Oakland Renters Brace For $200.00 Per Month Rent Increases And More

To: tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com, ynpn-members [at] igc.topica.com
From: Stusmith97 [at] aol.com | Block Address  | Add to Address Book
Subject: Re: (YNPN) Renters Brace For $200.00 Per Month Increases
Date: Sun, 23 Sep 2001 19:26:18 EDT
Reply-to: Stusmith97 [at] aol.com


maybe we need to start looking at really revolutionary action with landords...Greed just keeps escalating right along with cell phones and SUV's...These people extend themselves financially and then need to
gouge anyone in their way to make the payments for 12-24 months and move up to a second renatl unit. Why do we put up with it? Let's stop them!

Mo

Ms Lynda Carson continues her campaign of lies, distortions, and misuse of information in her attempts to blight the reputations of the few people who devote their time and energy struggling against Oakland's anti-tenant bureacracy to improve the horrible situation that tenants face.

I will not dignify Ms Carson's lies or her personal attacks that cannot do anything to improve the lot of Oakland tenants. In all of Oakland, it is only Ms Carson who mistakenly thinks that in this anti-tenant city, advances for tenants will automatically fall from the sky without a lot of hard work and struggle. To the contrary, I presume that the people of Oakland, in their own wisdom and intelligence, know who are the real villians against tenants in Oakland, and also know who works toward the best interests of tenants, and who do not. I also presume that Oakland tenants do not need Ms Carson's twisted views, even if she were somehow able to the difference.

I am, have always been, and will continue to be available to talk with any Oakland tenants who have questions or are interested in any of my activities or any work that I am or may be involved in. Interested tenants with a genuine desire to help the situation for Oakland renters may feel free to contact me.

The Oakland Tenants Union is trying to build a mass organization in order to exert power on behalf of Oakland renters and be better able to carry out programs that can really make a difference. OTU needs your involvement. Call 510-704-5276.

James Vann

I still stand by my story, and have the full belief that the feelings of alarm
being demonstrated by many renters, activists, and advocates, including some in the same Task Force are VERY REAL. THE TASK FORCE DEAL IS BAD FOR THE RENTERS OF OAKLAND. James Vann plays a major role in the scheme along with the Land Lord Lobby to RAISE THE RENTS by support of their formula intended to replace the 3% cap on annual rent increases. His involvement allows the City Council to claim it has been a consensus between the renters and Land Lord Lobby, which is revealed in the Leaked E-Mail written by James Vann. Renters of Oakland REJECT the Task Force Deal, and it is James Vann who supports it! All RENTERS of OAKLAND are being urged to show up at Oakland City Hall when the City Council plans to vote this scheme into law, to STOP THE TASK FORCE DEAL! In the mean time, all are being urged to write letters, send e-mails, make phone calls to say NO to Dick Spees Housing Task Force Deal. Renters are being urged to tell the City Council members to SAVE the 3% Cap On Annual Rent Increases. People have Lobbied the Government for years over many issues, and this issue is worth fighting for!

Sincerely Lynda Carson

James,

Thanks for your comment above. Lynda continues writing her
material--she gets corrected but she goes back to stating
her inaccuracies. We just have to live with her.

The one good thing about her diatribes is she does spark interest about housing politics and people do contact me.
I do put them on our e-mail list and let them know what different housing activities going on. So if people want to give feedback or would like more information please call the 704-5276 number or e-mail me at EddieFair [at] juno.com.

A question to James Vann? Your offer is accepted.

I will be the first to take you up on your offer to answer
questions.

Question #1- Why did you void out over 7,500
valid signatures from the signed Petitions during
last years Just Cause Campaign? Your incompetence/sabotage singlehandedly sunk the Campaign dead in it's tracks, and NOWS the time to explain your ACTIONS.

Question #2-How did Mr. Anti-Tenant "Councilman Dick Spees" convince you to join up with the likes of Greg Mc Connell, Rick Philips, and John Holmgren in their efforts to accelerate the Forced Relocation of many thousands of renters through the recent Task Force
proposals that will be voted upon in the near future by Oakland City Council Members?

Feel free to answer the questions in the add your comment section below.

Based on experience and assessement of Ms Carson's ongoing crusade of intentional distortions, attempts to mislead Oakland tenants, and unfounded personal attacks on the few individuals who work diligently to improve conditions for tenants (and because she is apparently unable to even distinguish that there is a difference), Ms Carson does not meet the qualification of having a "genuine interest" in improving the lot of Oakland tenants.

My offer remains open to any tenant who has a genuine interest in knowing the truth and who is willing to lend their assistance to help the tenant struggle in Oakland.

The tone of this story is so unbalanced and irrational I can't believe my eyes. Imagine a landlord "socking it" to a tennant by not charging any rent increases for 3 years! I hope I can be so unlucky.

Also, the absurdity of her reasoning in the attack on rent increases based on CPI. I don't know where to start with this one.

Finally, the "skyrocketing" increases? I guess the skyrocketing 3% increase we have suffered the past few years has been tempered by my "skyrocketing" salary which has increased by (gasp) the even greater 4%.

This article is so ridiculous it makes me wonder whether she is an instrument of landlords used to make renters shake their heads in shame about renters advocates.

One can always expect the Land Lord Lobby/Shills to do their best to dodge the questions, and keep the renters helpless as the bank accounts continue to be plundered by the ruling class.

Shame on James Vann! He plays everyone for suckers. As usual, James Vann failed to deny the facts, and did not explain why he voided out enough valid signatures of the Just Cause Campaign to bring it down last year. Over 20,000 valid signatures were collected, 17,500 were needed to place it on the ballot, and over 7,500 were voided out by James Vann. This is by the same incompetent who claims to be leading renters that reject him, and his Task Force Deal.

Facts: Oakland is in the midst of a Forced Relocation scheme to make fortunes for the ruling class. The problem the rich have when acquiring properties, is the age old question of what to do with the PEOPLE that reside on the properties being bought and sold for profit. The NAZI's had their Final Solution as well as many others throughout history. In Oakland the same problem exists, and to accelerate the Forced Relocation of the people, they came up with a Housing Task Force to reach their goals with new proposals to accelerate the gentrification of Oakland.

The Task Force does not propose building more housing, nor to roll back the unlawfully gained rents on the many thousands of rental units. It does not propose subsidies for the renters that need aid. The Task Force has a scheme to replace the 3% cap on annual rent increases, as a means to end rent control in Oakland as we know it.

It has (Task Force) 2 main objectives.

1) Raise the rents with the CPI/less shelter Formula, currently at 6.3%, and shooting to the moon due to utility rate hikes. This alone wiil allow land lords to evict merely by raising the rents on those that cannot afford the scheme.

2) Revamp the Rent Arbitration Program with a NEW SYSTEM that will expedite the Rent Increases.

It is a system meant to shake down the renters, and for those that cannot afford the shake down, they CAN be FORCED to RELOCATE at GUNPOINT>>>>

There are over 200,000 rental units in Oakland, and last year there were only 547 petitions filed at the Rent Arbitration Program. Two years ago there were around 350 petitions filed or less. James Vann has traded in (your money) hugh Rent Increases (200,000) for the possibility that a few might make it to the Rent Arbitration Program to fight an increase. Increases that for many that will be well above 18%=$200.00 or more per month in rent increases. James Vann does not deny the facts or offer a rebuttal as to why so many denounce his actions in the Task Force. The best he can do is to try to make you believe the facts are not true.

This is the role James Vann accepted for the Land Lord Lobby. It is his JOB to sell the renters on something that goes against their best interests.

Is he up to the Task? Thats up to you to decide.

Theres something missing here. After many years in the Bay Area, I know that there is ALWAYS a COALITION of supporters backing up issues that are good for the Community. ALWAYS! We know that non-supporters of the Task Force Proposals are people from the East Bay Community Law Center, Just Cause Oakland, Eviction Defense Center, Oakland Tenants Union, Campaign for Renters Rights, and the renters of Oakland.

I notice that Mr. Vann and Mr. Ytuarte urge further secret talks with anyone that will reach them. Why?

For certain, what they do not offer is a LIST of Coalition Supporters backing them up in this affair. Whats wrong with this picture? In my humble opinion, if Mr. Vann and Ytuarte had any support they would have offered it by now in the form of a List of Coalition Supporters involved in Housing Issues.

Oakland needs TENANT ACTION NOW!

Tenant Action Now urges you to support Oakland renters during this time of crisis. More rent increases are not the solution to the Housing Crisis in the Bay Area. When word gets out as to when Oakland City Council Members will vote on the Task Force Deal to raise the rents you will be notified in advance so that
you can voice your opinion to stop this hugh transfer of wealth from the renters to the Land Barons. Oakland renters support the 3% cap on annual rent increases, and reject the Task Force Deal! You will be called upon to speak before the City Council Members to give Testimony as to why more rent increases are devastating for all renters of Oakland. Your Testimony will be needed on a "Tuesday Night" sometime near during October.

Thanks for you support.

Send a quick message of support to TenantsRule [at] yahoo.com , and you will be placed on a confidential list of supporters. Thanks in advance.

TenantsRule [at] yahoo.com

Dear Curious Spectator,

since you apparently think I would rather have "secret talks" than lets lets talk openly to our readers.

For the record, you cite 5 organizations above that are not
supporting the recommendations of the task force.

I actually work with two of the organizations you cite in the paragaph above: Just Cause Oakland and Oakland Tenants Union. A third in the group you cite also had a member which went to some of the task force meetings.

The task force recommendations were a series of recommendations which were agreed to by "consensus" by
members from the tenant community, the landlords, and the city staff. About three months ago, I copied an e-mail to the other task force members stating my opposition to the
proposed CPI/CPI minus shelter average proposal and that the
current 3% formula should be maintained.

I no longer am a member of the task force--one main reason is because the task force was rendered besides the point when
the mayor and the city manager and the city attorney conspired to remove Andrew Wolff from the rent Board, and how they conspired to rewrite the rent board ordinance to further benefit the landlords. It showed the futility on negotiating with the city on one hand, while the most powerful politicians undermine tenants interests on the other.

I have clearly told the other tenant members who used to participate in the task force of why I would not continue on the task force. And I also e-mailed the other individual members of the task force basically the same message.

in terms of who supports the task force recommendations and who doesn't--it is hard to tell if any organizations have actually said yes or no to the package or recommendations as they evolve. Just Cause Oakland is very clear in its position of keeping the 3 percent cap and so are almost all the other individual renters who have stated their position one way or another.

I think the task force recommendations will be heard before the city council in October. That is my understanding from reading a memo by Dick Spees, who convened the task force. I certainly hope to see you testifying vigoursly against the lifing of the 3 percent cap before the city council--along with any other feelings you might have about any other recommendations having to do with the rent ordinance or the staffing or functions of the city rent arbitration program. (if it is o.k. with you I will add your e-mail address to my list of contacts about events having to do with Oakland housing. This includes announcments about meetings involving Just Cause, Oakland Tenants Union, city council meetings, or special events like the recent rally to support Andrew Wolff)

In no way do I want to be seen as carrying on secret talks
with anyone in Oakland interested in housing rights.

I am very glad to see that you are interested in what is happening in Oakland housing and
and I urge you to become active in the housing rights movement in whatever way you would like.

The three percent cap is just one of the many housing issues that Oakland housing activists are currently working hard at. We need folks involved with things like Repair and deduct, affordable housing for very low income people, services and housing for the homeless, accessiblity issues involving housing for people with disabilities, gentrification---these are just some of the things I would encourage folks to learn about and get involved.

The one thing Lynda Carson and I certainly agree on--is when the task force recommendations go back before the city council--we want to see tenants and supporters show up and tell the city council what we want. so keep a watch for our (seperate) advisories.