Oakland’s main liberal newspaper has backed plans to oust the city’s progressive mayor, dealing a crushing blow to its political future.
The East Bay Times published an editorial piece on Wednesday titled: “Recall Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao.”
Readers of the left-wing publication are urged to remember Thao in the upcoming November 5 elections for her “failure to responsibly manage the city budget and address unacceptably high crime rates.”
“It’s hard to ignore how incompetent she has been,” the op-ed added.
Embattled Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has suffered another blow to her hopes of clinging to power with a scathing editorial calling for her ouster
The Bay Area city spends about $100 million more annually than it brings in revenue, a situation that has shown no signs of improving.
Oakland has also seen a frightening spike in violent crime, with about one in 30 residents having their cars stolen by 2023. The city has been plagued by violent crime and has seen a high number of violent murders after Thao and District Attorney Pamela Price supported a “justice approach.” ‘approach to crime fighting.
They say the current criminal justice system unfairly punishes Black and Latino people and increases the likelihood that petty criminals will turn to more serious crimes, rather than rehabilitating them.
Critics say it prioritizes criminals over victims, with Price also facing the boot in the same election.
Instead of recruiting more police to tackle the problem, Thao plans to delay the start of academy training for new officers to save money.
The newspaper’s call for Thao’s removal was not even based on the police raid on her home in July, as it was not clear whether the investigation focused on her.
Data from the Oakland Police Department shows that violent crime increased by more than a fifth over the year through the end of 2023, a year after she was elected.
Although the homicide rate has fallen since its peak last year, Oakland has more homicides than the U.S. average.
Dystopian scenes in Oakland where encampments, prostitution, public urination and piles of garbage are seen daily
Much of the reduction in some crimes this year is due to California Governor Gavin Newsom sending in California Highway Patrol officers to help – best of all, a temporary solution.
Robberies and car thefts have doubled and tripled respectively compared to pre-pandemic figures.
Thao’s response to all this was that crime is down compared to the crime wave of early 2023.
But upon closer inspection, the statistics she cited were tantamount to comparing apples to hand grenades in the notoriously crime-ridden city.
Astute observers have noted that her office’s report compared the fully compiled statistics as of the end of 2023 with the running count for 2024.
A February report from the Center for Youth and Criminal Justice found that only 1.5 percent of serious crimes had been solved, including only 6.5 percent of violent crimes.
A slum built by homeless people in Oakland, one of the city’s ongoing problems
A huge crowd robs the Oakland gas station after a car crashes into the glass to break in
Oakland’s budget only provides for 678 officers, including those unemployed due to disabilities, the absolute bare minimum required by law.
This is only two-thirds of the national average of 2.4 officers per 1,000 residents, and there are only 35 officers on patrol at any one time in a city of 435,000.
Emergency response times are the lowest in California, again due to understaffing, which means victims don’t bother calling at all.
Residents waited an average of 48 minutes for a response to a 911 call in January, compared to 14 minutes at the same time in 2019. In June, it was 33 minutes, compared to 12 that month of 2019.
In fact, the police department is understaffed in its records department, with outdated software and a reporting management system that hasn’t been updated since 2006, leading to woefully inaccurate crime statistics.
Oakland’s crime problems, and more importantly, its perception, have exacerbated its already weak financial situation into a full-blown crisis.
“Crime is dragging down Oakland’s economy, which in turn keeps tax revenues low and makes it harder to pay for the officers needed to fight crime — creating a downward spiral that Thao’s administration has failed to combat.” , the editorial argued.
An elderly woman is brutally attacked in an unprovoked attack in Oakland
A major reason for the 2023 budget deficit was a $50 million reduction in the real estate transfer tax – a percentage tax on real estate sales.
This is volatile at the best of times, but is further hampered by the perception that Oakland is crime-ridden and in decline, so no one wants to move in.
Instead of exercising any kind of caution, Thao assumed that tax revenues would increase, but of course that didn’t happen – and the city is even deeper in debt.
Thao claimed she balanced the budget after all, without public sector layoffs that would upset her allies.
But that was only accomplished through the one-time $63 million sale of the city’s stake in the Oakland Coliseum as the Oakland Athletics baseball team headed to Las Vegas.
The newspaper called this “a reckless use of capital funds to pay for current expenses.”
“It’s a step akin to selling your house to pay your monthly bills – a step you should only take in the most desperate of times,” it added.
The newspaper’s call for Thao’s removal was not even based on the police raid on her home in July, as it was not clear whether the investigation focused on her.
The FBI who raided the home of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao last month reportedly left behind a phone belonging to her partner Andre Jones (above left). The couple is seen together in their shared home with Thao’s 17-year-old son and her and Jones’ 11-year-old daughter.
The deal has also been delayed and the money may not arrive in time to prevent the city from running out of cash entirely.
“It is fair to say that the worst years of the pandemic, which have driven many business closures, predated Thao’s term as mayor,” the editorial said.
“But Thao has failed to confront lagging financial realities, cut spending responsibly, make tough decisions that could alienate allies of the labor movement, and prioritize police protection.”
Oakland has been hit by a series of humiliating closures, including the city’s only In-N-Out Burger after a spate of parking lot burglaries.
The newspaper never seemed convinced of Thao’s competence, writing that she was “unprepared for the job” when interviewing her in 2022.
“She showed a stunning lack of knowledge of the basics, including details of a tax increase she voted for on that year’s ballot,” the report argued.
There are no recent polls on the recall, according to Thao’s net approval ratings have been negative for some time.
Should she lose the recall, an election for a new mayor would be held within 120 days after the council declared the office vacant, which would happen after the new council was installed on January 2.
