Uncategorized

John Robinson Joins Sheriff’s Race

Published

10 years ago

August 20, 2015

John Robinson is sitting at his desk, talking on the phone. He is a serious, no frills guy.

As CEO of Inter-State Security in Bay View Hunters Point, he oversees a company with over 100 employees that provide security for businesses, people and events throughout the Bay Area.

Robinson started Inter-State Security in 1996, after leaving the S.F. Sheriff’s department as a lieutenant in 1994. He worked for the department for 20 years, where he was supervisor of the year and one the highest-ranking Black officers in the department.

Because of his history, the Sheriff’s department is one agency he cares deeply about. So when news of problems in the department arose within the last few years in media reports, he started to take note and wondered what he could do to make a difference.

“After reading the various accounts about problems in the Sheriff’s department and after talking to several people in the department who I know very well, I decided I could make a change by running for the Sheriffs office,” said Robinson.

Robinson announced his decision to join the November 2016 election with a kick-off event at Southeast Community College.

Now, he can be seen early mornings handing out campaign information at BART stations.

While he doesn’t have the name recognition of incumbent Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi or challenger Vicki Hennessy, a former chief deputy in the department, he says his campaign has ‘energy.’

“We are getting out early and helping to get my name out,” said Robinson. “The response has been positive, and we are attending all of the various speaking engagements and debates.”

He lists several problems he sees with the department under the leadership of Sheriff Mirkarimi. Robinson says there has been gladiator-style fighting between inmates hosted by deputy sheriffs in the back of the county jail.

Certain newspapers like the San Francisco Bay View are not allowed in the jail. And two questionable fatalities in situations supervised by San Francisco Sheriffs directly reflect on the role of the sheriff.

One was the death of Lynne Spalding, a 57-year old woman at San Francisco General Hospital who was missing for 18 days in the hospital, before being found dead in the stairwell at the hospital.

The other was the death of Alvin Haynes, a 57-year old man, who died in sheriff custody, one hour after an altercation with deputies in San Francisco County Jail.

“There needs to be accountability in that office and right now, I do not see it,” said Robinson.

He also talked about failure of the Sheriff’s office to communicate with federal immigration officials and the high levels of incarceration of African Americans, who make up 7 percent of the city’s population but are 50 percent of the people in the county jail system.

With all the problems, Robinson believes this is the time for him to run for office.

“I’m not trying to be the sheriff because I need a job,” he said. “I want to be sheriff to do the job.”

Oakland Post

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Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

6 months ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Special to The Post

The City of Oakland’s Housing and Community Development Department (Oakland HCD) announced its awardees for the 2024-2025 New Construction of Multifamily Affordable Housing Notice of Funding Availability (New Construction NOFA) today Five permanently affordable housing developments received awards out of 24 applications received by the Department, with award amounts ranging from $7 million to $28 million.

In a statement released on Jan. 16, Oakland’s HCD stated, “Five New Construction Multifamily Affordable Housing Development projects awarded a total of $80.5 million to develop 583 affordable rental homes throughout Oakland. Awardees will leverage the City’s investments to apply for funding from the state and private entities.”

In December, the office of Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 City Councilmember, worked with HCD to allocate an additional $10 Million from Measure U to the funding pool. The legislation also readopted various capital improvement projects including street paving and upgrades to public facilities.

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is the media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

11 months ago

January 30, 2025

Oakland Post

Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 city councilmember. File photo.

Special to The Post

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units, including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

Oakland Acquisition Company’s Acquisition of County’s Interest in Coliseum Property on the Verge of Completion

The Board of Supervisors is committed to closing the deal expeditiously, and County staff have worked tirelessly to move the deal forward on mutually agreeable terms. The parties are down to the final details and, with the cooperation of OAC and Coliseum Way Partners, LLC, the Board will take a public vote at an upcoming meeting to seal this transaction.

Published

11 months ago

January 11, 2025

Oakland Post

Alameda County Board of Supervisors Chairman David Haubert. Official photo.

Special to The Post

The County of Alameda announced this week that a deal allowing the Oakland Acquisition Company, LLC, (“OAC”) to acquire the County’s 50% undivided interest in the Oakland- Alameda County Coliseum complex is in the final stages of completion.

Oakland has already finalized a purchase and sale agreement with OAC for its interest in the property. OAC’s acquisition of the County’s property interest will achieve two longstanding goals of the County:

The Oakland-Alameda Coliseum complex will finally be under the control of a sole owner with capacity to make unilateral decisions regarding the property; and
The County will be out of the sports and entertainment business, free to focus and rededicate resources to its core safety net

In an October 2024 press release from the City of Oakland, the former Oakland mayor described the sale of its 50% interest in the property as an “historic achievement” stating that the transaction will “continue to pay dividends for generations to come.”

The Board of Supervisors is pleased to facilitate single-entity ownership of this property uniquely centered in a corridor of East Oakland that has amazing potential.

“The County is committed to bringing its negotiations with OAC to a close,” said Board President David Haubert.