The Advocate

(Costanoan by Pastel @  Highway 880 Marina West Exit ) I remember the exact day that the Left in San Leandro died. It was actually a Monday evening downtown at City Hall. There was a city council meeting that night and it was packed. A group of fellow local activists, and even more from outside the community, had organized a protest against the then-recent war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. The protest erupted into civil disobedience that shut down the city council meeting, before ultimately descending into bigotry and violence. I know because I was there. This post has been a long time coming. Some have repeatedly asked me to share what happened. Just as many would like to pretend nothing happened that night. A few have even threatened me against ever writing about it. But I'd bet that there are also a lot of people who have absolutely no idea what happened. This isn't about spreading salacious stories for social media clout. It's about holding ourselves accountable as...

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 : ...

San Leandro isn't ready to resist the arrival of American fascism. We're now over 8 months into the Trump Regime 2.0, and our democracy is crumbling faster than a sandcastle in the sea. ICE is snatching innocent people off the streets like the Gestapo in 1930s Germany, sending them to concentration camps in Florida or foreign gulags in El Salvador. The White House is openly defying court orders, from ending birthright citizenship to firing federal workers en masse. Trump himself has monetized the presidency with billion-dollar jets from Qatar and literal gold statues from Apple's CEO. The tariffs are spiking inflation, and the job market is tanking as ordinary folks and working families struggle to survive. But the richest people continue to rake in profits. Now the military is being deployed against American cities, with soldiers on the streets and threats to send more across the country. It's so bad I don't even have the space to type it all out. *** So what's...

(Image from JRS USA ) After fleeing Afghanistan, the Qureshi family came here to San Leandro for a better life. Unfortunately, the parents have fallen ill, and the family cannot afford rent, bills, or even basic needs like food. Their teenage daughters are students at the local high school. They're trying to stay in school and take care of their family, but currently they have no income or support. Here's their plea in their own words: "My name is Sapna, and I’m sharing this with deep sadness. My twin sister Hosna and I are students at San Leandro High School. Both of our parents are very sick and unable to work. Because of their health, our home has no income right now. We cannot afford rent, bills, or even basic needs like food. Every day is a struggle. We try to stay strong for our parents, but it’s hard. Watching them suffer while we feel helpless is the most painful part. My sister and I are doing our best we want to stay in school and take care of our family, but we’...

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...

I finally finished listening to the season finale of local political and foodie podcast, The Marinade with Lee Thomas . For those who don't know, Lee is a former District 3 City Councilmember here in San Leandro - one of the few Black elected officials in our area - as well as a small business owner and budding entrepreneur.  I was happy to hear District 6 City Council Candidate Dylan Boldt speaking up to dispel the myths surrounding rent stabilization . (Something his opponent, Robert Bulatao, also enthusiastically supports.) Because of inflation and the high cost of living here in the Bay Area, rents are going up as much as 10% year over year. Meanwhile, most people's salaries are stagnant and they're already paying more than 1/3 of their income for rent as is! I think those skeptics, like Lee, should take a look at the broad-based movement from the Big Tent - San Leandro and the work we're doing on housing reform. As for Ed Hernandez , apparently, he's lying aga...