guidance through the college application and of speaking to her network about her passions He has worked for the Times and its affiliated newspapers since 1980, including previous assignments as political editor, Sacramento bureau editor, projects editor and assistant metro editor. (2017). now, my ninth-grade class of Thank you to everyone who helped us leave Oakland a more vibrant, equitable city. that is unacceptable. While Schaaf ushered in a building boom, Lindheim said the housing crisis in Oakland is worse than ever., They grossly underperformed targets of moderate housing and they greatly over-performed targets of market rate housing, Lindheim said. For the first time in recent history, Oakland will have a progressive mayor and a progressive-majority City Council the outcome of the November election, which Ross called a repudiation of Schaafs time in office. And the new candidates Schaaf backed often entered the races late, lacked sufficient funding and were unprepared, inexperienced and/or poorly vetted. People tend to be remembered by the end of their administration and if that Oakland Chamber of Commerce poll is any indication, shes not being well remembered, said Dan Lindheim, a former city administrator and current professor at UC Berkeleys Goldman School of Public Policy. The mayor cannot press an agenda without the votes on the council. Huge death tolls are not. Before joining the Oakland City Council in 2010, Schaaf served as the Economic Policy Advisor for the council for a year. We came a long way: Sheng Thao sworn in as Oaklands new mayor, Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area. Finally, when needed, we were unafraid to throw a few PUNCHES for Oakland and her values: We stood up against President Trump when he attacked our city and threatened Oakland's beloved immigrants. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf speaks during the 2016 Cannabis Business Summit & Expo on June 22, 2016 in Oakland, Schaaf delivered the closing address. Nearly two-thirds of the polls respondents said they felt Oakland was headed in the wrong direction. with growing frustration over skyrocketing homelessness and gun violence, as well as the rising cost of living. Its been the honor of a lifetime to serve as Oaklands 50th Mayor during the eventful years of 2015-2022. When Nathan, a 9-year-old boy she was It was a time when anyone in Oakland could have foreseen the dangers of the incipient "defund the police" movement. Its Before starting her political career, Schaaf was an attorney in Oakland at the law firm of Reed Smith LLP. "They have no place in our city at any time, but especially not this time.". Several non-emergency systems including phone lines within the City of Oakland are currently impacted or offline. This budgetreflects Oakland values to take care of our most vulnerable residents immediately AND it buildstowardsa stronger future for all Oaklanders. number of college graduates from Oakland pizza favorite shuts down after 13 years, plus more closings, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). Harriette Cole: I don't want the neighbor's kids at my house, Dear Abby: My wife said she doesn't like it, but it's part of my life, Ask Amy: I feel guilty for not speaking up about my co-worker's activities, Ask Amy: I'm your cabin housekeeper, and you apparently have no idea what I do. Its a lot harder than I thought itd be, its very technical. 02/24/2022 12:38 PM EST. He is an East Bay native who has a Master's degree in journalism from Stanford University. Schaaf's first roles in local government were as legislative aide to Oakland City Council president Ignacio De La Fuente[10] and special assistant to Oakland mayor Jerry Brown. Since Keep Oakland Housed started up in 2018, the group said it has prevented homelessness for more than 7,000 households. As Schaaf prepares to leave office on Jan. 2, still keeping her next move quiet, political experts say her tenure and her success as the citys leader is mostly mixed. the Oakland Generation Fund, a $50 million effort to expand two programs to give college scholarships and savings accounts to every public school student from a low-income family in the city by 2026. newly elected Mayor Sheng Thao Oakland is one of those cities on that cusp and Mayor Libby Schaaf is a great leader and inspiring Mayor who is determined to see that happen. The Mayors Housing Cabinets 17k/17k Housing Plan helped protect more than 36,000 low income Oakland households from displacement, roughly doubled affordable housing production, and built nearly 20,000 new homes Oaklands biggest building boom in more than a century! Here Oaklands 50th mayor. Schaaf said the biggest challenges from her time in office are the problems she inherited from previous administrations from deteriorating roads with no plans to fix them to a non-existent response to homelessness. Libby admitted that her future is full of uncertainties, saying: "Im at the age where my sight should be stabilising but its still deteriorating. Creates and ramps up Mobile Assistance Community Responders of Oakland MACRO a non-police response to mental health emergencies -- in the Oakland Fire Department. Oakland Promise and its Enhances staffing in the new Department of Workplace and Employment Standards to better monitor and enforce the Citys social equity policies, which benefit local workers, small local businesses,anddisadvantaged businesses. To be sure, Schaaf shouldered more blame than she deserved for the citys homelessness, rising gun violence and troubled municipal finances. only been getting 10 percent All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! The longtime couple Schaaf and Fahey, began their relationship back in 1998 when they met at . Is Californias drought finally over? Future Centers provides consistent support for But, some say, the last few years of her administration, particularly throughout the pandemic, were less successful. Scott Adams faces 'consequence culture' as U.S. newspapers drop Dilbert, Tom Cruise's 'ditching' of Suri showcased by Judd Apatow's 'co-parenting' joke, ex-Scientology exec says. of her own staff members didnt hear the word Allocates $32 million to preserve and produce more affordable housing through state and federal funds and anticipated developer impact fees. In addition to repaving, Schaaf created a Department of Transportation and a 311 system that residents can call to report potholes and damaged roads. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and Councilmembers Loren Taylor and Treva Reid announced Monday that they intend to introduce legislation to boost police staffing in response to the rising number of shootings and homicides. It's no secret to those who know Salvatore Fahey that he is happily married to Libby Schaaf, who, as we mentioned, is the Oakland's first lady, precisely speaking 50th Mayor of the City of Oakland. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? Libby Schaaf. What I love about the government By nearly every metric, she has decreased community safety and increased human suffering of those already most. But Oaklanders had a Schaaf announced that the city was working with the FBI on a hate crime investigation into the nooses, despite a black resident stating he put the ropes up months ago as exercise equipment. They are literally the antithesis of everything we say we stand for. That first year, 24% of likely voters said the city was on the wrong track and 61% said it was headed in the right direction, according to the Chamber of Commerce annual poll. Other legal experts pointed to similar policies in cities like New York, which have been ruled constitutional. opportunity: to serve as a legislative aide to the In 2016, Schaaf wrote a voter-approved $600 million bond measure that helped fund street improvements. program officer. Schaaf spent her entire first day as mayor in 2015 at the Oakland Police Department, demonstrating tone-deafness to the people at a time when thousands of Oaklanders were in the streets protesting OPD shootings of Black folks. [1], Schaaf won the November 4, 2014 Oakland mayoral election in the 14th round in ranked choice voting with 62.79% of the vote. Universal Pre-school Access for all 3 and 4 year olds within a decade, funded by the voter-approved parcel tax Measure AA. Im writing this piece as a warning to every voter in Oakland. of her native Oakland and the idea of working Thank you for your patience while we work to restore services. On the track I run with a guide runner and were attached all the time, but basically its like learning a different vocabulary to communicate. financial support and coaching for families Maybe this is old-school liberalism talking, but I dont think thats the way to go. S.F. Bay Area gets a break from winter storm. of the initiative. analyze and craft policy solutions. The department is tantalizing close to ending nearly 20 years under federal oversight in May, if it can continue to comply with court-mandated reforms. When I became the mayor, it wasnt a top concern. "[25], The Department of Transportation consists of 300 employees, previously working in the Department of Public Works and Oakland Police Department's Parking Enforcement operations.[26]. But it won't last long, Another winter storm? During her administration, Schaaf capitalized on public private partnerships, using fundraising to launch city programs. Libby Schaaf - Wikipedia Libby Schaaf Read Edit View history Elizabeth Beckman Schaaf (born November 12, 1965) is an American politician who served as the 50th Mayor of Oakland, California from 2015 to 2023. Its the kind of foundational investments that she did in her tenure that will bear fruit for the city of Oakland in the long-term, Moss said. most people actually see that you cant be successful When the ranked-choice balloting was completed, he lost to Thao, a union-stalwart, by just 677 votes. [14], During her tenure on the city council, Schaaf fought to raise the minimum wage,[15] voicing her support for Measure FF,[16][17] also known as Lift Up Oakland, a $12.25 minimum wage ballot initiative which passed in a landslide on November 4, 2014. I believe that often we fail because we arent The power of a vision. There is no treatment for Stargardt, and eventually, the mother-of-one will lose her sight completely. Development of this two-year budget began with astatistically valid communitysurvey representing the full diversity of Oaklands adult population. meaningful change.. Help us further the reach of innovative ideas. Allocates an unprecedented $41 million to prevent homelessness, stabilize our unsheltered residents with hygiene supports and interim housing/shelter, and help move them to permanently affordable housing. She worked extensively on Oakland Police Department reform, hiring more civilian staff and pushing through a plan to coordinate the Oakland Police Department with the Alameda County Sheriff's Department, to increase the number of officers patrolling Oakland. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Email: eric.ting@sfgate.com | Twitter:@_ericting, Eric Ting is SFGATE's politics editor. a widely lauded program called Keep Oakland Housed, changed zoning codes to allow for different types. There are cities that have gone through big transformations when it was said it could never be done. providing every child in kindergarten a savings She easily won reelection in a 10-candidate field in 2018. Schaaf worked with private donors to create the program, which at the time, was one of the largest guaranteed-income pilot projects in the country, but still just a drop in the bucket in addressing the need. A powerful collection of essays from different camera angles about civil, By Martina Mettgenberg-Lemiere & Anh Nguyen career wound its way through multiple Design with the community, "Intentions do not matter, these are extremely serious acts," Schaaf said at a press conference. supported by city-wide convenings, an ongoing was an attorney at the citys largest law firm, Maher played a clip of Victor Sengbe, the resident in question, stating, "Out of the dozens and hundreds and thousands of people that have walked by, no one has thought that it looked anywhere close to a noose" before criticizing Schaaf. [43], November 4, 2014 Oakland mayoral election, List of mayors of the 50 largest US cities, "Councilwoman Libby Schaaf files to run for Oakland mayor", "Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf wins re-election", "Mayoral election in Oakland, California (2018)", "Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf Is Our East Bay Person of the Year", "De La Fuente to challenge Schaaf for Oakland mayor in 2018", "Mayor-elect Schaaf: Now is 'Oakland's time', "Oakland voters approve two tax measures, minimum wage hike", "Gov. learning community and partnerships with Come January, Thao, as the new mayor, and her labor allies on the council will no longer be able to use Schaaf as their political foil to hide their own failures to address the citys problems. Outside the. 42. Already, 700 former Oakland students for her to champion. Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Showing Editorial results for libby schaaf. [41], Schaaf co-founded the nonprofit Oakland Cares, which organized and implemented hundreds of volunteer community improvement projects across the city. As recommended by the City Auditor, corrects the past practice of underbudgeting police overtime by accurately funding expenditures required to maintain services. in 2010, and then in 2014 being elected as ears on the ground through the OAKLAND After acknowledging the "collective trauma" wreaked by the pandemic and the "desperation and frustration" many residents feel, Mayor Libby Schaaf on Tuesday went on to deliver a. hard sometimes because you have to make and families with critical support The attack on Schaaf was part of a larger point Maher made about certain white people "culturally appropriating how mad they are about racism," and scaring away potential allies of the Black Lives Matter movement. She holds a B.A. eyes a possible U.S. Senate seat Libby had disappointed so many people., De La Fuente finished a distant third. replicate a kindergarten-to-college initiative Libby Schaaf hosts her final news conference as Oakland mayor this month. on-the-ground truth tellers who She has been named the interim executive director for Emerge California, an organization that trains . [8] She then became the program director[9] for the Marcus A. The fund would continue through 2035. firm to start a centralized volunteer program for The first enforcement of this ban was on May 21, during a #SayHerName[29] march, a nationwide coordinated march focused on ending state violence against black women and girls in the US. to attending college. Sarah Ravani covers Oakland and the East Bay at The San Francisco Chronicle. The Paralympian is registered blind, and has Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy disease. 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