News & Updates

  • Press release: Loren Taylor endorses Len for Council

    October 23, 2024 9:15 AM

    I am proud to add my voice of support to Len Raphael’s candidacy for District 1 City Council.

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  • Interim housing: much better than tents, much cheaper than permanent housing

    October 18, 2024 1:23 AM

    It's insane to issue parcel tax-backed bonds to build permanent housing at $900k a unit.

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  • Do you oppose all recalls?

    October 12, 2024 11:40 PM

    When I collected signatures for both local recalls, people would tell me they categorically oppose all recalls because they are undemocratic, easily manipulated by monied special interests and wealthy individuals, disruptive to the government, and expensive to the Registrar of Voters.


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  • Press Release: Len Raphael, a long-time Temescal resident and Oakland CPA, says he’s running for District One City Council because there was no moderate candidate

    September 29, 2024 5:16 PM

    Len Raphael, a long-time Temescal resident and Oakland CPA, says he’s running for District One City Council because there was no moderate candidate, independent of all special interests, running against Zac Unger, president of the Oakland Fire Fighters union. According to Raphael, Unger played a key role in the shift of control of the City Council over the past ten years, working with other city unions to provide money, endorsements, and volunteers to elect and re-elect wannabe police defunders such as CM Fife, CM Bas, and Sheng Thao.

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  • Why do Oakland elected officials ignore their constituents pleas?

    August 29, 2024 6:59 PM

    A common question people ask me face to face when I'm canvassing is why Oakland council members and the Mayor don't try increasing policing to reduce property crime to the levels of other cities.

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  • RIP Hegenberger corridor

    August 26, 2024 10:17 AM

  • Vote No on the Measure Z charter

    August 18, 2024 2:13 PM

    Vote No on the charter measure replacing the expiring Measure Z public safety and anti-violence program parcel tax.

    We need 1,200 well-managed police officers. We need the equivalent of SF's Measure E to loosen pursuit rules, reduce police time spent filling out duplicative oversight reports, and spend a lot more on drones and GPS darts to minimize pursuits.

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  • It's a miracle there are still any retail stores in Oakland

    August 18, 2024 2:00 PM

    Between rampant shoplifting and online competition, it's a miracle there are still any retail stores in Oakland.

    Saturday, Betty and I went to McCaulou's Department Store in Montclair to buy a couple of pairs of Levi's 501s. We didn't see any on the racks, so the salesperson explained that she would have to retrieve them from the back room.

    I tried several on and got exactly what I wanted.

    As I paid, I asked why they were in the back room.

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  • Robert Warshaw double dipping in Arizona

    June 13, 2024 2:05 PM

    This is about Oakland's OPD Federal monitor, Robert Warshaw who has an even more lucrative job in Az.

    He double dips big time.

    Under the US AG Garland’s guidelines for Federal consent decrees (we have an out of court settlement aka Negotiated Settlement Agreement”) Federal overseers are prohibited from having more than one oversight contract at a time to avoid the appearance of being a “cottage industry”

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