Posted on 02/05/2010 10:10:56 AM PST by NormsRevenge
OAKLAND -- Mayor Ron Dellums delivered a fiery speech Thursday to city business leaders, telling them federal stimulus dollars will provide 5,000 jobs in Oakland over the next three years.
In a broad-ranging 55-minute address, Dellums also said Oakland has been selected as one of three cities that officials from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department and the White House will visit, possibly in early March, to evaluate the effect of the 2009 stimulus package.
"Oakland is not on this list by accident," Dellums said. "We're there because people appreciate that we've engaged in a problem-solving, collaborative effort that is relatively unique around the country, and here's our great opportunity to deal with that."
The mayor said the city has received $87.9 million in grants in which Oakland is the lead agency, plus additional money in grants in which the city worked with another government agency or other partner.
"There are other big initiatives out there," Dellums said afterward. "This jobs bill that's working its way through the Congress -- we're going to get our part of that. The transportation (bill) -- we're going to get our part of that."
Dellums' remarks to six of the city's chambers of commerce -- which at times sounded like a stump speech -- left some questioning whether he is laying the groundwork for a re-election bid.
"The mayor has not yet made a decision," said spokesman Paul Rose after the event. "He has stated he will notify the community at the appropriate time."
(Excerpt) Read more at insidebayarea.com ...
Maybe he is angling to get an Obama JOb, say Head of HUD?
Oakland needs 5000 new community organizers?
They could use 5000 parole officers
Why is this important? Start by dividing the $87.9m by the claimed 5k jobs and you get $17.5k / 'job' and this is over 3 years? Even if you add the very vague 'plus additional money in grants' from another agency --- does this sound like a real job or is it a short-term make-work program? Of course it could be I am just all too skeptical of these Big Government people ...
Yall should send Dellums to Detroit to see for himself what happens to a city that gets into bed with the federal government.
True, that they could use!
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