Sign the Oak to Ninth Petition!

A broad coalition is fed up with City Hall's repeated giveaways to developers. They are circulating a petition that would stop the city council's capitulation to a developer who plans to build units for 5,000 new residents in the Oak to Ninth waterfront area.

Among the many reasons for stopping this project and renegotiating its terms are two big ones:

1. The city council has done nothing to produce a solid plan and commitment to get Oakland the 1,100 police officers we need for peaceful streets. Adding 5,000 residents only increases the need for police service.
   
2. Redevelopment projects like this one divert 80 percent of all future property tax revenue into the Redevelopment Agency, where the money is used to subsidize the next giveaway deal! This diverts a revenue stream away from police service and basic maintenance for decades.
   

The coalition, which unites neighborhood groups in the area, Oakland Heritage Alliance, the Bay chapter of the Sierra Club and other organizations, supports a truly beneficial project at Oak to Ninth. "Oakland's waterfront is a valuable but largely neglected treasure that should be developed and nurtured for the pleasure and use of all of us." The coalition condemns "blocking the water views and access to the rest of us, and creating traffic and other nightmares."

The petition demanding a referendum on Oak to Ninth has until Aug. 17, 2006 to gather enough signatures. Act now!

And prepare to vote NO on the $148 million palace library expected on the November 7, 2006 ballot. Residents want to turn Oakland around. The first priority must be peaceful streets and basic maintenance in all our neighborhoods.