Dangerous Ideas

Chin Jurn Wor Ping (CJWP) and our allies are organizing an event to commememorate the 4th anniversary of fight to keep affordable housing at Chinatown’s Pacific Renaissance Plaza. Here’s info from the pdf of the flyer. The East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC) has put together a PDF showing the time line of the PacRen struggle.

Pacific Renaissance Struggle … 4-Year Commemoration ————————————–

• Pacific Renaissance Plaza
• Oakland Chinatown
• 9th St, between Webster + Franklin
• Saturday, April 28, 2007
• 10:30 am

For more information, contact Eric Chang :: wokwhiz@sbcglobal.net :: 650.580.7719

Dear Community Ally,

Four years ago, Oakland’s social justice community came together to support the Pacific Renaissance Plaza families who were being evicted from their homes. Please join us as we commemorate the fami- lies who stood up for housing rights and as we recommit to realizing justice for the Pacific Renaissance tenants and Oakland Chinatown.

It’s been four years since tenant families, community groups, and the City of Oakland sued the Pacific Renaissance developers. Last May, the parties entered into a tentative settlement agreement that would have resulted in preserving the 50 affordable housing units as permanently affordable housing for the Chinatown community. Yet the wheels of justice currently turn slowly, while many of the Pacific Renaissance families face uncertain futures.

The Pacific Renaissance units represent the last remaining option for affordable housing in Chinatown—a community that is experiencing a serious affordable housing crisis. It also represents unmet promises made to Chinatown. Beginning in the 1970s, community leaders fought to secure community benefits from the Pacific Renaissance project, which received over $30 million in public subsidies. With the docu- mented loss of thousands of Chinatown’s affordable housing units due to redevelopment, affordable housing at Pacific Renaissance was a key community demand.

With your continued help, we will write a different chapter of history on the treatment of Chinatown residents and realize justice for the Pacific Renaissance families. We look forward to seeing you on April 28th.

In peace and solidarity,

Chin Jurn Wor Ping, Oakland Tenants Union, Just Cause Oakland, Asian Pacific Environmental Network, East Bay Asian Local Development Corp, East Bay Asian Consortium, ACORN, East Bay Community Law Center, East Bay Housing Organizations, Movement Strategy Center, Alameda County Central Labor Council, Urban Strategies Council, Siegel & Yee; California Affordable Housing Law Project, Paul, Hastings, Janofsky, & Walker LLP; Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, SEIU Local 1021, League of Women Voters, East Bay Alliance for Sustainable Economy

BayArea Gender Changers is holding a free hardware workshop for women … and they’re having free childcare! I’m especially impressed when an event like this has childcare (BlogHer did as well; and the Do-It-Herself confabs). Childcare is a key to participation for many people, and it’s great to see another event offer it. I’ve slightly obfuscated the e-mail address so that it’ll be harder for spammers to harvest.

Computer Hardware Workshop for Women by Women

Date: February 24th 2007
Time: 1:00pm
Location: 369 15th Street, Oakland, CA 94612
Free event.

What: Take apart a computer, and take apart the parts. We’ll talk about how it all comes apart, how it all works together, and how it all assembles again. We will provide free childcare.

How: Email us at bayarea at bayarea dot genderchangers dot org to RSVP

About the GCA: The GCA is an all-women organization which offers computer and electronics workshops to women.

Definition: gender changer
A special intermediary connector for use with two cables that both have only male connectors or only female connectors

http://bayarea.genderchangers.org

The issue of low-income housing at Pacific Renaissance Plaza in Oakland Chinatown may be nearing a close. PacRen has been put up for sale and the bids are coming in. And it’s not just affordable housing that’s on the line any longer, it’s also the commercial property as well. PacRen is a prominent fixture in Chinatown, and upcoming decisions by the City of Oakland will determine how much affordable housing will remain in the complex, and also the type of merchants that will be housed there. This could turn into a really positive thing – imagine a place where individuals and families with low incomes can afford to live in Chinatown, living in a plaza that includes locally owned shops true to the character of today’s Chinatown. Of couse, it could turn out differently, too, with affordable units being reduced or eliminated, and local merchants being pushed out, a story that’s repeated in so many communities these days.

Please take a moment to ask Oakland city council members to help preserve the character of Oakland Chinatown. Here’s an action alert from the SCEC:

STOP CHINATOWN EVICTIONS COMMITTEE —————————————-

(Asian Pacific Environmental Network, CJWP, Just Cause Oakland, Oakland Tenants Union)

COMMUNITY ACTION ALERT: OAKLAND CHINATOWN AFFORDABLE HOUSING HANGS IN THE BALANCE

ACTION NEEDED: Contact Oakland City Councilmembers and Mayor Dellums to Request that No Council Decision be Made at the February 20, 2007 Closed Session that Would Result in the Sale of ANY of the Pacific Renaissance Affordable Housing Units.

City Contact Information:

• Mayor Ron Dellums, 238-3141, officeofthemayor@oaklandnet.com
• Dist. 1: Jane Brunner, 238-7001, jbrunner@oaklandnet.com
• Dist. 2: Pat Kernighan, 238-7002, pkernighan@oaklandnet.com
• Dist. 3: Nancy Nadel, 238-7003, nnadel@oaklandnet.com
• Dist. 4: Jean Quan, 238-7004, jquan@oaklandnet.com
• Dist. 5: Ignacio De la Fuente, 238-7005, idelafuente@oaklandnet.com
• Dist. 6: Desley Brooks, 238-7006, dbrooks@oaklandnet.com
• Dist. 7: Larry Reid, 238-7007, lreid@oaklandnet.com
• At large: Henry Chang, 238-7008, cityochang@aol.com

Please call and email the Mayor and councilpeople today. The message is simple: In their closed session on the 20th, only approve bids that will preserve ALL 50 of the affordable housing units at Pacific Renaissance.

COMMUNITY STRUGGLE BACKGROUND: Four years after the Oakland Chinatown and housing rights communities have been fighting to preserve the Pacific Renaissance affordable housing units, and three decades after Chinatown activists worked to secure these same units, we are close to securing permanent affordable housing for Chinatown’s low-income and elderly residents. Some of the key aspects of the struggle include the following:

• In the 70’s and 80’s, Chinatown activists worked to secure the Pacific Renaissance 50 affordable housing units in response to the devastation of thousands of affordable units in Chinatown due to City redevelopment efforts. The City of Oakland provided over $30 million in public subsidies to the Pacific Renaissance developers, including a $7 million loan for the affordable housing.
• In April 2003, the Pacific Renaissance developers attempted to evict all 50 families, mainly low-income, immigrant elders. The Oakland progressive community organized in support of these tenants. Community groups and tenants filed a lawsuit against the developers and compelled the City of Oakland to sue the developers for defrauding the City and tenants that resulted in the loss of the City’s $7 million loan and the 50 affordable housing units.
• In May 2006, on the eve of trial, the parties entered into a tentative settlement agreement that would result in the preservation of the Pacific Renaissance affordable housing units. The settlement provided for the City to purchase the commercial property, affordable housing, and parking spaces for $40 million. The City could then sell the commercial property and parking spaces to another buyer for a higher price. The City has been working to find a buyer for the property and set a deadline of January 31, 2007 for all bids.
• The community has made clear, again and again over the years, its support for retention of all 50 affordable apartments at Pacific Renaissance. They are central to meeting the housing needs of low-income residents as well as to the vitality and character of Chinatown.

WHAT’S AT STAKE: City Council Decision at the February 20th Closed Session Could Result in the Sale of Some of the Affordable Housing Units

• The City is trying to recoup its costs of the lawsuit by selling off some of the affordable housing units. We need to make sure our elected officials know that the housing rights and Chinatown communities do not want any of the units to be sold.
• Creative options exist to help close any money gaps that the City has including renegotiating the sales price of the Pacific Renaissance property, allowing a nonprofit housing developer to purchase the affordable units, and deferring the City’s attorneys fees. The City must get back into negotiations with the Community and Tenant Plaintiffs to work out a solution.
• This is a closed-door meeting with no public comment. We need to make our voices heard NOW to impact the decision on Tuesday.

Please call and email the Mayor and councilpeople today.

The message is simple: In their closed session on the 20th, only approve bids that will preserve ALL 50 of the affordable housing units at Pacific Renaissance.

Thank you for your crucial support.

For More Information Contact: Just Cause Oakland, 763-5877; victory@justcauseoakland.org

For more info on the web, http://www.cjwp.org/stopevictions.html

It’s sad when people who build a place get pushed around and eventually can’t afford to live in the neighborhood they made a desirable destination. CJWP has been involved in the effort to get low-income housing reinstated at the Pacific Renaissance Plaza. Many of the people who were displaced were elderly, disabled, poor, and/or monolingual. Their homes at PacRen were important not only because they were affordable housing, but because they were in the heart of Chinatown, where they could see doctors, friends, and others who speak their language. The tenants’ battle has made some great progress, but it’s a complicated situation. From the Oakland Tribune:

The city purchased the space — plus 50 affordable residential units — for $40 million as part of a settlement agreement to end a drawn-out lawsuit with developer and owner Lawrence Chan.

The city hopes to retain the 50 affordable units, but needs to recoup its expenses — not only the $40 million but also several million dollars in lawyers fees, said Carl Chan.

The article talks about how some commercial tenants hope to buy the property but that it might be hard for them to compete with large developers:

If they go with the highest bidder — (possibly) an outsider with deep pockets — rent will increase and we cannot afford to stay here, said Wong, who hopes the city will give current tenants a chance to buy the property, even if they are not the highest bidder.

Wong and others point to Lawrence Chan as an example of an outsider — a Honk Kong-based developer — who doesnt have the communitys interest at heart. The business owners — many of whom own and work at their shops six or seven days a week for long hours and are familiar with the community — want to keep the plaza a vibrant center of Chinatown.

The new year looks like it’s going to be bringing long lines. Matier and Ross report that Bay Area bridge tolls are increasing, and a lot of people are going to be surprised. This will be a bummer for people used to paying $3 going through the tolls, but it’ll be bad for everyone since it’ll probably slow traffic down considerably. FasTrak users will get a discount and will get to wait a little less, so if you drive over any Bay Area Bridges, now’s a good time to get FasTrak if you don’t already have it. And, of course, take BART when you can.

The City Council committee will be holding a second hearing on the Condominium Conversion Ordinance this Tuesday (Nov. 28). Minor changes might happen, but it’s still going to go before the full council. That’s going to happen on Dec. 5.

Here’s a letter from Eddie of the Oakland Tenants Union about the meetings:

To Oakland Tenants Union and supporters

The Community and Economic Development Committee (CED) of the Oakland city council will hold a second hearing on a proposal to drastically weaken the Condominium Conversion Ordinance on Tuesday, November 28. Meeting time is 4 P.M.

The committee already approved the change on November 14 but will have another discussion on it on the 28th when perhaps some modifications to the original proposal may come up.

Keep in mind that the real important city council date is on the evening of Tuesday, December 5 when the matters goes before the full city council. Nonetheless, opponents of the change are invited to appear before the CED committee on November 28. Oakland Tenants Union and members from the Coalition to Protect Rental Housing will be there.

Under the change, as many as 800 units could be converted each year, thereby taking those units out of the rental market. At its core, many owners now cannot convert their units unless another housing unit has been created to replace it. The proposal is to do away with this one to one replacement. Getting rid of the replacement requirement would make it a whole lot easier to convert a unit and have it sell for a price higher than most tenants could afford. One of the things people can demand is that the city’s Planning staff conduct a systematic study of determining if tenants want the change, and how many will be evicted from their rented apartment because the buying price is too high.

The CED committee meets at City Hall, probably Hearing Room One.

Call 510 444-6089 for feedback or questions.

Eddie Ytuarte, Oakland Tenants Union

The East Bay Express has a great article on how a single city council seat could make a huge difference in Oakland. It’s about how pro-development incumbent Pat Kernighan is trying to rebrand herself as a progressive due to the popularity of challenger Aimee Allison.

At her core, Pat Kernighan is a buttoned-down, pro-business, pro-development Democrat. She’s the darling of the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, and throughout her career has allied herself with Oakland’s most pro-business politician — City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente. But now, at least publicly, Kernighan has reversed course. Her moderate credentials and political ties have become a liability.

Kernighan has accepted lots of money from developers, has voted consistently for them, and has been a past ally of council president Ignacio De La Fuente (who’s under investigation by the FBI). Aimee Allison, on the other hand, was a conscientious objector of the first Gulf War and has worked against military recruitment in schools ever since. Allison won’t accept any contributions from developers, and she has the support of progressive groups.

Anyway, if you live in Oakland (especially D2!) I recommend reading the article – it outlines some clear differences between the two candidates, and why progressives need to come out and support Aimee Allison for city council. This last week before the election is critical and if you have time to volunteer on a campaign, this is a good one. Not only will you get a chance to meet with and talk to Aimee herself, but working with a smaller electorate, you can more easily see the effect you’ll have on the outcome.

I’ve seen this announcement for “In God’s House” on a few mailing lists I’m on. Unfortunately, I’m probably going to be in Los Angeles when this film gets shown, otherwise it sounds interesting.

Anyway, the movie is playing on Wednesday, October 11 at 7:00 pm:

Chapel Building Pacific School of Religion (PSR) 1798 Scenic Ave (at corner of LeConte Ave), Berkeley, CA 94709

Here’s an excerpt from the film’s Web site

Asian, Christian, and Gay or Lesbian? Asian American lesbians and gays and their parents and allies have been largely invisible and silent in Christian churches. Some Asian American churches ignore and rarely discuss the issue for fear of division and conflict. Other Asian American church leaders have condemned homosexuality and publicly protested against same-sex marriage. Yet there are many gay and lesbian Asian American Christians and their families, quiet and invisible, in churches across the country. Where are their stories? What are their experiences? This honest and thought-provoking film invites you to hear personal stories which have long been unheard. It tells a story that those in the church need to hear: that of Asian American Christian lesbian and gay people and their parents.

Oneida Chi, a devout young adult Chinese American in an evangelical Christian church, speaks of her struggle with the discovery of her own sexual orientation and her search for self-acceptance and religious community. Husband and wife Harold and Ellen Kameya, active leaders in their Japanese American church, tell the story of their shock and confusion when their beloved daughter first came out, of the isolation and alienation they felt in their church, and of the importance of a church community in their Christian journey to grow in understanding, courage and love for their daughter. The Rev. Nobuaki Hanaoka, an immigrant Asian pastor, seeks to fulfill Jesus’ message of justice and love for all people as he speaks out and supports the full acceptance and affirmation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the church.

Like CJWP (who are organizing an APIs for Aimee Allison event in Oakland Chinatown this weekend!, the Oakland Tenants Union is one of the members of the Stop the Chinatown Evictions Coalition. The OTU is asking supporters to help with funding due to the lack of available grant money. They’re a great organization that does great things for tenants without charging membership dues.

Here’s a message from Eddie Fair of the OTU:

Dear Supporters of the Oakland Tenants Union,

The Oakland Tenants Union (OTU) is writing to request your help in maintaining our operations. For seven years, the OTU has been providing information and services to tenants: keeping tenants informed of their rights, representing tenants on issues of rent control in front of the Rent Adjustment Program, monitoring activities at City Hall and the state legislature, ensuring that tenant needs and concerns are understood and addressed in ordinances and laws written. The OTU was a driving force in helping get the Just Cause Eviction Ordinance passed, in writing the rent control ordinance, and currently leading the fight to prevent unlimited conversion of apartments to condominiums.

Understanding that many Oakland tenants live close to the poverty level, the OTU has typically not required membership dues or charged fees to tenants for our services.

Instead, we have managed to maintain our services through volunteer help, spontaneous donations from tenants for services provided, and from two grants from the Vanguard Foundation. In fact, grants have been the largest source of our operating budget. Unfortunately, grants are harder to come buy in the current economy as more nonprofits compete for them. Thus, the OTU must now turn to our membership for donations to maintain our phone services, PO Box, website, and many community activities on behalf of tenants.

Check our website www.oaklandtenantsunion.org to see some of the activities we are currently involved in. Then, please give as generously as you are able so the OTU can continue to serve tenants.

Address your check or money order to Oakland Tenants Union and mail it to: Oakland Tenants Union, 4043 Piedmont Avenue, Box 227, Oakland, CA. 94611.

This Saturday, a group of APIs will be getting together to show support for Aimee Allison, who’s running for Oakland’s District 2 City Council seat. This seat is particularly critical to Oakland politics for years to come – the other district council members are often split voting for or against progressive legislation. Allison, a solid progressive (much more so than her opponent in this runoff election, incumbent Pat Kernighan), would tip votes in favor of progressive issues. With progressive mayor-elect Ron Dellums coming into office (many of Dellums’ campaigners are on Allison’s campaign now), this would make for a solid team for the future. Allison has a good chance to win this election – she and Pat Kernighan ran pretty close to each other in the election.

The API community has a good chance of tipping the election in favor of one candidate or the other, since many APIs (particularly Chinese Americans) voted for Chinese American Candidate Shirley Gee, who came in third in the general election and didn’t make the runoff.

Update: The announcement for APIs for Aimee Allison is now available.

Looks like Ron Dellums won the election for Oakland mayor outright. I guess this means that progressives will be able to focus on electing Aimee Allison to Oakland City Council (District 2) in the November election.

I’ve worked on campaigns in San Francisco and Oakland, and I have to say that Oakland has a much more personal feel. When I volunteered on Matt Gonzalez’s campaign in S.F., he seemed a bit removed from us. Last year, though, I, along with several others from CJWP, helped organize one of several candidates forums for the District 2 Oakland City Council election. The candidates were approachable, and I got to talk to Aimee Allison a bit and helped with her campaign during the final days (I didn’t want to commit to a candidate before our forum took place). She came in fourth last spring, but this year she’s in the runoff for the D2 seat. One of my fellow organizers of the D2 forum was Andre Spearman; this year he’s the mayor elect’s campaign manager.

Oakland’s slightly larger than half the size of San Francisco, but so far it feels like it’s easier to talk to civic leaders. This gives me a lot of hope that we’ll have positive meetings with leaders when we try talking to them about low-income housing in Oakland, with particular regard to the PacRen evictions in Chinatown.

AYPAL and Youth Together present “Dr. Randy Ward Step Up To The Plate So We Can Graduate Accountability Session”. This will be a discussion about the California High School Exit Exam addressed to State Administrator Randy Ward.

For those who don’t know, Oakland’s school system was taken over by the state of California, and Ward was appointed by the state to take charge. His official bio at OUSD doesn’t tell the whole story – check out Stop Randy Ward for more information (it’s a Web site that was built in protest of his policies).

Here’s more about the event and artwork for a flyer. If you want, click on the image to get a bigger version of the flyer.

You are cordially invited to AYPAL (Asian/Pacific Islander Youth Promoting Advocacy and Leadership) and Youth Together’s next big event of the year! This accountability session is a community-wide event that will make sure that Williams settlement money does go to our schools.

STEP UP TO THE PLATE SO WE CAN GRADUATE!
AN ACCOUNTABILITY SESSION WITH DR. RANDY WARD OF OUSD
Next WEDNESDAY, May 17th
4:15-5:30 pm

At Lincoln Recreation Center at 10th and Jackson Streets in Oakland’s Chinatown (near Lake Merritt BART center)

Frustrated Oakland students, community members, concerned parents, teachers and the public demand equal resources for the Oakland Public Schools. Hundreds of Complaint forms have been collected and will be submitted to the School District to demand concrete changes in the Public Schools in Oakland.

Our Schools are in a State of Emergency with inadequate resources, apidated facilities, unqualified teachers that are the root causes of many issues in Oakland.

The Williams Settlement provides up to $1 billion for the lowest-performing schools base on Academic Performance Index (API) deciles 1-3, in which 62 Oakland public Schools are eligible to get these funds.

(Click on image for larger size.)

Two different groups will be reporting back on the World Social Forum the next two weeks. I heard about the first one from Gaba, and it’s a World Social Forum report back from the perspective of community media. Details:

!Another Latin America is Possible!
March 4th @ 4 p.m.
3030b 16th street (at Mission)
San Francisco, CA 94103

Presenters: WANDA DABKOSKA, Third World Majority; ANDREA QUIJADA, Young Women United; GABA, Indymedia; PETRI DISH, Prometheus Radio Project; SYDNEY LEVY, Media Alliance; MIC, KPFA Radio

Includes video screening: Puente Llaguno de Angel Palacios about the coup d’etat against Chavez in 2002

The following Friday, several East Bay groups will be doing their World Social Forum report back in Chinatown. This will

Another World *IS* Possible!
Friday, March 10th, 2006, 6-8 PM
Asian Resource Center Lobby
310-8th Street in Chinatown (downtown Oakland)
Close to 12th St./City Center BART station

Sponsored by the Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN), Filipinos for Affirmative Action (FAA), the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR), the East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE), Mujeres Unidas y Activas (MUA), the Transnational Institute for Grassroots Research and Action (TIGRA) and the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC).