[6] Growing up in Oakland's District 4, Schaaf attended Head-Royce School and Skyline High School, both in Oakland. Even the United Nations condemned Schaafs treatment of the unhoused, saying it constitutes cruel and inhuman treatment and is a violation of multiple human rights, including the rights to life, housing, health and water and sanitation.. In addition to repaving, Schaaf created a Department of Transportation and a 311 system that residents can call to report potholes and damaged roads. She is dedicated to public service, community work and is devoted to . The Generation Fund, a $50 million quasi-endowment I personally raised to fund 30,000 college savings accounts for babies and scholarships it should serve EVERY low-income baby and OUSD graduate through 2035. Born and raised in Oakland, Ive always felt such pride in our beautiful, diverse city. Before the sun rose on a brisk February morning, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf looked around Lake Merritt and counted the number of people sleeping on the street for the biennial point-in-time count. Despite the unrelenting challenges of these times, we made historic accomplishments together. 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. Its Schaafs job to make sure the police respond in a timely manner to emergency calls, but all she has done is throw money at an agency that is already grossly inefficient. Polling showed Schaaf was widely popular in 2015, the year after her first mayoral election. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. We must pay close attention to both the people and policies who get support at the upcoming city elections. That is an increase from 93 the year she took office. After 22 years with the City of Oakland, I believe more than ever in the power and promise of local government. Moreover, she never capitalized on her early popularity and the bully pulpit of the mayoral post to build an effective fund-raising and grassroots political operation that could be mobilized in support of political allies. long hours and understaffing during tense contract negotiations, Which Bay Area city has best quality of life? Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. But the reticence was reinforced by Schaafs lack of a political organization to support campaigns. built in 1966 and renovated in 1996, has been plagued by noted sewage issues over recent years, lighting problems and low attendance. 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. The home of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf was vandalized on Tuesday, just before she voted 'no' on diverting some law enforcement budget On the garage door were phrases including: 'Defund OPD,'. When Nathan, a 9-year-old boy she was tutoring, ran across the gym to greet her with a hug, she recognized that her real joy was in public service. Outgoing Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf reflects on trials and triumphs in office, Public File for KBCW-TV / KBCW 44 Cable 12. And the pandemic has undercut the growth in business migration to Oakland that was so promising just a few years ago. Its been the honor of a lifetime to serve as Oaklands 50th Mayor during the eventful years of 2015-2022. I believe all observers, regardless of their backgrounds, should be able to see that Schaaf has failed. Despite new property taxes championed by Schaaf and rapidly rising revenues, the city remains plagued with the same key problems present when Schaaf was elected mayor eight years ago. libby schaaf eye problems. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. While making the rounds, she shooed a rat away from a blanket covering someone sleeping in the pergola. She is Jewish. 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. a widely lauded program called Keep Oakland Housed, changed zoning codes to allow for different types. She repaved 161 miles of the citys crumbling roadways, but residents complain about the amount of trash on city streets in the span of one year, enough garbage landed on city streets to cover the length of 13 football fields. With so much of Oaklands budget flowing to policing, the city has been hobbled in its response to questions of basic governance and infrastructure. We created Oakland's first Department of Transportation, 311 Call Center, Infrastructure Bond Program, and Equity-driven Paving Plan, which delivered Oakland's all-time record for roads replaced 100 miles in 3 years! Apple Delays AR Glasses, Plans Cheaper Mixed-Reality Headset, Saudi Arabia Says Open to Settling Trade in Other Currencies, Stocks Snap 4-Day Rally; Dow Drops Most in a Month: Markets Wrap, Apple Gets a Boost in India as Chinese Suppliers Given Clearance. OAKLAND -- At her final news conference Wednesday, outgoing Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf reflected on her eight years at the helm of one of the Bay Area's most enigmatic cities. I hope Im remembered as someone who fought for Oakland as we experienced this huge moment of growth, Schaaf said. In October of this year, those numbers had flipped to 64% wrong track and 18% right direction. Residents are mostly split in their opinions of Schaaf. Skelton: California has lots of catching up to do on flood management, Opinion: How facial recognition will transform airport security. It also lays out her political achievements and failures as the citys 50th mayor for the past eight years. [18], In the race for Oakland mayor, Schaaf was endorsed by Governor of California Jerry Brown[19][20] and US Senator Barbara Boxer. In addition to repaving, Schaaf created a Department of Transportation and a 311 system that residents can call to report potholes and damaged roads. Rep. Katie Porter of Orange County announces she'll run for the Senate seat held by Dianne Feinstein, who at 89 is not expected to seek reelection in 2024. She has made good on the promise to invest in police: The Oakland Police Departments share of the Oakland General Fund ballooned from $194 million per year, in the last budget put forward by Schaaf's predecessor, to $353 million per year in 2022-23 an 80% increase in just eight years. Her name wasnt on the ballot, but the 2022 Oakland elections were a disaster for outgoing Mayor Libby Schaaf, the culmination of her eight-year fall from grace. 2022-12-11 - Daniel Borenstein is editor of the East Bay Times opinion pages. We tackled the unsexy basics like finances and POTHOLES. We achieved OPD's long-sought compliance with court-ordered reforms with our new Police Commission. In May 2015, Mayor Schaaf instituted a ban on un-permitted nighttime marches on public roadways in Oakland, citing existing city policies. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani. Weve had to respond to the crisis while building a whole new system that did not exist in City Hall just six years ago.. However, her house in Oakland, where she resides with her family, came to the attention of many after itwas vandalized as the threatof federal troops looms back in July. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". She also built and ran the first centralized volunteer program for Oakland public schools at the Marcus Foster Institute. ICEs acting director Thomas Homan stated that ICE failed to arrest around 800 people because of the alert. But there were other problems that have proven far more difficult to repair. Schaaf said building housing at all income levels is key if the city hadnt, high income workers would have taken over the existing naturally affordable units. Facts of It does not store any personal data. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Brown endorses candidate in Oakland mayor's race", "Sen. Boxer endorses Schaaf in Oakland Mayoral Race", "Oakland Launches New Transportation Department", "City Of Oakland Starts New Transportation Department", "Advocates hope Oakland's new Department of Transportation will transform city's streets", "Media Advisory: Mayor Libby Schaaf Launches Oakland's First Transportation Department", "City of Oakland starts new transportation department", "Mayor Libby Schaaf Hires Oakland's First Transportation Policy Director", "Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf Institutes Ban On Nighttime Street Protests", "Protests held in Oakland over mayor's new ban on nighttime marches", "Trump Calls Some Unauthorized Immigrants 'Animals' in Rant", "Trump suggests Justice Department investigate Oakland's Democratic mayor for tipping off immigrants", "Oakland Mayor Criticized For Warning People Of Pending Immigration Sweeps", "Jewish mayor of Oakland defends decision to tip off community to immigration raid", "Oakland will give low-income families of color $500 per month, no strings attached", "California Councilwoman Libby Schaaf Targeted With Swastikas in Oakland", "Flyers Of Jewish Councilwoman With Swastika On Her Face Posted In Oakland", "Jewish Oakland mayor defends decision to warn community of immigration raid", "Mayor - Oakland (RCV) Vote for One (1) Only", "Ranked-Choice Voting Accumulated Results - Mayor - Oakland", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Libby_Schaaf&oldid=1132816232, This page was last edited on 10 January 2023, at 18:57. Her style was that of a practical progressive; vocal on social justice issues, but also determined to deal with real-world problems. Its a humanitarian crisis, Schaaf said. Moss said shes eager to see how Schaafs legacy will live on from her investments in education for Oakland children to implementing Ceasefire, the citys flagship anti-violence program. Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Oakland is grappling with a high vacancy rate, with nearly one-fifth of governments jobs currently vacant. Elizabeth Beckman "Libby" Schaaf (born November 12, 1965) is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party. Then theyll need to lift us up. [37], Schaaf is Jewish. This is the gem of Oakland and its completely trashed, the woman said, pointing to the people sleeping on the street. Under Schaafs watch, displacement has accelerated drastically. Why hasnt it She failed to save her daughter from fentanyls grip. While nearly 20,000 new housing units have been built in her time, homelessness also grew by 131% since 2015. By nearly every metric, she has decreased community safety and increased human suffering of those already most marginalized. Political experts say that while Oakland is grappling with major issues the housing and homelessness crises and violent crime Schaaf deserves credit for leading the city through some of its toughest times, including the pandemic. While market rate housing is constructed for new residents, Oakland has become the third most expensive city in the country for renters, and Black Oaklanders especially face overwhelming displacement pressures. 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. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. However, she doesnt only do social works to gain peoples trust. Is that fair for an overall eight year period? How much should you worry? 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. Schaaf said building housing at all income levels is key if the city hadnt, high-income workers would have taken over the existing naturally affordable units. During her administration, Schaaf capitalized on public private partnerships, using fundraising to launch new city programs. Libby Schaaf's Tweets. Universal Pre-school Access for all 3 and 4 year olds within a decade, funded by the voter-approved parcel tax Measure AA. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served on the Oakland City Council. We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. December 21, 2022 / 6:55 PM "As far as frustrations and disappointments? Dan Borenstein is an award-winning columnist for the Bay Area News Group and editorial page editor of the East Bay Times. Miss Manners: Must I resist my urge when I'm told to have a blessed day? Fort Funston visitors beware: A World War II era structure fell off a proposed multibillion-dollar waterfront ballpark and surrounding development, ending nearly 20 years under federal oversight, Oakland Chamber of Commerce poll released in October, equipped an entire generation of children, one of the nations largest guaranteed income programs. 31. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Sarah Ravani covers Oakland and the East Bay at The San Francisco Chronicle. As the town awakened that February morning and more people flocked to the lake for their daily jog or walk, a woman approached Schaaf. She is right that the contentious environment on the council discouraged prospective candidates. Before winning the mayors seat, Schaaf served on the City Council for one term, representing part of the Oakland hills. 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. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. But the city reached 43% of its very-low-income housing goals, 26% of its low-income housing and 3% of its moderate-income housing goals. All Rights Reserved.Site by Value-Centered Solutions. 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. But the city reached 43% of its very-low-income housing goals, 26% of its low-income housing and 3% of its moderate-income housing goals. "And I wouldn't be surprised if I continue to be an advocate at the state and federal level to truly make housing a right. We fought against coal and for the planet, advanced public access to our waterfront while keeping our A's in Oakland, and became the first city to give municipal land back to our Indigenous people. Travel | The tiny Bay Area town modern life forgot: Canyon, CaliforniaTahoe| The wondrous story of Tahoe's most eccentric tycoonLocal| The story behind that odd pantry in the wall in old SF homesHistory| Remembering the ugliest thing San Francisco ever built, Libby Schaaf will go down as one of the worst mayors in Oakland history, Rainfall totals for parts of the Bay Area so far are staggering, Tenn. burger boss says who should be scared of In-N-Out's arrival, Worst yips in sports history might be key to 49ers-Cowboys, 10 ephemeral waterfalls appear in Yosemite after Calif. storms, Shanahans onetime best friend calls Purdy lesser Mac Jones, WW II structure falls 200 feet from cliff onto SF beach, McDonalds in San Francisco tourist hub permanently closes, The hidden Bay Area school that always has a waitlist, Global pop star announces SF show at Chase Center, Horoscope for Wednesday, 1/18/23 by Christopher Renstrom, Mudslides trigger evacuations, close roads in Berkeley Hills, Fox maybe-accidentally shows PG-13 sign about 49ers' Purdy, United Nations condemned Schaafs treatment of the unhoused, Oaklands affordable housing requirements, issued permits for 22% of the mandated affordable housing, the Town spends 10 times as much on police as it does on housing, closing as many as 12 encampments a month. 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