Activism

Barbara Lee Left Congress with Extensive Record of Bringing Jobs, Opportunities and Funds to Oakland

“The hallmark of Congresswoman Lee’s career has been courage,” said Schaaf. “Our conversations have given me confidence that she will exercise that famous courage for Oakland for the issues we all care about: prioritizing holistic, evidence-based public safety by working with the Police Department and violence prevention organizations to continue to implement Ceasefire; recruiting and retaining police staffing; improving 911 police response and reopening closed fire stations.”

Published

5 months ago

January 15, 2025

Ken Epstein

Former Rep. Barbara Lee helped secure almost $50 million in 2024 to create and protect jobs and ensure the Port’s competitive advantage in the global economy. Photo courtesy Port of Oakland.

Recent endorsements include former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and Assemblymembers Mia Bonta and Buffy Wicks

Part II

By Ken Epstein

While many Oakland residents are not yet up to speed on the track record of the candidates in the running for mayor of Oakland in the April 15 special election, supporters of Barbara Lee say the public should be aware that Lee, who until recently represented Oakland and nearby East Bay cities in Congress, has made an indelible impact on the city, creating jobs, building infrastructure, and improving the environmental quality of life of local residents.

Many people may mostly know about her as an outspoken opponent of war and defender of civil and human rights for women, African Americans, Latinos, other people of color, and LGBTQ+ communities.

Recent endorsers include former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and Assemblymembers Mia Bonta and Buffy Wicks, who gave her their sole endorsements.

Other prominent endorsements include State Senator Jesse Arreguín, former Oakland City Councilmembers Annie Campbell Washington, Ignacio De La Fuente, former Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, Congresswoman Lateefah Simon, and the Oakland Firefighters Union.

Her supporters can point, not only to Lee’s program and promises but also her major accomplishments during the 26 years she served in the House of Representatives

Briefly, between 2022 and 2024 she brought over half a billion dollars in federal funds to Oakland in 2024; $15.8 million in 2024 for safer communities; $4.3 million in 2024 for Oakland’s Department of Violence Prevention; $2.5 million for clean drinking water to Oakland; $1 million to upgrade Oakland’s Children’s Fairyland; $372 million for clean, breathable air in West Oakland; and $83.7 million for small businesses and economic development.

A major recent accomplishment was the nearly $50 billion she brought into the Port of Oakland to create and protect jobs and ensure the Port’s competitive advantage in the global economy.

The $49.5 million allocation, which was awarded in November 2024 through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program, supports the modernization of the port’s Outer Harbor Terminal, according to a report on CBS News.

“These investments will strengthen our communities, strengthen supply chain reliability, create workforce development opportunities, enhance freight efficiency, lower costs, reduce emissions, and improve the safety, reliability, and resilience of our ports,” Lee said.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg highlighted the significance of the funding.

With these investments, “made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re … funding more projects that will expand capacity, improve efficiency, and facilitate the quicker movement of goods at ports in (Oakland and) more than a dozen states,” Buttigieg said.

The upgrades will “include wharf strengthening, crane rail replacement, and structural repairs to accommodate larger vessels and improve efficiency, according to the CBS report.

Lee also secured federal funding to improve air quality in Oakland and West Oakland in particular.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded the Port of Oakland $322 million in October 2024 to fast track the Oakland Seaport’s conversion to nearly 100% zero-emissions cargo handling operations.

The Port’s proposal is called “Community Led, Business Supported, Proven and Ready to Go! Transforming the Port of Oakland to Zero Emissions.” The historic federal funding announcement, when matched with Port and local partner contributions, will unlock approximately half a billion dollars in total investment for green initiatives at the Oakland seaport, according to the Port of Oakland.

This is the largest-ever amount of federal funding for a Bay Area program aimed at cutting emissions from seaport cargo operations. The grant will finance 663 pieces of zero-emissions equipment which includes 475 drayage trucks and 188 pieces of cargo handling equipment.

“The climate crisis demands that we act urgently and boldly to protect our communities,” said Lee in a Port of Oakland media statement.

“This investment will protect Oakland from the damaging effects of fossil fuels and will move us faster toward a zero-emissions future… It is critical that we continue to invest in zero-emissions operations, and I’m proud the Port of Oakland is leading the way,” she said.

Lee championed the building at the Ed Roberts Campus (ERC), a transit-oriented development serving people with disabilities, which opened its doors at 3075 Adeline St. in Berkeley in 2010.

ERC is widely hailed as “the world’s foremost disability rights service, advocacy, education, training, and policy center,” serving people in the Greater Bay Area, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), which credited Lee for her leadership in raising funds for the ERC.

The Campus was built as a $47.5 million public-private partnership with approximately 45% of its funds coming from the private sector and a mortgage paid by the partner organizations and other tenants, and 55% from government sources.

In an interview recently with the Oakland Post, Lee talked about her experience with successful public-private partnerships such as the Ed Roberts Center.

“Right now, public-private partnerships are going to be key,” Lee said. “You hear people talk about it, but not really know what it means. Well, it means that if I win, I’m going to go directly to the source in terms of the foundations.

“In terms of the private sector, (I’ll) talk to them about the beauty of Oakland, its challenges, (and) how, with minimal investment, they can help us move forward. I think that’s the job. It’s going to be a heavy lift, but I’m going to do that.”

Ken Epstein

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of June 18 – 24, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 18 – 24, 2025

Published

3 days ago

June 20, 2025

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Juneteenth: Celebrating Our History, Honoring Our Shared Spaces

It’s been empowering to watch Juneteenth blossom into a widely celebrated holiday, filled with vibrant outdoor events like cookouts, festivals, parades, and more. It’s inspiring to see the community embrace our history—showing up in droves to celebrate freedom, a freedom delayed for some enslaved Americans more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

Published

4 days ago

June 18, 2025

Oakland Post

Wayne Wilson, Public Affairs Campaign Manager, Caltrans

By Wayne Wilson, Public Affairs Campaign Manager, Caltrans

Juneteenth marks an important moment in our shared history—a time to reflect on the legacy of our ancestors who, even in the face of injustice, chose freedom, unity, and community over fear, anger, and hopelessness. We honor their resilience and the paths they paved so future generations can continue to walk with pride.

As we head into the weekend full of festivities and summer celebrations, I want to offer a friendly reminder about who is not invited to the cookout: litter.

At Clean California, we believe the places where we gather—parks, parade routes, street corners, and church lots—should reflect the pride and beauty of the people who fill them. Our mission is to restore and beautify public spaces, transforming areas impacted by trash and neglect into spaces that reflect the strength and spirit of the communities who use them.

Too often, after the music fades and the grills cool, our public spaces are left littered with trash. Just as our ancestors took pride in their communities, we honor their legacy when we clean up after ourselves, teach our children to do the same, and care for our shared spaces.

Small acts can inspire big change. Since 2021, Clean California and its partners have collected and removed over 2.9 million cubic yards of litter. We did this by partnering with local nonprofits and community organizations to organize grassroots cleanup events and beautification projects across California.

Now, we invite all California communities to continue the incredible momentum and take the pledge toward building a cleaner community through our Clean California Community Designation Program. This recognizes cities and neighborhoods committed to long-term cleanliness and civic pride.

This Juneteenth, let’s not only celebrate our history—but also contribute to its legacy. By picking up after ourselves and by leaving no litter behind after celebrations, we have an opportunity to honor our past and shape a cleaner, safer, more vibrant future.

Visit CleanCA.com to learn more about Clean California.

Oakland Post

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Activism

OPINION: California’s Legislature Has the Wrong Prescription for the Affordability Crisis — Gov. Newsom’s Plan Hits the Mark

Last month, Gov. Newsom included measures in his budget that would encourage greater transparency, accountability, and affordability across the prescription drug supply chain. His plan would deliver real relief to struggling Californians. It would also help expose the hidden markups and practices by big drug companies that push the prices of prescription drugs higher and higher. The legislature should follow the Governor’s lead and embrace sensible, fair regulations that will not raise the cost of medications.

Published

4 days ago

June 18, 2025

Oakland Post

Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. VanHook. Courtesy of Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. VanHook.

By Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. VanHook

As a pastor and East Bay resident, I see firsthand how my community struggles with the rising cost of everyday living. A fellow pastor in Oakland recently told me he cuts his pills in half to make them last longer because of the crushing costs of drugs.

Meanwhile, community members are contending with skyrocketing grocery prices and a lack of affordable healthcare options, while businesses are being forced to close their doors.

Our community is hurting. Things have to change.

The most pressing issue that demands our leaders’ attention is rising healthcare costs, and particularly the rising cost of medications. Annual prescription drug costs in California have spiked by nearly 50% since 2018, from $9.1 billion to $13.6 billion.

Some lawmakers, however, have advanced legislation that would drive up healthcare costs and set communities like mine back further.

I’m particularly concerned with Senate Bill (SB) 41, sponsored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), a carbon copy of a 2024 bill that I strongly opposed and Gov. Newsom rightly vetoed. This bill would impose significant healthcare costs on patients, small businesses, and working families, while allowing big drug companies to increase their profits.

SB 41 would impose a new $10.05 pharmacy fee for every prescription filled in California. This new fee, which would apply to millions of Californians, is roughly five times higher than the current average of $2.

For example, a Bay Area family with five monthly prescriptions would be forced to shoulder about $500 more in annual health costs. If a small business covers 25 employees, each with four prescription fills per month (the national average), that would add nearly $10,000 per year in health care costs.

This bill would also restrict how health plan sponsors — like employers, unions, state plans, Medicare, and Medicaid — partner with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to negotiate against big drug companies and deliver the lowest possible costs for employees and members. By mandating a flat fee for pharmacy benefit services, this misguided legislation would undercut your health plan’s ability to drive down costs while handing more profits to pharmaceutical manufacturers.

This bill would also endanger patients by eliminating safety requirements for pharmacies that dispense complex and costly specialty medications. Additionally, it would restrict home delivery for prescriptions, a convenient and affordable service that many families rely on.

Instead of repeating the same tired plan laid out in the big pharma-backed playbook, lawmakers should embrace Newsom’s transparency-first approach and prioritize our communities.

Let’s urge our state legislators to reject policies like SB 41 that would make a difficult situation even worse for communities like ours.

About the Author

Rev. Dr. VanHook is the founder and pastor of The Community Church in Oakland and the founder of The Charis House, a re-entry facility for men recovering from alcohol and drug abuse.