Tag Archives: budget

Anyone seen Mayor Dellums lately?

Dellums, , ,
Earth to Dellums, Earth to Dellums!
Hello, it's Oakland and we want our city back! Mike Kepka/The Chronicle

Source SFGate.com

by Chip Johnson

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom made all the right moves in his budget proposal a couple of weeks ago, protecting key city initiatives while making sensible cuts across all departments to close a $483 million budget shortfall.

In San Jose, Mayor Chuck Reed is awaiting last-minute concessions from a half-dozen unions facing job cuts. Barring agreements, Reed has vowed to push through his budget, which closes a $118 million gap by week’s end.

In Oakland, residents are still looking around for our guy, Mayor Ron Dellums, who has not been heard from for a while.

I’ve received a few e-mails from Oakland residents who’ve reported Dellums sightings at a grocery store in the Oakland Hills – in the middle of the day during the work week. But around Oakland City Hall, it would be a lot easier to find Waldo.

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Neldam’s sour view of Merritt Bakery sweet deal

Oakland,

Source: SFGate.com

Chip Johnson

When the owners of Oakland’s 56-year-old Merritt Restaurant & Bakery sounded the alarm last month, city officials tossed them a $150,000 lifeline to keep the lakeside hangout alive.

But when the owners of Neldam’s Danish Bakery, which has stood on Telegraph Avenue for 81 years, asked for similar consideration they were informed that the city’s “bank was closed.”

“I did say the bank was closed, it has been closed for 14 months and I closed it,” said Walter Cohen, director of the Community and Economic Development Agency, recalling the meeting.

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Why isn’t Dellums working on this?

Oakland Council Must Step Up and Face Hard Cuts

Oakland,

Another example of Dellums not stepping up and doing something about the budget.

Source: SFGate.com

Chip Johnson

An Oakland City Council member told me the other day that no one wants to be associated with the nasty business of staff and service cuts – or take responsibility for the loss of 200 Oakland police officers.

I have some bad news for all of you Oakland elected officials: Not only did you sign up for this detail, the public already blames you.

They blame you for high crime and low school achievement, even though public education is a state responsibility. They blame you, at least a little bit, for the state of public finances and for failing to keep Mayor Ron Dellums engaged, even though the public elected him. They blame you for the pending departure of the Oakland Athletics, and for the return of the Oakland Raiders.

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Passing the buck on Oakland deficit so reckless

Dellums,

Source: SFGate.com

Chip Johnson

…About the only thing more disappointing is the abject failure of the city’s elected leadership to make tough financial decisions when similar decisions are being made in cities all around them.

And don’t look to the city’s top elected official for help.

Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums reneged on a public pledge to voluntarily cut his $183,000 annual pay by 10 percent to match salary cuts imposed on all city employees.

Paul Rose, the mayor’s spokesman, sent an e-mail to Chronicle colleagues Phil Matier and Andy Ross last week that said the mayor was unable to fulfill his pledge because of a death in the family.

Well, that explains it.

Obviously, Dellums’ participation in a city tax initiative would only hurt its chances of passing.

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