Oakland Council in Pre-Dellums Rush to Reward SpeculatorsPaul Hogarthbyline‚ Nov. 20‚ 2006In November 1998, Republicans suffered huge losses at the polling place as a backlash to their impeachment effort against Bill Clinton. Nevertheless, the lame-duck House of Representatives voted to impeach the President anyway. Now Oakland City Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente (a failed Mayoral candidate) wants to rush through a condo conversion bill to reward his allies in the real estate industry – even though incoming Mayor-elect Ron Dellums opposes the plan. Dellums won over 50% of the vote last June, and mayoral candidates opposed to increased condo conversions won 66% of the vote. De La Fuente’s ordinance is a slap in the face at Oakland voters, and will be an early Holiday present for real estate speculators who stand to make massive profits. But it would be the Nightmare Before Christmas for Oakland’s low-income, elderly or disabled tenants. |