4 22-0382 Subject: Emerald New Deal Healing And Reparations Fund
From: Councilmembers Taylor, Reid And Gallo
Recommendation: Adopt A Resolution On The City Council's Own Motion Submitting To The Voters At The November 8, 2022 General Municipal Election An Amendment To The Oakland City Charter To Add Article XVII To: (1) Establish The "Emerald New Deal Fund" For Cannabis Business Tax Revenue To Be Used For Services And Programs To Address Racially Inequitable Impacts Of The War On Drugs On Individuals, Families, And Communities In The City Of Oakland; And (2) Reestablish The Cannabis Regulatory Commission, As The "End-Harm Cannabis Regulatory Commission," With Revised Membership And Responsibilities, Including To Advise The Council On Expenditure Of The Emerald New Deal Fund; And Directing The City Clerk To Take All Actions Necessary Under Law To Submit This Item To The Voters At The November 8, 2022 General Election
Please put the Emerald New Deal on the ballot, this is a chance to repair the harm that has been done and to invest resources in the communities and families harmed by the war on drugs. At Tuesday’s City Council meeting the city council members in opposition of this measure have not been transparent with the members of the public on why and for what reasons they oppose it, we need full transparency at the next meeting. We need to know why this community initiative is being opposed and what part of the ordinance is concerning to the city council members, the people need to know! I can’t believe that the most progressive city council members are not supporting this initiative, since is aligned with their visions and what they stand for. This measure is the first step to reparations and WE WANT IT NOW!!! Let’s get END on the ballot.
Let the people vote! If the City Council fails to unanimously agree on this piece of historic regulation, then allow Oakland residents to weigh in through an election. Get END on the ballot!
I am an Oakland resident of district 5 and I am asking all our city council members to put this community-based initiative on the November ballot and let me and the other constituents decide. The END measure is planning to address the harms caused by the war on drugs and our communities are still paying with their lives the terrible consequences of this racist war. Please VOTE YES TO PLACE IT ON THE BALLOT!
Councilmembers Kaplan, Fife, Bas, and Thao you should be embarrassed by your response to this truly grassroots initiative. CM Kaplan, as a civil rights attorney I expect you to understand that a 501c4 can absolutely distribute the flyer that END did, please do your research before accusing a campaign organizer of acting criminal, and on his 5th anniversary of coming home from prison no less! You demanded a public apology for a flyer…I hope to see a public apology from you for your attack. CM Fife you talked around in circles, pitted organizations against each other, I expected so much more from a longtime community organizer. Why didn’t you ever take up the END teams requests to collaborate on END? This is baffling given your work on a Black New Deal. CM Bas you are council president and a longtime community organizer, you should have defended a community organizer from baseless attacks from your colleagues who used a recorded meeting to sow doubts on the hard work of community members. CM Thao how could you be silent during all this? Where is your leadership? All that and I didn’t hear any specific concerns about anything in the literal ordinance. I read it, and I think your responses were what they were because you know the ordinance is solid. Please stop picking on community members and be honest and transparent about why you don’t support END. Us voters deserve that if you’re gonna keep it off our ballots. Please VOTE YES TO PLACE IT ON OUR BALLOT!
I have been following the Emerald New Deal for a while and since it was pitched to me around fall of 2021, It made so much sense to me to see the money coming from selling drugs being invested in the communities hurt by the war on drugs. I know when I voted to pass measure z it was promised to us that the money from selling weed will be used to support the communities and repair some of the issues, we have not seen that happen even though we so cannabis businesses popping up in our neighborhoods and some of them even continue to harm them like the Green Sage business in the Cannery neighborhood. The time is now to make good on this promises and this a great opportunity Oakland city council to be part of this historical effort specially the black the city council members. I do not see a single reason why they did not jump on this right away. Even after I read the ordinance it looked amazing to me and addressed all the issues, even though END will not solve all the problems, but it a great start to start paying attention to the folks hurt by the war on drugs and continue to be hurt by the city disinvestment in their communities. Vote NOW to put END on the ballot and leave it up to the people to decide on it, even though I am 100% sure Oakland will vote on this unanimously if they are given a chance.
Place Emerald New Deal on the ballot!!! I met these folks when they knocked on my door, I spent the time to read the ordinance, do my research, and it really feels like our Councilmembers have not. Give us the chance to vote on this in November!
Put the Emerald New Deal on the ballot. I get it, making a decision that will truly represent your constituency takes time and assessment, I am grateful that you have taken the time and done due diligence, it shows that you understand that a budget tells us a lot about the values and the purpose of our elected officials. The END campaign team has also done its due diligence. Each supporting signature has meant hours of spending time with community members, and creating lasting relationships. Putting the END ordinance on the Ballot will give these voices a platform so that Oakland voters can decide how to categorize money. Budgets are about allocating resources that align with the values of your constituency. I have heard some of you say that the general fund already resources some services that the END ordinance prescribes. This may well be true, and yet it is impossible to trace, and most definitely not enough relief for communities impacted by the war on drugs. It is also not targeted specifically to communities that have been harmed due to strict enforcement of drug laws. The way the budget is communicated is an intentional choice. END came out of community gathering, identifying and pushing for specific changes around allocation of funds, putting it on the ballot will give Oakland voters the opportunity to decide, trace and measure the impact of the resources for a sustained amount of time. Put END on the ballot and let your constituency show you what we value.
Please put END on the ballot and give our communities an opportunity to start the healing journey. This is a great start to repairing some of the harm inflicted on our communities by the war on drugs. The time is now, do not delay further, put END on the ballot and let the people decide
Please vote YES to place Emerald New Deal on the ballot. At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Councilmembers in opposition chose to attack the campaign team for using completely legal, and frankly basic, community organizing methods instead of discussing the ordinance itself. They pitted groups against each other that are all committed to supporting the communities most impacted by the War on Drugs. They said both that the City is already doing enough and that the problems are too big to fix through a policy. END has never claimed to be IT. It’s a start! It’s an important start to hold Oakland accountable to its progressive claims, a start to address the harms it’s caused through the racist policies of the War on Drugs, to institutionalize this as policy to support more and more progressive investments in each budget cycle. None of the Councilmembers’ complaints can point to specific issues with the ordinance itself. It’s clear that the END ordinance is sound, progressive policy. It’s clear to all the Oakland residents that support it. It has satisfied the democratic process. I am asking my City Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas and her colleagues to honor the democratic process, read the ordinance, and vote yes to place END on the ballot —- let the voters decide!
Please put the Emerald New Deal on the ballot, this is a chance to repair the harm that has been done and to invest resources in the communities and families harmed by the war on drugs. At Tuesday’s City Council meeting the city council members in opposition of this measure have not been transparent with the members of the public on why and for what reasons they oppose it, we need full transparency at the next meeting. We need to know why this community initiative is being opposed and what part of the ordinance is concerning to the city council members, the people need to know! I can’t believe that the most progressive city council members are not supporting this initiative, since is aligned with their visions and what they stand for. This measure is the first step to reparations and WE WANT IT NOW!!! Let’s get END on the ballot.
Let the people vote! If the City Council fails to unanimously agree on this piece of historic regulation, then allow Oakland residents to weigh in through an election. Get END on the ballot!
I am an Oakland resident of district 5 and I am asking all our city council members to put this community-based initiative on the November ballot and let me and the other constituents decide. The END measure is planning to address the harms caused by the war on drugs and our communities are still paying with their lives the terrible consequences of this racist war. Please VOTE YES TO PLACE IT ON THE BALLOT!
Councilmembers Kaplan, Fife, Bas, and Thao you should be embarrassed by your response to this truly grassroots initiative. CM Kaplan, as a civil rights attorney I expect you to understand that a 501c4 can absolutely distribute the flyer that END did, please do your research before accusing a campaign organizer of acting criminal, and on his 5th anniversary of coming home from prison no less! You demanded a public apology for a flyer…I hope to see a public apology from you for your attack. CM Fife you talked around in circles, pitted organizations against each other, I expected so much more from a longtime community organizer. Why didn’t you ever take up the END teams requests to collaborate on END? This is baffling given your work on a Black New Deal. CM Bas you are council president and a longtime community organizer, you should have defended a community organizer from baseless attacks from your colleagues who used a recorded meeting to sow doubts on the hard work of community members. CM Thao how could you be silent during all this? Where is your leadership? All that and I didn’t hear any specific concerns about anything in the literal ordinance. I read it, and I think your responses were what they were because you know the ordinance is solid. Please stop picking on community members and be honest and transparent about why you don’t support END. Us voters deserve that if you’re gonna keep it off our ballots. Please VOTE YES TO PLACE IT ON OUR BALLOT!
I have been following the Emerald New Deal for a while and since it was pitched to me around fall of 2021, It made so much sense to me to see the money coming from selling drugs being invested in the communities hurt by the war on drugs. I know when I voted to pass measure z it was promised to us that the money from selling weed will be used to support the communities and repair some of the issues, we have not seen that happen even though we so cannabis businesses popping up in our neighborhoods and some of them even continue to harm them like the Green Sage business in the Cannery neighborhood. The time is now to make good on this promises and this a great opportunity Oakland city council to be part of this historical effort specially the black the city council members. I do not see a single reason why they did not jump on this right away. Even after I read the ordinance it looked amazing to me and addressed all the issues, even though END will not solve all the problems, but it a great start to start paying attention to the folks hurt by the war on drugs and continue to be hurt by the city disinvestment in their communities. Vote NOW to put END on the ballot and leave it up to the people to decide on it, even though I am 100% sure Oakland will vote on this unanimously if they are given a chance.
Place Emerald New Deal on the ballot!!! I met these folks when they knocked on my door, I spent the time to read the ordinance, do my research, and it really feels like our Councilmembers have not. Give us the chance to vote on this in November!
Put the Emerald New Deal on the ballot. I get it, making a decision that will truly represent your constituency takes time and assessment, I am grateful that you have taken the time and done due diligence, it shows that you understand that a budget tells us a lot about the values and the purpose of our elected officials. The END campaign team has also done its due diligence. Each supporting signature has meant hours of spending time with community members, and creating lasting relationships. Putting the END ordinance on the Ballot will give these voices a platform so that Oakland voters can decide how to categorize money. Budgets are about allocating resources that align with the values of your constituency. I have heard some of you say that the general fund already resources some services that the END ordinance prescribes. This may well be true, and yet it is impossible to trace, and most definitely not enough relief for communities impacted by the war on drugs. It is also not targeted specifically to communities that have been harmed due to strict enforcement of drug laws. The way the budget is communicated is an intentional choice. END came out of community gathering, identifying and pushing for specific changes around allocation of funds, putting it on the ballot will give Oakland voters the opportunity to decide, trace and measure the impact of the resources for a sustained amount of time. Put END on the ballot and let your constituency show you what we value.
Please put END on the ballot and give our communities an opportunity to start the healing journey. This is a great start to repairing some of the harm inflicted on our communities by the war on drugs. The time is now, do not delay further, put END on the ballot and let the people decide
Please vote YES to place Emerald New Deal on the ballot. At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Councilmembers in opposition chose to attack the campaign team for using completely legal, and frankly basic, community organizing methods instead of discussing the ordinance itself. They pitted groups against each other that are all committed to supporting the communities most impacted by the War on Drugs. They said both that the City is already doing enough and that the problems are too big to fix through a policy. END has never claimed to be IT. It’s a start! It’s an important start to hold Oakland accountable to its progressive claims, a start to address the harms it’s caused through the racist policies of the War on Drugs, to institutionalize this as policy to support more and more progressive investments in each budget cycle. None of the Councilmembers’ complaints can point to specific issues with the ordinance itself. It’s clear that the END ordinance is sound, progressive policy. It’s clear to all the Oakland residents that support it. It has satisfied the democratic process. I am asking my City Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas and her colleagues to honor the democratic process, read the ordinance, and vote yes to place END on the ballot —- let the voters decide!