The City of Oakland just can’t seem to quit Rebecca Kaplan. After she left elected office, the city gave her a publicly-funded $149,000 per year job – plus benefits.
Oakland no longer has a city government providing real service to the public. We have a political machine patronage system that runs like a protection racket.
Kaplan's "gift" job position is the only way she could ever hope to have such a position. Her public record demonstrates that she is NOT qualified for the job and citizens should be up-in-arms over this administration's blatant patronage of entitled public officials. This is what happens when we elect and re-elect (this year) over-the-hill figureheads to leadership instead of new, energetic, out-of-the box thinkers who would work hard to attract major employers, innovatively solve longstanding crime and illegal dumping issues, and move this city beyond the political doldrums its been mired in for decades.
It's crazy that there was no public recruitment. It tells you immediately that this is a kickback for a politically connected former elected official and not a real job.
What is especially tragic and ironic about the culture of corruption in Oakland is that it continually deceives the most vulnerable residents and its politicians pander to the naive idealism with endless tax increases but almost never delivers results. Kaplan is the most clever and cynical-she forms alliances with other grifters and survives scandals that would be fatal to lesser mortals.
They never respond. After repeated, cordial requests to Mayor Lee's office asking that the mounds of garbage around the city be picked up, and receiving no response, I finally got pissed off. Her liaison finally responded saying she won't respond to vile, disrespectful emails. They're a joke. Unfortunately, it's at our expense.
that was an incredibly well-researched piece. Not sure whether Kaplan should be fired or what can be done, why she is not implementing known solutions, and frustrated that she and others appear to be corrupt but never get in trouble. Kinda like the Alameda County Grand Jury findings that somehow never seem to reform government.
Google AI had a great deal to say about how other cities handled illegal dumping and morethat may have been included such as Registration Holds: The city is pursuing state-level legislation to prevent drivers with unpaid dumping fines from renewing their vehicle registration.
Plate-less Vehicles: A major barrier is the use of vehicles without license plates; stricter enforcement on un-plated vehicles in dumping hotspots (But without enough police not possible).
Optimize Surveillance Technology: Oakland's existing cameras resulted in only 10 citations over a five-month period in 2025 because they were often placed in areas that were too dark or lacked activity. Experts recommend moving these to "hotspots" and using newer AI-empowered drone pilots to map sites.
I wish there were a way to put barriers up and if need be codes only local residents knew to get through gates from 10 pm to 6 am
Providing "soft landings" for retired elected officials is a long-standing phenomenon in Sacramento. Just take a look at who sits on the dozens of state boards and commissions. Many of those positions, appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the legislature, are well paid and only require showing up at a few meetings - hardly a 9-5 grind! At least in this case, we have someone who presumably knows how to navigate the City's bureaucracy and get departments to work together on this important issue. Yes, they should have created a real staff position with a duty statement and gone through the hiring process. But had she applied, they probably would have hired her anyway. If she can get the City to actually catch and prosecute dumpers, she'll be earning that [modest] salary.
This corruption must stop. All the money that has poured into the pockets of Kaplan and the rest of the do nothing city officials, could have gone to develop Oakland. Mindy Pechenuk, candidate for Oakland Mayor 2026
Oakland no longer has a city government providing real service to the public. We have a political machine patronage system that runs like a protection racket.
Apt comment
Kaplan's "gift" job position is the only way she could ever hope to have such a position. Her public record demonstrates that she is NOT qualified for the job and citizens should be up-in-arms over this administration's blatant patronage of entitled public officials. This is what happens when we elect and re-elect (this year) over-the-hill figureheads to leadership instead of new, energetic, out-of-the box thinkers who would work hard to attract major employers, innovatively solve longstanding crime and illegal dumping issues, and move this city beyond the political doldrums its been mired in for decades.
It's crazy that there was no public recruitment. It tells you immediately that this is a kickback for a politically connected former elected official and not a real job.
What is especially tragic and ironic about the culture of corruption in Oakland is that it continually deceives the most vulnerable residents and its politicians pander to the naive idealism with endless tax increases but almost never delivers results. Kaplan is the most clever and cynical-she forms alliances with other grifters and survives scandals that would be fatal to lesser mortals.
A number of us wrote the Mayor about Kaplan being handed this job without posting and giving others the opportunity to apply.
We never got a response
Oakland is good at doing the same things over and over, hoping for different results..
Barbara Lee promised to make the tough decisions.
Absolutely laughable. At our expense... sigh...
They never respond. After repeated, cordial requests to Mayor Lee's office asking that the mounds of garbage around the city be picked up, and receiving no response, I finally got pissed off. Her liaison finally responded saying she won't respond to vile, disrespectful emails. They're a joke. Unfortunately, it's at our expense.
Sure would like to see her taxpayer reimbursed expenses.
that was an incredibly well-researched piece. Not sure whether Kaplan should be fired or what can be done, why she is not implementing known solutions, and frustrated that she and others appear to be corrupt but never get in trouble. Kinda like the Alameda County Grand Jury findings that somehow never seem to reform government.
Google AI had a great deal to say about how other cities handled illegal dumping and morethat may have been included such as Registration Holds: The city is pursuing state-level legislation to prevent drivers with unpaid dumping fines from renewing their vehicle registration.
Plate-less Vehicles: A major barrier is the use of vehicles without license plates; stricter enforcement on un-plated vehicles in dumping hotspots (But without enough police not possible).
Optimize Surveillance Technology: Oakland's existing cameras resulted in only 10 citations over a five-month period in 2025 because they were often placed in areas that were too dark or lacked activity. Experts recommend moving these to "hotspots" and using newer AI-empowered drone pilots to map sites.
I wish there were a way to put barriers up and if need be codes only local residents knew to get through gates from 10 pm to 6 am
Providing "soft landings" for retired elected officials is a long-standing phenomenon in Sacramento. Just take a look at who sits on the dozens of state boards and commissions. Many of those positions, appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the legislature, are well paid and only require showing up at a few meetings - hardly a 9-5 grind! At least in this case, we have someone who presumably knows how to navigate the City's bureaucracy and get departments to work together on this important issue. Yes, they should have created a real staff position with a duty statement and gone through the hiring process. But had she applied, they probably would have hired her anyway. If she can get the City to actually catch and prosecute dumpers, she'll be earning that [modest] salary.
This corruption must stop. All the money that has poured into the pockets of Kaplan and the rest of the do nothing city officials, could have gone to develop Oakland. Mindy Pechenuk, candidate for Oakland Mayor 2026