City Government

Mayor Reorganizes Jobs Programs, Says No Approval Necessary

Published

9 years ago

February 15, 2016

Community members, civil rights activists and advocates for more local jobs spoke out at this week’s Community and Economic Development (CED) committee meeting to oppose Mayor Libby Schaaf’s new reorganization of the city’s job programs, which they say was done without public input and could reduce employment opportunities for Black and other unemployed workers of color, leading to further displacement of low-income families.

Speakers were upset that funds for job services to needy individuals have been cut, effective July 1—even though Oakland has not yet been told what federal jobs funding will be for next year.

The speakers were also concerned about the lack of transparency in the process. The city administrator and Mayor Schaaf issued Requests for Proposals (RFPs) on Jan. 27, based on a new budget and major policy changes – none of which have been discussed or voted on in open session by the City Council or approved by a policy board.

Not following established city procedures, the mayor and city administrator approved the new RFP without a vote by the Workforce Investment Board (WIB), an official policy body appointed by the mayor, according to speakers at the meeting.

Nor have the RFP, budget or policy changes been discussed or voted upon by the City Council or the council’s CED committee.

Further, the speakers said there is no rush to adopt this RFP, and it should be reviewed by the city’s new Department of Race Equity for possible negative impacts on people of color who live in the city.

Though the mayor says there are minutes of public WIB discussions, copies of these documents have not yet been sent to the Oakland Post or posted on the WIB’s website. Most of the discussions mentioned by the mayor were not public meetings.

The city’s WIB staff has long been criticized for making decisions without public input, making decisions in committee meetings with limited public access, violating the Brown Act and for taking about one-third of federal jobs dollars off the top to pay for administrative oversight of service providers.

Speaking at the CED meeting, Carroll Fife, a community activist and co-chair of the Oakland Alliance, said she had only learned about the changes when she saw the RFP on the city’s Economic and Workforce Development webpage.

Carroll Fife

“I’ve been attending the WIB meetings for over a year,” said Fife. “I’ve attended all the meetings, and I have not seen one of the budgets that are in the current RFP.”

“I am asking that you rescind this until there is a Race and Equity analysis of how people who are underemployed, young people and the formerly incarcerated will be affected,” she said.

“There has been no true cost analysis.”

Businessman Frank Tucker, who has served on the WIB for years and is president of 100 Black Men, was also concerned about the new RFP. “I was really shocked that there was an RFP released that never went through the WIB,” he said. “It has dollar amounts associated with it, and it changes the structure of the system.”

Frank Tucker

“I am asking that it be pulled and that it be handled properly.”

One change would reorganize the WIB services by service “sector,” abandoning the geographical approach of placing offices in neighborhoods that are most affected by unemployment.

Businessman Dexter Vizinau argued that the reorganization of the city’s job programs should be done deliberatively, taking into consideration what the changes will mean for city residents.

Dexter Vizinau

“This is an important time for the City of Oakland because jobs are (growing). Unemployment is going down, and we want to be sure that that there is local hire,” he said.

“Why rush? You can defer this RFP, gather more information and look at more options and maybe reorganize another way,” said Vizinau.

Responding to the speakers, Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan said she was concerned. “When there is not adequate community involvement, we should be very cautious about going ahead with this,” she said.

Council President Lynette Gibson McElhaney said, “It is alarming if this (RFP) has been released without a WIB meeting.”

Defending the issuing of the RFP, City Administrator Claudia Cappio said it was released after “about two years of work … the continued involvement of the WIB over a period of time.”

“The principles have been discussed,” she said.

In a reply to questions from the Post, Mayor Schaaf’s office said a vote by the council or the WIB is not required for the RFP, the new budget or the policy changes on which it is based.

“The RFP framework was agendized and discussed multiple times at meetings of the Board and subcommittees starting in August of 2014. WIOA does not require that the WIB formally review or approve an RFP, nor has it in the past,” according to the Mayor’s Office.

“The RFP is being issued by the Workforce Investment Board (WIB) through the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. The proposals (for the funding) will be evaluated and ranked by a panel of WIA/WIOA professionals from across the country.”

In response to the Post’s question about Race & Equity, the Mayor’s Office responded: “The Department of Race & Equity is not yet up and running, nor have its full roles and responsibilities been fully outlined.”

The city held a bidders’ conference Wednesday afternoon at City Hall. The deadline for submission of proposals under the new RFP is March 8.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Breaking Bars, Building Bridges: Justice Reinvestment Town Hall

Don't Miss

Andreas Cluver, Arabella Martinez Named to Port Commission

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

Barbara Lee Launches Campaign for Mayor of Oakland

“At this critical moment, we must not be a city divided, but a community united,” she Lee. “If elected I will bring my hands-on leadership, new ideas and decades of experience in identifying billions in resources for our great city, so all residents and businesses are stronger and safer and our community has optimism and confidence in Oakland’s future.”

Published

19 hours ago

January 8, 2025

Oakland Post

By Post Staff

Barbara Lee on Wednesday morning formally announced her candidacy for Mayor in Oakland’s April 15 special election.

“Time and time again, Oaklanders have faced our toughest obstacles by uniting to meet our challenges,” said Lee.

“At this critical moment, we must not be a city divided but a community united,” she said. “If elected, I will bring my hands-on leadership, new ideas, and decades of experience in identifying billions in resources for our great city so all residents and businesses are stronger and safer and our community has optimism and confidence in Oakland’s future.”

“As Mayor, I’ll address our homelessness crisis, prioritize comprehensive public safety and mental health services, and lead with fiscal responsibility to deliver the core City services residents and business owners deserve. Let’s do this – together.”

“I’ve never shied away from a challenge,” said Lee. “I’m always ready to fight for Oakland.”

Watch her campaign video here, which is online at BarbaraLee4Oakland.com

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Who Wants to Be the Next Elected Mayor of Oakland?

The Oakland Post is issuing a CALL to all candidates to present their answers, plans, or solutions in response to our list of questions.

Published

2 days ago

January 7, 2025

Oakland Post

An aerial view of the downtown Oakland skyline on a clear sunny day. The federal building and other iconic buildings fill the skyline. Photo: iStock.

By Paul Cobb

Many of you probably recall the oft-repeated expression when describing leadership that “many are called but few are chosen.” We will be inundated during January with many claims of qualifications by those who want to lead Oakland.

As of Jan. 1, 2025, we have heard the names of 14 potential candidates who might become Oakland’s next Mayor.

The Oakland Post is issuing a CALL to all candidates to present their answers, plans, or solutions in response to our list of questions.

Any candidate who wishes to receive a free announcement, publicity or space in the paper must submit solutions.

The first questions we propose are 1) What is your budget balancing plan?
What is your position on requiring all city employees to work full-time in their designated offices rather than remotely from their homes?
What is your plan to provide open-access opportunities to all police officers for overtime pay?
Since many businesses, especially downtown, have closed, what is your plan to attract and increase revenues?

Please send your submissions of 300 words or less to each question to Social@postnewsgroup.com or visit www.postnewsgroup.com

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Oakland NAACP President Stands on the Frontlines for Equity

With education as a cornerstone, Adams emphasized the importance of youth having access to quality kindergarten through 12th-grade education along with college or vocational programming beyond high school. “I feel that it’s so important for our children to get a good education in K-12th grade, along with the colleges of their choice, especially with the HBCU’s (Historically Black Colleges and Universities).”

Published

2 days ago

January 7, 2025

Oakland Post

NAACP Oakland President Cynthia Adams. Photo Courtesy of Cynthia Adams.

By Carla Thomas

For Cynthia Adams, president of the Oakland chapter of the NAACP, fighting for the rights of Black people comes naturally. With southern roots in Arkansas, Adams experienced firsthand the injustice and unfairness of racism.

“Growing up in the Jim Crow South, I experienced the unfair treatment of people of color and how faith can inspire communities to bring about positive and long-lasting change,” said Adams. Adams says a combination of her family and faith has kept her strong in the face of adversity and inspired her life’s work of advocacy.

Adams chose education as a career path — and a means to achieve equity and overcome racism. She earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and later received an advanced degree from California State East Bay.

Adams’ experience as an Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) recorder, a counselor, a researcher, and a college recruiter has allowed her to be laser-focused on youth. She also served as the chairperson for the Oakland NAACP youth.

“The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination. We want to ensure our citizens have equal rights and opportunities without discrimination based on race.”

As a partner with the State of California’s Stop the Hate campaign, Adams says the initiative is a step in the right direction. “It’s great that our governor and state created the Stop the Hate campaign and provides resources for victims of racism and other hate crimes,” said Adams. “The racism toward Black people has increased and our children are being targeted,” she continued.

“We, at the Oakland branch, created a declaration on racism that will amplify the needs of our community to combat racism,” continued Adams. “That declaration was adopted nationally.”

Bridging communities and collaborating is also a strategy for moving society toward justice, according to Adams.

“Through the NAACP, we build connections between communities and advocate for the rights of historically marginalized and oppressed individuals,” said Adams. “Collective action is the only way to advance civil rights and promote social equity.”

By taking stands on supporting former Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong to supporting the recall of a mayor faced with a scandal that brought negative national press to the city of Oakland, Adams has always demanded more for her people, and better for Oakland, the city she calls home.

She expressed pride in the national organization’s announcement of a $200 million fund designed to empower Black funders nationwide. “We all know the health of a community begins with economics,” said Adams.

Adams says that strengthening Black businesses automatically sustains a community. “We’ve also got to educate our community on opportunities and teach our children critical thinking so that they can provide the next generation of solutions for society,” said Adams.