Byron Williams: Kaplan says that fixing Oakland is all about

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Nov 2, 2008 | by Byron Williams

TO FULLY APPRECIATE the excitement candidate for the Oakland City Council-at large Rebecca Kaplan has created, sit down with her for approximately an hour. As we sat outside an Oakland cafe, a virtual composite of the city's diversity stopped by impromptu to wish Kaplan well on her quest.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I sent interview requests to Kaplan's campaign and her challenger, school board member Kerry Hamill. Only Kaplan responded to my inquiry.

When I asked Kaplan why she decided to run for the council seat vacated by Henry Chang, who decided not to seek re-election, she said, "I've spent so much time thinking about what we could be doing better, seeing what we could be doing better, thinking about ways Oakland really could have healthier, safer and more prosperous life here, and I have to get involved in making it happen because otherwise I'd be at home yelling at the television."

Kaplan, who is currently a member of the AC Transit board, cites the economy, public safety and the health of Oakland's neighborhoods as priority issues. But, for Kaplan, the local economy is the key.

"The economy undermines everything else. We talk about public safety and the response is, 'we don't have the money to do that' and so the problems in Oakland's financial situation are not separate from any of the other specific issues, whether someone is worried about how do we get more police or how do we get more after-school programs if our budget continues to go down every year we can't solve any of the other problems," Kaplan said.

I pressed Kaplan to explain why Oakland is unique from other urban areas when the problems of the economy, public safety and safe neighborhoods are the same challenges that every urban city confronts.

"Almost every city in America has the same problems, what's unique about Oakland is the solutions. We have more potential here to solve those problems than anywhere else in the country," she said.

Kaplan views improving Oakland's low retail, sales tax retention, promoting local shopping and local business as key to any economic improvement. Kaplan, by her own admission, is not the first to identify these measures for revitalizing Oakland. But the intangible that stuck out in our interview was Kaplan's belief in her leadership abilities to get things done, even with a City Council that has a long history of divergent viewpoints.

"When we look at the issues that are facing Oakland nobody has a factional solution," she said. Kaplan feels with the right leadership all of the factions that currently exist on the council would be happy to support an idea that moves the city forward.

Kaplan has done her homework. She is well-versed on many of the key issues facing Oakland, along with ideas to address them. In terms of public safety, Kaplan cited some of the successful community policing programs in Atlanta that Oakland could replicate.

Moreover, Kaplan distinguished between what is within the city's means to solve and what is beyond its jurisdiction that makes achieving the goals articulated during the campaign, especially at the local level, a somewhat insurmountable task.

But Kaplan also made it clear that she was prepared, if elected, to take an active role in lobbying for additional resources from the state. She referred to her experience on the AC Transit board, where she balanced budgets and lobbied Sacramento, as adequate training ground to assume the City Council seat that represents all of Oakland.

Kaplan is endorsed by the Central Labor Council and several unions. She is also endorsed by OakPAC, the political arm of the Oakland Chamber of Commerce, the Oakland Builders Alliance and the East Bay Small Business Council PAC.

The Democratic Party, Sierra Club, California Nurses Association and several local pastors, including the Rev. J. Alfred Smith, Sr. of the Allen Temple Baptist Church, also have endorsed her candidacy.

Perhaps the most impressive endorsements came from the myriad individuals who randomly approached her during our interview to offer their support and encouragement.

Byron Williams is an Oakland pastor and columnist for the Bay Area News Group-East Bay. E-mail him at byron@byronspeaks.com or leave a message at (510) 408-6417.