Summer recap

Commentary by Clinton Killian

Well, I am back, and I express my deep condolences over the death of Post editor and former Globe reporter Chauncey Bailey. This senseless, tragic act is a deep loss to the Oakland community. It points out again that violence in our community must be stopped and not glorified. The only bright side of this matter is that a scholarship fund is being set up in Chauncey’s name to educate more minority journalists.
    California finally passed its state budget. The Senate Republicans held up the budget for about two months, demanding deeper social program cuts. Finally, Governor Schwarzenegger agreed with them and cut $700 million from the budget, mostly from mental health, MediCal and discount prescription programs. These cuts will be felt by the most vulnerable in our society. Let’s hope that the Legislature finds the funds to restore these badly needed services.
    The Wayans brothers announced that they were withdrawing their proposal for development at the former Oakland Army base. No big surprise in that. They claimed that the Port operations would inhibit their views for the project. No, the real reason was no viable plans and not being willing to place even a minimal amount of money into the project.
    The city should develop a comprehensive development plan for the old Army base that targets the highest and best use for the area. It has to be a commercial/ industrial development that produces jobs and tax revenue for Oakland. There are many Bay Area businesses that could relocate to the base and produce an economic jump-start for Oakland. But, it will take hard work by city and elected officials to make it occur.
    Speaking of the city, I saw that Mayor Dellums has added new personnel to the city staff to replace those that resigned or reretired. I do not know the mayor’s new chief of staff and others, but I wish them the best of luck in their new positions.
    There are some disturbing trends regarding his staff appointments. The selection of Dan Lindheim as director of economic development sends a bad signal to the business community. The economic development director should be a person committed to building Oakland. It has to be a person who can work with business and promote Oakland, which is different from other Bay Area cities.
    Unlike in Berkeley, which has restricted business development and actually discourages a large concentration of jobs in its downtown area, Oakland desperately needs large, job-generating employers downtown. We also need retail and business development in our neighborhoods so citizens have an enhanced quality of life and basic services delivered. We also need a wide range of housing options for our citizens.
    Oakland does not have the luxury of Berkeley’s plan because we do not have a trustfund UC Berkeley campus and the system-wide president’s office located in our borders. That generates millions of dollars in tax and business services for the city of Berkeley, so it can afford not to develop its downtown or look for other employers
    The economic development director should not be an ideologue but an aggressive implementer of development policies. The City Council and mayor must set a clear course of action, and the development director has to work as an ally with business to come to Oakland.
    Another concern is that there are currently no African American males in the high positions of authority in the mayor’s office. That sends the wrong message to our community and removes a badly needed symbol from the city. I am all for diversity, but let’s be sure that black men are included into the diverse mix.
    The mayor should take better advantage of the experienced people that have been involved in the Oakland political process and neighborhoods for a number of years, who are familiar with many of the problems facing Oakland, can assist in its solutions and bring numerous other positive benefits to the process.
    Finally, I read Councilwoman Nancy Nadel’s response regarding the Pacific Pipe development and still don’t really understand her opposition. This is a privately funded development that seeks to bring new residents and business to a brownfield. It simply makes more sense to develop housing and retail on this lot that is now surrounded by residents. There does not appear to be an industry willing to come into the area, and the land cannot be “saved for it.”
    Also, I am surprised that a staunch environmentalist such as Ms. Nadel would be against dense housing in an urban corridor. This is exactly the type of environmental policy that the city should be implementing, not opposing. The alternative is suburban sprawl, building housing further away from the urban core, requiring more cars, more gasoline and more wasted natural resources.
    The environmentally sound policy is to build dense housing in the urban area. This will have a tremendous benefit on West Oakland by placing more residents in an established neighborhood, reducing the use of natural resources, removing cars and encouraging mass transportation usage. It will also bring badly needed retail and neighborhood services in West Oakland.
    Yes, Ms. Nadel, I am very familiar with Best Buy, PetCo and Mandela Co-op. But those developments do not supply the dayto- day needs of West Oakland residents who need more services to improve their quality of life. A fresh vegetable co-op that serves less than 1 percent of the West Oakland community may be the solution to basic service needs in Bolinas, but West Oakland needs jobs, retail and commercial development and basic quality of life services.
    Finally, my sincere thanks to Pastor Albert Rawlins of Apostolic Bible Way church, Bishop Robert Jackson of Acts Full Gospel COGIC, Rev. Benjamin Sudderth of Glad Tidings Community Church and my buddy Rev. Ray W. Williams of Morning Star Baptist Church for a wonderful and touching wedding ceremony.

Clinton Killian is an Oakland resident and attorney and a former Oakland planning commissioner. He can be reached at: (510) 625-8823 or by email: clintonkillian@yahoo.com