float:right; So were going to do that across the city. } display: block; OAKLAND, CALIF. (KGO) -- Community activist Seneca Scott is the founder of grass roots organization that sued the City of Oakland over its homelessness policies. $('#candidate-connection-email-150698').on('click', () => { ga('send', 'event', 'surveycta', 'surveycta-click-email'); }); We create new root causes every single day in the way we treat our children and elders. .rcvtooltip:hover span { He says the city has allocated $3.5 billion over the next years with a focus on housing, but has one concern. And this is complicated because Libby spent her first day with OPD. Oakland spends a few million dollars a year on arts and culture through the city budget. Its proof of concept that these things bring neighbors together in ways that matter. $('.showResponses').hide(); padding-left: 16px; $('#selected_round640055b6cc5e4').html(this.value); .mw-body #mw-content-text h5.rcvrace_header { $('.hideResponses').on('click', () => { Scott isnt the only mayoral candidate who has been recently arrested on a firearms charge. padding-left: 10px; Public policy. .rcvtooltip span { .non_result_row { if (this.value == '3'){ Seneca Scott, housing activist; Loren Taylor, city councilor from the 6th district background-color: #003388; .image-candidate-thumbnail-wrapper .image-candidate-thumbnail { If you value what you get from The Oaklandside, please join us with a tax-deductible donation today so we can continue doing the local reporting that matters to you. Round 9 display: inline-block; We need earmarked funds for Oakland so that people want to invest here. Apply today! .widget-img { font-weight: 100; width: 95% !important; $('.collapse').collapse('hide'); Los Angeles doesnt deal with that. Oakland activist Seneca Scott announces he is entering the race for mayor. The root cause is us. visibility: visible; Yeah. I believe that we need to build a parallel system thats localized and decentralized at the same time that our current systems economy is decaying. Despite the Silesian Voivodeship's name, most of the historic . It essentially created a two-tier workforce. We should do the same thing with the sideshows. I cant get hurt on the campaign trail if I want to win, Ill be laid up in the hospital. Scott lives in West Oakland in an area he says would be impacted by the project: "And even with that, it's something I think we desperately need to rescue Oakland's identity. Regarding the last budget written by the mayor and approved by the City Council with amendments, was there anything in that budget that you objected to or would have cut? } color:#888; padding-bottom: 3px; And we need to hold that number. We need to attract more soccer. This isnt about strong or not strong. .inner_percentage.Republican { clearInterval(nTimer); var t = '125522'; background-color: #dac113; All types of housing. p.survey-response {white-space: pre-line;} padding-left: 16px; When I demanded they return our property, one of them brandished a large knife at me. You have to start confiscating vehicles. Elections in 2023 | } var s = "640055b707964"; Fortson addressed some key issues, starting with homelessness and housing in Oakland. Thats all marketing. .panel-heading:hover { cursor: pointer;} And theyre just going to antagonize the [police chief], the guy we pay to be an expert? And morale [within OPD] is paramount. margin-top: 16px; Have you thought about any local solutions to remedying this national problem? if (this.value == '9'){ The deputies arrested Liu and booked him into jail. And I love that we now have grants for people to have block parties. display: inline-block; background: #4c4c4c; $('.collapse').collapse('show'); I chatted with Seneca, who's 42 years old, recently. Weve had public engagements with the unhoused community, the activist community, shelters, and developers who were all on the same platform. Especially if you look at the wealth disparity. So we need to be honest. You want to stop it? .results_row.winner { Oakland mayoral candidate Seneca Scott was arrested last year near a community garden he co-founded in West Oakland for allegedly brandishing a firearm at two people, according to police records. opacity:1 !important; In Oakland, heres how you stop it. It actually takes power away from the mayor. She won in the general election on November 8, 2022. max-height: 355px; RELATED: Activist Seneca Scott announces run for Oakland mayor. font-weight: 100; word-wrap: break-word; We could not only reclaim lots of properties that arent being used or are being dumped on, but we could also provide a sense of pride and meaningfulness to the community, jobs, and nutritious food. } Because some would argue that since the police department consumes more than 40% of the citys general fund, theres not enough money left over for root-cause programs. color: black; Can we ask you a quick question about license plate readers? background-color: #ccc; font-weight: 300; The number by formula is 1100. Market rate. People travel from states over to come to Oakland sideshows to document it, for Youtube documentaries that get tens of millions of hits. And thats confusing sometimes because special interestscommercial real estate, or nonprofits, or the labor unionseem to dominate our political discussion, and the neighbors and the local businesses get left out. We deserve better. border:1px solid #FFB81F; We know that public schools in Oakland are run by the Oakland Unified School District and charter school organizations, but Mayor Libby Schaaf has made education a big component of her tenure, spearheading efforts like Oakland Undivided, Oakland Promise, and the Oakland Teacher Residency Program. The 10 contenders who have qualified to run for mayor this year include experienced politicians like current and former city councilmembers and . .results_table { Endorse Seneca - Seneca Scott for Oakland Mayor 2022 Endorsements. It will actually help other problems like crime and lack of community ownership. Here's how under the radar the race for Oakland mayor has been just two. OPD didnt respond to a request for more information about the incident before publication of this story. Weve had that average for two years. Its bringing neighbors together and increasing community safety. max-width: 600px; No one wants to do a study on this and I dont have any numbers to back it up, but I can show you lots of pictures, lots of videos, and my own personal experiences that you guys have reported on that I can speak of were white males. We want to ask you about gun violence. $('.pastResponses').show(); .rcvtooltip { Seneca Scott, executive director of Neighbors Together Oakland (NTO) and a member of the Coalition for a Better Oakland, is running for Mayor of Oakland. Beasley, who set down roots in The Lower Bottoms 60 years ago, creates massive, abstract metallic sculptures of majesty and soaring dignity; it was, I thought, a fitting location for . background-color: #f9f9f9; Seneca likes to say that all of his endeavors serve the same purpose, helping to bring Oakland Neighbors closer together. font-size: 20px; Dear friends and neighbors please help elect Seneca Scott as Oakland's new mayor, Seneca is the strong, tough on crime and lawlessness leader Oakland needs right now. The average perpetrator of violent crime is under thirty now. color: #6db24f; If you were elected mayor, how would you repair this relationship? } How safe is your neighborhood? We're back in Jack London Square, this time with Oakland mayoral candidate Seneca Scott, who minces no words about the state of his city and why labor is backing an . } padding-bottom: 8px; OAKLAND, CALIF.Gov.That was the year Gerald Ford was president, Steve Jobs helped found Apple and the original "Rocky" movie was playing in theaters.of 10 during the 6A swimming and diving championship meet at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center at the . }) .votebox-results-metadata { } div.oneoff-scrollbox.short { height:250px; overflow:scroll; margin:20px; padding:10px; border:1px solid gray; } We did not find any criminal cases involving any other candidates running for mayor this year. .mw-body #mw-content-text th.votebox-results-cell--text { I actually have plans. Cities | Those were incredibly complex negotiations. font-size: 0.9em; var s = "640055b6cc5e4"; vertical-align: top; })(); Seneca Scott did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey. $(document).ready(function(){ Due to my role as a community organizer, I am besieged by neighbors with horror stories of being violently assaulted and robbed. text-align: center; .large-date { text-align: center; margin-top: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600;} Because as youve seen, people die when [the police] follow people. Ive been trying to bring a grocery store to the Lower Bottoms in the 99 Cent location. G-1, Oakland, CA 94612 TEL (510) 272-6973 FAX (510) 272-6982 TDD (510) 208-4967 I could email you. Why would you invest in a city that is closed to business when everyone else is not? But its obvious. margin-bottom: .75em; Recently it was made law that you need to give at least 30-days notice [to clean or close an encampment], thankfully, because it was inhumane to keep giving people short notice and then not following through like the MLK and Grand encampment, where theyve told them every day for the last six months theyre going to evict them and it never actually happens. He holds a doctorate in sociology from UC Santa Barbara and was the co-recipient of the George Polk Award for local reporting in 2017. .results_row td { Seneca Scott. left: 0; } and some people would say those things are incompatible. You need to actually have a 30-to-60-day approach. $('.showResponses').on('click', () => { .votebox-results-cell--check { .mw-body #mw-content-text th.votebox-results-cell--text { Im a worker advocate. var x = '%7B%223%22%3A%7B%22votes%22%3A30194%7D%2C%222%22%3A%7B%22votes%22%3A30489%7D%2C%221%22%3A%7B%22votes%22%3A30408%7D%7D'; jQuery(item).html("Scroll for more "); Round 3 display: table; Three fires a day in homeless encampments. p.survey-response {margin-left:10px;} text-align: center; padding-bottom: 7px; How to run for office | Activist Seneca Scott announces run for Oakland mayor. Scott, who's the executive director of Neighbors Together Oakland, spoke to ABC7's Jobina Fortson on our digital-only newscast, "ABC7@7" on Friday. This is an illegal encampment under the Encampment Management Policy. .percentage_number { How would they fix Oaklands potholes? Im on the Oakland Builders Alliance board. Ballotpedia features 395,443 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. to continue reforming our Police Department by instilling a culture of integrity and fairness at every level and achieve constitutional policing without federal oversight. } Too few. | 63% of Oaklanders are unhappy with city government | | Get tickets to Culture Makers, {{#label}}{{label}}: {{/label}}{{message}}. Could any elected official tell me why it takes so long? Your support is powering our newsroom! Luxury. You want public schools to be reimagined or repurposed. I bike. Theyre not mutually exclusive. Check the latest city audit that shows $69 million was spent on housing people, and [the city didnt] track any of that. The words were used. color: white; color: #888; Seneca Scott, a cousin of Martin Luther King Jr.'s wife, Coretta Scott King, criticized the newly unveiled statue of her family members in Boston. Seneca Scott, the West Oakland Community Activist who ran for the Oakland City Council District Three seat won by Carroll Fife, has thrown his hat into the r. } You make it a union project, it [a CEQA objection] goes away. What kind of crap is that? Its like were gaslighting. The 2022 Oakland mayoral election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the mayor of Oakland, California. width: 100%; You have to pull people over who are reckless driving. } } font-weight: 300; .inner_percentage.Libertarian { .race_footer { Long Beach doesnt deal with that. What I felt was left out was accountability. I am running for mayor to restore accountability and trust in our city to protect our citizens safety and wellbeing. .race_header { 20 percent of the time, no one picks up the phone. display: inline-block; } .expand-all:hover, .collapse-all:hover {cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;} She says it's not only property crime, which used to be the biggest issue prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but now violent crime, including the increased shootings in Oakland neighborhoods and freeways. So right in there, theres no political delineation of power because if the mayor has an agenda and that agenda is opposed by the majority of the City Council, then they can thwart the mayors agenda. margin: 0px 10px; Its [the citys] job to provide services that are not arbitrary and capricious. Youve got to get it back. var ex_votes = t - abcde[this.value].votes; Thank you. } Candidate Seneca Scott criticized for suggesting a protest at the temple The first response to Liu's email on Sunday was from Seneca Scott, a West Oakland resident and founder of the entertainment company Oakhella who is also running for mayor. position:absolute; .survey-result {padding:10px;} width: 350px; A co-founder of local entertainment company OakHella, which distanced itself from Scott this past weekend, and co-founder of Bottoms Up community garden, which is where the alleged incident with the gun occurred, Scott ran for the District 3 City Council seat in 2020 and came in third with 7% of the vote. Last year, Seneca Scott lost the Oakland mayoral election. U.S. President | The neighborhood organizer said hell restore rule of law in Oakland and make the city more economically resilient. .inner_percentage.Green { Both the Coliseum and the Arena are huge entertainment hubs for the city. } .electionsectionheading { And there are some other reasons too that I believe are speculative that I wont mention. That goes from being a sanctimonious bully all the way to being able to take your life or your property or liberty. So what do you do in that case if someone doesnt want the services? Just after 10 p.m. on Oct. 30, 2021, Oakland police officers were flagged down by a man at the corner of Peralta and 8th streets in West Oakland. But that absolutely should end. We need to make sure were supporting them and also that were holding them accountable for creative ideas that are going to help enrich the community. Im not talking about expired tags. He blasted the city's election system at Tuesday's news conference. I went to the garden and cautiously approached them. margin-bottom:0px; Now, he is running for mayor. Please, Mayoral election in Oakland, California (2022), City elections in Oakland, California (2020), https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Seneca_Scott_(California)&oldid=8901894, Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022, Special Congressional elections (2023-2024), 2022 Congressional Competitiveness Report, State Executive Competitiveness Report, 2022, State Legislative Competitiveness Report, 2022, Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections. height: 100%; Ive been working with Hank Levy [Alameda Countys Treasurer] to identify some of them and think creatively with other nonprofits about agricultural solutions to create localized agriculture and soil-based economies in those areas. Im going to do whatever the heck I want to do because the neighbors have empowered me. Source. .expand-all:hover, .collapse-all:hover {cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;} } font-style: italic; .widget-value { Round 7 } Credit: Amir Aziz. [Regarding the Wood Street homeless camp] if the activists were smart, theyd use the Encampment Management Policy to say, Hey, [the city] told us to come here. padding-top: 3px; "We need to end this war between the moderates and progressives that our citizens suffer in activity around policing. But we need business improvement districts that will support these things. [Editors note: we asked Scott to email us studies showing the effectiveness of license plate readers in stopping crime, and well post them here if he responds.]. If you go back to that report, the footage of people shooting up vehicles with assault rifles and setting them on fire, my neighbors sent me that. padding-left: 8px; } And everyones seen the debate. This was night time, I held multiple squatters at gunpoint, called 911. As a result, there will also be a 2nd random drawing to determine the . The two most pressing issues facing Oakland (and the reasons why we started the Coalition) are homelessness and an underfunded, harassed Oakland . } width: 50px; Arts is the fabric of quality of life. The officer was flagged down, and the man who pulled the knife fled the scene with our stolen property before the officers could stop him. At that very moment an OPD officer happened to be driving by. font-weight: bold; Thao is our first choice for Oakland mayor, and we think that she would move the city forward. The following Monday, the clerk's office told her that her signatures were insufficient. MACRO took a long time to set up and they established it without [taking calls from 911] dispatch. margin-bottom: -2px !important; Seneca Scott ran for election for Mayor of Oakland in California. .votebox-scroll-container { .rcvtooltip:hover span { .votebox_bp_logo { I would say, has anyone reported the frequency of dead bodies found in homeless encampments when they abate them? margin-bottom: 4px; I disagree. var l = '3' font-weight: bold; We amplify community voices, share the power of real information, and investigate systems, not just symptoms. Neighborhood activist Seneca Scott faces misdemeanor charges after he was arrested in October 2021 for allegedly pulling a gun on two people who were outside a community garden he runs in West. This is just not an honest conversation [happening currently] about the nuances of homelessness, about the new face of homelessness, [the] 24% growth during an eviction moratorium [from 2019 to 2022], that suggests that now youre importing people. Seneca Scott for Oakland City Council District 3 | Oakland CA background-color: red; Its like a simple thing. width: 100% !important; [Editors note: according to Edsource, The cost of housing in Oakland and the Bay Area is among the highest in the state, and Oaklands salary scale, as of 2020-21, was among the lowest in Alameda County, from $50,600 for new teachers to $95,000 for the highest-paid veterans.] How do you fix that? The garden. The policy makes it illegal to have an encampments 50 feet from parks, residents and business, unless it's attached to a nonprofit or city service. color: #fff; Round 2 The fact that weve given people passes on that is not only contemptuous of the unhoused but also the housed. } We need to finish the job on that. Well send a clear message that youre not going to be driving like a crazy person through the streets of Oakland. } We developed these questions with help from hundreds of Oakland residents who answered our election survey this summer; thank you to everyone who weighed in. } width: 150px; !" font-size: .9em; .key-messages li {margin-bottom: 10px;} $('#' + this.value + s).show(); } We amplify community voices, share information resources, and investigate systems, not just symptoms. } display: block; position: absolute; display: inline-block; .results_row td { Im talking about reckless driving, the unsafe traffic violence that were seeing frequently through the streets of Oakland. } The Oaklandside relies on reader support to remain free for everyone in our community. .inner_percentage.Republican { function indicateScroll (){ As a community activist, Scott has criticized the city for proliferating homeless . .key-messages li:last-child { margin-bottom: 0px;} Thats why I joined the Oakland Builders Alliance. The ranked-choice voting election was won by Carroll Fife in round 3 . $('.hideResponses').hide(); line-height: 1.5em; Taylor, elected four years ago, represents much of . I think its going to end in a couple of months if we keep our noses clean. He says residents in the unhoused community cannot be evicted without offers of housing. } I believe a Black entertainment group supposedly got the contract for that. } height: 56px; Something went wrong. Replying to. left: 0px; Now were not talking about a total replacement of our supply chain, were talking about supplementing things that are high cost. .race_header.democratic { Yes, Im the only person with an outside-the-box plan for addressing these issues, at least when it comes to our food supply constraints, which not only affect local restaurants but our children, who have shown an inability to access healthy and nutritious food in Oakland due to food deserts and the lack of nutritious food provided to schools. He went on to earn a diploma in journalism from the United States Defense . } } According to a 2020 USA Today analysis of U.S. cities with a population of 65,000 and above, Oakland has 235 law enforcement employees (officers and civilian staff) per every 100,000 residents (ranking it 176th highest out of 634 cities), and Oaklands violent crime rate was 19th highest out of all these cities.]. I would challenge that. There are absolutely institutional issues of racism and equity, absolutely. width: 100%; Theres just no comparison to other cities. At recent mayoral forums, Scott has said that the citys crime rate is at unacceptable levels and that the police are failing to respond to 911 calls in a timely manner. Seneca Scott speaking at a mayoral candidates forum at Laney College. But theyre arguably more about class at the end of the day. $('#emessage640055b6cc5e4').html(' Total : ' + ex_votes.toLocaleString()); } Where will the funding come from? Just after 10 p.m. on Oct. 30, 2021, Oakland police officers were flagged down by a man at the corner of Peralta and 8th streets in West Oakland. The 20-foot-high $20 million worth statue . I think its going to take a sophisticated leader who understands that but also has the common sense to know, ok, we dont have enough cops to staff 911 beats right now so you better hire some more cops to cover the citys 911 beats. Oakland mayoral candidate Seneca Scott was arrested last year and is currently facing charges for brandishing a firearm. .non_result_row div { One of my best friends has had untraditional housing on the street since Ive known him. I like to use the word accountable mayor. } if (l > 1){ overflow: hidden; $(".results_table640055b707964").hide(); Heres the problem. background-color: #6db24f; . overflow-x: auto; .non_result_row { Before joining The Oaklandside as News Editor, Darwin BondGraham worked with The Appeal, where he was an investigative reporter covering police and prosecutorial misconduct. .non_result_row div { There doesnt need to be an adversarial relationship. It also helps your family, friends and Oakland neighbors have access to reliable, independent reporting. margin-right: 12px; background-color: #dac113; [I use] accessible housing because what will a homeless person with a drug or mental health problem be able to afford? }); It was a unanimous vote from City Council. Are you this candidate? } Why are they mutually exclusive? .rcvrace_header.Democratic { $('#emessage640055b707964').html(' Total : ' + ex_votes.toLocaleString()); .results_row.winner { padding-bottom: 0px; } text-align: left !important; Counties | I am running for mayor because no one should have to risk their lives and freedom protecting themselves to be safe in their own neighborhoods. font-weight: bold; Undeniably. z-index:100; Residents have noted the lack of large grocery stores with fresh produce in Oakland, particularly in West and East Oakland. 63% of Oaklanders are unhappy with city government, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. width: 57%; border: 1px solid #888; font-weight: 300; If you take Soldier Field over there by the Lake Merritt Lodge, thats a great example. So I would have to get in there and see the data and see what kinds of conversations are going on in closed sessions that neighbors arent privy to, before I could weigh in on that. color: #6db24f; As we explained at the start of this series, weve invited nine of the 10 people running to be the next mayor of Oakland to sit down with us for in-depth interviews, asking them mostly the same questions, such as, how many police officers does the Oakland Police Department need?seneca scott oakland mayor