Dis Neo Soul Vocalist Angie Stone, 63 ... see page 2
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Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
Republican-Led Federal Budget Cuts Threaten Vital Services for Oakland Residents
Rep. Lateefah Simon Represents Working Families in Response to Trump Address
Oakland City Council voted unanimously to reopen three temporarily closed fire stations with new revenue funding. The stations were closed amidst budget constraints. Photo by City of Oakland.
U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon. Photo by Ethan Wong. Special to The Post
U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon presented a ‘prebuttal’ on behalf of the Working Families Party ahead of President Donald Trump’s State of The Union address on Tuesday. An edited version of her speech appears below. “We are the party for working people from every background. And we come together with the simple belief that government should be run by and serve the people—not just the privileged and the wealthy. And when I look at what’s been happening in our government today, this mission has never felt so urgent. Every American story is unique. But I know many of us are facing the same struggles.
I know what it’s like to rely on SNAP benefits to put food on the table—because I have. I know what it’s like to rely on Social Security Disability Income—because I have. Everything from eggs and rent to lifesaving prescription drugs are getting more expensive, while corporate profits are soaring. This is the pain working people have been feeling. And let’s be real. Donald Trump and Elon Musk have never had to stretch a dollar to put food on the table. We know they’re lying when they say they want to lower costs or help Americans—they don’t care. They got rich off cutting corners, cheating workers, and Continued on page 10
62nd Year, No. 10
Weekly Edition March 5 - 11, 2025
postnewsgroup.com
Oakland City Council Votes to Reopen Fire Stations, One-Time Funds Called into Question
By Magaly Muñoz
The Oakland City Council voted unanimously on a resolution Tuesday evening to reopen three fire stations with recently acquired revenue. The fire stations are expected to reopen before the end of the budget cycle this June. Councilmembers Janani Ramachandran, Rebecca Kaplan, and Zac Unger said they found over $7 million in new revenue through city events like the recent NBAAllStar Weekend and a decrease in self-insurance liability funding to use towards reopening the closed stations and other community improvements.
The three fire stations were temporarily closed after a vote in December that reduced funding to Oakland police and fire departments as well as arts and culture programs. Four more fire stations were scheduled to close in the coming months but were halted by the City Administrator's office for the moment. “The message from the Oakland community has been clear. With competing interests, understandably so, there is nothing more vital to the voices of Oakland residents than preserving essential public safety resources, which Continued on page 10
Too $hort, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, Join Oakland Ballers’ Ownership Group
iStock.
By Magaly Muñoz Across the country, Republicans are attempting to sever billions of dollars in funding to social services that support millions of Americans, including thousands in Oakland and the surrounding Bay Area. According to the California Budget and Policy Center (Budget Center), millions in affordable health care, housing, and food assistance are at stake for Oakland residents. In Congressional District 12, represented by Lateefah Simon (D), over 260,000 people or 35% of the population benefit from health coverage through Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program that serves low-income residents. The district receives $3.52 billion in funding. If federal funding is cut, 148,000 adults in the district would be at risk of losing their healthcare coverage, which is nearly 63% of adults currently covered. Federal funds make up over one-third of the state budget, totaling $170 billion under current
state estimates, according to the Budget Center. The proposed cuts would reduce federal funding in California by up to $20 billion, forcing the state to make reductions and cuts elsewhere that would further harm residents. Funding for food assistance, like CalFresh, is also in danger. Over 100,000, or 14% of residents, benefit from the statewide SNAP/EBT assistance program, with over $235 million in funding going into District 12. Meanwhile, over 45,000 students benefit from free or reduced lunch at school. In the 2024-25 cycle, California is budgeted to spend $14.9 billion on CalFresh. The state also spends over half a billion dollars on the free lunch program, according to School Meals for All. In San Francisco, or District 11 represented by Nancy Pelosi (D), $3.15 billion is spent on MediCal and 96,000 adults are at risk of losing their coverage with the proposed cuts. Additionally, over $192 million in CalFresh funding Continued on page 10
Photo courtesy of the transit agency.
BART Calls for Artist Submissions
The Richmond Standard
BART is inviting artists to submit their existing artwork to be used in a variety of spaces, including stations, trains, and BART headquarters. Local artists ages 18 and over who reside in one of the five BART counties — Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara — are invited to sub-
mit their work by the application deadline of March 23 at 11 p.m. Additionally, applicants must be U.S. citizens or have legal residency and working status in the United States at the date of application and this will be required at a future date if the artwork is requested for licensing. BART employees are not eligible to apply. The transit agency is seeking art Continued on page 10
Too $hort. Wikipedia photo. Billie Joe Armstrong: Facebook photo. Special to The Post Internationally renowned musicians with local roots, Too $hort and Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, will be joining the Oakland Ballers ownership group. The privately owned club, launched in 2024 by Paul Freedman and Bryan Carmel, play home
FACES AROUND THE BAY
Golden State Warriors Applaud Oakland Principal Tammie Reeves Adams
Tammie Reeves Adams. Life Touch Photography. By Barbara Fluhrer At halftime on March 10, the Golden State Warriors will honor Tammie Adams “as an impact warrior who has gone above and
beyond for her community and doing good around her.” Adams, who is the principal at Horace Mann Elementary School, graduated from Holy Names High School and received post graduate degrees and National Board Certification from California State University East Bay. She started as a K-3 teacher, Elementary Language and Literacy Specialist and school improvement coach. She is praised by her colleagues. “Principal Adams goes above and beyond for her students and staff,” a Horace Mann colleague said.
“She’s the first to get to school and the last to leave. She is always looking for ways to help our students thrive.” One of Tammie’s special projects is conducting monthly parent workshops to support families as they work with the children at home. She has also supported numerous teachers in obtaining their National Board Certifications. Tammie is the daughter of two educators: the late Levi Reeves and Dorothy Reeves. She was brought up in The Church by The Continued on page 10
games at historic Raimondi Park in West Oakland. The team is the first West Coast franchise of the Pioneers League, which was founded in 1939. In its first season, the club reached the playoffs and enjoys a lively fanbase which raised $1.2 million in investments over nine days Continued on page 10
Day laborer zone sites are scattered across several streets in East Oakland, California. The sites allow workers to find temporary jobs in skilled labor such as construction, landscaping, and agriculture. Photo by Magaly Muñoz.
Undocumented Workers Are Struggling to Feed Themselves Slashed Budgets and New Immigration Policies Bring Fresh Challenges
By Magaly Muñoz
ners waiting for a job. Some are as
Up and down the streets of the Fruitvale neighborhood in Oakland, immigrant workers head to empty parking lots and street cor-
young as 14 and as old as 60. Diego, a man in his late 30s, is a construction worker who arrived Continued on page 10
FACES AROUND THE BAY
Warriors’ Player, Coach, Administrator Al Attles Celebrated!
Al Attles Jr., Wilhelmina Attles, Chris Mullins, Al Attles, Sr. Photo Courtesy of Al Attles Jr. By Post Staff
touched down in the Bay Area.
It’s been 25 years since the NBA’s most gifted players
The National Basketball Association turned it up and turned it out
all over the Bay. Both sides of the Bay Bridge got a taste of basketball royalty. However, one thing that the Bay Area could be proud of was the acknowledgments that were preserved for Golden State Warriors legend Al Attles. Al Attles III hosted a beautiful event honoring his father with a number of NBA dignitaries in the building like Baron Davis, former Golden State Warrior, Jaylen Brown from the Celtics, and filmmaker Marcus King (“Ray”) Continued on page 10