Action/Advocacy

League of Women Voters^®
of Oakland

The League of Women Voters has two separate and distinct roles.

Voters Service/Citizen Education: we present unbiased nonpartisan information about elections, the voting process, and issues.

Action/Advocacy: we are also nonpartisan, but, after study, we use our positions to advocate for or against particular policies in the public interest. We never advocate for candidates.

This page is the Action/Advocacy role

Redistricting

It appears that the referendum on lines for the State Senate is to qualify, which would put those districts on hold and the path forward for the Senate a bit murky.
There is significant money in the referendum for the state senate -- just recently put into the pot, so we may see renewed energy on that one. Signatures for the referendum are being collected.
What this means is that we need to have a renewed effort on the Decline to Sign campaign. Tell everyone you know -- use Facebook, emails -- whatever you use to communicate -- that the process worked, and this is a partisan attempt to go back to the old gerrymandered system.
The State League has prepared talking points with the League position and prepared statements concerning the results of the Statewide redistricting process which was recently completed and accepted by the Secretary of State. Please click on this link and read them, so you can be prepared to answer any questions you may receive from the public or our members. Talking points
Californians have engaged--dramatically--in this open, transparent process
Everyone can see the new districts on the commission's Web site.

These are letters we sent in 2011

Letter read to City Council supporting their resolution of opposition to the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision allowing corporations to make unlimited political contributions
Letter read to City Council opposing cut to PEC Staff
Proposed Cut in Public Ethics Commission Staff
Redistricting Commission

Ranked Choice Voting

Lobbyist Registration,

Letter sent to the Oakland City Council supporting their opposition to the supreme courts Citizens United decision. (12/20/2011)

Oakland City Council - December 20, 2011
Agenda Item 7.8 Opposition to Citizens United
Recommendation that the Oakland City Council adopt a resolution (1) declaring the City of Oakland's opposition to the United States Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which rolled back restrictions on corporate spending in the electoral process by ruling that corporate campaign spending is constitutionally protected speech, and (2) supporting a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.

STATEMENT OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF OAKLAND
The League of Women Voters of Oakland supports a resolution to declare the City of Oakland's opposition to the United States Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which stated that the government may not ban political spending by corporations in candidate elections. This decision treats corporate speech the same as that of human beings. It encourages unlimited spending on political campaigns by special interests.
In a brief to the Supreme Court in the Citizens United case, the League of Women Voters of the United States and the Constitutional Accountability Center submitted this joint statement about corporations and personhood:

While our Constitution reflects an increasingly expansive view of individual participation in the political process, it does not reflect a similar solicitude for corporate participation. To the contrary, our constitutional history reflects a growing concern over the influence of corporations, and the distinction between the legal protections afforded to living persons and corporations has been part of our constitutional law from the Founding. Corporations are never specifically mentioned in the Constitution, and from the earliest days, this Court has held that the government need not treat corporations the same way it treats individual citizens.

The League of Women Voters of Oakland supports an energetic legislative strategy to fight the corrosive impact of the Citizens United decision on our democracy. Congress must act now to get big money out of politics. One option is a constitutional amendment, and we are proud to see our City Council speak out and take a role in this movement. At the same time, we recognize that amending the U.S. Constitution is a long and difficult process. There are steps we can take now in California to mitigate the damage done by the Citizens United decision.
The passage of AB 1148, the California DISCLOSE Act, which is currently pending in the State legislature, would significantly strengthen our state's campaign finance disclosure laws. The DISCLOSE Act requires the largest funders of a political ad to be clearly and unambiguously identified on the ad itself, so voters know who is actually paying for the ad. We ask that the Council also consider action to support AB1148.
Yours truly,
Katherine Gavzy
President
League of Women Voters of Oakland

Letter read to the City Council opposing reductions to public ethics staff and KTOP programming.(6/28/2011)

The League understands very well the overwhelming financial difficulties facing the city. We also understand that in a time of budget crisis, transparency, sunshine, and the public's ability to scrutinize the actions of city government become more essential than ever.
We strongly object to the proposed reduction of the Public Ethics Executive Director position and the proposed elimination of the Public Ethics executive assistant. Since its creation in 1997, the Public Ethics Commission has been severely understaffed, operating with only two employees, a fraction of the support staff afforded to similar commissions in neighboring cities.
Any further reduction of Public Ethics staff would render it impossible for the Commission to fulfill its charter mandated duties, which include administration and enforcement of the Sunshine Ordinance, the Campaign Reform Act, the Lobbyist Registration Act, and campaign public financing, among others.
Additionally, the League strongly objects to the proposed reduction of the number of public meetings broadcast by KTOP. These recordings play a critical role in ensuring transparent government, as they are often the only opportunity for citizens to witness the public decision-making process. Meeting minutes are not an adequate substitute, as they record votes only, and provide no information about the substance of discussions.
Again, we appreciate the difficulty of the choices before you. But reducing transparency and obliterating enforcement of open government laws is unacceptable. Limitations on the city budget do not eliminate the public's right to know.

To the Oakland City Council (6/13/2011)

June 13, 2011
City Council
City of Oakland
One Frank H. Ogawa Plaza
Oakland, CA 94612
Re: Proposed Cut in Public Ethics Commission Staff
The League of Women Voters asks that you do not reduce to half-time the Executive Assistant to the Public Ethics Commission.
Oakland's Public Ethics Commission has fifteen mandated duties under Oakland City Charter Section 2.24.0202. These include administering the Oakland Sunshine Ordinance, the Oakland Campaign Reform Act (OCRA), the Oakland Lobbyist Registration Act, and the Oakland Limited Public Financing Act, and reviewing and adjusting City Council salaries each year. The development of training programs, seminars, and manuals for office holders, candidates for office and their staffs, city employees and others is years overdue and just now underway. PEC also is responsible for overseeing the codification of a citywide records management policy first passed in 1991.
Since its creation in 1997 the PEC has operated with a staff of two full-time positions. This is in contrast with other cities where similar commissions have similar responsibilities. The commissions in San Francisco and Los Angeles each have seventeen full-time employees; San Jose has five. While other city departments have increased their staffs in the past fifteen years, the Oakland PEC has continued to operate with just two positions. This understaffing has impaired the ability of the PEC to fulfill its mandated duties.
The proposed Oakland city budget issued on April 29, 2011 includes a fifty percent reduction in the funding for the executive assistant position to the Commission. This reduction will make it impossible for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities. It is important to remember that Oakland City Charter Section 2.24.080 provides that [t]he City manager or designee thereof shall provide the Commission with staff assistance as necessary to permit the Commission to fulfill the functions and duties as set forth above.
Providing two full-time positions has barely fulfilled this mandate. Cutting the assistant position by half will violate this provision of the Charter.
The League understands very well the overwhelming financial difficulties facing the city. We have been reluctant to suggest reversing any proposed cut without proposing an alternative. However, a staffing reduction that makes it impossible for the city to enforce those laws that provide for open government in Oakland is simply not acceptable.
Yours truly,
Katherine Gavzy
President
League of Women Voters of Oakland
cc: Mayor Jean Quan

To the California Citizens Redistricting Commission (5/11/2011)

The League of Women Voters of Oakland has observed and participated in the political process in Oakland for 87 years. As members of the League of Women Voters of California, we have been concerned about the redistricting process for many years.
The Oakland League recommends that the entire city of Oakland be contained in each of the districts the Commission will create. This is currently the case for State Senate District 9 and Congressional District 9 as well as Board of Equalization District 1. But three Assembly districts include Oakland, even though the city's population of 390,724 is well below the Commission's target population of 465,674. Taken together, Oakland and Alameda total a population of 466, 133, just 459 over the target.
While we would like the city to remain whole in all districts, we recognize that the Commission has several criteria on which to base its decisions and that those criteria may result in Oakland's being split into more than one Assembly district. We ask that if you draw lines in and through Oakland, you look at boundaries as defined by neighborhood organizations rather than at the current city council and school board district boundaries. Those lines were drawn to suit the political preferences of incumbent officeholders who neither listened to the public nor respected neighborhood boundaries.

Ranked Choice Voting (4/04/2011)

April 4, 2011
City Council
City of Oakland
Subject: Ranked Choice Voting - April 5 agenda, item 12
Dear Councilmembers,
We of the League of Women Voters of Oakland have a long-standing position in favor of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) and were strong advocates of the system when it was on the ballot in 2006. We have been gratified to see the positive effects as Oakland implemented RCV in 2010, and so we remain strong supporters of the system.
We believe that RCV brought the following benefits to Oakland:

More voters participated in the November 2010 mayoral election than in the last mayoral election: 119,000 vs. 84,000 in 2006, an increase of over 40%. Voter turnout is always higher in November general elections than in June primaries. RCV requires one election, the one where the highest number of voters participate. The chart Voter Participation with RCV and Top-Two Runoff, Oakland Mayor: 2010 and 2006 on page 2 of the report submitted by Nancy Nadel shows that voter participation was higher with RCV in every council district.

The city saved money. By eliminating the primary for city and school board offices in 2010, Oakland saved $800,000.

Each voter had the chance to vote his or her conscience by casting a first-place vote for a favored candidate, and then voting for acceptable alternatives as second and third choices.

Candidates had an incentive to broaden their campaigns to appeal both to their bases and to wider sections of the community. Candidates who formed coalitions, walked precincts, attended forums and endorsement meetings, and worked to reach all voters were more successful than candidates who made more limited efforts to reach voters.

Oakland voters understood and used the RCV system. In the 2010 mayoral race, 99.7 percent of voters cast valid ballots, a clear indication of voter understanding. About 72 percent of Oakland voters ranked three candidates; another 13 percent ranked two candidates.

The League was gratified to see the changes that RCV brought to our local elections and we feel confident that this system will continue to expand democracy in Oakland.
Sincerely,
Katherine Gavzy and Suzanne Loosen
Co-Presidents, League of Women Voters of Oakland

Lobbyist Registration (3-15-2011)

March 15, 2011

City Council
City of Oakland
One Frank H. Ogawa Plaza
Oakland, CA 94612

Subject: Lobbyist Registration

Dear Councilmembers,

The League of Women Voters of Oakland believes that lobbying plays an important role in the democratic process. Individuals and organizations attempting to influence policy or city actions can better advance their goals through the assistance of an employee who understands the intricacies of City Hall. City decision makers benefit from the subject expertise and varied perspectives that lobbyists can provide.
The League also believes that to protect the integrity and health of our democracy, the City of Oakland must ensure that citizens can know who is attempting to influence its legislation and administrative actions and how. This transparency can be ensured through the registration and reporting of lobbying as a professional activity.
The League understands that crafting regulations on lobbying as an activity is a difficult task, particularly when creating thresholds for who should be required to register as a lobbying. A threshold that is too broad can create a barrier to participation, while a threshold that is too narrow does not provide the public a clear picture of who is attempting to influence their government. Additionally, it is essential that the thresholds in the law are as clear as possible, and do not cause confusion among advocates as to whether they are or are not lobbying.
The League applauds the work done by the Public Ethics Commission to craft a more clear definition of lobbyists. However, we believe that the "2 issues in 6 months" threshold in the original proposal is too broad, and could lean to confusion by individuals who are in occasional contact with City officials as part of their work. The League also believes that the "1/3 of working time spent lobbying" threshold proposed by Councilmember Brunner is far too narrow. While this definition may make sense at the State level, it does not reflect the realities of lobbying on a municipal level.
The League suggests the following alternative threshold be used to define in-house lobbyists in Section 3.02.030 D (2):
For purposes of this subsection, making communications for the purpose of influencing a public officer or designated employee shall be deemed a "regular" job duty whenever: (a) such duties are specified in or reasonably inferred from an individual's written job description, job announcement or job title, or (b) the individual spends ten hours or more in one calendar month engaging in direct communication, other than administrative testimony, with local public officers or designated employees for the purpose of influencing legislative or administrative action.
The League believes that a "time spent lobbying" threshold of ten hours per month will provide sufficient clarity to individuals and organizations as to who should and should not register.
Your goal in amending the Ordinance must be to build public confidence in government. Remember, for the public, appearances count.
Sincerely,
Katherine Gavzy and Suzanne Loosen
Co-Presidents, League of Women Voters of Oakland

These are letters we sent in 2010

Bay Trail in Oakland (12-14-2010)

Jean Quan, re New City Administrator (12-14-2010)

The DISCLOSE Act (11-24-2010)

Oakland City Council Redistricting (11-9-2010)

Citywide Records Management Program (7-20-2010)

Recommendations Regarding Boards and Commissions (5-17-2010

Voting Outreach And Education Campaign Fund (3-16-2010)

Ranked Choice Voting (3-02-2010)

OCRA Contribution Limits (3-01-2010)

CA Universal Health Care Act (2-18-2010)

Central Waterfront Plan (2-09-2010)

Click here to read letters sent in 2009
Click here to read letters sent in 2008

Bay Trail in Oakland (12-14-2010)

December 14, 2010
Bay Conservation and Development Commission
50 California Street #2600
San Francisco, Ca 94111
Dear Chair Randolph and Commissioners:
Re: Bay Trail in Oakland
The League of Women Voters of Oakland (LWVO) helped to open the doors to Oakland's underutilized waterfront in 1993 when it published the study called "The Waterfront + It Touches the World. How Does It Touch Oakland?". Since that time LWVO has continued to support public access to the Oakland Alameda Estuary. We are writing to request that, as part of the permit approval for the Oak to 9th Avenue Project, the Commission incorporate a condition requiring the installation of an interim Bay Trail, within 18 months of issuance of the BCDC permit, that provides continuous public access along the entire length of shoreline at the Oak to 9th Avenue Project site.
The Bay Trail planned along the shoreline at the Oak to 9th Avenue Project is critical to fulfilling the vision of a continuous Bay Trail along the Oakland Estuary. Current economic conditions have already delayed and will continue to delay the construction of the Oak to 9th Avenue Project. It could be +five to ten years years before the project moves ahead and the first portions of the Bay Trail in this area are built.
To mitigate the lengthy delay and guarantee that the Oakland Waterfront Bay Trail vision be fulfilled, we request that the permit for the Oak to 9th Avenue Project be conditioned on the installation of an interim Bay Trail along the entire length of shoreline of the project site within 18 months of permit issuance.
The League of Women Voters of Oakland strongly believes that waterfront access is the right of every citizen, and your addition of this interim Bay Trail requirement will help secure that right.
Sincerely,
Katherine Gavzy and Suzanne Loosen
Co-Presidents, League of Women Voters of Oakland

Jean Quan, re New City Administrator (12-14-2010)

December 14, 2010
The Honorable Jean Quan Oakland City Hall One Frank Ogawa Plaza Oakland, California 94612
Dear Mayor-elect Quan,
The League of Women Voters of Oakland congratulates you on your election as Mayor of Oakland. We are pleased that you have selected Henry Gardner to head your transition team.
It is clear that the selection of the new City Administrator is a critical decision for the whole City. We believe that there should be transparency in the process, and that the public and city staff should feel they have been consulted so that the new Administrator can be an effective manager.
We suggest that you make regular reports about the progress of the search, making as much information public as can possibly be made public. We also suggest that those conducting the search be required to spend time talking with--and listening to--Oakland citizens and city staff. They may not learn significantly more than they would by reading reports, but by doing this kind of public listening, they gain the trust of the public.
We recognize that the public cannot be a part of the actual process of the selection, but at the same time, citizens need to feel that their concerns have been heard and recognized. People also simply want to know what is going on, and that progress is being made.
Sincerely,
Katherine Gavzy and Suzanne Loosen
Co-Presidents, League of Women Voters of Oakland

The DISCLOSE Act (11-24-2010)

LWVUS continues to fight for transparency in political fundraising and specifically for passage of the DISCLOSE Act, which came within one vote of passage in the Congress before the last recess. National League asked all local Leagues to submit the following letter to our newspapers and other media for publication. LWVO is sending it to the Oakland Tribune, the Montclarion, and other local outlets.
November 24, 2010
To the Editor:
The impact of election 2010 goes far deeper than which party controls the House or the Senate. The incivility and tone of the 2010 campaign reached a disturbingly new low in American politics. Not only was this evident in the advertising, but we also saw it in candidate debates and forums and in the public discourse. Voters were overwhelmed by millions of dollars in negative ads but didn't know who paid for many of them.
This election demonstrated the critical need to improve our governmental structures. Because of the failure of Congress to act, there are no disclosure requirements governing the huge amounts of money that the Supreme Court recently turned loose in American politics. Voters don't know if their elected officials are in Washington to serve the public interest or the special interests. Congress must pass the DISCLOSE Act, which would restore transparency to U.S. elections by requiring disclosure of corporate and union spending in candidate elections.
Voters, not money, should be at the center of our democracy. The challenges we face together in our towns and in our nation will require our continued vigilance. As leaders of the League of Women Voters of Oakland, we work year-round to safeguard democracy and improve civility at all levels of government. As the League's work continues, we invite others in the community to commit to civic improvement by joining the League. Together we can keep our community strong, healthy, and vibrant.
Sincerely,
Katherine Gavzy and Suzanne Loosen
Co-Presidents
League of Women Voters of Oakland
Write your Senators and Representative

Oakland City Council Redistricting (11-9-2010)

November 09, 2010

To : City Councilmembers
Re : Oakland City Council Redistricting
California voters in 2008 passed a landmark redistricting reform measure, and the state's voters just overwhelmingly validated it on November 2nd. Now the City of Oakland is required to use the 2010 census results as a basis for reviewing and updating City Council district lines.

We in the League of Women Voters are looking forward to working with you and with the Oakland community to ensure an open and transparent redistricting process.
Yours truly,
Katherine Gavzy and Suzanne Loosen
Co-Presidents
League of Women Voters of Oakland

Citywide Records Management Program (7-20-2010)

City Council
City of Oakland
One Frank H. Ogawa Plaza
Oakland, CA 94612
Subject: Citywide Records Management Program (Agenda Item S-7.32)
Dear Councilmembers:
The League of Women Voters of Oakland strongly supports the Citywide Records Management Program (Item S-7.32), as presented on the July 20, 2010 City Council meeting agenda and as approved and recommended by the Special Finance and Management Committee on July 13. As you know, this program establishes a policy and a framework for a systematic citywide records management program. Without this strong citywide policy statement enacted in the ordinance by the City Council, we will continue to have piecemeal attempts at record management, but no real progress.
The League of Women Voters can attest that Oakland city government lacks the tools to ensure that its records are easily accessible for city staff and citizens. The Public Ethics Commission fields numerous complaints regarding missing records or failure to produce records. There are many reasons why records cannot be found, but they are regularly lost or mislaid.
Basic records management is required by the California Public Records Act (CPRA), which requires that public agencies make all their records, with some exceptions, accessible to the public. In order for records to be accessible, the city staff needs to be able to find them. The citizens of Oakland expect their city government to comply with the requirements of the CPRA.
In order to enact strong records management the city needs a strong policy statement from the City Council and a commitment from the administration that it will enforce the policy. The City Clerk has made her statement of commitment by hiring a professional records manager to oversee the program. However, the records manager must have full cooperation from all city departments. The City Administrator must make a strong statement that the records management program has his full backing, and make it a high priority for city staff.
We urge you to approve the Citywide Records Management Program on July 20.
Sincerely,
Katherine Gavzy and Suzanne Loosen, Co-Presidents

**Recommendations Regarding Boards and Commissions*** (5-17-2010)

May 17, 2010
The Honorable Ronald V. Dellums, Mayor
Members of the Oakland City Council
Oakland City Hall
One Frank Ogawa Plaza
Oakland, California 94612
Dear Councilmembers:
The League of Women Voters of Oakland is pleased to present the attached findings and recommendations regarding boards and commissions in the City of Oakland. The report contains twelve general recommendations which address size, appointment, operations, and communications issues. Key among these is the recommendation that a Councilmember liaison meet in person at least once a year with each board and commission, and that the board or commission adopt formal goals and set itself specific tasks and objectives in a cooperative process with the Councilmember. You should expect that boards and commissions will on the one hand, advise and assist you in carrying out your priorities for the City, and on the other, advise and assist you in setting those priorities.
The report also addresses two specific areas of concern. The first is the role and function of the oversight committees, which we suggest warrant a separate study. The second is the Workforce Investment Board, for which we offer specific findings and recommendations.
In addition, we offer the following observations and recommendations for your consideration.
Charter changes
Some of the changes recommended may require changes in the city charter. We did not allow the need for a charter election to deter us from putting forward what we thought to be the best solution to a given problem.
Form 700
In Los Angeles, all people nominated to positions in any government agencies are required to submit their conflict of interest disclosures before they are confirmed by the City Council. We recommend that Oakland adopt a similar policy for nominees to any board, commission or committee deemed to have power to make decisions in which the public might want to know about a potential conflict of interest before the appointment. These entities include, but are not limited to, the Children's Fund Planning and Oversight Committee, the Housing, Residential Rent and Relocation Board, the Planning Commission, the Public Ethics Commission, and the Workforce Investment Board.
New boards and commissions
In the course of interviews with City Council members, one Council member indicated that she thought an entertainment commission would be helpful to advise the Public Safety Committee; another favored a traffic commission.
The League recommends that before establishing a new board or commission, the City Council appoint a task force to address the specific issues about which it seeks advice, giving the task force clear direction and a definite time in which to complete its tasks. The Council can review the work of the task force and seek the advice of task force members whether the subject warrants a permanent board or commission.
Next steps
The League urges the Council to direct the City Administrator to appoint an interdisciplinary team to develop an implementation plan for these recommendations. This team should report back to the Council within six months.
We are happy to be of service, and hope that our report provides some direction for making Oakland city government ever more inclusive and responsive to the needs of all our citizens.
Sincerely,
Katherine Gavzy Suzanne Loosen
Co-Presidents
Cc: John Russo, City Attorney
Courtney Ruby, City Auditor
LaTonda immons, City Clerk
Here is our Report on Boards & Commissions

Voting Outreach And Education Campaign Fund (3-16-2010)

March 16, 2010
Oakland City Council

Dear Councilmembers,
Re: Voting Outreach And Education Campaign Fund (Agenda Item 10)
The League of Women Voters of Oakland has been a longtime supporter of the Oakland Campaign Reform Act. We strongly support the public funding of elections, and will continue to advocate for this here in Oakland, in California, and throughout the United States.
The Council is considering the use of public funding money on a one-time basis to help pay the cost of the first use of ranked choice voting in Oakland. Because we also so strongly want to make ranked choice voting a success in Oakland, we said earlier that we supported the use of this money + on a one-time basis. We'd like to make our support for this very explicit: we support this use of the public funding money if the funds are used to help the city meet costs which otherwise would come from the General Fund. We remain concerned about how the city will pay its share of the cost of implementing ranked choice voting and whether the city has sufficient funds to pay for a voter education campaign separate from that conducted by the Registrar of Voters.
That said, we commend those who produced the revised plan for a voter outreach education campaign on ranked choice voting. Drawing lessons from San Francisco's experience and planning a program where community organizations will be conducting media and forum-style educational outreach along with person-to-person contact which has proven to be effective, the proposed program seems a very worthwhile undertaking.
Requiring that participating groups coordinate with the county Registrar of Voters outreach program and submit performance reports will help make the program succeed.
Sincerely,
Katherine Gavzy and Suzanne Loosen, Co-Presidents

Ranked Choice Voting (3-02-2010)

March 2, 2010
Oakland City Council
Dear Councilmembers,
Re: Use of Oakland Campaign Reform Act Funds for Education on Ranked Choice Voting

The League of Women Voters of Oakland has been a longtime supporter of the Oakland Campaign Reform Act. We strongly support the public funding of elections, and will continue to advocate for this here in Oakland, in California, and throughout the United States.
The Council is considering the use of public funding money on a one-time basis to help pay the cost of the first use of Ranked Choice Voting in Oakland. Because we also so strongly want to make Ranked Choice voting a success in Oakland, we said earlier that we supported the use of this money - on a one-time basis. We'd like to make our support for this very explicit: we support this use of the public funding money if the funds are used to help the city meet costs which otherwise would come from the General Fund.
We have concerns about this proposal, if it would actually use the money to create a new voter education campaign. The Alameda County Registrar of Voters is prepared to conduct an effective voter education campaign for Ranked Choice Voting, reaching out to voters in all three cities who will be using this system for the first time. All of the materials will be in three languages: English, Spanish, and Chinese.
The League of Women Voters is part of a group of volunteers already working to do community outreach. They are working separately from the Registrar, but coordinating their work with him, using the Oakland Ranked Choice Voting materials his office develops.
In this time of very tight budgets, we question whether Oakland should be spending extra money on a separate voter education effort. Before you decide to spend the extra money, please ensure that criteria and oversight for the program are established and that any city-funded voter education is well-coordinated with that done by the Registrar of Voters. If there is a separate city-funded program, it should assign one person, on a temporary basis, to be responsible for the coordination with the Registrar of Voters.
Sincerely,
Katherine Gavzy and Suzanne Loosen, Co-Presidents

OCRA Contribution Limits (3-01-2010)

To: Oakland City Councilmembers
Re: OCRA contribution limits
The League of Women Voters of Oakland has been a longtime supporter of the Oakland Campaign Reform Act.
We strongly believe that making changes to the contribution limits at this point in the election cycle is not wise or rational. The current $ 600 limits have served us well. There is no evidence to show that candidates in the last two election cycles have not been able to raise enough money to wage a good campaign with these limits in place.
What is proposed is a fundamental change and deserves a full debate, not a quick decision. Any change to the contribution limits at this point in the election cycle is bound to be seen in a political light, whether the decision is made politically or not.
We believe the change is not necessary. Candidates in this cycle will have a longer time to raise money from more people, and still have only the one election cycle in which to campaign.
It is being argued that the need to do voter education on Ranked Choice Voting will increase the cost of the campaign. This is not true: since the Registrar of Voters will be providing voter education as part of the Ranked Choice Voting implementation, there is no need for any candidate to spend his or her campaign funds on education.
We urge keeping the current OCRA contribution limits. If you truly feel there is a need to consider an increase in the limits, please take it up after the election is over.

CA Universal Health Care Act (2-18-2010)

February 18, 2010
The Honorable Loni Hancock
California State Senate
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Senator Hancock,
Re: SB 810
Thank you for your continuous strong support for SB 810 which will be voted on this month.
SB 810, the California Universal Health Care Act, will provide every Californian the security of comprehensive, quality health care benefits in a system that gives everyone the right to choose his or her own physician and controls health care cost inflation.
SB 810 makes good fiscal sense. It combines the federal, state and local funds already spent on health care with affordable insurance premiums that replace all the premiums, deductibles, out-of-pocket payments and co-pays now paid by employers and consumers. It limits the amount that can go to administrative overhead to five percent of our health care dollars, avoiding the huge waste in our current system.
Escalating health care costs are a burden to all Californians personally as well as to state and local governments that are major employers and safety net providers. With our state budget facing another $20 billion-plus deficit, and with millions of Californians without jobs and health care, we must take the important step of passing REAL health care reform. Please continue your leadership role in passing SB 810.
Sincerely,
Katherine Gavzy and Suzanne Loosen
Co-Presidents, League of Women Voters of Oakland

Central Waterfront Plan (2-09-2010)

February 9, 2010
Community and Economic Development Committee
City of Oakland
Dear Chair and Committee Members:
Re: Central Waterfront Specific Plan
The League of Women Voters of Oakland commends the consultant's work on the Central Estuary Specific Plan, which encouraged public participation over six meetings. The final meeting gave attendees the opportunity to select a preferred alternative from the three that had been developed.
The preferred alternative combined some of the key points of the three original proposals. It promises that the Fruitvale District will be enhanced with both commercial and housing, which will work to create a vibrant area to both live and shop. This is a reflection of Oakland's Green City name when housing, commercial and BART come together.
The League is concerned about the housing development proposed for an area that is currently industrial - the Tidewater area. Housing should be located within half a mile of public transit. The Tidewater area is more than 1.2 miles to Fruitvale BART. AC Transit has said that the population density would not justify bus service to the area. Putting housing in this industrial area violates the spirit of California's new law designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, SB 375 (2008)*. If the City of Oakland is to become known as the "Green City," this element should be removed from the proposed plan for the area.
We are also concerned that putting housing on industrial land reduces the already small amount of land in the city zoned for industrial use.
The League of Women Voters supports multi-modal, efficient, convenient, cost-effective, equitable, safe transportation planned in concert with land use and viable alternatives to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and single-occupancy vehicle use. We ask you to approve housing in Oakland only when it is located within half a mile of public transit.
Sincerely,
Katherine Gavzy and Suzanne Loosen, League of Women Voters of Oakland

A brief summary of SB. 375 is below.

Brief Summary of SB 375 (2008)
1. It creates a Sustainable Communities Strategy that links climate policy with an integrated regional land-use-and-transportation-planning approach to reduce greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions from automobiles and light trucks. Within the Bay Area, automobiles and light trucks account for about 64 percent of emissions from the transportation sector. A Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) is based on a regional target for greenhouse-gas reduction and it identifies areas for housing and development for all of the region's population. It identifies significant resource areas and farmland. It sets forth an integrated development pattern and transportation network that will achieve the greenhouse reduction targets for the region, if there is a feasible way to do it. The plan needs to comply with the federal clean air and transportation laws. An alternative planning strategy is permitted if it is not possible to achieve the targets within an SCS.
2. It aligns the program for the regional distribution of housing to be consistent with the SCS. The bill expands regional and local responsibilities relative to state housing objectives. It requires that the region identify residential areas sufficient to accommodate all of the Bay Area's population, including all economic groups, for 25 years; and it requires that, within three years of amending their housing elements, local governments enact zoning to implement those elements
3. It adds new provisions to the California Environmental Quality Act to encourage land use decisions that implement the Sustainable Communities Strategy.
4. It adds new modeling provisions to accurately account for the transportation impacts of land use decisions.
SB 375 explicitly assigns responsibilities to the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to implement the bill's provisions for the Bay Area. Both agencies are members of the Joint Policy Committee (JPC). Policies were approved by the JPC and provide guidance to the two lead regional agencies in fulfilling their responsibilities in collaboration with their JPC partners, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District) and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC).
The first step will be the establishment of regional greenhouse gas reduction targets by the California Air Resources Board by September 2010. After that, each region, in cooperation with counties and cities, will work on a Sustainable Communities Strategy for their region.
For more information: www.abag,ca,gov/jointpolicy/jpc-sb375-implementation.htm

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