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

Oak Temple Hill Hosts Interfaith Leaders from Across the Bay Area

Distinguished faith leaders Rev. Ken Chambers, executive director the Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC); Michael Pappas, executive director of the San Francisco Interfaith Council; and Dr. Ejaz Naqzi, president of the Contra Costa County Interfaith Council addressed the group on key issues including homelessness, food insecurity, immigration, and meaningful opportunities to care for individuals and communities in need.

Published

2 days ago

June 14, 2025

Oakland Post

Troy McCombs (from the state of Washington), Elder Mark Mortensen (from Irvine, CA), Michael Pappas, Rev. Ken Chambers, Dr. Ejaz Naqvi, Elder Sigfried Nauman (from the state of Washington), and Richard Kopf. Courtesy photo.

Special to the Post

Interfaith leaders from the Bay Area participated in a panel discussion at the annual meeting of communication leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held on Temple Hill in Oakland on May 31. Distinguished faith leaders Rev. Ken Chambers, executive director the Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC); Michael Pappas, executive director of the San Francisco Interfaith Council; and Dr. Ejaz Naqzi, president of the Contra Costa County Interfaith Council addressed the group on key issues including homelessness, food insecurity, immigration, and meaningful opportunities to care for individuals and communities in need.

Chambers, said he is thankful for the leadership and support of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints’ global ministry, which recently worked with the interfaith congregations of ICAC to help Yasjmine Oeveraas a homeless Norwegian mother and her family find shelter and access to government services.

Oeveraas told the story of how she was assisted by ICAC to the Oakland Post. “I’m a Norwegian citizen who escaped an abusive marriage with nowhere to go. We’ve been homeless in Florida since January 2024. Recently, we came to California for my son’s passport, but my plan to drive for Uber fell through, leaving us homeless again. Through 2-1-1, I was connected to Rev. Ken Chambers, pastor of the West Side Missionary Baptist Church and president of the Interfaith Council of Alameda County, and his car park program, which changed our lives. We spent about a week-and-a-half living in our car before being blessed with a trailer. After four years of uncertainty and 18 months of homelessness, this program has given us stability and hope again.

“Now, both my son and I have the opportunity to continue our education. I’m pursuing cyber analytics, something I couldn’t do while living in the car. My son can also complete his education, which is a huge relief. This program has given us the space to focus and regain our dignity. I am working harder than ever to reach my goals and give back to others in need.”

Richard Kopf, communication director for The Church of Jesus Christ in the Bay Area stated: “As followers of Jesus Christ, we embrace interfaith cooperation and are united in our efforts to show God’s love for all of his children.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Alameda County

Council Approves Budget to Invest in Core City Services, Save Fire Stations, Invest in Economic Development

I am most proud of our ability to fund these critical city services without the use of one-time fixes. We are still suffering the consequences of last year’s budget, where a majority of the Council, myself not included, chose to incorporate anticipated proceeds from the sale of the Coliseum to fund essential services. Since the sale has still not yet been completed, the lack of funds led to drastic cuts in city services, including the temporary closure of fire stations, staff layoffs, and the cancellations of many service contracts.

Published

2 days ago

June 14, 2025

Oakland Post

District 4 Oakland City Councilmember Janani Ramachandran. Photo courtesy City of Oakland.

By Janani Ramachandran, District 4 Oakland City Councilmember

On Wednesday, June 11, City Council took a bold step to prioritize investing in essential city services to get our beautiful Town back on track. As Chair of the Finance Committee, I am proud to have led a collaborative process, alongside Councilmembers Rowena Brown, Zac Unger, and Charlene Wang, to develop a set of amendments to the proposed FY 2025-2027 budget which passed successfully with a vote of 6 – 1. Despite facing a $265 million structural budget deficit, we were able to restore funding to ensure that all 25 fire stations remain open, fund 5 police academies, invest millions of dollars to combat illegal dumping and sideshow prevention, improve our permitting processes, fund a “business incentives” program to revitalize our commercial corridors, improve upon our homelessness prevention work, amplify the city’s anti-trafficking programs, re-instate our tree services division, staff up our Auditor’s office – all while preventing any layoffs of city staff, keeping our senior centers and after-school programs open, and crisis services like MACRO funded.

Our budget comes in response to the widespread and consistent calls from across Oakland’s diverse communities asking us to prioritize funding solutions to the issues that have most directly impacted our residents’ safety and quality of life. Our priorities are also inspired by our belief that Oakland is on the way not only to financial recovery, but also to global recognition. Oakland can attract and preserve businesses of all sizes with safer, cleaner streets. We can and will have more large-scale festivals that celebrate our culture, concerts that uplift our incredible local musicians, conferences that attract patrons from across the world, and award-winning restaurants that top national charts. We are on our way to rebuilding a thriving economy and having a cultural renaissance will create more jobs for Oaklanders while also generating more revenue for the City through sales and business taxes.

I am grateful for the close partnership with our new Mayor Barbara Lee, and know that she shares our values of ensuring we are prioritizing keeping Oakland’s residents safe, our streets clean, and our businesses prosperous in an open and fiscally responsible manner. I am also thankful to our City Administrator, Jestin Johnson, and former Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins’ efforts to produce the initial proposal that our Council budget team used as a starting point for our amendments, and for their shared commitment to transparency and ethical government. I am especially grateful for every resident that took the time to make their voice heard throughout this rigorous budget process. I have no doubt that we are on the verge of true change, and that together we will bring Oakland back to being the world-class city I know it can be.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

“We Are Better Than This”: Black Caucus Denounces L.A. County ICE Raids as Multiple Protests Erupt

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood), a member of the CLBC and chair of the Los Angeles County Legislative Delegation, urged protestors to show restraint and deescalate rising tensions. “Don’t take the bait. Remain peaceful. Peace is our power,” she posted on Facebook. McKinnor also blasted the feds for detaining David Huerta, a popular labor leader and president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), who was documenting the raids.

Published

2 days ago

June 14, 2025

Oakland Post

Assemblymember Tina Mckinnor (D-Inglewood), at the podium, is joined by a coalition of California lawmakers opposed to the ongoing ICE raids being conducted in communities across California. Courtesy of Asm. Tina Mckinnor’s office.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) last week condemned ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in California.

The caucus released the statement the same day multiple protests erupted in Los Angeles County, reacting to three ICE raids conducted in that area.

“For months w,e have watched the unsettling images of federal agents rampaging through our communities. We have stood in horror as masked, heavily armed men ransack neighborhoods under the color of law leaving terror and trauma in their wake,” read a June 6 statement released by the CLBC.

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood), a member of the CLBC and chair of the Los Angeles County Legislative Delegation, urged protestors to show restraint and deescalate rising tensions.

“Don’t take the bait. Remain peaceful. Peace is our power,” she posted on Facebook.

McKinnor also blasted the feds for detaining David Huerta, a popular labor leader and president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), who was documenting the raids.

“The actions by this federal government are un-American,” wrote McKinnor in a statement. “We demand is immediate release and an end to the terror being inflicted on communities across L.A. County by this administration.”

According to Yasmeen Pitts, a Homeland Security Investigations division spokesperson, 44 people have been detained in arrests related to the protests.

Pitts said ICE agents targeted three locations in central Los Angeles they accuse of harboring undocumented immigrants.

The Black Caucus statement called the violent arrest of community leaders leading protests against the raids “a tool in the authoritarian playbook.”

“No person or family, regardless of origin, deserves to be the target of the terror being inflicted across the country in this moment,” the statement continued.

On June 7, Bill Essayli, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, posted on X, “federal agents arrested over a dozen agitators today who impeded agents in their ability to conduct law enforcement operations.”

“We will continue to arrest anyone who interferes with federal law enforcement,” he added.

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass thanked local law enforcement for keeping the peace in the city.

This is a difficult time for our city. As we recover from an unprecedented natural disaster, many in our community are feeling fear following recent federal immigration enforcement actions across Los Angeles County. Reports of unrest outside the city, including in Paramount, are deeply concerning,” posted Bass on X.

“We’ve been in direct contact with officials in Washington, D.C. and are working closely with law enforcement to find the best path forward. Everyone has the right to peacefully protest, but let me be clear: violence and destruction are unacceptable, and those responsible will be held accountable,” she added.

On June 9, the Trump administration said it will send 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles to quell the anti-ICE protests.

Newsom called the decision “deranged.”

“As the federal government conducts chaotic immigration sweeps across the country, the state is deploying additional CHP to maintain safety on Los Angeles highways to keep the peace,” wrote Newsom in a statement posted on X. “It’s not their job to assist in federal immigration enforcement. The federal government is sowing chaos so they can have an excuse to escalate. That is not the way any civilized country behaves.”