‘The voters …  not a few a few billionaires – are the ones with the power to ensure our democratic process,’ said Lee

Supervisor Keith Carson, Senator Nancy Skinner, former Assemblymember Sandré Swanson also oppose the recalls

By Ken Epstein

Congresswoman Barbara Lee in a strongly worded statement this week opposed the recalls of both Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price and Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao in campaigns lavishly funded by a handful of out-of-town billionaires and backed by corporate media.

“Whether it’s two governors or local elected officials, I’ve always opposed recalls, and oppose the recalls on our Nov. 5 ballot,” wrote Lee.

“They’re undemocratic, costly, and chaotic,” she said. “They prevent our officials from governing and deplete badly needed resources from our communities.”

Lee continued: “The voters – through regular elections, not a few a few billionaires – are the ones with the power to ensure our democratic process remains strong and in place.”

“Now is the time to come together and work to address the real and serious issues facing our communities.”

Echoing Lee’s comments, State Senator Nancy Skinner agreed. “As she does on countless other issues, Barbara Lee speaks for me on recalls as well – past & present. I oppose them on principle.

“Except in rare circumstances of serious misconduct, recalls are undemocratic and a waste of public funds. That’s especially true in the case of the Nov. 5 recalls, when the incumbents have only been in office for two years and will be up for reelection just two years from now,” Skinner said.

“Wealthy interests should not be able to circumvent the regular democratic process and pay to put a recall on the ballot. Let’s come together and work on the issues facing our communities,” she said.

Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson also urged a “no” vote on the two recalls. “When voters elect their representatives, they expect them to be given the time necessary to adjust to their roles and deliver on their responsibilities,” he said. “Both of the recall efforts we’re seeing now began within a year of the Alameda County District attorney and the Oakland Mayor assuming office.

“It’s simply too soon,” he said.

Carson added, “It’s worth noting that 11 states don’t even allow recalls, and in the 39 states that do, malfeasance is generally required for the process to begin.”

Sandré R. Swanson, who served in the California State Assembly from 2006-2012, said, ” I will never support a recall supported and motivated only by political objectives. I believe this runs counter to the Democratic process and the importance of an election by the people.”

Wealthy hedge fund managers and real estate developers have bankrolled the campaigns to unseat both Thao and Price, and many observers expect them to have an outsize influence on local policies and priorities should these campaigns prove successful, and their favored candidates are elected.

Phillip Dreyfuss, who owns a home in Piedmont that is listed as his residence, contributed 4 out of 5 dollars raised by the campaign to oust Thao as of Aug. 1, according to Oaklandside.

Between January and June 2024, a recall group raised $605,000. “Every single dollar came from Dreyfuss, who is a partner in the San Francisco Farallon Capital Management hedge fund,” according to Oaklandside. Contributions helped pay for the company that gathered signatures to place the recall on the ballot.

The campaign against Pamela Price raised $1.1 million in the first three months of 2024 and over $3.3 million since the summer of last year, according to an Oaklandside report in May of this year.

Farallon Capital’s Dreyfuss, along with “Isaac Abid, a real estate investor for HP Investors,” which owns numerous properties in downtown Oakland, established the ‘Supporters of Recall Pamela Price’ committee, which has raised most of the big dollar contributions for the campaign.

Their committee has also paid the signature-gathering bills for the Save Alameda for Everyone (SAFE) committee, which is the public face of the campaign,” the May 8, Oaklandside article said.

Besides the deep pocket funders, the forces lined up to unseat Price and Thao include police unions in Alameda County, who Price says desire to return to the “Good Ole days” when previous district attorneys did not hold them accountable for their actions.

In a press statement released by the Oakland Police Officers Association this week, distributed by public relations operative Sam Singer, the OPOA opposed the sale of the Coliseum, claiming without evidence that the city is heading toward “insolvency” and proposed that hiring fiscal consultants would be a solution.

Singer, who has a long history defending Chevron against environmentalists and the oil pollution impacting indigenous people of the Amazon in Ecuador, currently represents the OPOA.

In a press conference Thursday at Everett and Jones in Jack London Square, Price criticized the “cowardice and opportunism of those who seek to recall rather than solve and fight for second chances.”

She said, “The police unions want to control the justice system and the DA’s function by blaming the prosecutor for the causes of crime and (long-term) failed policies and failed policing tactics.”

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By Walter Riley
Attorney at Law

It has long been known that the criminal justice system needs to be reformed. Pamela Price campaigned on a promise to reform Alameda County’s criminal justice system.  She ran a grassroots campaign, largely funded by small donations.

Despite being outspent nearly 4 to 1, she won decisively with 53% of the vote. She took no money from police unions, freeing her to hold law enforcement accountable, something voters consistently identify as a major issue.

Recall organizing began before she even took office, showing that the recall is not about her performance.

The job of the District Attorney’s Office is to do justice, not revenge. Since I was an NAACP leader and then a Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) Field Secretary in my home of Durham, N.C., in the 1960s, I have fought for prosecutorial justice of the kind Price tries to model.

She is wrongly accused of not arresting criminals, (not her job), wrongly accused of letting criminals out of jail once arrested (not true) and failing to charge enhancements (part of a state reform movement).

Oaklandside reported. “In April 2020, a growing number of COVID-19 cases pushed the state court system to lower bail to $0 for most misdemeanor and lower-level felony offenses. The emergency bail schedule, the list setting bail at nothing for most types of crimes, was intended to help reduce the number of people being booked into county jail” during COVID.

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It was the Judicial Council Order that released arrestees, not Price!

Sentencing reform makes all our communities safer. Price referred all her attorneys to guidance from the California Commission on Revision of the Penal Code, where charging and enhancements were addressed for reform at the state level.

California state law limits prosecution of youth as adults. Diversion typically yields better out­comes than arrest and prosecution in juvenile courts, including far lower likelihood of subsequent arrests.

Price’s directive to limit sentencing enhancements is a step toward creating a more just and fair system. Enhancements have disproportionately targeted marginalized communities, leading to excessive sentences without addressing the root causes of crime.

By limiting enhancements, Price is creating more balanced sentencing, focusing on rehabilitation over harsh punishment.

Her broader actions in office have shown a commitment to making Alameda County safer. According to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, crime in Oakland has dropped by 33% since DA Price took office, underscoring the effectiveness of her approach.

Her administration also expanded mental health courts, ensuring individuals with mental health challenges receive appropriate treatment, reducing recidivism.

In addition, she increased victim advocacy by 38%, providing support to over 22,500 victims.

The recall effort is premature and unjustified. DA Price has been in office for just over a year and a half, and despite significant opposition from the start, she has made transformative changes.

Some key achievements include:

• Holding corporations accountable has been a central pillar of her work, bringing in over $20 million in settlements and judgments, five times as much as previous administrations.
• Securing a $4 million settlement holding Safeway, Vons, and Albertsons accountable for overcharging customers,
• Filing 12 felony charges against a man accused of multiple armed robberies.
• Investigating and prosecuting police misconduct.

Her approach is focused on long-term reform, and residents deserve the chance to see these policies take full effect before casting judgment.

Media coverage has largely focused on sensational stories about crime, often overlooking the broader reforms and successes achieved by Price. Fear-driven narratives about crime spikes—many of which are linked to the pandemic—have often obscured her efforts to make the justice system fairer and more effective.

DA Price’s 40 years of experience as a civil rights attorney, including a win before the U.S. Supreme Court, has been foundational to her efforts to reform the criminal justice system.

Her deep understanding of justice, fairness, and accountability is precisely why she’s the right person to lead Alameda County’s justice system into the future.  We can’t go back.

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By Post Staff

Since its official launch on Sunday, Oct. 6, the campaign to reject the recall of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has received a surge of support.  Many local organizations with deep roots in Oakland and very prominent elected officials are getting the word out, saying Oakland is not for sale.

Prominent local political leaders have issued strong statements urging voters to oppose the recalls, including Rep. Barbara Lee, State Senator Nancy Skinner, Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, and Sandré R. Swanson, a former member of the California State Assembly (see their statements elsewhere in this issue of the newspaper).

Oakland City Councilmember Carroll Fife also condemned the recalls. “The financial and morale cost of these recalls is more than our city can bear. In the face of a budget deficit, a $10-million-special election would be painful in more ways than one. Ten million (dollars) could go a long way to addressing some of the issues in Oakland people care about.”

Said William Fitzgerald, campaign spokesman of Oaklanders Defending Democracy, which opposes the mayor’s recall, “One rich guy in Piedmont thinks he could buy himself a mayor of Oakland. What we’re seeing this week is a tidal wave of support rejecting the premise that the ultra-wealthy can hijack the democratic process. The facts are clear: Mayor Sheng Thao has massively reduced crime in Oakland and is bringing business opportunities to the Town.”

Pastor Servant BK Woodson, a steering committee member of the “Respect Our Vote – No Recalls!” coalition, said, “It is entirely reasonable to fear the continuing accumulating of power into fewer and fewer hands. History is replete with examples of the despotism, destruction and harms that oligarchs, dictators and demigods bring into the lives of ordinary people.

“The privilege to struggle to make these United States of America a more perfect union has taken the form of this consequential election. In Alameda County we must reject the recalls and elect our forward-thinking and progressive candidates,” Pastor Woodson said.

Oakland Rising Action wrote on its website, “(The) recent recalls have been led by a small group of millionaires and conservatives, and their agenda is to undermine our democracy.”

The Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club wrote on its Facebook page, “Deny the Lies.”

“Crime increased during the pandemic, and Oakland and Alameda County were not spared. Both recalls have claimed otherwise and placed the blame on District Attorney Pamela Price and Mayor Sheng Thao, even while crime is on the decline,” the club wrote.

Other organizations opposing the recall of Thao include the Alameda County Democratic Party, SEIU 2021, Alameda Labor Council, Oakland Tenants Union, Nor Cal Carpenters, East Bay for Everyone, Local 21, Oakland Firefighters 55, eVolve California, National Union of Healthcare Workers, John George Democratic Club, Latine Young Democrats of the East Bay, APEN Action, Block by Block Organizing Network and East Bay Young Democrats.

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