February 7, 2005
Dear Friends,
Three weeks ago, Oakland City Councilmember Danny Wan unexpectedly resigned from office. On Tuesday, May 17, 2005, a special election will be held among District Two residents to elect our new city councilmember.
I am writing to share with you my decision to run for the Oakland City Council District Two seat.
As you know, I am serving my first term on the Oakland Board of Education. Four months prior to my inauguration, the school district discovered an unforeseen budget shortfall of nearly $30 million. When I was sworn into office in January 2003, the deficit had mushroomed to nearly $80 million and there was not enough money to close out the school year. Our financial management systems were broken and the school district was awash in political turmoil. In April, the Board of Education formally requested a $100 million state line-of-credit. In June, the Governor authorized the line-of-credit and a State Administrator was appointed to take full control of our school district. The Board of Education was formally stripped of its governing authority, and relegated to an advisory status.
In my two years on the Board of Education, I have worked diligently to restore fiscal integrity and local governance to our public schools. Despite being an “advisor”, I have worked closely with parents and teachers to secure over $30 million in construction funds to make much needed improvements to our neighborhood schools, including the construction of the new Bella Vista Child Development Center and the new La Escuelita campus; renovation of Garfield Elementary School; re-surfacing of the Edna Brewer Middle School playgrounds; and safety repairs to Crocker Highlands and Cleveland elementary schools.
My experience on the Board of Education has reinforced my belief that effective and accountable elected leaders are those who are deeply connected to the concerns and aspirations of the people for whom they represent. I have witnessed the enormous damage public officials create when their drive for political power and their demand for factional loyalty outweigh their responsibility to respect and serve the interests of common folks.
I am running for city council because we need a representative who is uncompromising in commitment, dedication, and loyalty to working families.
I have dedicated my entire life to children, families, and neighborhoods. I authored Oakland’s Kids First Initiative, which voters overwhelmingly adopted in 1996. Today, “Kids First” generates over $9 million a year for children and youth services throughout our city, without raising taxes. Since 1980, I have served as the Executive Director of the East Bay Asian Youth Center, a community-building organization with a multi-racial membership of 700 families and programs at four District Two neighborhood schools.
As a city councilmember, I will work with neighborhood residents to:
* improve our schools by establishing pre-school education, after-school learning centers, and high school internship opportunities at every neighborhood school, park, and playground;
* make our streets safe and clean by having a qualified and committed foot patrol officer in every neighborhood, and providing education and employment support to youth offenders; and
* ensure large-scale development benefits our neighborhoods by requiring the looming Oak-to-Ninth Project (3,100 unit of market-rate housing, 200,000 square feet of retail, 40 acres of open space) to include meaningful housing, employment, small business, and open space opportunities to San Antonio, Eastlake, and Chinatown residents.
This election is a huge challenge. Special elections generate the lowest voter turnout, particularly in our flatland neighborhoods. Moreover, this special election will be a mail-in ballot only – there will be no polling places. This process favors voters who routinely vote by absentee ballot. Making things more interesting, up to a dozen individuals have expressed their intent to run.
Because of the complexities posed by a special election, I am faced with the task of raising $60,000.00 to get our message to 10,000 voters, and to wage an effective door-to-door campaign. Although this is a lot of money to generate in such a short time, I will not be accepting contributions from developers or political action committees.
I ask you for your support in my election campaign.
Will you help by pledging to raise $600.00 for this election campaign?
I am working to find 100 friends and family who can each raise $600.00. I hope you will be one of them. Smaller contributions are equally needed and are greatly appreciated. Contributions are payable to:
Kakishiba for City Council – ID# 1273781
2242 7th Avenue
Oakland, California 94606
(Kakishiba for City Council has adopted the City of Oakland’s voluntary expenditure ceiling as defined in section 3.12.050(c), 3.12.060(c), 3.12.190, 3.12.200, 3.12.210, and 3.12.220 of the City of Oakland’s Campaign Reform Act. Contributions are limited to $600.00 per individual and $1,100.00 per broad-based P.A.C.)
Thank you very much for reading this letter. If you have any questions, ideas, information, and advice, please contact me at 510-435-8582 or david@kakishiba.org
Thanks again!!!
David Kakishiba
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