City Government
New County Administration Building Unveiled at ‘Grand Opening’
An outdoor event marked the “Grand Opening” of the new Contra Costa County Administration Building in downtown Martinez Tuesday, with local officials and other stakeholders coming out for the midday celebration. The event ushered in the opening of a state-of-the-art office administration building and civic plaza located on historic grounds formerly occupied by a now-demolished office tower and jail from circa 1902.
![Count officials pose in front of the new Administration Building at 1025 Escobar St. in Martinez. Photo courtesy Contra Costa County.](https://www.postnewsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/grand-opening-featured-web.jpg)
By Kathy Chouteau
The Richmond Standard
An outdoor event marked the “Grand Opening” of the new Contra Costa County Administration Building in downtown Martinez Tuesday, with local officials and other stakeholders coming out for the midday celebration.
The event ushered in the opening of a state-of-the-art office administration building and civic plaza located on historic grounds formerly occupied by a now-demolished office tower and jail from circa 1902.
Speakers that day outside the newly unveiled, modern building included Chief Assistant County Administrator, Contra Costa County Eric Angstadt; Board Chair Federal D. Glover, District 5 Supervisor; and Mayor of Martinez Brianne Zorn. District 1 Supervisor John Gioia, who represents Richmond and other nearby cities, was also in attendance.
The new Administration Building features state-of-the-art architecture by KMD Architects that syncs with nearby historic buildings, while concurrently being constructed with sustainable elements such as on-site photovoltaics for high-performance energy use, responsibly sourced finishes, and low-embodied carbon materials.
Additions to the new space include a new public law library, ground-floor retail spaces, a parking garage, street improvements and an advanced storm water system.
The building has also consolidated essential services under one roof by housing various County administrative departments such as the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice, the Law Library, the Public Defender and the County Sheriff’s Civil Division.
The new Contra Costa County Administration Building is located at 1025 Escobar St. in Martinez. Check out a video tour of the new building at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BF4jp3N7X4w
Additions to the new space include a new public law library, ground-floor retail spaces, a parking garage, street improvements and an advanced storm water system. The building has also consolidated essential services under one roof by housing various County administrative departments such as the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice, the Law Library, the Public Defender and the County Sheriff’s Civil Division.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of September 4 – 10, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 4 – 10, 2024
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Activism
Oakland Post: Week of August 28 – September 4, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of August 28 – September 4, 2024
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Activism
A New Coalition Says: ‘Respect Our Vote – No Recalls!’
Opposing the recalls of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price and labeling the efforts as a new form of voter suppression, the coalition, “Respect Our Vote – No Recalls!” kicked off its organizing efforts last Saturday, Aug. 17, with a mass, public meeting, attended by over 100 people in East Oakland at At Thy Word Ministries Church, 8915 International Blvd. in East Oakland.
![Jess Inson, Rev. B.K. Woodson, Sr., Stewart Chen, and Mariano Contreras answer questions at the kickoff meeting of “Respect Our Vote – No Recalls!,” Saturday, Aug. 17, at At Thy Word Ministries Church, 8915 International Blvd. in East Oakland. Photo by Ken Epstein.](https://www.postnewsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/respect-our-vote-featured-web-1.jpg)
By Ken Epstein
A broad, diverse coalition has come together to mobilize local communities to vote against the recalls of two East Bay reform-minded leaders, who could potentially be thrown out of office in November after serving less than two years in office.
The recall effort is a result of multi-million-dollar campaigns that the coalition says are fueled by fearmongering with funding from a Piedmont financier and promoted by a public relations campaign in the corporate media.
Opposing the recalls of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price and labeling the efforts as a new form of voter suppression, the coalition, “Respect Our Vote – No Recalls!” kicked off its organizing efforts last Saturday, Aug. 17, with a mass, public meeting, attended by over 100 people in East Oakland at At Thy Word Ministries Church, 8915 International Blvd. in East Oakland.
Servant B.K. Woodson, Sr., pastor of the Bay Area Christian Connection in Oakland and chair of the coalition, links the surging national movement to reject the fearmongering and hateful agenda advocated by Donald Trump and the rightwing authoritarian proposals of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 to their own battle against the efforts to unseat progressive leaders in Oakland and Alameda County.
“This is a powerful moment, (and) across the nation you can feel it,” he said. “There’s joy, there’s hope, there’s expectation. We Oaklanders are at the center of the universe right now because the joy that’s bubbling up against the antipathy and the anger and the mindlessness, the battle for hope is being waged right here (against those) who profit by our poverty.”
“This is the inaugural event of ‘Respect Our Vote – No Recalls!’ because we want all people’s votes to be respected,” Pastor Woodson continued. “We are a diverse coalition, and we are open to more.”
The coalition already has the participation of the Wellstone and John George Democratic clubs, the Latino Task Force, and the Asian Americans for a Progressive Alameda, as well as active involvement of African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, whites, and others, he said.
“(Together), we want to expose what’s happening,” Woodson said. “The vehicle of recall (was intended to be) a people’s device against entrenched power (but) has been co-opted by billionaires,” who have funded these campaigns.
Those attending the meeting raised concerns about Foundational Oakland Unites, a political action committee that received $605,000 from Piedmont financier Philip Dreyfuss, which contributed $480,000 to back the Sheng Thao recall.
Dreyfuss also contributed to recall Price. A political action committee, Supporters of Recall Pamela Price, which Dreyfuss helped create, received about $400,000 to pay for signature-gathering, as well as a $200,000 loan.
Other speakers at the rally included Stewart Chen, president of the Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council; Carmen Peng of Asian Americans for Progressive Alameda; Jess Inson, lead organizing fellow for Oakland Rising Action; Chaney Turner, chair of the City of Oakland’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission; and Mariano Contreras, member of the Latino Task Force and co-chair of the African American Latino Action Alliance.
Contreras said in past decades, voter suppression was mostly designed to keep African Americans, immigrants, and poor people from being able to vote.
“(But) now we’re seeing a new type of voter suppression, the denial of our vote after we cast it,” he said.
“The recall process was (originally) designed to ensure that elected officials would represent the interests of their constituents. But the recall process has been hijacked by shadowy, conservative money that finds defeated candidates (and others) who are willing to deny you and me our vote as we originally cast it,” he said.
“This is a new, dangerous voter suppression that exists right here in our city,” he said, adding that: “We are seeing the use of fear and misinformation to attract spokespeople to promote attacks and charges that are nothing more than smokescreens to roll back progressive alliances that have been built in our local government.”
Chen said that there has been a “false narrative” about rampant crime, which is a “bunch of baloney.”
There have long been problems with crime in Oakland, and the recalls against Price and Thao began shortly after they were elected and before they had a chance to do much, he said. “Unequivocally, the people who lost wanted their candidates to win. These are sour grapes.”
“This is undemocratic. We have to stand together, unite together,” Chen said. “That’s why I’m here.”
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