Oakland Agenda Watch, October 20, 2025 — Just can’t quit coal in Oakland; pay no attention to what’s behind the curtain; Oakland Coliseum debacle keeps giving; criminally defending city officials
These are important stories that are not getting any kind of coverage anywhere except here. Every Oakland voter, resident, taxpayer should be getting these reports in their mailbox.
Sean, I appreciate your writing style so much - as “The Pitt” is to hospitals, your articles are to Oakland politics. As an Oakland resident I had given up on understanding why the city is such a broke mess. You’ve made it clear and even exciting. Very glad you’re doing this!
Hi @Tom G. -- Thank you for your comment. You offer an excellent example in the Desley Brooks fracas. We would like to include your comment in our Letters to the Editor column.
Thank you for your comment. The Desley Brooks case was a civil lawsuit brought by the injured party, the type of monetary lawsuit the city deals with all the time.
The difference is that now city council is set to approve defending city officials in criminal cases brought by prosecutors. The city has not done that before.
These are important stories that are not getting any kind of coverage anywhere except here. Every Oakland voter, resident, taxpayer should be getting these reports in their mailbox.
Sean, I appreciate your writing style so much - as “The Pitt” is to hospitals, your articles are to Oakland politics. As an Oakland resident I had given up on understanding why the city is such a broke mess. You’ve made it clear and even exciting. Very glad you’re doing this!
Hi Anna, thank you for the compliment, it means a lot. We would like to include your comment in our Letters to the Editor column. Please let us know if that's not OK with you. https://www.oaklandreport.org/p/letters-to-the-editor-october-18
Thanks again.
Yes of course!
RR: "Oakland City Council to vote on using taxpayer funds to defend city officials from criminal charges" yes, what could go wrong...
Brings to mind this classic in which a city council person Desley Brooks attacked an 72 year old activist at the BBQ restaurant, resulting in $millions of costs to the taxpayer This SFGATE story said the City paid the award, so not sure how the proposal changes past practices? https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Ex-Black-Panther-awarded-3-5-million-Desley-Brooks-12451385.php
Hi @Tom G. -- Thank you for your comment. You offer an excellent example in the Desley Brooks fracas. We would like to include your comment in our Letters to the Editor column.
https://www.oaklandreport.org/p/letters-to-the-editor-october-18
Would you be willing to provide your first and last name for the Letters column? If so, you can send it to us via Substack direct message. Thank you!
Thank you for your comment. The Desley Brooks case was a civil lawsuit brought by the injured party, the type of monetary lawsuit the city deals with all the time.
The difference is that now city council is set to approve defending city officials in criminal cases brought by prosecutors. The city has not done that before.
Imagine us paying to defend Desley Brooks.