Time to Shut Down Redevelopment Waste

"Statewide, Redevelopment activities support 304,000 jobs annually – 7,600 in Oakland.." – Oakland mayor Jean Quan (Broadcast email "Redevelopment Facts", Feb. 2011)

"That estimate is seriously flawed and implausible." – Nonpartisan state Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor (Los Angeles Times, Feb. 21, 2011)

While neighborhoods cannot get police response and are littered with dumped trash, Oakland Redevelopment throws tens of millions of dollars into "restoring" the Fox Theater. Oakland mayor Quan, once again seizing on fantasy numbers, wants to keep making deals with favored developers. Governor Brown wants sensible priorities for scarce money.

In addition to peddling fantasy statistics, mayor Quan told a protest meeting of teachers and students that "the plan to shut down local redevelopment agencies only pits poor people in need of affordable housing against schools." (Oakland Tribune, March 27, 2011)

Quan on the city council helped throw Oakland redevelopment dollars into projects like building a fancy Rotunda palace across from City Hall and making "loans" to the Ferrari-driving owner of the Merritt Bakery. Mayor Quan would spend millions more building a new stadium for Major League Baseball. Why should teachers and students listen to her?