City Government

Opinion: Navigating the City’s Entrenched Politics to Deliver Equity and Opportunity

Published

7 years ago

March 9, 2018

By Desley Brooks

Thank you to the editors at the Post for allowing me to shed some insight into what it takes to push through the entrenched politics of Oakland to deliver equity and opportunities for the generations who have been ignored in East Oakland.

Paul Cobb called me a “passionate advocate,” which is what it takes to break through the political barriers, power broker politics played out behind the scenes and the market-driven mudslinging led by mainstream news media that care more about headlines over content and money over people.

This column and the ones I will contribute over the next few months are a chance to celebrate our collective work to achieve the housing, jobs, and quality of life East Oaklanders—new and old—deserve.
We’ve shared so many victories.

We came together to defend against predatory lending, bank foreclosure and then speculation-driven displacement. We united to support funding of more affordable housing and have looked to innovative policies like the land trust to keep property in the hands of the community.

But, all of this will mean very little unless we can house those seniors, families and Oaklanders who had homes but have now been pushed into the streets because of the banking or affordability crisis.

My leadership on living wage, paid sick days, investment in new businesses to hire locally, is just a foundation for what we need to address growing inequality.

My agenda on jobs and the recent heat I have taken must mean that I am doing something right. There is no real change without agitation.

Some mud was slung through premature critiques of a new jobs idea to fully fund our most successful job training programs. These programs are asked to do the work but have lost stable funding due to a hostile federal government or limited funding.

A ladder into living wage career jobs, stable affordable housing and eventual homeownership are only two legs of a sustainable community. We need to make sure a third leg includes investment in opportunities for families, our youth and our seniors.

The City Council recently committed the necessary funding to make sure the vision for Rainbow Recreation is realized and that our community receives a beautiful new building.
For the last decade I’ve launched a parks initiative in District 6 restoring neighborhood parks. Through this initiative we have achieved a new level of volunteerism and partnership.

We began by reactivating a park which had been dormant for 20 years, the Tomas Melero Smith Peace and Unity playground. Recently we upgraded the play structure at Concordia and Burkhalter parks.

These kinds of partnerships are important and have resulted in thousands of families and seniors having free and beautiful parks within walking distance to their neighborhoods.
We also offer a monthly food distribution at Arroyo park and recently had a wash machine and dryer installed so families can wash their children’s clothes for free.

Our accomplishments have come because of our willingness to push against the status quo; to sometimes make people uncomfortable; to agitate.

This is what is necessary to push against Oakland’s entrenched political system. Together we will navigate Oakland’s political system and win.

Desley Brooks represents District 6 on the Oakland City Council.

Oakland Post

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City Government

San Pablo Appoints New Economic Development and Housing Manager

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo. Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Published

14 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Kieron Slaughter. Photo courtesy of the City of San Pablo

The Richmond Standard

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo.

Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Before that he was an associate planner in the City of Richmond’s Planning and Building Services Department from 2007-2015.

San Pablo City Manager Matt Rodriguez lauded Slaughter’s extensive experience in economic development, housing and planning, saying he will add a “valuable perspective to the City Manager’s Office.”

Slaughter, a Berkeley resident, will start in his new role on Nov. 12, with a base annual salary of $164,928, according to the City of San Pablo.

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City Government

Aaron Osorio Rises Up Ranks to Become Richmond’s Fire Chief

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10. “I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.” Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Published

15 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Richmond Fire Department Chief Aaron Osorio. Courtesy photo

By Mike Kinney

The Richmond Standard

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10.

“I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.”

Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Osorio is a San Francisco native who rose up the ranks in the Richmond Fire Department over the last 21 years before being elevated to chief.

He joined the department in 2002 and has served in multiple roles including firefighters, engineer, captain, battalion chief, training director and deputy fire chief. He said he truly loves working in this community.

While it isn’t common for a fire department to hire a chief that came up through its ranks, Osorio was credited by the city for serving Richmond well during uncommon times.

The city lauded him for developing internal policies and vaccination clinics during the initial COVID response, for supporting activation of the emergency operations center in response to a potential mudslide disaster in Seacliff last year, helping to draft mutual aid agreements and working to increase fire response capabilities for industrial incidents.

He’s also led departmental hiring and recruitment since 2018.

Osorio said it is an honor to be hired as chief and has big plans for the department moving forward. He said he wants to continue hiring and promoting for vacant positions, and also completing a strategic plan guiding the direction of the organization.

He also aims to replace and renovate a number of fire department facilities placed on the Capital Improvement Plan and create new ways to recruit that will enhance the diversity of the department.

Osorio said his experience within, and love for, the city of Richmond puts him in a good position to lead the department. He says he knows what is needed and also the challenges that are unique to the city.

“I look forward to utilizing that institutional knowledge to move the fire department forward in a positive direction and enhance the services we provide to the community,” the chief said.

Osorio holds a bachelor of science degree in Fire Administration and is also a California State Fire Marshal-certified chief officer, company officer, and state instructor.

He also holds numerous certifications in fire, rescue, hazardous material, and incident command.

The chief has been married to his wife, Maria, for 26 years and they have two sons, Roman and Mateo.

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Bay Area

Oakland Awarded $28 Million Grant from Governor Newsom to Sustain Long-Term Solutions Addressing Homelessness

Governor Gavin Newsom announced the City of Oakland has won a$28,446,565.83 grant as part of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) grant program. This program provides flexible grant funding to help communities support people experiencing homelessness by creating permanent housing, rental and move-in assistance, case management services, and rental subsidies, among other eligible uses.

Published

15 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao

Governor Gavin Newsom announced the City of Oakland has won a$28,446,565.83 grant as part of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) grant program.

This program provides flexible grant funding to help communities support people experiencing homelessness by creating permanent housing, rental and move-in assistance, case management services, and rental subsidies, among other eligible uses.

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and the Oakland City Administrator’s Office staff held a press conference today to discuss the grant and the City’s successful implementing of the Mayor’s Executive Order on the Encampment Management Policy.