Most Oakland city workers don’t live in Oakland and don’t pay local taxes. Yet their unions have spent nearly half a million dollars to campaign for Measure E, another local parcel tax increase.
What do I get for paying more taxes? Certainly NOT law and order. NOT clean streets and parks. The sad thing is, the same people who constantly complain about the cost of housing, will vote for more property taxes every time, because they don't understand that THEY will ultimately pay it, and the Unions stuff their pockets.
There is another factor to consider - how much work gets outsourced. I run a little department that if you ask the general public exists to fix potholes. There is very little that we deliver that cannot be done with in house resources. Boosting the percentage of Oakland residents employed with the city begins with things like internships and apprentice programs and a commitment to do the work with city staff. The engineering and construction industry has invested very little in talent development over my 30 year career. We are a transient bunch and go where the work is. We are also a shrinking talent pool and in high demand. The solution is to bring more people into the game, train them, and provide an excellent work environment. That likely means catching them in high school. Here is a real world situation. Oakland needs a city surveyor. We have searched far and wide. The candidate feedback is twofold - the pay is not enough; folks don’t want to move to Oakland. Personally, I moved my family 2,300 miles to Oakland to serve this beautiful city. In return, I was the target of a false and fraudulent ethics complaint from a council member because I’m not FROM Oakland and was being “shown how we do things in Oakland.” The city’s response was non-existent - nada, zero. It might come as a surprise, but people in the industries mentioned in the article watch things like this and talk to each other. Oakland does not have a good reputation as an employer. I would venture to say many folks see it as too much risk to work and live in Oakland.
Josh— thank you for your comments. I agree with your assessment that workforce development is sorely lacking in local government, especially in technical fields like engineering. Sadly, I also agree with your assessment of Oakland’s reputation as an employer, which I heard about repeatedly during my 15 years as a municipal department head in other cities, and my 15 years as an Oakland resident who has been watching the city closely during that time.
The bright side of the conversation is we would be forced to address the workplace environment and culture if we shifted to delivering work in house. We would be driven to become a teaching/learning organization. As one who has more runway behind me than ahead of me in my career, this is something I know how to do (and have done it) and would enjoy doing again. I may not be FROM here, but I wager that I could help thousands of young Oaklanders find meaningful careers in the engineering and construction industry. Those 2k children making a mess of things on Friday nights are our future plumbers, electricians, engineers, planners, builders, etc. All of the Oakland dot’s will connect if we commit to in house services and changing the internal culture to one that teaches and values learning and growth.
I wish you and your sentiment concerning the training of locals was around in the early nineties. Although I lived and was trained in Oakland at Merritt College and worked for a while at Highland hospital, many people I grew up with would have been excellent candidates for what you described as in house internships as most of the apprenticeship for skilled labor were drying up. The city could really use a local workforce which had skin in the game back then. I hope someone tries to do what you’re describing. There is more talent in Oakland than anywhere else I’ve lived.
I agree. This is a talent rich community. We are an industrial community. This is something I’m committed to making happen. It’s always easier said than done, but the construction industry is a great place to be. There is very little the city cannot deliver with in-house resources.
Thanks for another informative read. I don't think you mentioned two points that I feel are important. First, the high cost of living in Oakland is one of the reasons given by these same unions to justify raises that outpace inflation, cost of living, and common sense. Second, I believe many of these same unions fought to keep working remotely (had to come back 4 days week starting in 2025) which has lowered the quality of services in the city and hurt downtown.
This city is rotten, no you cannot have any more of my money while all you do is piss it away. How Oaklanders accept and vote for this is mind boggling
I received in the mail the first of many, I’m sure, vote for Measure E brochure and as expected it stated falsely “save Oakland’s Fire Stations” . Unfortunately, uninformed folks will take the bait and vote for it. Our only hope is that more people are reading these articles and will vote NO. Thank you Sean for your coverage on this issue.
Reading is fundamental. That’s how you know who just came to talk slick and didn’t even read it.
Millie used to work for me at 1021. I was her boss and she was BY FAR my worst employee. Just terrible, ask any City of Richmond Employee who worked there when she was the union rep.
I tried to fire her for basically never showing to work, but the then- president saved her. (I had cause and would have won any arbitrations EASY)
Unfortunately Oakland is a failed city, and it has been so since Jerry Brown left. He was not perfect, but he was more honest about what the state of the city was, and what was possible to improve it. We need more politicians who don't promise or pretend that they can fix everything in 4 years-that they may only be able to change direction and make small steps forward.
Am I right in saying that people who own more than one property will be hit harder by the proposition? How about those that own multiple properties, is there a way to mitigate that tax for them?
What do I get for paying more taxes? Certainly NOT law and order. NOT clean streets and parks. The sad thing is, the same people who constantly complain about the cost of housing, will vote for more property taxes every time, because they don't understand that THEY will ultimately pay it, and the Unions stuff their pockets.
There is another factor to consider - how much work gets outsourced. I run a little department that if you ask the general public exists to fix potholes. There is very little that we deliver that cannot be done with in house resources. Boosting the percentage of Oakland residents employed with the city begins with things like internships and apprentice programs and a commitment to do the work with city staff. The engineering and construction industry has invested very little in talent development over my 30 year career. We are a transient bunch and go where the work is. We are also a shrinking talent pool and in high demand. The solution is to bring more people into the game, train them, and provide an excellent work environment. That likely means catching them in high school. Here is a real world situation. Oakland needs a city surveyor. We have searched far and wide. The candidate feedback is twofold - the pay is not enough; folks don’t want to move to Oakland. Personally, I moved my family 2,300 miles to Oakland to serve this beautiful city. In return, I was the target of a false and fraudulent ethics complaint from a council member because I’m not FROM Oakland and was being “shown how we do things in Oakland.” The city’s response was non-existent - nada, zero. It might come as a surprise, but people in the industries mentioned in the article watch things like this and talk to each other. Oakland does not have a good reputation as an employer. I would venture to say many folks see it as too much risk to work and live in Oakland.
Josh— thank you for your comments. I agree with your assessment that workforce development is sorely lacking in local government, especially in technical fields like engineering. Sadly, I also agree with your assessment of Oakland’s reputation as an employer, which I heard about repeatedly during my 15 years as a municipal department head in other cities, and my 15 years as an Oakland resident who has been watching the city closely during that time.
The bright side of the conversation is we would be forced to address the workplace environment and culture if we shifted to delivering work in house. We would be driven to become a teaching/learning organization. As one who has more runway behind me than ahead of me in my career, this is something I know how to do (and have done it) and would enjoy doing again. I may not be FROM here, but I wager that I could help thousands of young Oaklanders find meaningful careers in the engineering and construction industry. Those 2k children making a mess of things on Friday nights are our future plumbers, electricians, engineers, planners, builders, etc. All of the Oakland dot’s will connect if we commit to in house services and changing the internal culture to one that teaches and values learning and growth.
I wish you and your sentiment concerning the training of locals was around in the early nineties. Although I lived and was trained in Oakland at Merritt College and worked for a while at Highland hospital, many people I grew up with would have been excellent candidates for what you described as in house internships as most of the apprenticeship for skilled labor were drying up. The city could really use a local workforce which had skin in the game back then. I hope someone tries to do what you’re describing. There is more talent in Oakland than anywhere else I’ve lived.
I agree. This is a talent rich community. We are an industrial community. This is something I’m committed to making happen. It’s always easier said than done, but the construction industry is a great place to be. There is very little the city cannot deliver with in-house resources.
Thanks for another informative read. I don't think you mentioned two points that I feel are important. First, the high cost of living in Oakland is one of the reasons given by these same unions to justify raises that outpace inflation, cost of living, and common sense. Second, I believe many of these same unions fought to keep working remotely (had to come back 4 days week starting in 2025) which has lowered the quality of services in the city and hurt downtown.
More outstanding perspective you will not get from the MAGA-Left press
This city is rotten, no you cannot have any more of my money while all you do is piss it away. How Oaklanders accept and vote for this is mind boggling
I received in the mail the first of many, I’m sure, vote for Measure E brochure and as expected it stated falsely “save Oakland’s Fire Stations” . Unfortunately, uninformed folks will take the bait and vote for it. Our only hope is that more people are reading these articles and will vote NO. Thank you Sean for your coverage on this issue.
What percentage of OPD live in Oakland?
Millie, thank you for your comment. That information is covered in the article. 📖
Reading is fundamental. That’s how you know who just came to talk slick and didn’t even read it.
Millie used to work for me at 1021. I was her boss and she was BY FAR my worst employee. Just terrible, ask any City of Richmond Employee who worked there when she was the union rep.
I tried to fire her for basically never showing to work, but the then- president saved her. (I had cause and would have won any arbitrations EASY)
Unfortunately Oakland is a failed city, and it has been so since Jerry Brown left. He was not perfect, but he was more honest about what the state of the city was, and what was possible to improve it. We need more politicians who don't promise or pretend that they can fix everything in 4 years-that they may only be able to change direction and make small steps forward.
Am I right in saying that people who own more than one property will be hit harder by the proposition? How about those that own multiple properties, is there a way to mitigate that tax for them?