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Recall of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf Underway with High Level of Discontent in City (video)
In front of Oakland City Hall on July 11, Leigh Davenport of the Anti Police-Terror Project announced community activists' intention to recall Mayor Libby Schaaf. Primary among the concerns cited as cause for Schaaf's removal from office are her failures: 1) to address the massive displacement of long-time Oakland residents; 2) to support local youth and job centers; and 3) to hold Oakland police accountable for corruption, sexual exploitation, and those they've killed. Also referenced was Schaaf's unconstitutional ban on nighttime protests in May 2015. A full listing of the "dereliction of duties" cited is included below.
The first step in recalling a mayor is to collect signatures for a "Notice of Intent to Circulate Recall Petition" (PDF below). Originally, twenty-five signatures were gathered, twice the dozen thought necessary, but the actual amount needed was fifty, to match the number of signatures required to place a candidate on the ballot in Oakland. Also, the mayor must be served notice of the recall prior to filing intent with the City Clerk.
Additional signatures were collected and the recall notice was submitted to Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf on July 12. The Mayor had seven days to respond and didn't until July 19. After the initial false start, the "Notice of Intent" was officially filed with City Clerk LaTonda Simmons on July 25. The City Clerk has ten days to approve or deny the petition.
In order to certify a recall effort for the ballot, signatures from ten percent of Oakland's registered voters are required. That translates to over 20,000 valid signatures, ideally with thousands of extras gathered as a buffer to account for those that may be deemed invalid. Petitioners have a generous amount of time in which to collect signatures, 160 days.
While collecting enough signatures to place the recall on the ballot is a tall order, the effort is sincere. The Anti Police-Terror Project has a good-sized committee dedicated to gathering as many signatures as possible and is working with other groups to accomplish the goal.
“The level of discontent is high in the City of Oakland," notes Cat Brooks. "The people in the hills are happy, the developers are happy, but the black and brown and the poor people in the city are sick and tired of being sick and tired."
Activists are using the hashtag #ByeLibby in social media.
Additional signatures were collected and the recall notice was submitted to Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf on July 12. The Mayor had seven days to respond and didn't until July 19. After the initial false start, the "Notice of Intent" was officially filed with City Clerk LaTonda Simmons on July 25. The City Clerk has ten days to approve or deny the petition.
In order to certify a recall effort for the ballot, signatures from ten percent of Oakland's registered voters are required. That translates to over 20,000 valid signatures, ideally with thousands of extras gathered as a buffer to account for those that may be deemed invalid. Petitioners have a generous amount of time in which to collect signatures, 160 days.
While collecting enough signatures to place the recall on the ballot is a tall order, the effort is sincere. The Anti Police-Terror Project has a good-sized committee dedicated to gathering as many signatures as possible and is working with other groups to accomplish the goal.
“The level of discontent is high in the City of Oakland," notes Cat Brooks. "The people in the hills are happy, the developers are happy, but the black and brown and the poor people in the city are sick and tired of being sick and tired."
Activists are using the hashtag #ByeLibby in social media.
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