Labor Unions Should Not Endorse Don Perata For Mayor-An Enemy of Environmental Agenda

Labor Unions Should Not Endorse Don Perata For Mayor-An Enemy of Environmental Agenda
With today’s economy going south, Unions under attack and Public Workers being blamed for the bankrupt Federal, State and
County governments we cannot afford to alienate the voters by indorsing a candidate who takes pride in passing himself off as
a mobster. Don Perata is no friend of Labor, more importantly he is no friend of the residents of Oakland. Organized Labor
must distance itself from opportunistic, unscrupulous politicians such as Don Perata.
Don Perata conspired to and succeeded in removing an environmental Board of Directors at EBMUD. Both AFSCME
Locals 2019 and 444 (over 1,500 members) had endorsed and worked on the environmentalist’s election campaigns.
After they were elected Perata fabricated lies about the progressive members of the Board which resulted in their defeat
in the next election. As a result of their defeat EBMUD management returned to the “good old boys’” style of management
which negatively impacted our members. Perata did this act of skullduggery to help developers get water for the Dougherty
Valley development.
Don Perata negotiated the return of the Oakland Raiders which resulted in higher taxes for the residents of Alameda County,
fans forced to buy the right to buy tickets (personal seat license), TV blackouts of the Raider home games and a team that never
fails to disappoint.
Perata’s role in The Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) takeover by the State is still in question but there is good reason to
believe the action was taken to get a hold of school district real estate to sell to developers. Please visit this web site for more
information about Perata and the OUSD : http://notdon.org/perataandtheschooltakeover.html
The residents of Oakland voted to not allow any new billboards in the city. But CBS and Clear Channel found a way to get around
the voters will by contacting Don Perata who finessed the Port Authority to put jumbo-trons on their property. There are three of
them on your approach to the Bay Bridge.
Perata fights for gun control while he has a permit to carry one.
Perata has so far managed to avoid being jailed for illegal political practices thereby earning the handle the “Teflon don”. Although
Perata may not have crossed the line yet where he would be charged with kick-backs, influence pedaling, money laundering, etc,
he has been fined $10,500 for failure to disclose $65,000 he received from clients (one under Federal indictment) and another
$4,000 for failing to report a $90,000 campaign loan from his father.
Our endorsements represent the public and political face of our Unions. Do we really want to recommend Don Perata to the voters?
Charles T. Smith, AFSCME Local 444 delegate