Community

Dec 162014
 
I give up

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]

Dec 052014
 
Students, Parents to Hold Rally Opposing COPS

Students And Families for Education (SAFE), a newly-formed coalition of San Leandro parents, students and community members, will hold a rally on Tuesday, December 9th at 6pm, outside San Leandro City Hall. The rally will take place before the San Leandro School Board meeting at which the Board will vote on whether to divert hundreds of thousands of dollars from school classrooms towards paying police officers’ salaries. SAFE opposes the use of any school funds to pay for law enforcement. “San Leandro schools have been underfunded for years, class sizes have gone from 20 students to 28, and school counselors [Continue Reading]

Oct 012014
 
Notes from Town Hall meeting on Transportation & Housing

The following are the tweets sent by Mike Katz-Lacabe from the Transportation & Housing that took place on 9/22/14 at main library. Keith Cooke: San Leandro is currently building a network of Class 2 and 3 bike paths. Limited by funding & because city is older. First meetings for San Leandro’s General Plan update: Oct. 23 at Sr. Comm. Center & Oct. 28 at Marina Comm. Center sanleandro2035.org San Leandro spent $15 million on streets in past 5 years. Just $750k was from general fund. Condition of roads in steady decline. In San Leandro, 9% of all streets require reconstruction, [Continue Reading]

Aug 172014
 
We Are Ferguson

The New York Times has a story,titled “Around St. Louis, a Circle of Rage” about how police harassment and political ostracism of African-Americans has given fuel to the protests we see in Ferguson.  You can substitute “Oakland” or “San Francisco” for St. Louis and get the same story. People of color – mostly, but not exclusively, African-American – are tired of having their children shot and being the object of police harassment. When you add to these issues, the fact that the middle class is being decimated, that jobs and opportunities for youth are disappearing and that America is no [Continue Reading]

Apr 092014
 
No Record of Complaints against E-Cigarettes in San Leandro

City Moves to Ban E-Cigarettes Despite Lack of Complaints About Their Use Last Month, the San Leandro City Council was set pass amendments to the City’s anti-smoking ordinance, as part of the consent calendar, that would prohibit the use of e-cigarettes to consume tobacco or marijuana everywhere where tobacco smoking cigarettes is prohibited today.  The ordinance also included a ban of smoking medical marijuana in private residences and after complaints by citizens Mayor Stephen Cassidy decided to take it off the agenda and bring it back, in an amended format, some time this month. The staff report that accompanied the [Continue Reading]