The city of Oakland aims for Measure E tax funds to pay for services already funded by Measure NN, the tax voters approved in 2024. It also diverts Measure NN funds to fire equipment.
Is there any legal recourse that powerless Oakland residents have to obstruct this fraud? This budget clearly documents the intent to violate the conditions of Measure NN. I'm not a lawyer, just a simple retiree. It is beyond frustrating to see this looting happening in plain sight.
There is no viable path for OPD to gain a force of 700 officers in the next few years due to low academy graduation rates and attrition. The Mayor’s budget adjustments cut several current vacant positions, because the current budget authorizes more sworn staff positions than bodies. Measure E’s plan for next year just authorizes one academy and its graduates. So at the end of the day, even with Measure E we will not meet the 700 staffing requirement to use Measure NN funding - that’s unless the City continues to use the “financial necessity “ escape hatch. OPD’s staffing issues will not be solved until there is persistent efforts at recruitment and retention for the next 5-6 years, IMHO.
Where is the money going? It seems like the City gets plenty of money, but where is it being spent? I’d like to see a published audit of money coming in and money going out because the math isn’t mathing.
Thank you, Sean, for another great article. Nothing bothers me more than the Measures passed year after year for services we never fully receive. Your comprehensive articles have shed light on the incompetence of our City 'leaders'. Until the citizens of Oakland wake up and educate themselves on what is going on, we will continue paying higher taxes for very little service.
Thanks Sean for this excellent article. Vote No on Measure E. We need a criminal investigation into Barbara "Tax" Lee's administration and all city finances. We do not need another tax. Mindy Pechenuk, candidate for Oakland Mayor 2026
One thing missing from this discussion is whether Oakland has fully evaluated auctioning, reselling, salvaging, or rotating older fire apparatus before asking residents to approve yet another tax measure.
If aging engines, ladder trucks, ambulances, and older equipment still retain resale or reserve value, that money should first be applied toward prioritized replacement purchases. A rolling replacement-and-recovery cycle is how many cities reduce long-term capital pressure instead of allowing equipment to age far beyond normal service life and then presenting taxpayers with a large emergency funding request all at once.
The concern is not whether public safety equipment should be replaced; clearly it should. The concern is whether Oakland has demonstrated a sustainable lifecycle strategy before layering additional parcel taxes onto residents who are already heavily taxed.
Repeatedly solving structural planning problems through new taxes is not sustainable. At some point the city has to demonstrate:
• asset lifecycle planning,
• reserve replacement forecasting,
• resale recovery,
• maintenance transparency,
• and prioritization discipline.
Otherwise the public is continually being asked to “save services” that previous measures already promised would stabilize.
🌱⚖️ Progressive Government Means Sustainable Government
If progressive government means transparency, accountability, long-term planning, equitable economic impact, and responsible stewardship of public resources, then sustainability is not optional; it is foundational.
Continually returning to taxpayers before fully exhausting recovery, resale, lifecycle planning, and operational efficiency measures risks undermining the very principles progressive governance claims to represent.
1. Emotional voting identifies what you believe in.
2. Logical voting reviews facts, costs, and long-term consequences before making decisions.
3. The best voting combines both. Emotion identifies your values; logic helps challenge your own bias.
The concern with Measures NN and E is that rising taxes and fees ultimately impact all Oakland residents, with lower-income residents usually affected the hardest.
The Mayor’s use of “extreme fiscal necessity” also creates the perception that the public may have limited practical choice regardless of the outcome.
Is there any legal recourse that powerless Oakland residents have to obstruct this fraud? This budget clearly documents the intent to violate the conditions of Measure NN. I'm not a lawyer, just a simple retiree. It is beyond frustrating to see this looting happening in plain sight.
Yes, we are forming and Oakland Taxpayers Alliance and filing a lawsuit against the city over NN violations. Enough is enough
Thank you Seneca - I'm looking forward to learning more about the Oakland Taxpayers Alliance!
There is no viable path for OPD to gain a force of 700 officers in the next few years due to low academy graduation rates and attrition. The Mayor’s budget adjustments cut several current vacant positions, because the current budget authorizes more sworn staff positions than bodies. Measure E’s plan for next year just authorizes one academy and its graduates. So at the end of the day, even with Measure E we will not meet the 700 staffing requirement to use Measure NN funding - that’s unless the City continues to use the “financial necessity “ escape hatch. OPD’s staffing issues will not be solved until there is persistent efforts at recruitment and retention for the next 5-6 years, IMHO.
Where is the money going? It seems like the City gets plenty of money, but where is it being spent? I’d like to see a published audit of money coming in and money going out because the math isn’t mathing.
Thank you, Sean, for another great article. Nothing bothers me more than the Measures passed year after year for services we never fully receive. Your comprehensive articles have shed light on the incompetence of our City 'leaders'. Until the citizens of Oakland wake up and educate themselves on what is going on, we will continue paying higher taxes for very little service.
Thanks Sean for this excellent article. Vote No on Measure E. We need a criminal investigation into Barbara "Tax" Lee's administration and all city finances. We do not need another tax. Mindy Pechenuk, candidate for Oakland Mayor 2026
Where has the money gone? Is there any ongoing investigation into what looks like embezzlement of public funds?
⚠️📋 NEVER ASK THE VOTER UNTIL DUE DILIGENCE IS DONE
♻️➡️🏛️ Sell First → Replenish Second → Ask Voters Third
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One thing missing from this discussion is whether Oakland has fully evaluated auctioning, reselling, salvaging, or rotating older fire apparatus before asking residents to approve yet another tax measure.
If aging engines, ladder trucks, ambulances, and older equipment still retain resale or reserve value, that money should first be applied toward prioritized replacement purchases. A rolling replacement-and-recovery cycle is how many cities reduce long-term capital pressure instead of allowing equipment to age far beyond normal service life and then presenting taxpayers with a large emergency funding request all at once.
The concern is not whether public safety equipment should be replaced; clearly it should. The concern is whether Oakland has demonstrated a sustainable lifecycle strategy before layering additional parcel taxes onto residents who are already heavily taxed.
Repeatedly solving structural planning problems through new taxes is not sustainable. At some point the city has to demonstrate:
• asset lifecycle planning,
• reserve replacement forecasting,
• resale recovery,
• maintenance transparency,
• and prioritization discipline.
Otherwise the public is continually being asked to “save services” that previous measures already promised would stabilize.
🌱⚖️ Progressive Government Means Sustainable Government
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
If progressive government means transparency, accountability, long-term planning, equitable economic impact, and responsible stewardship of public resources, then sustainability is not optional; it is foundational.
Continually returning to taxpayers before fully exhausting recovery, resale, lifecycle planning, and operational efficiency measures risks undermining the very principles progressive governance claims to represent.
Hope this helps.
~d
Emotional vs. logical voting:
1. Emotional voting identifies what you believe in.
2. Logical voting reviews facts, costs, and long-term consequences before making decisions.
3. The best voting combines both. Emotion identifies your values; logic helps challenge your own bias.
The concern with Measures NN and E is that rising taxes and fees ultimately impact all Oakland residents, with lower-income residents usually affected the hardest.
The Mayor’s use of “extreme fiscal necessity” also creates the perception that the public may have limited practical choice regardless of the outcome.
Before voting:
• Research who supports the measures
• Review long-term financial impacts
• Examine where the money goes
• Question who benefits most
• Read both support and opposition arguments
~d