Willie Howard Mays: “Simply the Best” Mayor London N. Breed issued the following statement on the passing of Willie Mays:
“To a native San Franciscan, some things just go without question: it’s foggy in the summer, cable cars go halfway to the stars, and Willie Mays is the best there ever was. “It was an unbelievable opportunity of a lifetime to meet someone like Willie Mays. I remember hearing about the struggles that he endured because he was black, and what he overcame to become an icon on the field and the greatest baseball player of all time. He was from a generation who faced segregation and racism, a generation that paved the way so that many of us could have the freedom to thrive. “Willie Mays meant so much to this City as a player, but also as a leader, staying involved in San Francisco and the Giants organization long after he retired from the game he loved. Willie Mays will forever be the greatest of giants in the story of San Francisco.”
California Assemblymember Sandré R. Swanson (second from left) honored Mays on the floor of the California Assembly at the state Capitol in Sacramento. “Thank you, Willie Mays for providing lifelong memories of wonderful family times together. It is my honor to shake your hand,” said Swanson. Swanson is seen here with Mays during his tenure as a state assemblyman from 2006-2012. Photo Courtesy California Assembly.
Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
postnewsgroup.com
61st Year, No. 25
Weekly Edition. Edition. June 19 - 25, 2024
The People’s Budget: What Do Oaklanders Have to Say About the Proposed Mid-Cycle Changes? Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao speaks from the podium inside Oakland City Hall chambers. Courtesy photo.
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Faces First Ever Mayoral Recall in City History By Magaly Muñoz
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao is set to face the first ever city mayoral recall election this November. This comes after the campaign to remove her from office succeeded in filing a sufficient number of signatures to trigger the election. The group behind this campaign, Oakland United to Recall Sheng Thao, gathered over 40,000 signatures seven weeks before their July 22 deadline. They were only required to submit 25,000 names in order to get the recall on the No-
vember ballot. Oakland United launched their campaign in January, with failed 2022 mayoral candidate Seneca Scott and former Oakland Police Commissioner Brenda HarbinForte leading the ouster. Thao and her campaign team did not respond for comment at the time of publication. Opponents of Thao, who has been in office for just 18 months, have heavily criticized her for a perceived rise in crime, the firing of Continued on page 10
Sideshow Mars Peaceful Oakland Juneteenth Celebration at Lake Merritt Special to The Post The Oakland Police Department (OPD) is investigating a shooting with as many as 15 victims, including one in critical condition, that occurred Wednesday evening as a Juneteenth celebration was coming to a peaceful close at Lake Merritt. “The opportunity to celebrate with your family and friends should never be marred by gunfire,” Oakland Police Department Chief Floyd Mitchell said in an Associated Press report. The incident occurred just after 8:45 p.m. on June 19, about 30 minutes after a group of about 20 dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) started a ‘sideshow’ on the north side of the lake at Bellevue and Grand avenues. A ‘sideshow’ is a street takeover
blocking intersections and involving stunts like ‘doughnuts,’ ‘drifting doughnuts,’ cutting off traffic and that draw crowds that can number in the hundreds and make it difficult for police to deter. The preliminary investigation revealed that 28 officers and four sergeants monitored crowds of roughly 5,000 people participating in events at and around Lake Merritt. A short time later, a fight broke out, and as the crowd headed towards the altercation, multiple shots were fired. Officers located several victims who were struck by the gunfire. Medical personnel transported several victims to an area hospital. Most of the injured ranged in age Continued on page 10
FBI agents searched Mayor Sheng Thao’s property on Maiden Lane in Oakland, arriving at 5:30 a.m., according to news sources. Photo courtesy of KRON 4.
Oakland People’s Budget Coalition held a rally in front of City Hall to ask city council to make changes to the city’s budget that will include housing protections, OPD oversight, and funding the arts and entertainment sectors. Photo by Magaly Muñoz. By Magaly Muñoz With a massive budget deficit looming over city officials and a short timeline to fix it, Oaklanders are sharing what they want to see in the mid-cycle changes as the fiscal year comes to a close. A group of nonprofits and community organizations collectively known as the Oakland People’s Budget Coalition, rallied in front of City Hall last week to call on City Council to make changes in the budget to fit the needs of the people, such as housing, accountability, and economic revitalization. Isaiah Toney, deputy director of Oakland Campaigns at EBASE, was the main speaker for the group and laid out a set of wants that the coalition was asking for including maintaining civilian positions in the Oakland Police Department’s (OPD) Internal Affairs sector, allocating an additional $100,000 for the Public Ethics Commission to implement Democracy Dollars, and establishing funds for tenants who have suffered from no-fault evictions when property owners fail to make required payments. “We recognize that the historic deficit we are facing is a result of structural problems in how the City of Oakland collects and allocates revenue. We urge our city leaders to look at long-term solu-
Dis Lawmakers Amend AB 886, Bill Written to Save Black Freedom Fund Kicks Off ‘State of Black California’ California Journalism ... see page 2 Tour Focused on Reparations ... see page 2
tions that ensure corporations are paying their fair share to support the critical services that we all depend on,” Toney said. Julian Were, a member of IFPTE Local 21 Union, told the Post that the Budget Coalition largely supports what is in the budget, but these asks are what they believe will make the budget even better. He said there needed to be a bigger focus on public safety and putting more officers on the street to keep neighborhoods safe. He emphasized the need for civilian oversight and more funding for non-emergency services like Mobile Assistance Community Responders of Oakland (MACRO) to handle non-violent situations for those most vulnerable in the community. Oakland is facing a $177 million deficit and has proposed several changes in order to balance it out before their July 1 deadline including freezing and cutting several positions across the city and using the sale of the Oakland Coliseum to make up for the shortfall. Oakland is in the beginning steps of selling their half of the stadium to the African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG), an Oakland-based development company, and the funds Continued on page 10
FBI Raids Home of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao
By Ken Epstein
The mayor’s office said it is
The FBI raided the home of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao early Thursday morning, according to news reports. So far, few details are available. “The FBI is conducting courtauthorized law enforcement activity on Maiden Lane; we are unable to provide additional information at this time,” the FBI said.
aware of reports that the FBI was at the mayor’s home but referred all questions to the FBI.
News reports also indicate that
the search of the mayor’s home included officers from the IRS as
well as the U.S. Postal Service, neither of which could be reached for comment.
In addition, officers searched
a second home, which is conContinued on page 10
Former Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong Comments on FBI Investigations of Mayor, Others
“This is a sad day for the City of Oakland. Oakland is a city in crisis. Crime, violence, shootings, uncontrolled homelessness, unmitigated encampments, the budget deficit and more. The biggest obstacle to overcoming these crises are the failures of leadership in City Hall. Even before today’s news, some city leaders LeRonne Armstrong. File photo. have done nothing to help--and the future of Oakland. At this momuch to hurt—our city. Oakland needs leadership with a plan to ment we must unite and work toaddress public safety, leadership gether to move our great city forwho work with businesses, and ward,” said LeRonne Armstrong, leadership that’s prepared to meet the former Oakland Police Chief, our challenges with a vision for father, and native Oaklander.
Despite 11th Hour Push from Gov. Newsom, Prop 47 Amendment Makes It to Ballot ... see page 4
Racial Resentment Fueled Jan. 6 Rebellion and Opposition to House Probe.. see page 8