The Oakland branch of the NAACP on Monday came out in support of an effort to recall Mayor Sheng Thao over concerns about crime and allegations of fiscal mismanagement, among other things.
During a news conference Monday morning, Oakland NAACP executive board members and the group's president, Cynthia Adams, joined with others to voice their support for the November 5th recall election against Mayor Thao.
NAACP board member Patrice Waugh said: "The NAACP fervently believes that Mayor Thao poses a serious threat to the well-being of our great city. Her actions and inactions have clearly demonstrated her inability to govern, thus endangering the safety of Oaklanders."
Waugh cited several instances of Thao's perceived missteps, including the firing of former police chief LeRonne Armstrong, whom the group supported, then taking nearly a year to hire a replacement.
Also, Thao missed a deadline to receive millions in retail theft prevention grant money from the state and used the one-time sale of the city's ownership of half of the Oakland Coliseum to balance the city's budget without fixing the structural issues that led to the deficit in the first place.
In response, Thao's campaign issued a statement saying the mayor is in fact at least partially responsible for a declining crime rate in Oakland. The campaign also touted Thao’s partnership with Governor Newsom.
