California Black Media

Black, Latino Leaders Denounce San Jose Mayor’s Comments on Prop. 36

California community leaders denounced the comments of San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan regarding Proposition 36, demanding that he disavows his “woefully ignorant” statements in a recent interview with Elex Michaelson of the Fox network. The community advocates said Prop 36 is a dangerous measure on California’s November ballot that aims to restart the failed War on Drugs.

Published

1 year ago

September 22, 2024

Oakland Post

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Bo Tefu, California Black Media

The community advocates said Prop 36 is a dangerous measure on California’s November ballot that aims to restart the failed War on Drugs.

During the interview, Mahan said that Black and Brown communities stood to benefit from Prop 36.

Advocates opposing the measure argued that passing the law would cut money for drug treatment and make simple drug possession a felony, increasing mass incarceration affecting communities of color.

“Mayor Matt Mahan’s comments are woefully ignorant of the ways that decades of failed criminal justice policies destroyed thousands of lives in California,” said the Rev. Jethroe Moore, president of the NAACP San Jose-Silicon Valley Branch.

“This is especially true for Black men, who are ten times more likely than their White counterparts to be incarcerated. We are not going back to Proposition 36’s failed approach and the harm those policies inflicted on so many families across our state.”

Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City), Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), agrees with Moore.

“I was a mayor, and I know the mayor knows better. It is clear what will happen if Proposition 36 is passed – thousands of lives will be destroyed, and most of those lives will be Black and Brown men,” said Wilson.

“We need to increase money for treatment programs that work, not make the deep cuts to drug treatment that Proposition 36 would inflict,” she added.

Hilda Solis, member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, stated that Black and Brown communities need real solutions from leaders who understand the problems that people experience statewide.

“Proposition 36 is nothing but a bunch of empty promises, proposing cuts to proven treatment programs, while wasting billions of dollars on additional jail and prison spending. Incarceration strategies have proven ineffective, and treatment and jobs are better ways of addressing systemic poverty and crime,” said Solis.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 18 – 24, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 18 – 24, 2026

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February 20, 2026

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Oakland Post: Week of February 11 – 17, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 11 – 17, 2026

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2 weeks ago

February 16, 2026

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Bo Tefu

Trump’s White House Pushes to Control California Wildfire Recovery

The executive order signed Jan. 27 by President Donald Trump directs federal agencies to explore regulations that could override California and municipal permitting rules for homes and other structures destroyed in the fires. Land-use and rebuilding permits have traditionally been handled by cities and counties, making the move an unprecedented federal intervention into disaster recovery.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 10, 2026

Oakland Post

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By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

The White House is moving to take control of wildfire recovery efforts in the Los Angeles County area, issuing an executive order that would shift rebuilding permit authority from state and local governments to the federal government following the January 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires.

“I want to see if we can take over the city and state and just give the people their permits they want to build,” Trump told the media when signing the order.

The Palisades and Eaton fires destroyed about 16,000 homes, businesses, and other structures across Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and surrounding areas. According to local data, roughly 4,700 applications to rebuild have been submitted, with about 2,000 approved so far. Officials say the pace of rebuilding is consistent with recovery timelines from other major wildfires in California, where reconstruction often takes several years.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass quickly condemned the order, stating that it is unnecessary and legally questionable. Disaster recovery experts echoed those concerns, pointing to constitutional limits on federal authority over land-use decisions.

Trump’s order calls on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration to consider allowing builders to self-certify compliance with health and safety regulations to receive federal approval.

The dispute has become another flashpoint in the ongoing political battle between Trump and Newsom. The governor has requested $33 billion in federal disaster aid that has not yet been approved, while survivors continue to face challenges related to insurance payouts, high rebuilding costs, and legal disputes tied to the cause of the fires.

“Instead of finally sending to Congress the federal relief Los Angeles needs to rebuild from last year’s firestorms, Donald Trump continues to live in fantasy land,” Newsom wrote on X.

Bass said the White House could speed recovery by approving disaster aid and pushing insurers and lenders to support affected residents.

Trump’s order calls for draft regulations within 30 days and final rules within 90 days.