City Hall

Prominent San Leandro Citizen Speaks Out Against BEARCAT

Prominent San Leandro Citizen Speaks Out Against BEARCAT City Hall, Civil Liberties, Community, Police No Responses »

Jan 212015

This is the letter that Tim Holmes, a prominent San Leandro citizen and community activist, sent the San Leandro City Council. You can also read my own message to the SLPD on this matter. To the members of the San Leandro City Council: I attended the recent community meeting regarding the plans to obtain a Bearcat, I wasn’t able to complete my comments in the time allotted, so I’m including them in full here. I am asking you vote no and to NOT accept this vehicle. Tools only seem neutral. You pick one up, you use it and put it [Continue Reading]

Choices for Art Commission Show Nepotism at Play

Choices for Art Commission Show Nepotism at Play City Hall, Community No Responses »

Jan 142015

Note: this article has been slightly expanded. If you start seeing a lot of sad and mediocre public art in San Leandro, you know whom you have to blame: the past and current members of the City Council who chose to appoint friends to the newly created Arts Commission instead of people with any sort of knowledge or experience in the Arts. When the City Council created an Arts Commission to decide on how to beautify San Leandro though art, they had the opportunity to populate it with outstanding artists and arts professionals. Instead, three Councilmembers, Michael Gregory, Ursula Reed [Continue Reading]

My Message to the SLPD: The Bearcat is Not a Good Idea

My Message to the SLPD: The Bearcat is Not a Good Idea City Hall, Civil Liberties, Community, Police 2 Responses »

Jan 102015

This was my speech at the “community meeting” on the SLPD‘s planned acquisition of a Ballistic Engineered Armored Response Counter Attack Truck (Bearcat). I addressed my comments to the SLPD, as the City Council has made it clear that their role is simply to rubber stamp any proposal brought by the Police. In other words, we officially have a police state in San Leandro. You can find Tim Holmes remarks here. While it may seem hard to believe, I appreciate our police officers. Every single SLPD officer I have met, has treated me with politeness, courtesy and professionalism. I think [Continue Reading]

New City Council Set to Start Year by Violating the Brown Act

New City Council Set to Start Year by Violating the Brown Act City Hall No Responses »

Jan 032015

City Manager evaluation, new “Hostage Negotiation” vehicle & new Vice Mayor also on agenda Update: I have heard back from City Attorney Richard Pio Roda. He says that the City does not believe that the potential plaintiffs in the case that will be discussed in closed session are aware of the facts and circumstances that will enable their lawsuit. He confirmed that the case in question did not involve “an accident, disaster, incident, or transaction”, for example, a police shooting, where the potential plaintiff is aware that they have been harmed. — The first City Council meeting of the year [Continue Reading]

I give up

I give up City Hall, Community, Police 4 Responses »

Dec 162014

I give up. Local democracy does not work at any level. Tonight, a plethora of mostly white, middle-class, middle-aged parents told the San Leandro City Council: “This is where we draw the line. Don’t spy on our kids, don’t criminalize them from kindergarten on”. In essence they said: “this is your chance to release some steam, show that you are something other than a rubber stamp for the police, show that citizens have a chance to have their voices heard”. The arguments were intelligent, well-reasoned and researched and made politely. They came from a law professor, a poverty expert, a [Continue Reading]

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