money laundering
July 8, 2014


Assessing The Political Damage From Ms. Quan's Driving Difficulties

We can all agree that Ms. Quan's recent minor, non-injury fender-bender in West Oakland has certainly done some political damage to the mayor already
June 20, 2014


Ms. Quan's Difficult Path To Re-Election

Ms. Quan’s present electoral difficulties are a combination of the political and the mathematical, complicated by Oakland’s ranked-choice voting system that was put in place four years ago
April 20, 2014


Who Is Mr. Bryan Parker And What Would He Do As Mayor Of Oakland?

An East Bay Express Article Goes In The Wrong Direction In Examining The Record Of The Rising Candidate For Oakland Mayor
March 22, 2014


Ms. Quan's Public Safety Town Hall Meetings

When The Mayor Starts Holding Official Community Meetings In An Election Year, You Know The Campaign Has Begun
March 4, 2014


The Willie Brown Bridge? Oh, Please!

Why There Are Better Choices For The Naming Of The Newly-Built Eastern Span Of The Bay Bridge
February 12, 2014


The Most Important Issue In The Oakland Mayoral Race

The San Francisco Chronicle Says It's Crime, And I Agree (With Additions And Explanation)
February 4, 2014


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J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR

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THOUGHTS ON THE OAKLAND MAYORAL ELECTION

November 13 , 2014

Some more thoughts on the 2014 Oakland mayoral election before we move into the Mayor Libby Schaaf era:
        
Congratulations to Ms. Schaaf, not only for her victory, but also for running a campaign that did not bend the rules or outright cheat to win, at least as far as I can see. I’ll probably have more to say about that campaign at a later time, but for now that’s enough and—in my thinking—a lot.
        
Congratulations, as well, to Mayor Jean Quan for the graciousness she showed in defeat. Unlike former State Senator Don Perata, who continues to publicly pout about the results of the 2010 mayoral election, Ms. Quan did not make excuses for her defeat or put the blame on ranked choice voting. That, along with the mayor’s decision to join Ms. Schaaf in a joint post-election press conference, will go along way towards assuaging the bitterness among her followers that inevitably results from a hard-fought election contest.

Ms. Quan’s public pledge of cooperation in the transition from the Quan Administration to the Schaaf Administration will be good for Oakland government and, therefore, good for Oakland as a whole. We have seen how the refusal of Republicans and conservatives to accept the presidency of Barak Obama has paralyzed the national government and, in turn, prevented it from passing needed legislation that in previous years would have gotten bi-bartisan support. We should fight like hell for our principles and policies, without a doubt but we should also be wise enough to work out compromises where such compromises do not violate those principles, and can do the most good for the many. [More...]