Progressives Anxious – But Hopeful -- About Dellums

Eight years ago, many of these same people were excited about another new Mayor – Jerry Brown – who was supposed to be the great Left Hope. Like Brown, Dellums is an elder statesman who came out of retirement to run for Mayor of Oakland to help “renew” a struggling city. But this time, more progressives are optimistic that Dellums will not let them down the way Jerry did. Their optimism is guarded, but grounded in enough facts and experiences that Oakland is on the verge of a new era.

When Jerry Brown became Mayor in 1999, he also had bold visions of revitalizing the downtown area – which included bringing 10,000 new people to Oakland. Brown’s left-wing rhetoric from his KPFA talk show during much of the Nineties gave progressives a false sense of security that he would not ignore the plight of low-income people in Oakland. It’s a mistake that they don’t ever want to make again.

“Jerry Brown was a total let-down,” said activist Lynda Carson. “He double-crossed the progressives of Oakland in the name of pursuing a political career. There’s a huge swath of Oakland that is now under redevelopment, and under Jerry Brown many poor people were displaced as a result of his 10K plan.”

Eight years later, the facts speak for themselves – out of 5,800 housing units either built or planned in Oakland, less than 400 are “affordable.” While the city slightly dipped in population, there was a 26% increase in the number of households earning more than $100,000. Oakland’s black population has plummeted by almost 20% -- while unemployment increased 33%. The median home value has more than doubled, making it increasingly difficult for middle-class families to become homeowners. The city now has the worst of both worlds – it is whiter and more gentrified, but with fewer economic opportunities for African-Americans and a higher crime rate.

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