What’s in Mayor Libby Schaaf’s 2021-23 Oakland budget proposal? — The Oaklandside
"The City Council passed a resolution last summer in the wake of the George Floyd protests stating their intent to reduce spending from the general fund on police by 50%, or approximately $150 million. Schaaf’s plan increases police spending from $316 million this year to $341 million in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, or a rise of about 8%. Police spending would grow another 3% to a total of $351 million in 2021-2023. As a share of the city’s general funds, police would be 41% next year, and 45% the year after, more or lessthe same share as over the past decade."
Oakland’s “Miracle Village” Under the 880 Freeway — SF.Funcheap
"The 'Cob on Wood' community broke ground in December to provide amenities for the nearby homeless encampment, one of the largest in the city. Made out of foraged materials, the tiny structures look straight out of a fairytale. There’s hot showers, a composting toilet, a health clinic, a fully stocked kitchen, vegetable gardens, a free 'store' with clothes and books, and even an outdoor pizza oven. Innovation for Artists Building Communities is one of the organizations that helped build the center in addition to help from local advocacy arts and food groups who teamed up with Miguel “Migz” Elliott, an expert in the construction of cob structures."
Help Us Launch Storefront Records! — GoFundMe
“I'm independent artistFantastic Negrito, and I've decided to launch my own record label,Storefront Records, right here in West Oakland, CA. I wondered to myself, ‘What do I do after winning my 3rd consecutive Grammy?’ Ahhh start an Oakland-based record label owned and operated by artists and musicians.”
Oakland youth examine how place influences identity, in new doc film — The Oaklandside
“The filmmakers are all Oakland Unified School District students who attended Youth Beat’s after-school film program. Despite needing to co-produce the film virtually (normally, the teens would have met in the studios of KDOL-TV, the school district’s public access television station) the students spent the entire school year collaborating on the film, a deeply personal exploration of how Oakland’s diverse communities intersect and how the city is experienced by its youth.”
