hey Oakland? please be aware that one of the main PACs backing Johnson against Kaplan in the at-large council race is funded almost entirely by Lyft because they're big mad that Kaplan wants them to pay taxes. Also, Schaaf supports Johnson, so,,, https://oaklandside.org/2020/09/24/lyft-backing-campaign-to-unseat-oakland-councilmember-rebecca-kaplan/

the tactic here is really scummy, because the Lyft PAC is framing this as a housing issue, which it's not. Kaplan has consistently been one of the only really progressive voices on our city council, along with Fortunato Bas, and I guarantee that she's more interested in housing

Lyft is also one of the largest contributors to support Prop 22, which is an effort by gig-economy companies to overturn the state assembly bill that would prevent them from continuing to classify their drivers as independent contractors.

Just because Uber has been shadier about Prop 22 than Lyft doesn't mean that Lyft is in any way a more-ethical company. They're trying to influence our largest city council race because they're mad that a queer woman wants to tax them. Fuck them forever.

From the @Oaklandside article linked above, you can see how nakedly Lyft is interested in profits. In the Prop 22 campaign, they're claiming that they'll have to shut down operations in CA if 22 doesn't pass.

Even more-locally, if you're in district 5, please support Zoe Lopez-Meraz, who is trying to unseat our (until recently unchallenged) incumbent councilmember, Noel Gallo. Lopez-Meraz is running on a progressive housing-for-all platform. Gallo said "all lives matter" on camera.

Earlier this summer, Gallo supported a city budget that had no meaningful cuts to our police budget. His platform does not address police funding at all. Both his challengers do.

This is what we're talking about when we, on the political left, say to vote your whole ballot, because while the president can and has fucked our lives in a lot of ways, these down-ballot votes have much more immediate impacts, and are a lot closer.

Our local races are also ranked-choice, which is great. It means that I can say, yes, I want Lopez-Meraz, but if I can't have her representing my district, I'd still rather that my vote go to Richard Raya than to Gallo, or have a tax preparer rather than a Schaff-toadie

Meanwhile, we've got this clown running for state assembly. I doubt that he'll be able to unseat Bonta, since our district is Oakland, Alameda, and San Leandro, but I'm not treating it as a given.

Also, remember the other ballot initiatives! We've got some good voting-rights initiatives: props 17 and 18! 17 will give the vote back to folks on parole, which is a good step! 18 will let folks who turn 18 by election day vote in the primary! these are Good Things!

Also! Prop 21! Rent Control! You KNOW that landlords hate this, and I don't know how much chance it actually has to pass, but Oakland certainly tried to expand rent control here a couple years ago. CA is so expensive, even during covid-times. We need rent control.

Prop 20: put more people in jail. The FOR crowd is using their standard fear tactics. Cops and GOPs want it. What more do you need to know? Vote no.

Prop 23: if you've watched the John Oliver piece on dialysis clinics, you already know they're sleazy. Davita has poured over $50 MILLION into its campaign against, because they don't want to be required to have doctors in-house at a medical facility. Fuck em. Vote YES

Prop 25: get rid of bail. Again, the cops and the GOPs hate it, so you should want it. Cash bail is trash. Vote YES

This should tell you everything you need to know about Prop 25

Back to local races for a second, we've got Measure QQ in Oakland, which would allow 16 and 17-year-old Oaklanders to vote in school board elections. This is common sense. The only anti argument is from a trash editorial that says it "goes too far"

(honestly, I think QQ doesn't go far Enough. I think anyone of age to be enrolled at OUSD should have a say in the school board. It would also mean that candidates would have to appeal both to kindergarteners and their parents.)

wanna see a Bad Take? imagine being this white guy who thinks that the kids being affected by OUSD have "no skin in the game"

my in-laws have given over 50 years, combined, to the district, and they will happily tell you that the financial problems at the district are almost wholly self-made. between cronyism and a lot of lawsuit payouts for violating students' educational rights, it's On Them

Anyway, this has been: local and state politics. If you like this thread, check out my podcast, @trunkcast, which has absolutely nothing to do with politics except insofar as all art is political.