Dis Your Vote in 2026: Bill Banning Law Enforcement From Polling Stations Advances - Carrying Fines Up to $1000 and 5-Year Max Prison Time ... see page 2
Up to the Job: How San Francisco’s PRC Is Providing Work Opportunities That Turn Into Lasting Stability ... see page 2
George Robert Carruthers: Revealing the Mysteries of Space ... see page 4
California Senate Unveils ‘Foundation for the Future’ Budget Plan to Address Deficit; Protect Core Programs ... see page 4
Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
63rd Year, No. 16
Weekly Edition April 22 -28, 2026
postnewsgroup.com
New Audit Report Assesses the City of Oakland’s Fight Against Illegal Dumping, Offering Recommendations for Improvement
Ces Butner of the Cestra Butner Family Foundation and League of Women Voters – Oakland President Ernestine Nettles. Photo by Darryl Kelly Images.
League of Women Voters of Oakland Hosts ‘The Time is Now,’ Raises $40,000
By Kiana Gums Special to The Post
Oakland offered a powerful reminder of what democracy looks like when it is rooted in community, clarity, and committed leadership. The League of Women Voters (LWVO) of Oakland hosted its spring fundraiser, ‘The Time Is Now: Protecting Democracy, Rallying the Town,’ bringing together civic leaders, community partners, and residents on April 7 that under-
scored both urgency and possibility. Leading that effort was LWVO President Ernestine Nettles, who currently serves as an analyst in the City Administrator’s Office. Under Nettles’ leadership, the event came together in less than three weeks, ultimately raising nearly $40,000 in sponsorships and donations, along with an additional $15,000 in in-kind support. Continued on page 8
Members of the community coalition attend the meeting of the City’s Life Enrichment Committee on April 21. (L to R): Chadwick Spell, Cathy Adams, Derek Barnes, Len Turner and Petra Brady. Photo courtesy Herman Adams. iStock. By Post Staff The Office of the Oakland City Auditor this week released a report designed to identify potential sources of illegal dumping in Oakland, evaluate the City’s use of resources to promote effective clean ups and enforcement, identify workload and process improvements for clean ups, cite violators, and prevent recurrent dumping. The report, titled “Performance
Audit of Illegal Dumping: Improvements to the Accessibility of Legal Waste Disposal and the City’s Enforcement and Remediation Policies and Operations Could Help Alleviate Oakland’s Illegal Dumping Problem,” was produced in response to widespread community concern about illegal dumping, examining the City’s illegal dumping activities between 2019 through 2025, but Continued on page 8
OAKLAND, CA — April 22, 2026 — Following Tuesday’s Oakland City Council Life Enrichment Committee meeting, the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce (OAACC), alongside the Disparity Business Coalition — including the National Association of Minority Contractors Northern California, Construction Resource Center, and East Bay Rental Housing Association — is calling for immediate administrative action to address longstanding racial disparities in City contracting, as early signs of movement emerge from City leadership. At the meeting, Director Emylene Aspilla presented a summary of the coalition’s working document, outlining a clear roadmap focused on implementation, accountability, and measurable progress. The presentation reflects a shift from years of studies toward actionable reform. In addition, Deputy City Administrator Sofia Navarro reported updates from the City Administrator’s Office, indicating that direction from City Administrator Jestin Johnson is already underway. According to the update, waivers have been stopped, and
departments are reviewing next steps and potential structural changes to align contracting practices with equity goals. The urgency of the issue was evident as 18 speakers filled the chambers, representing Oakland’s business and construction community and calling for fairness, enforcement, and equal access to opportunity. During public comment, Cathy Adams delivered a direct message to Council: after decades of studies confirming inequities, the time for discussion has passed. “For twenty years, this City has conducted disparity studies that all say the same thing — there are clear racial disparities in contracting. The question is no longer whether disparity exists. The question is whether this Council will act with urgency.” The coalition emphasized that several corrective actions can be implemented within 30 days without new funding, including establishing oversight mechanisms, reforming the waiver process, enforcing prompt payment, and increasing transparency and reporting. “Certification is not equity. A certified firm that never wins a Continued on page 8
By Ken Epstein
ship and community stakeholders working group reported this week at the city’s Life Enrichment Committee meeting on the progress being made to implement reforms based on the findings of the recent-
ly released 2024 Disparity Study. Formed recently by the City Council, the working group is operating on a 90-day timeline to propose and implement solutions to the institutionalized discrimination that has kept Black- and women-owned businesses from Continued on page 8
Oakland Launches Nation’s First Cannabis Equity Certification Mark ‘Legendary’ mark highlights local cannabis businesses that participate in Oakand’s Cannabis Equity Program
Libby Schaaf. File photo.
While mayor, she helped lead Continued on page 8
In 2017, the City of Oakland made history by becoming the first city in the country to launch a Cannabis Equity Program, which helps those negatively impacted by the ‘War on Drugs’ enter the cannabis industry and build thriving local businesses. The program changed the policy conversations about cannabis equity in California and
nationwide. Now, in an effort to raise awareness of equity businesses and help them survive and thrive, Oakland is leading the way by launching the nation’s first initiative to promote city-verified equity businesses in the cannabis industry. The Oakland Legendary Cannabis Certified Equity Label lets buyers know they are supporting businesses that are invested in creating high quality products with a priority on equity. The label is a reminder of the City of Oakland as the birthplace of modern cannabis legalization and highlights its equity operators as the legendary pioneers who define cannabis culture and set the standards now adopted worldwide. Oakland currently has 50 permitted equity cannabis businesses. “Oakland continues to lead with courage and conviction,” Continued on page 8
its fingerprints on everything that comes after. “Maryam was a kind soul, and everyone appreciated her kindness and friendship.” After high school, Maryam married and raised her family. Once her two daughters were grown and she had already welcomed a grandson into her life, Maryam did something remarkable. She went back to school and earned her architecture
degree from one of the most prestigious universities in Tehran, Iran. Shaker describes her as someone eager to contribute to society and give back to her community. Cancer took her too soon, in January at the age of 62. For Shaker, the grief in losing Maryam and other loved ones to the same disease is what compelled her to act. “I feel raising awareness about this disease is the least I can do for the
memory of my loved ones,” she says. This May, Shaker will return to the WCRC Swim A Mile | Move A Mile for Women With Cancer—an annual fundraiser for the Women’s Cancer Resource Center, where participants swim or move a mile to support the free services WCRC provides to East Bay women and Continued on page 8
Former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf to Lead Bay Area Business Group By Post Staff Former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf has been hired as CEO and president of the Bay Area Council, a business group that represents hundreds of businesses including major Silicon Valley technology corporations and the ports of Oakland and San Francisco, as well as the San Francisco Giants, Golden State Warriors and San Francisco 49ers. Schaaf, who served as Oakland’s mayor 2015 to 2023, begins her new job on May 4.
“Libby Schaaf is an exceptional leader with a deep understanding of the Bay Area’s opportunities and challenges,” said Kristina Lawson, chair of the Bay Area Council’s board of directors in a media release. Schaaf said her work will focus on the Bay Area’s “greatest needs — from restoring housing affordability and strengthening our economy to improving public safety and expanding opportunity.”
Courtesy photo. Oakland Public Information Office
A Mile for Maryam at the WCRC Swim A Mile | Move A Mile for Women with Cancer
By Kate Eaneman Special to The Post
Photo courtesy of WCRC to support fundraising in support of clients. Photo graphics by Dr. Maritony Jones.
City Administrator takes steps to enforce ‘prompt payment’ and to end ‘waivers’ that allow departments to bypass equity requirements The City of Oakland’s leader-
Oakland Coalition Demands Immediate Action on Racial Disparities in City Contracting as Councilmember Fife Pledges Change Special to the Post
Working Group Reports on Progress to Eliminate Discrimination Against Blackand Women-Owned Businesses in Oakland
Some friendships begin so early and run so deep that the person becomes part of how you see the world. For Vahideh Shaker, that person was Maryam Sedghi. The two met as children and grew up side-by-side in school for 12 years: the kind of formative, irreplaceable friendship that leaves