The Advocate

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

Extra extra! A fantastic event is coming up, hosted here in San Leandro by my synagogue, Temple Beth Sholom! It's a combination of a Buy Nothing event and a voter registration drive. For those who may not know, Buy Nothing is a hyperlocal gifting project to promote sustainable and affordable sharing within communities. The voter registration drive is sponsored by Operation: Big Vote, from the Big Tent Collaboration, organized by our very own Bernard Ashcraft to help get more San Leandrans to the polls for this critical election year. Flyers and more detailed information are available below: Temple Beth Sholom October 23, 12 Noon to 3 PM 642 Dolores Avenue, San Leandro Items Will Include: Men’s and Women’s Clothing Baby and Kid’s Clothing Halloween Costumes Kid/Young Adult Books Toys and Games Kitchen Items Arts and Crafts Please bring bags to take your items home in. Able to volunteer or have questions? Email MollyinSF at gmail dot com. Refreshments for sale – bring cash. Voter r

( Illustration: Maxime Mouysset) Well, looks like we made the papers! (Again.) Check out this investigative piece from Bloomberg / CityLab by Sarah Holder and Fola Akinnibi,  Nextdoor’s Quest to Beat Toxic Content and Make Money It still only scratches the surface. On Nextdoor in San Leandro, racial profiling, antisemitism, harassment, and abuse are rampant to the point that they've become core features of the platform. Users on Nextdoor in our city spread false kidnapping claims and call the police on innocent people, advocate for gun violence, share COVID-19 conspiracy theories, as well as attack anyone who doesn't subscribe to their brand of bigotry. People in San Leandro have been hurt because of the toxicity that congeals on Nextdoor, spilling over into real life again and again. In less than two years, we've seen the results from assaults on BIPOC participating in our local Buy Nothing group to attacks on our unhoused population just trying to find a safe place to

I recently took a ride-along with a sergeant of the San Leandro Police Department. The revelations that occurred left me pensive and unsettled as I challenged and was challenged about basic principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Yet, at the end of our four-hour appointment, I was able to shake hands with a person whom I disagree with on levels so fundamental that it was a wonder we were able to stay in the same car for 10 minutes. Whether that’s a testament to the sergeant, myself, both of us, or some higher power, I leave for you to discern. But let me back up a bit and provide some context. While this was my first ride-along with SLPD, it wasn’t my first ride-along with law enforcement. I’ve taken ride-alongs with police departments in Costa Mesa (CA), Billings (MT), Las Vegas (NV), Harrison (AR), and Scranton (PA), as well as Border Patrol and the Sheriffs in Imperial County (CA). I’ve also been a victim or almost a victim of many different crimes from childhood t