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Oakland, in the Jerry Brown years, practiced an unofficial policy of what might be called “community cleansing.” This is not to be confused with “ethnic cleansing,” the horrific activity in parts of, say, Eastern Europe or Central Africa where whole ethnic populations are violently and bloodily removed, either through exile or actual genocide. No, Mr. Brown’s “community cleansing” policies were far more genteel, involving little violence (though some—that’s what the whole Oakland Riders police scandal was about) and targeting not whole ethnic groups, but rather portions of the population that were considered as being “undesirables.” Part of this involved harassment,...

Armed robbers terrorized Oakland restaurants and small businesses in three separate crime sprees over the past year. The first wave targeted Asian eateries and struck during the 2007 holiday season. The second arrived last spring and was more indiscriminate. The third struck in July and August. All three made newspaper headlines and led television newscasts, shining a spotlight on the city's out-of-control crime problem and the Oakland Police Department's apparent inability to cope with it. In fact, the department's public response to the takeover robberies was both odd and illuminating. The department's mantra for dealing with the city's crime spike...

Michael Dellums, the son of Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, was denied parole once again today for his second-degree murder conviction for killing a reputed drug dealer in Oakland in 1979, according to Alameda County Deputy District Attorney Bill Boselli. Michael Dellums, 50, has been denied parole numerous times, most recently on Jan. 8, 2007, the same day that Ron Dellums was sworn in as Oakland's mayor. The California Board of Prison terms panel that presided over Michael Dellums' hearing today at the California State Prison, Solano, in Vacaville, where he is being held, decided he won't be eligible for another...

OAKLAND — Oakland had the fifth-highest crime rate among U.S. cities in 2007, according to a widely followed but controversial report released Monday by the publishing company CQ Press. Richmond ranked No. 9. Oakland dropped one spot in the rankings after finishing No. 4 in last year's report. That was of little consolation for Oakland officials, even as they said they believe the city is on the right track with its public safety programs. "We are obviously disappointed that we're not the fifth-safest city in the nation," police Chief Wayne Tucker said. "To explain why we're (No. 5), I think...

Oakland, Calif. (KCBS) -- Oakland is affiliating with the national OK Mentorship Program, which fosters guidance and support for kids at risk for incarceration and homicide. OK, which is short for “Our Kids,” offers one-on-one mentoring and puts value on education, health and positive associations. The African-American community is disproportionately affected by homicides and incarceration and Oakland’s Mayor Ron Dellums says it’s time for that to change. “The police cannot solve this problem alone, [and] the community cannot solve this problem alone. We need a multifaceted strategy,” said Dellums. The program seeks to reduce gun violence and gang affiliation, and...

OAKLAND — Mayor Ron Dellums detailed his decision to postpone the 166th Oakland Police Academy in a letter to City Council members Friday, saying the city does not have the money to put more recruits through training at this time.The academy was originally scheduled to begin Dec. 8 and will be postponed until spring or summer of next year."Given the harsh fiscal realities that we face today — which are more severe than expected even a few months ago — delaying the December police academy is the only responsible decision we can make," Dellums wrote.Police officials told 44 recruits Nov....

City of Oakland offices will shut down Nov. 26, the day before Thanksgiving, making it the first of 13 citywide closures aimed at cutting costs amid a $42 million budget shortfall. Roughly 10 departments — including the mayor's office — will close once a month until June 30, in addition to days city offices regularly close between Dec. 25 and Jan. 2. Mayor Ron Dellums announced the cost-cutting measure late Wednesday afternoon, saying that many cities affected by the economic crisis have chosen to take similar measures. "These are hard, painful choices that require a delicate balance between the need...

Barack Obama's chief campaign strategist David Axelrod, once worked for a man who was an identified member of the Communist Party USA, a registered agent of the Soviet Union and a paid disseminator of Soviet black propaganda. This man went on to become a key Chicago political fixer who helped elect communist linked politicians including the late Chicago mayor Harold Washington and former US Senator Carol Moseley Braun. This man knew Barack Obama and was a key member of an organisation which endorsed Barack Obama in his 2004 US Senate race. Barack and Michelle Obama were active members of this...

When bank robbery suspect Elmer Reyes crashed his getaway car on Interstate 880 in the East Bay, he told the officers who arrested him that the bad economy made him commit the crime. And when Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums responded to a spree of takeover robberies at restaurants in the city this month, he also blamed poor economic times as a motive for the crimes."The desperation of these crimes speaks to the broader issue of where we are in terms of this economy," the Quiet Mayor said. "When people become this desperate, they take desperate acts and we have to...

He is incredibly compassionate.He is incredibly reticent when faced with making decisions. And as a result, his handling of the Deborah Edgerly affair was an incredible disaster.That's pretty much how Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums' aides, past aides, city department heads, politicos and longtime friends explained his apparent inability to deal with Edgerly after it came to light that the city administrator had possibly injected herself into a police investigation of her nephew."You have to understand, he's never fired anyone - that's not his style," said one friend who has worked with Dellums since his days as a congressman. "He always...

OAKLAND — Mayor Ron Dellums announced Tuesday that City Administrator Deborah Edgerly will be allowed to stay at her post until July 31, even as she faces increasing criticism for possibly interfering with a police investigation. Dellums and Edgerly said that under a months-old agreement, Edgerly will retire July 31. Dellums said Edgerly's retirement has nothing to do with recent allegations that she intervened on behalf of a nephew, William Lovan, 27, in the police department's ongoing investigation of the Acorn gang of West Oakland. "What's important is that this is about the announcement of a decision that was made...

Whether Oakland City Administrator Deborah Edgerly leaves office quietly or fights tooth and nail to keep her job, it's time for a higher authority to take a look at operations inside Oakland City Hall during her term in office. This wasn't the first time that Edgerly has intervened on behalf of a co-worker, friend or family member, police sources say: -- Two years ago, Edgerly and Assistant City Administrator Cheryl Thompson showed up and made similar threats when police arrested Thompson's son, also a city employee, for disorderly conduct outside a bar in downtown Oakland. He remains a city employee....

Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, nearly 18 months in office, still reacts like a rookie to the most important events that affect the lives of city residents. When major breaking news has occurred while he was away, Dellums' office has issued generic, one-paragraph statements that are not only vague but leave the impression that he doesn't understand the city and the impact that such events have on the people who live there. His dispatches from afar no doubt are intended to convey a sense that the mayor is on the case, but they have the opposite effect - highlighting his emotional,...

North Oakland shopkeeper Scott Silvera tried for months to get Mayor Ron Dellums' attention about the explosion of crime in his neighborhood. Finally, fed up, he vowed to stop paying sales taxes until he heard from the mayor's office. Silvera is still waiting. But he did get an official visit the other day - from a representative of the state Franchise Tax Board, who warned the storekeeper to pay up the taxes he owes.Or else.Silvera, who runs Scout Home Hardware at 5026 Telegraph Ave. in the Temescal neighborhood, says he intends to pay the $3,000. The funny thing is, he...

Former President Bill Clinton listens to a question from the audience about the sub-prime mortgage crisis during a campaign visit for his wife at a barbecue restaurant in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2008. Former president Bill Clinton talks to a crowd of about 550 people at the Carson City Fire Department, while stumping for his wife Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., in Carson City, Nev., on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2008.

<p>Haiti's government, while controlled by President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and his party, spent $7.3 million between 1997 and 2002 lobbying the U.S. government as more than 80 percent of the country was impoverished.</p> <p>During this time, U.S. funding to Haiti — a typical measure of lobbying success — declined, and its economy foundered, fueling his opposition's successful effort to depose Mr. Aristide last week for the second time in 15 years.</p>

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday responded to a recent spike in Oakland homicides by committing more California Highway Patrol officers to patrol the city, where 79 people have been killed this year. "The violence in Oakland is absolutely unacceptable and represents a serious threat to innocent people," Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "We must do everything we can to eliminate that threat." The shooting death of a journalist downtown last week increased awareness of violence in the area. And even as community leaders gathered over the weekend to mourn Chauncey Bailey, editor of the Oakland Post, gunfire felled seven others...

Just about every proposal Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums has pitched since he took office seven months ago has sailed past the City Council. His first, a plan to hire qualified ex-felons for city jobs, was praised for its utility and humanity. And when he asked the council to significantly increase the budget for the mayor's office, not one member of the council questioned it. But now it seems that Dellums' honeymoon with the council and the public is coming to an end. Many residents are weary from the 3-week-old garbage lockout and are looking to Oakland City Hall -- including...

As part of his effort to help ex-felons get jobs and become integrated into society, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums wants to make it easier for them to get jobs with the city, his spokesman, Mike Healy, said Wednesday. Dellums wants to end the requirement that prospective city employees disclose whether they have been convicted of a felony by checking a box on the standard employment application, according to Healy. "There may be some jobs that ex-offenders who aren't violent can come out and do if they're qualified," he said. Healy said applicants for jobs in the Police Department and some...

OAKLAND - With the hopes and expectations of a city riding on his shoulders, Mayor Ron Dellums publicly took the oath of office Monday, becoming Oakland's 48th mayor. In a fiery and eloquent speech, Dellums pledged to end the violence that has long plagued Oakland, limited the city's progress and stained its reputation. "Let us unite to bring peace to the streets of Oakland," Dellums said, bringing the standing-room only crowd at the historic Paramount Theatre to their feet. "Peace is about justice, and we have a responsibility to bring justice to the streets of Oakland." Dellums, 71, reiterated his...