The Advocate

If you haven't heard the news about San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo, well here it is .  The Feds have charged him with three criminal violations. One count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. One count of false statements. And one count of criminal forfeiture. The charges were filed as "information" instead of an indictment, which may mean Azevedo waived his right to a grand jury and made a plea deal. The investigation predates the current regime and the lawyers that signed off on this are career prosecutors, not political appointees. They accuse Azevedo of lying to federal agents, taking bribes, and selling out the city. The scheme is allegedly related to a much larger conspiracy involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a business groups run by the Duong family. *** I've been a fan of Bryan's since 2020 when he was out doing community clean ups and running a program to help feed people during the pandemic. I voted for him for c...

American fascism is here and San Leandro ain't ready . Last month, I laid out the case and point of the case in point. Some people were not happy to hear it. Most of the complaints were some variation of "too long, didn't read," and "womp womp, cry harder." Others were hit dogs hollering in the comments. A few were confused and wanted to know more. A handful agreed about the dangers we're facing and asked what they can do to help. Well, if reading is too hard, then it's time to get good. If you think being sad about the corruption and destruction of American democracy is funny, then we're not on the same side. If you're angrier at me for calling out the failures in our leaders and institutions, than the failures themselves, then you don't actually care about building a better San Leandro. But if you want to learn more so you can help, well, then let's go. *** First things first, you need to know the basics about what San Leandro is : ...

Well, I told y'all this was gonna happen . I said it again and again in public comments to the city and letters to the editor in the local paper. It was only a matter of time before someone finally decided enough is enough and that's exactly what's happened. The City of San Leandro is on the verge of being sued for violating the California Voting Rights Act. Why? Because it has continued to refuse to use district-based elections. Instead, San Leandro uses at-large district elections where candidates must live in the district they run for office in, but are voted on by the entire city. This dilutes people's voting power, particularly for members of underrepresented groups, and exponentially increases the costs of running for elected office. The result? Our local elected officials are either independently wealthy or wholly reliant on special interest groups to fund their campaigns. They don't tend to focus on the interests of the constituents in their district, and th...

As your local advocate and community organizer, I'm here to bring you the only comprehensive guide for San Leandro voters, election after election . I'm here to help you decide what to vote for (or against) along with reasons and receipts. This will be a long post, so buckle up! I'm starting with the local San Leandro and district elections first, then county races and measures, then ballot propositions, and then finally the statewide and federal offices. If you're strapped for time, you can find the TL;DR / CliffsNotes version just below and then check out the details further down at your leisure. NB: this does not include any candidates that are uncontested so won't be on your ballots, but feel free to reach out if you'd like information about them too. City Offices City Council District 2, Bryan Azevedo City Council District 4, Fred Simon City Council District 6, Robert Bulatao District Offices EBMUD Director Ward 5, Alex Spehr 1st and Jim Oddie 2nd East Bay...

(Art by HEBSTREITS) The city of San Leandro is in violation of the California Voting Rights Act . Our rejection of district-based local elections and continued use of the at-large system prevents us from having a truly representative city council that advocates for everyone in our city. To understand why, we need to take a short trip to LA County and the case of the Pico Neighborhood Association v. The City of Santa Monica . A recent decision from the California State Supreme Court determined that Black and Latino voters in the area were being systemically disenfranchised and BIPOC candidates were unable to afford to run for office. The court further found that the local government, as well as some courts, "misconstrued" what the CVRA requires, sending the case back for review and equitable resolution in favor of the plaintiff's civil rights. San Leandro's at-large elections weaken the power of the different communities and neighborhoods that make up our city to choo...

As always, here are my votes for the 2022 primary election, along with the reasons and receipts. This will be a long post, so buckle up! I'm starting with the local San Leandro and district elections first, then county races and measures, then ballot propositions, then finally the statewide and federal offices. If you're strapped for time, you can find the tl;dr version just below and then check out the details further down at your leisure. NB: this post has been updated recently. City Offices: Mayor, toss-up with Lee Thomas 1st and Bryan Azevedo 2nd City Council District 1, Celina Reynes City Council District 5, Xouhoa Bowen City Council District 3, Victor Aguilar SLUSD Board Member Area 2, Jackie Calderón Perl District Offices: AC Transit Director-At-Large, Alfred Twu AC Transit Director Ward 3, Sarah Syed EBMUD Director Ward 7, Corina Lopez Eden Township Healthcare District Director Zone 5, Chike Udemezue Oro Loma Sanitary District Board Members, Mimi Dean, Rita Duncan, and ...