Dis State’s $3.4 Million Request to Shore Up Medi-Cal Sparks Advocates, Attorneys Arm Immigrants with Education to Fight ICE Raids ... see page 4 Immigration Debate ... see page 2
Asm. Isaac Bryan Steps Up Push for Incarcerated Firefighters Pay Increase ... see page 4
Golden State Warriors Program Inspires Next Generation of Female Engineers ... see page 9
Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
postnewsgroup.com
62nd Year, No. 12
Weekly Edition March 19 - 25, 2025
Faith Leaders Back Barbara Lee for Mayor, Criticize Candidate Loren Taylor for Dishonest Campaigning
The Post contacted all Oakland mayoral candidates with questions to be answered by Friday, March 14. Renia Webb and Loren Taylor did not submit responses. Each candidate will be featured in upcoming issues.
‘Barbara Lee has a proven track record of listening to the community and translating things into action, and not just talking about it, but doing it. And I believe that this is one of the qualities that will serve her well as being our mayor,’ said Pastor Kevin Barnes The Black Church PAC, a national faith leaders initiative, will be posting its endorsement of Lee this week
Mayoral candidate Mindy Pechenuk. Courtesy photo. From left: Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Thompson. Bishop Kevin Barnes. Pastor Mike McBride. Bishop Keith Clark. Pastor Michael Wallace. Courtesy photos. Ken Epstein Prominent local faith leaders held a telephone interview Thursday with the Oakland Post to express their concerns about the election and their support for former Congresswoman Barbara Lee for Mayor of Oakland. Speaking as individuals, participants in the interview were Pastor Michael Wallace of the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church; Pastor Mike McBride, Oakland resident and pastor of the Way Christian Center in Berkeley; Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Thompson of Allen
Temple Baptist Church; Bishop Kevin Barnes, pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church; and Bishop Keith Clark of Word Assembly. “I feel that this is a critical election for the City of Oakland,” said Pastor Wallace. “Our city is in a crisis, and we need someone who has the experience to stabilize our city and to go beyond the borders of our city to bring resources to address the issues that we’re facing.” The leaders also criticized another candidate, former Oakland City Councilmember Loren Taylor, for conducting a dishonest smear cam-
paign against Lee and urged Oakland flatland residents to go to the polls and join efforts to actively encourage others to vote in the April 15 special election. Pastor McBride said, “I believe Oakland needs to send a loud message that our city is not for sale. Barbara Lee is the epitome of ‘unbought, unbossed’ integrity and is someone who has brought results. It has been very offensive to listen to candidates in this race, particularly Loren Taylor, attempt to disparage her name and discredit her Continued on page 10
Mayoral Election Q&A with Mindy Pechenuk
By Magaly Muñoz
In preparation for the upcoming Oakland mayoral special election on April 15, the Oakland Post interviewed mayoral candidate Mindy Pechenuk. The questions focused on her plans to address public safety concerns, budget pri-
orities, and policies to ensure Oakland remains a welcoming place to live. Other candidates in the race include Barbara Lee, Loren Taylor, Renia Webb, Susanne Robinson, Elizabeth Swaney, Eric Simpson, Peter Liu, and Cristina Grappo. Tyron Jordan dropped out of the
‘We Fought on Opposite Sides of the Sheng Thao Recall. Here’s Why We’re Uniting Behind Barbara Lee for Oakland Mayor’
Fomer Congresswoman Barbara Lee. Courtesy photo.
Mayoral Election Q&A with Barbara Lee
By Magaly Muñoz Robert Harris (left) is a retired attorney at PG&E and former legal counsel for NAACP. Richard Fuentes is co-owner of FLUID510 and chair of the Political Action Committee, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 57. Courtesy photos. By Robert Harris and Richard Fuentes Special to The Post The City of Oakland is facing a number of urgent challenges, from housing and public safety to a pressing need for jobs and economic development. One of us, Robert Harris, supported the November recall vote that removed Mayor Sheng Thao from office. Meanwhile, Richard Fuentes believed the recall
was the wrong strategy to tackle Oakland’s challenges. Today, we are coming together to do all we can to make sure Barbara Lee is elected Mayor in the April 15 Oakland special election. Here’s why. Now more than ever, Oakland needs a respected, hands-on leader who will unite residents behind a clear vision for change. The next mayor will have to hit
the ground running with leaders and stakeholders across our political divide to get to work solving the problems standing in the way of Oakland’s progress. Job No. 1: improving public safety. Everyone agrees that all Oaklanders deserve to feel safe in their neighborhoods. But sadly, too many of us do not. During her three decades in the Continued on page 10
In preparation for the upcoming Oakland mayoral special election on April 15, the Oakland Post interviewed mayoral candidate Barbara Lee. The questions focused on her plans to address public safety concerns, budget priorities, and policies to ensure Oakland remains a welcoming place to live. Other candidates in the race include former Oakland City Councilmember Loren Taylor, Renia Webb, Susanne Robinson, Elizabeth Swaney, Eric Simpson, Peter Liu, and Cristina Grappo. Tyron Jordan dropped out of the race and is backing Lee. Webb de-
clined an interview with the Post, Taylor did not submit responses by the deadline, and Simpson could not be reached for an interview. What is your plan to address public safety concerns with residents? Public safety will be my top priority if elected as Oakland’s mayor. We must work towards comprehensive public safety strategies that include law enforcement, violence prevention, and alternative response models. My priorities are: 1) Maintaining police patrols and programs such as Oakland’s Operation Ceasefire Safety
race and is backing Lee. Webb declined an interview with the Post, Taylor did not submit responses by the deadline, and Simpson could not be reached for an interview. What is your plan to address public safety concerns with residents? I would call on Federal Monitor Robert Warshaw to be fired. He has created an impossible oversight on our officers, making it impossible for them to do their duties. He has wasted millions of our tax dollars to pay him and his staff. I would insist on getting rid of Oakland City Ordinances which are preventing our police officers from carrying out their duties. I would increase the size of our patrol officers and re-open our police academies. I would meet with the police officers to see what is needed from the patrol perspective. I know our officers are dedicated. I am also working on bringing DMACC (Drug Market Agency Coordination Center) into OakContinued on page 10 Program. 2) Deploying special police teams trained to investigate gun crimes, and arrest dangerous fugitives, and increasing the number of police officers. 3) Executing on Measure NN’s comprehensive public safety strategy, prioritizing getting guns off our streets, bringing programs like MACRO to scale, and increasing funding – including philanthropic investment and public/private partnerships – to support neighborhood-based mental health crisis teams and antigang/drug youth prevention programs. 4) Expanding and enhancing yearround after-school and summer initiatives to provide safe and structured environments for Oakland’s youth. 5) Fighting human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of minors. 6) Equipping police academy recruits with job training, apprenticeships, and job placement as well as the skills to prioritize accountability, de-escalation, and community trust. What are your budget priorities? What experience do you have dealing with large budgets Continued on page 10
Former Golden State Warrior Spiritual Advisor Gary Reeves, left, and daughter Madyson, right, reunite with Julius Erving who he shared a special relationship with during Dr.J’s playing days.
Wilhelmina Attles, First Lady of The Warriors
Wilhelmina Attles has been the backbone and wife of the late legendary Golden State Warriors Coach Al Attles for five decades. This past week she gracefully acknowledged Golden State Warriors’ current Coach Steve Kerr’s milestone accomplishment of becoming the Golden State Warriors winningest coach. “The passing of my husband’s legacy torch of victories over to coach Kerr couldn’t have gone to a more deserving person. His character and empathy for people is a true standard of my late husband,” said Wilhelmina Attles.
Faith Over Circumstances
By Gary Reeves
It’s no surprise that our country is constantly facing uncertainty in so many ways. Our leadership is in question politically, education-
ally, culturally and spiritually. We have turned away from our traditional value system of kindness, empathy and forgiveness without Continued on page 10