Chronicle ignores real Oakland cronyism and corruption

The editors of the Chronicle who write headlines took some isolated facts collected from Oakland bureaucrats by two columnists who write for the Chronicle, pasted these facts together and concluded that these facts prove a financial connection between City Councilmember Desley Brooks and the Ron Dellums mayoral campaign. If there is, so what?

These columnists continue to try to connect a man in Brook's life to city money. The man in Jerry Brown's life for 30 years always got a pass.

The checks, which were written by the City of Oakland Finance Department, must have been legal. If not, the fault lies with Jerry Brown's administration. The only issue here is Ms. Brook's judgment. The voters of her district will determine the validity of that judgment.

These two columnists have never written about Jerry Brown's roommate Jacques Barzaghi. Jerry Brown and Jacques lived together all of the time that Jacques was on the city payroll. Jacques and Jerry have a 30-year relationship.

There was never a question about this relationship and city money, even when city money was used to suppress a criminal complaint against Jacques. There was never a question when Jacques worked as a consultant to the man who was the treasurer of the Brown campaign.

The paper and its writers continue to find news that casts doubts on the character of Black people of influence. When Jerry Brown extorted $50,000 from Zhone Technology after selling them city land for $1.6 million below market, these columnists did not find that newsworthy.

When Jerry Brown awards hundreds of millions of dollars in no bid contracts to white general contractors only, this paper does not find that newsworthy. When Jerry Brown awards the Fox Theater to a crony without bid, this paper does not find that newsworthy.

When Jerry Brown guaranteed the Forest City developers, with whom he socializes, a profit on the uptown development, which the City of Oakland financed 100 percent, this paper did not find this fact newsworthy. When the Port of Oakland awards no bid contracts or ignores staff recommendations for security contracts and selects the highest bidder or sells city land below market to cronies of the mayor, why does the Chronicle ignore such practices?

It is newsworthy that most Chronicle stories about Oakland politics seem to support Jerry Brown and the people he chooses. Cronyism and corruption that borders on criminality appears not to be newsworthy to this paper when it is done by White politicians.

My response to this paper's continued attacks are ignored, which is their right. This paper, like other media, refuse to print a Black point of view that is different from those that they buy.

Joe Debro is co-founder of the National Association of Minority Contractors, a general engineering contractor and a bio-chemical engineer. He may be reached at Transbayd [at] aol.com.

http://www.sfbayview.com/052406/corruption052406.shtml