and Inauspicious.
"Historically, the city has issued two reports in October and November: the annual Revenue and Expenditures (R&E) report for the previous fiscal year, and the first quarter (Q1) R&E report for the current fiscal year.1
"Finance Director Bradley Johnson told Oakland Report on December 23 that the annual R&E report was delayed in order to incorporate audited numbers from the city’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR). Johnson said the ACFR will be released next week, and the annual R&E report will be published mid-January. Use of audited financial data in R&E reports is a novel practice for the city."
Perhaps more important than the annual report are the quarterly R&E reports that forecast current-year outcomes (FY2025-26). Johnson said that the city will not publish a Q1 R&E report this year because the first quarter data is too limited. According to Johnson, that makes financial projections unreliable for decision-making. Instead, the city will only issue the Q2 R&E report at its usual time in late February or early March."
"However, the early March timing of the Q2 R&E report leaves only four months for potential spending adjustments before the fiscal year ends—very little time to impact total annual expenses if there are deficits. And the city cannot tap reserve funds to cover deficits because they were spent-out last year."
https://www.oaklandreport.org/p/20251224-oaklands-quarterly-financial-report
When you elect people because of their demographics you can’t expect them to also always be competent.
when you take every possible opportunity to claim people of color were elected because of their demographics without evidence, you're probably a racist.
🤔 they didn’t actually say POC. Identity politics cuts both ways. If an election has voters vote for a white candidate over a more qualified POC candidate, the outcome is equally bad.
And we know Oaklanders love using race as a qualifier/filter.
Thanks for proving my point.
The instant “racist” reflex is why we can’t elect competent officials here. If you dispute someone of color - and there’s a mandate to elect and hire POC due to DEI, then you’re labeled as “racist.” There are MANY competent POC. But mandates - enforced through legislation, administration, or culturally, ensure that incompetent people get into office. Again, thanks for proving my point. To be clear. There are MANY MANY competent POC. So if you continue to just call me a racist you’re not addressing my actual point.
There's a difference between disputing a politician of color and disputing the basis on which that politician was elected, stating they were only elected because they were a person of color.
It's fine to say "hey this politician is incompetent", where they happen to be a person of color. It's racist to say "hey this incompetent politician is only here because we elect people on the basis of being a person of color".
You're doing the latter, not the former.
If you think Oakand doesn’t participate in identity politics, both culturally and legislatively then we’ll just have to agree to disagree.
“Sheng Thao is incompetent and in office because she’s a person of color” is fair game - she campaigned on being a person of color, Oakland has a large voting block based on identity politics, and she was ultimately underqualified for the job.
edited for clarity, you seem to be misunderstanding
Ya thanks I had misunderstood. Updated my comment. Seems like we still disagree on the parent commenter’s rhetorical point - I believe that claiming a politician was elected based on their race is not always racist. Definitely don’t think it’s racist when used in context of Oakland politics.
For the same reason claiming Trump won the election because he’s a white male isn’t sexist nor racist
Being downvoted for calling out racism is crazy
People of color are better able to sell the same socialist fraud that white politicians sold the same diverse communities in prior generations. Rebranding the salesmen isn’t the problem.
lol. Yeah.
In over two decades of participating in Oakland elections as a volunteer, candidate, campaign committee board member, I've never seen a correlation between race, sexual identity, national origin and competence for both candidates, office holders, and voters.
Nor any correlation with formal education.
I agree. You’re missing my point.
Waiting for the release of the financials doesn't sound right.
The same outside Sacramento CPA firm has been doing the audit for years.
The audit fieldwork was probably completed a couple of months ago, and the financials and footnotes drafted several weeks later. The reports would now be waiting final review by the CPA firm partner and, possibly, comments from Oakland. It would be unusual for there to be major changes from the drafts previously given to the City for comment.
If I post CM Ken Houston's FB post justifying his giving the finger to some of the council audience, would that be trolling :).
Oakland City Council Member Ken Houston's complete post on Facebook re his middle finger's behavior at a recent Council meeting.
"It is mind-boggling that a small minded group of people just don’t get it ?!?! So let me say it one more time so it’s not only clear but CRYSTAL CLEAR! I am a public servant that was elected to stand and do my electoral obligation ONLY to the people that VOTED TO PLACE ME IN OFFICE!“ now is that Clear??” and that is DISTRICT 7 ONLY! “is that Crystal Clear”?!?!? So to that CRYSTAL CLEAR POINT to ALL those OUTSIDERS trying to tell us what’s best for OUR Community District 7! I do not work for you! I do not listen to you!!!!! D7 are the only group of individuals I WORK FOR AND LISTEN TO PERIOD!!! Review the DATA! District 7 has been Under Represented and left out way too long!!! not any longer!!!!!!!! So to all those Outsiders read between the lines or the Fingers !!!
#KenHouston #SonofOakland""
Sheng Thao