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Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
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Weekly Edition March 26 - April 1, 2025
Oakland Post Endorses Barbara Lee
Tech Billionaires Bankrolled Groups to Influence Oakland Elections
Congresswoman Lateefah Simon and a staff member responding to questions at a town hall at Oakland High School. Simon covered topics ranging from immigration, federal funding, and new legislation. Photo courtesy of District 12 Congressional Office.
Jesse Pollak, Philip Dreyfuss. Courtesy photos. By Ken Epstein
Oakland elections have been deeply influenced by a handful of billionaires who have funded what progressive activist researchers call an “astroturf network of front groups,” which raised $2.85 million in the past year to back certain politicians and causes in the November 2024 election, according to research conducted by the Phoenix Project for Oakland Rising. Sixty-five percent ($1.84 million) of the funds came from six crypto, tech, and venture capitalist billionaires and centimillionaires. The six funders were Philip Dreyfuss, $1.3 million; Jesse Pollak, $195,000; Ryan Graciano, $150,00; Konstantin Richter, $60,000; Gagan Biyani, $50,500; and Ilya Sukhar, $50,000. These donations were part of a broader effort on the part of venture capitalists, hedge fund investors, and real estate corporations to
determine the outcome of the November 2024 election with $3.8 million in spending, backed by public safety groups (including the Oakland Police Officers Association), PG&E, and the Northern California Carpenters Union. While these funders had a major impact on local elections last year, ultimately their efforts were mostly unsuccessful. Seven of the 10 campaigns they supported lost. The network of groups receiving the funds included Empower Oakland, the Abundance Network, Revitalize East Bay, and Foundational Oakland Unites. Overall, 65% of Empower Oakland’s budget came from 10 donors, and 99% of Abundance Network’s budget came from five donors. More than half of that money went to support Brenda Harbin-Forte, who lost her race for Oakland City Attorney Continued on page 9
District 12 Representative Lateefah Simon Hosts Town Hall at Oakland High School
By Magaly Muñoz
After three months as the new District 12 Congressional Representative, Lateefah Simon returned to Oakland to host a town hall. She discussed her team’s efforts in Washington, D.C. and what residents should look out for in the near future. Simon began the town hall by highlighting the different caucuses she’s joined since her term started in January. She was asked to be the deputy policy whip for the Democratic Party and elected as a vice chair for the Progressive Caucus, saying she wants to make sure people understand where her political views lie. “I refuse to stop talking about people of color and queer folks and disabled folks and centering trans kids,” Simon said. “I come from
California’s 12th district… and we are proud that everywhere we go, we tell the story of who we are.” Simon spent the majority of her time answering questions from the dozens of attendees, covering topics such as immigration, federal funding, and ways for people to make their voices heard locally. On federal funding, Simon said although a judge has ruled that the freezing of federal dollars is illegal, the Trump administration has yet to restore all grants and promised funds at the local level. She said her team spends hours each day calling different departments to get updates on when funding will be distributed to people in District 12. She refuses to accept that the Democrats don’t have power in the situation, she said, and urges folks to organize and let DC know that Continued on page 9
San Francisco is Investing Millions to Address Food Insecurity. Is Oakland Doing the Same?
George Foreman speaking at the 2016 FreedomFest at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada, Photo by Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons.
George Foreman, World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, 76
By Post Staff
George Foreman, a heavyweight boxing champion and Olympic Gold medalist who became both a preacher and an entrepreneur with the ‘Foreman Grill’ after he left the ring, died on March 21. He was 76. The family released a statement that did not disclose the location or cause of death that reads: “A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father and a proud grandand great-grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility and purpose,” his family wrote. “…A force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name— for his family.” One of six siblings, Foreman
grew up in Houston, Texas, and
got into trouble with the law before joining the Job Corps and
moving to Pleasanton, California.
He trained to become a carpenter and bricklayer, but an admiration for football player Jim Brown
led Foreman to the gym where he eventually fell in love with boxing.
His success was such that he
won a gold medal in the 1968
Olympics, a feat he said he was the most proud of in his career. He
turned pro a year later, knocking out 11 of his 13 opponents.
In 1973, he was the underdog
in the match against the undisputed world champion Joe Frazier in the ‘Sunshine Showdown’ in Jamaica,
surprising all with a TKO victory Continued on page 9
62nd Year, No. 13
Former Congresswoman Barbara Lee. Courtesy photo. As we end the celebration of Women’s History Month in Oakland, we endorse Barbara Lee, a woman of demonstrated historical significance. In our opinion, she has the best chance of uniting the city and achieving our needs for affordable housing, public safety, and fiscal accountability. As a former small business
owner, Barbara Lee understands how to apply tools needed to revitalize Oakland’s downtown, uptown, and neighborhood businesses. Barbara Lee will be able to unify the city around Oakland’s critical budget and financial issues, since she will walk into the mayor’s office with the support of a super majority of seven city council members — enabling her to achieve much-needed consensus on moving Oakland into a successful future. It is notable that many of those who fought politically on both sides of the recent recall election battles have now laid down their weapons and become brothers and sisters in support of Barbara Lee. The Oakland Post is pleased to join them.
Oakland Mayor Special Election Q&A with President Cristina Grappo
Mayoral candidate President Cristina Grappo. Courtesy photo. By Magaly Muñoz In preparation for the upcoming Oakland mayoral special election on April 15, the Oakland Post interviewed mayoral candidate President Cristina Grappo. 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 Barbara Lee, Loren Taylor, Renia Webb, Susanne Robinson, Elizabeth Swaney, Eric Simpson, Peter Liu, and Mindy Pechenuk. Tyron Jordan dropped out of the race and is backing Lee. Webb
declined an interview with the Post, Taylor and Swaney 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? The citizens and residents of Oakland deserve comprehensive public safety. The budget cuts implemented last year were excessively severe, compromising Oakland's comfort and security. My plan includes initiating a police academy in July to train new officers for the Oakland Police Department (OPD). This initiative aims to alleviate the current burden on law enforcement officers who are required to work overtime without proper compensation. Furthermore, we must establish a Business Watch program to encourage local businesses and residents to support each other, mirroring the concept of Neighborhood Watch. In addition, as Oakland Mayor, I will not cut public safety for the Oakland Fire Department. As an urban city, we need to protect our churches and other buildings Continued on page 9
Oakland Mayor Special Election Q&A with Peter Liu
The San Francisco District 10 Community Market is a fully government funded free grocery store for families in need of food assistance. The market is located in Hunters Point, one of the lowest income areas in the city. Photo by Magaly Muñoz. By Magaly Muñoz
Part 1 On a Thursday evening in February, Marquez Boyd walked along the aisles of San Francisco’s District 10 Community Market looking for eggs and fresh produce to take home to his children. He has been trying new recipes with ingredients he previously couldn’t afford or access. “I learned how to cook greens since they got a lot of fresh greens here,” Boyd said. “ All that stuff is better and more healthy for my kids because they’re still young.” Meals filled with fresh produce are now possible for Boyd since the District 10 market, located in Hunters Point, opened in 2024 when Bayview Senior Services, a non-profit running the program,
received a $5 million investment from the city of San Francisco. The market is a twist on a traditional food bank, where people can often wait in long lines for pre-bagged groceries they may not need. Here, the goal is to offer people in need a more traditional grocery store setting, with a bigger range of healthy options and less shame for needing assistance. It’s a twist that Boyd appreciated. “This set up is way better as opposed to maybe like a food bank line,” he said. “It’s easier and faster.” Similar models exist in Santa Barbara and Tennessee. There are over 350 grocery programs across San Francisco. Less than a handful in District 10, a neighborhood classified as a Continued on page 9
Mayoral candidate Peter Liu. Courtesy photo. By Magaly Muñoz In preparation for the upcoming Oakland mayoral special election on April 15, the Oakland Post interviewed mayoral candidate Peter Liu. The questions focused on his 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 Barbara Lee, Loren Taylor, Renia Webb, Susanne Robinson, Elizabeth Swaney, Eric Simpson, Mindy Pechenuk, and President Cristina Grappo.
Tyron Jordan dropped out of the 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? Especially considering last year's budget cuts to public safety departments, like OPD and OFD. I'll order the Police chief to issue permanent concealed carry permits for $200 each to any legal residents of California. Each police officer will organize an armed neighborhood watch militia of seven to 25 volunteers. The permit fees would fund cameras at intersections of high crime areas, footage will be accessible realtime to the public. Then we would move to medium crime areas. If a terrorist attack happens, we'll activate the militias to help defend the city. If there is a wildfire on the hillside, militias will activate Continued on page 9