Gertrude Stein traveled home to Oakland in 1935 after a 40-year absence and famously said, “there is no there, there.” Her words spoke to her sense of loss that the orchards and fields of her childhood home were no longer there. Oakland is now undergoing changes no less dramatic.
Have you had a chance to visit our restaurants, walk in our parks, see a concert in town? There’s an undeniable energy in Oakland, born of our diversity and creativity and activist roots. That energy has attracted women since Gertrude Stein’s time and they, in turn, have shaped the culture and community.
And despite the challenges we face, we have a grand opportunity to preserve that spirit, reclaim the beauty, and create the opportunity that is the city’s birthright and promise.
It is Oakland’s deep commitment to gender, racial, economic, and social justice that both attracted out women and offers the LGBTQ community the chance to lead the way. We are in the age of marriage equality, but we cannot ignore the stifling issues facing our community—poverty, joblessness, violence, and despair. We must continue to demand more fairness for women, children, and the poor, and challenge ongoing injustices like incarceration and displacement. And with the highest per-capita ratio of lesbian households in the nation, we stand at a unique and powerful juncture.
We can choose to deepen ties with the communities we collectively represent and together make Oakland great.
From Jane Addams to Audre Lorde to Tammy Baldwin, our country’s history has a long line of artists, organizers, and activists that evoke social and economic justice not only for the LGBTQ community, but also for everyone. I stand on the shoulders of giants in my run to be Oakland’s first out lesbian mayor.
Here’s the bold vision—and it requires strong, stable leadership to get it done. Create 30,000 jobs and ensure job access for local residents. Enforce local hiring and local contracting requirements in city business and local recruitment of new police hires. Bring grocery and other retail stores into town and expand job training for local residents.
I will apply my extensive experience as a tenant’s rights attorney to build policies and practices that protect people from being pushed out of the city because of skyrocketing costs. I am dedicated to protecting residents from wrongful evictions and foreclosures, and expanding housing for all income levels.
Oakland can be a city that is safe for everyone. We must build the relationship and ties between the police and the community. I know that strengthening trust between the police force and the community reduces crime and reducing crime strengthens trust in each other and the city. I’ll restore neighborhood beats so that police are on foot and on bikes, interacting with and protecting the community they serve.
We also need a fresh start. As President Pro Tem of the City Council, I secured funding for the Free Broadway Shuttle and the Uptown Bike Station. Public transportation and support of bike use matters in a bustling, thriving city. I have a plan to crackdown on illegal dumping that is plaguing many parts of our city. We’ll fill potholes and deliver city services with efficiency and respect.
I’ve had the privilege of serving in leadership in Oakland as the citywide city councilmember, and am ready to take Oakland to the next level. We’re almost there, Oakland. The election on November 4th is a tremendous chance to do things right in the city that is the heart of the Bay Area.
Rebecca Kaplan graduated Phi Beta Kappa from MIT, earned a master’s degree in Urban & Environmental Policy from Tufts and a law degree from Stanford. She was a housing rights attorney before being elected to the AC Transit board. She’s an avid bicyclist, and a bible teacher with an upbringing in Orthodox Hebrew school. Area’s most pressing challenges.
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