{"id":2341627,"date":"2024-09-16T04:17:02","date_gmt":"2024-09-16T08:17:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oaklands-recalls-could-throw-city-in-political-chaos-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-16T04:22:12","modified_gmt":"2024-09-16T08:22:12","slug":"oaklands-recalls-could-throw-city-in-political-chaos-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oaklands-recalls-could-throw-city-in-political-chaos-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Oakland\u2019s recalls could throw city in \u2018political chaos\u2019 &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Foaklands-recalls-could-throw-city-in-political-chaos-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2341627&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Oakland, California, is facing significant political turmoil as Mayor Sheng Thao and District Attorney Pamela Price confront recall efforts fueled by public dissatisfaction with rising crime, corruption, and perceived negligence\u2063 in governance. This is the first \u2064attempt to recall a sitting\u2064 mayor in over a century, with voters aiming to oust\u200c Thao\u2062 ahead of a November\u2062 vote, amidst \u2064ongoing controversies including\u200c an FBI raid on her \u200chome and allegations of misconduct. \u2062 <\/p>\n<p>The mayor&#8217;s tenure has been marred by issues \u200crelated to her\u2062 decision to terminate the police chief and her alleged failure to\u2062 adequately\u2062 address crime issues. Critics \u2063argue that Thao&#8217;s leadership has \u2063exacerbated instability within the city, \u200dand\u2063 an ousting could lead to further political chaos as city council \u200bpositions are complicated by upcoming elections. <\/p>\n<p>If Thao is removed, the process of filling her position is unclear, as City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas is also running for a new role, \u200bmaking her ineligible to step in as interim \u2063mayor. Consequently, there could be a significant gap in leadership, impacting the\u2063 city&#8217;s ability\u2064 to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-announces-new-diplomatic-ties-with-two-pacific-island-nations\/\" title=\"Biden Admin. Establishes Diplomatic Bonds with Two Pacific Islands\">tackle pressing challenges<\/a> such as\u200c budget difficulties and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-mexico-governor-revises-order-suspending-the-right-to-carry-firearms\/\" title=\"New Mexico Governor modifies order on firearm carry suspension.\">public safety \u2062concerns<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>Supporters of the recall believe that a new mayor\u2063 could lead to\u200c necessary change, while \u2062Thao argues that her removal would create more instability. As tension mounts, the community grapples with whether\u200b its struggles\u200d warrant a drastic leadership shift or if continuity\u2062 is preferable for achieving stability and progress.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Oakland&rsquo;s recalls could throw city in &lsquo;political chaos&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1686903\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/oakland\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Oakland\">Oakland<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/california\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"California\">California<\/a>, is navigating one of its most turbulent political moments in decades.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Two of its top elected leaders, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oaklandca.gov\/officials\/sheng-thao\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Mayor Sheng Thao\">Mayor Sheng Thao<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alcoda.org\/about-the-office\/meet-the-da\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"District Attorney Pamela Price\">District Attorney Pamela Price<\/a>, are fighting for their political careers in a growing movement to oust them from office. The campaigns to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2024-elections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"recall them\">recall them<\/a> in November have been fueled by voters frustrated over crime, corruption, businesses closings, and a reluctance to hold lawbreakers accountable. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao delivers a speech while standing onstage with her family at the Paramount Theatre during the City of Oakland Inauguration Ceremony on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, in Oakland, California. Thao becomes Oakland&rsquo;s first Hmong mayor. (Yalonda M. James\/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Sheng, whose home was raided by the FBI earlier this year, has been dogged by pay-to-play allegations since almost the beginning of her four-year term. She is now part of a federal investigation linked to an influential Oakland family that has donated to her campaign, as well as other&nbsp;elected officials.<\/p>\n<p>Thao&rsquo;s problems have snowballed in the past few months. Not only was her home raided, but her lawyer cut her as a client while her former chief of staff and confidante Renia Webb spoke publicly about questionable moves the mayor has made.<\/p>\n<p>Voters in Oakland want Thao gone, and if their efforts come to fruition, it could leave a lasting impact not only on her political career but also on the city as a whole.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The recall attempt against Thao marks the first time in more than 100 years that such action has been taken against a sitting mayor in Oakland. The last time a recall vote took place was in 1917. It was against Mayor John Davis and did not pass. Former Democratic Mayors Libby Schaaf and Jean Quan also faced recall attempts, but neither made the ballot.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If Thao is voted out on&nbsp;Nov. 5, the issue over who will replace her and how the city will move forward on pressing matters, such as budget woes and public safety concerns, isn&rsquo;t as cut and dry as it would seem.<\/p>\n<p>For her part, Thao <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ktvu.com\/news\/complicated-steps-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-recalled\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"told KTVU\">told KTVU<\/a> that removing her from office would bring a lot of &ldquo;instability&rdquo; to Oakland.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If voters decide they want another mayor in November, Thao would lose her job immediately. Typically, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hundreds-of-minneapolis-police-officers-left-after-getting-slammed-now-city-spending-millions-for-new-recruits\/\" title=\"Hundreds Of Minneapolis Police Officers Left After Getting Slammed. Now City Spending Millions For New Recruits.\">city council president<\/a> would fill in as mayor.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But there&rsquo;s a problem.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas is running for Alameda County supervisor. If she wins, she can&rsquo;t fill the role as mayor because she would have to vacate her spot on the council. In a normal year, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pelosi-says-impeachment-and-25th-amendment-resolutions-will-be-brought-to-the-house-floor-starting-monday\/\" title=\"Pelosi Says Impeachment and 25th Amendment Resolutions Will Be Brought to the House Floor Starting Monday\">president pro tempore<\/a> would be elevated to the council president position. However, President Pro Tempore Dan Kalb was forced to give up his council seat when he ran for state Senate. He lost that race but cannot return to his former job without being elected.<\/p>\n<p>That means when the new council takes its oath in January, it would then have to vote for a council president who, in turn, would become Oakland&rsquo;s interim mayor. A new election for mayor, according to city rules, would have to take place within four months of a November ousting.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The recall is going to create another year of political chaos in Oakland,&rdquo; Jim Ross, a political consultant in Oakland, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/eastbay\/article\/oakland-mayor-thao-recall-vote-primer-19743109.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"told the&nbsp;\">told the&nbsp;<\/a><em>San Francisco Chronicle<\/em>. &ldquo;Is the current situation in Oakland so bad that voters are willing to put up with at least another year of political instability and leadership change to move forward? That&rsquo;s the question that voters have to answer.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Thao said in the KTVU interview that keeping her at the helm would cause the least amount of disruption. She added that a new mayor would bring in his or her own executive team and that it would take time to get into the groove of the job.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;[There] would be so much turnover when we are already headed on the right track,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Thao, a progressive politician, was elected in 2022 on promises she would bring the city together and tackle crime and homelessness.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>She was part of a political shift in the already liberal city that saw the city council also become majority progressive. <\/p>\n<p>The effort to oust Thao began after she fired Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong after an outside investigation found he had mishandled two officer misconduct cases. City leaders, the NAACP, and Armstrong supporters demanded she hire him back. She refused.<\/p>\n<p>But that was just the beginning. <\/p>\n<p>Critics claim Thao has done nothing to help clean up the community or make a substantial dent in the city&rsquo;s crime crisis. They accuse her of missing important deadlines to get state money to combat retail theft and turned her back on law enforcement.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Gail Harbin, one of the lead recall organizers, hit back at Thao&rsquo;s argument that a new mayor would only cause more confusion and instability. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Over 40,000 Oakland voters, outraged by an unstable city created by Thao&rsquo;s incompetence, have placed the first recall in over a century on the ballot,&rdquo; Harbin said in a statement. &ldquo;Under Mayor Thao&rsquo;s watch, crime has surged, and her incompetence has only deepened the chaos.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Not only did Thao fire a &ldquo;respected police chief, but she also missed an $18 million grant to combat retail theft, and caused a situation where Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) had to send in California Highway Patrol officers to help combat crime in the city of Oakland,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Oakland&rsquo;s collapse under her leadership is impossible to ignore,&rdquo; Harbin added.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Over in Alameda County, people also want Price gone. <\/p>\n<p>Price, who ran as a progressive and was elected to serve a six-year term, faced a recall campaign early into her term, just three months after her inauguration, to be exact.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The recall is a historic moment in Alameda County and is the first recall of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/radical-cultural-change-coming-to-america\/\" title=\"Radical Cultural Change Coming to America?\">district attorney<\/a> to make it on the ballot in the county&rsquo;s 174-year history. <\/p>\n<p>If Price is successfully recalled, Alameda County would be without a permanent head prosecutor until 2028.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1686903\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1686903\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Oakland&#8217;s recall efforts may lead to &#8216;political chaos&#8217; <\/p>\n<p>Oakland, California, is currently experiencing one of its most tumultuous political periods in years. Mayor Sheng Thao and District Attorney Pamela Price are both facing challenges to their positions as a movement to remove them gains momentum. The recall campaigns set for November have been driven by voter dissatisfaction over issues such as crime, corruption, business closures, and a perceived failure to hold offenders accountable.<\/p>\n<p>Mayor Sheng Thao has faced scrutiny since the start of her term due to allegations related to pay-to-play practices and an FBI raid on her home earlier this year. She is now involved in a federal investigation connected to a prominent Oakland family that has contributed to her campaign and others. Her situation has worsened recently; not only was her home searched by the FBI, but she also lost her attorney as well as support from former chief of staff Renia Webb, who publicly criticized some of Thao&#8217;s decisions.<\/p>\n<p>The push for Thao\u2019s removal marks the first time in over a century that such action has been taken against an incumbent mayor in Oakland; the last attempt was against Mayor John Davis in 1917 and it failed. While former mayors Libby Schaaf and Jean Quan faced similar threats, neither made it onto the ballot.<\/p>\n<p>If voters choose to oust Thao on November 5th, questions will arise about who would succeed her and how the city would address pressing issues like budget deficits and public safety concerns. Typically, the city council president would step into the mayoral role temporarily; however, City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas is running for Alameda County supervisor\u2014if she wins that position she cannot serve as mayor simultaneously.<\/p>\n<p>In normal circumstances, the president pro tempore would ascend but Dan Kalb had already vacated his seat when he ran unsuccessfully for state Senate. This means that when new council members take office in January they will need to elect someone new as council president who could then become interim mayor until another election occurs within four months following any ousting.<\/p>\n<p>Political consultant Jim Ross remarked that this recall could usher in another year of instability for Oakland politics: \u201cIs the current situation so dire that voters are willing to endure more political upheaval?\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Thao argued during an interview with KTVU that keeping her leadership would minimize disruption since a new mayor would require time before effectively managing their responsibilities: \u201cThere [would] be so much turnover when we are already headed on the right track,\u201d she stated.<\/p>\n<p>Elected in 2022 with promises aimed at uniting Oakland while addressing crime and homelessness issues amid shifting political dynamics towards progressivism within local governance structures\u2014Thao\u2019s troubles began after dismissing Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong following findings from an external investigation regarding his handling of officer misconduct cases which led many community leaders including NAACP representatives demanding his reinstatement\u2014a request she denied.<\/p>\n<p>Critics argue Thao has failed significantly regarding community safety initiatives or making meaningful progress against rising crime rates while missing critical deadlines necessary for securing state funds aimed at combating retail thefts leading some residents like Gail Harbin\u2014one organizer behind this historic recall effort\u2014to assert: \u201cOver 40k outraged voters have placed this first recall vote onto ballots because under Mayor Thao\u2019s watch crime surged.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile across Alameda County there exists similar discontent directed towards District Attorney Pamela Price whose tenure commenced just three months ago yet faces its own unprecedented challenge\u2014the first-ever district attorney recall campaign appearing on ballots throughout county history potentially leaving them without permanent prosecutorial leadership until 2028 if successful!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2646,"featured_media":2341628,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/shengthao.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[16718,40963,8800],"class_list":["post-2341627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-oakland","tag-political-chaos","tag-recalls"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/shengthao.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341627","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2646"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2341627"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341627\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2341628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2341627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2341627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2341627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}