MAYORAL CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

Please complete, sign and e-mail to

Oaklanders@MakeOaklandBetterNow.org

Candidate Name: Joe Tuman

City Budget

1. Please state your position on the following November ballot

measures:

Measure V (increased medical cannabis tax and new non-medical

cannabis tax). Answer:

I am not convinced that the projections and promises made about tax
revenues from the legal sale of marijuana are accurate. The current
pricing reflects the illegality of the product. Legalization will lead to more
product, and invariably lower prices. Taxes based on sales will reflect that
lowered, market-competitive reality. There will be tax revenues--but we
should be careful to avoid over-claiming what that they may be.

Measure W (telephone trunk line and access line taxes). Answer:

While these two types of taxes seem relatively innocuous, I find them to
be another example of our city’s unbridled willingness to take revenue
wherever they think it may be found—regardless of whether it makes
sense in this economic environment or taxpayers actually derive any value
from the city’s participation. This amounts to nearly $24 a year for every
person with a cell phone or a separate landline. It also amounts to $156 a
year for every business using a trunk line. If you have multiple trunk lines,
you pay more. By themselves, these seem relatively modest, but stacked
on top of other taxes for residents and business owners—they continue a
burden that is unfair.
 Make Oakland Better Now! Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire

Measure X ($360 parcel tax). Answer:

I am in opposition to the $360 parcel tax measure, and I believe voters will
reject Measure X for two reasons. First, they see this measure as an
attempt to force them to fix a problem our elected city officials allowed to
happen. In this way, they also link it with the city’s failure to use Measure
Y parcel tax money in ways the city had promised regarding community
policing. Voters are understandably angry with this. In meetings with me,
many have questioned why they should be expected to trust the city to
use new parcel tax money for public safety, when the city failed to keep its
promises for how it would use money raised from Measure Y? Second,
there are many people in this city, including the elderly in West and East
Oakland, for whom $360 dollars would be a significant amount of their
monthly fixed income. They will reject the measure for that reason alone.

Measure Y (suspends police staffing appropriation requirements for

collection of 2004 Measure Y parcel tax). Answer:

I am against Measure Y. I believe it is disingenuous to ask the voters to

eliminate the staffing requirement of Measure Y and trust the City Council
to do the right thing this time, when they now are forced to face the
consequences of failing to live up to the bargain they made with the voters
who enacted Measure Y.

2. In June, the City Budget director reported that Oakland faced

a five-year general-purpose fund structural deficit of $589
million. (See page 19 of City Administrator’s report at
http://tiny.cc/5jytp and a spreadsheet adding the numbers at
http://tiny.cc/9sowf). After the City Council’s recent budget
amendments, much of that structural deficit remains. As
mayor, what steps will you take to eliminate that deficit?
Answer:

Elimination of our structural deficit in my administration will flow from the

following action steps. First, effective immediately, after my election in
November, I will engage a private consulting firm to conduct a top-to-bottom audit
of all city offices and departments beginning with the mayor’s office and
continuing with the city administrator’s office. We will audit to gain a clearer
perspective of efficiencies for cost, functionality, and ability to achieve core
responsibilities of government. Recommendations for cost savings,
reorganization, and streamlining of functions will be identified.
Next, operating on information gleaned from the system-wide audit, I will
act to effect as many cost-saving measures as possible in an effort to reduce the

2|Page
 Make Oakland Better Now! Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire

deficit. At this point, it is not my judgment that this alone will be enough to close
the short-term or long-term deficits facing the city. For that reason, in January, I
will also convene a meeting between the Mayor’s office and all labor interests to
discuss what other steps must be taken to close our deficits. I will not in this
document spell-out what demands I will make on our unions; this kind of
information is strategic for negotiation, and only a neophyte would show his hand
before the negotiation process has begun. Suffice it to say, I will use the
following criteria for negotiation with our labor partners and stake-holders: a,
every decision we make with respect to closing the deficit must serve the interest
of everyone in the city – not just interested parties or select groups; b, every
decision we make must reflect a long-term solution to the city’s fiscal planning.
As to the latter of these, I will not allow the City of Oakland to continue the
process of short-term fixes for fiscal problems that develop into long-term crises.
To be clear, no more kick the can down the road.
Third, I will look for any available sources of external funding from the
state or federal government, which might be used to supplement core functions

3. Budgeted expenditures reflect a city’s priorities. When you

present your first budget to the City Council for consideration,
what current city functions will you give the highest priority, and
how will your proposed budget reflect that prioritization? For
what city functions will you reduce or eliminate expenditures?
Answer:

I don’t know what I will cut yet; that will be subject to what I find in the
audit. I will, however, do my best to answer your question about budget
priorities. For me, the priorities are driven by what I perceive to be the minimal
core responsibilities of government. These include public safety, public works,
parks and recreation, housing, development and redevelopment, and jobs.

4. Each of the city’s labor agreements will open during your term
as mayor, which means that wages and benefits will be up for
negotiation. As mayor, what will be your plan for balancing the
city’s interests in maximizing taxpayer services per tax dollar
and retaining and attracting skilled and motivated employees?
Answer:

First of all, I’m not going to wait for a contract to be open to convene a
meeting with interested labor groups to determine how we balance our budget
and close these massive deficits. In January, I will call that meeting immediately.
It is my belief that all unions regardless of contract status will participate because
they are only too well aware of the fact that our city is teetering at the edge of
bankruptcy now. Bankruptcy is the nuclear option. A scorched earth policy that
renders existing labor agreements unenforceable. I have no desire to see our

3|Page
 Make Oakland Better Now! Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire

city add bankruptcy to a resume that already highlights crime and poor
education. It would be difficult for me to attract new business development to a
city saddled with bankruptcy. Nevertheless, it is an option, and its existence is
what will bring labor groups to the table to negotiate. I cannot really answer the
part of your question that deals with ―maximizing taxpayer services‖ here
because all of that will turn on the outcome of negotiations to close our deficit.
What I can say is that every agreement we reach will meet the criteria of serving
all of Oakland’s interests and must be part of a long-term fiscally sustainable
solution. To the extent there is pain, it will be proportionally shared by all parties.
As Mayor, I will take the first step in this direction by voluntarily giving back
the raise Mayor Dellums gave himself and reducing my salary to serve as an
example for others.

Public Safety

5. Under recent adjustments to the 2010-11 budget, 120 police

officers are scheduled to be laid off in January 2011 (in
addition to the 80 laid off in July 2010) if Measure V, W, X
and Y do not pass. If you are elected in November and
these measures are not enacted, will these layoffs take
place? If not, what specific budgetary steps will you take to
prevent them? Answer:

If you’re asking this as a factual question (which is the way this question is
worded), it is my impression that these cuts will absolutely take place given the
statements and lack of budgeting alternatives by the Oakland City Council. That
will happen before I am mayor. If instead, you mean this as a normative question
(would I allow this to happen? Should I allow this to happen?), my answer is
different. I can’t prevent something from happening until I’m sworn in, and I can
only own the part of this that I can control after I am mayor. Chief Batts already
warned the city council earlier this week about the dire reduction in minimal
protection and public safety that will follow. I will amplify his comments.
Oakland’s rate of violent crime is already amongst the worst in the state and the
nation. With a greatly reduced police force, that reality will only worsen. Once I
am mayor, I will immediately seek interim funding by applying to the Department
of Justice specifically for grants that may be available to hire officers related to
gang prevention and drug enforcement. I will additionally seek to extend only on
this interim basis to use redevelopment money to hire a limited number of
officers. This interim period will last while I am negotiating closure of the deficit
and restructure of our finances. Let me be clear: public safety is the preeminent
responsibility and function of government. If we can’t keep our citizenry safe,
then what are we left to? I will not allow the size of our department to continue to
contract. This will not happen on my watch. Looking at the long-term picture,
once interim financing is secure, I will address the challenge of actually hiring

4|Page
 Make Oakland Better Now! Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire

more officers by use of an innovative policy that blends early retirement and a
second-tier for new recruits. This will be described in more detail below.

6. Several citizens groups have advocated “civilianizing” police

functions that do not require the use of sworn officers,
arguing that using civilians for such functions as police
misconduct complaint intake, press relations and property
crime investigations can substantially cut personnel costs
and maximize the availability and effectiveness of sworn
officers. Chief Garcon of San Francisco implemented
civilianization in Mesa, Arizona and has begun doing so in
San Francisco. Do you support civilianization, and if so, for
what functions? Answer:

7. At the end of your first term as mayor, how many sworn

police officers do you believe Oakland should have, and
what steps will you take to accomplish that goal? Answer:

Once again, this question could be factual or normative. Factually, I will

likely have close to 900 officers (mid to high 800s) by the end of my first term
based on the innovative police-staffing program I will describe below. Ideally, I
would like to see our force strength at 11-1200 officers, but growing us to that
number will likely take me into the second term of my administration—unless a
major economic rebound occurs, making the city more solvent than before.
Short of this, I will try to add 20 to 30 officers a year, after replacing for attrition.
To, accomplish this, I think we have to re-examine how we play for
policing. Oakland needs at least three to four hundred more police officers in
order to provide public safety for all of our community and effectively deal with
violent crime. This growth of new officers needs to occur in a manner that is
fiscally sustainable. Our City Council is convinced it costs an average of $180k
to pay for each officer. Because of their rigidity with this number, the Council has
locked itself into either raising taxes to hire more officers at this amount, OR
laying off officers so that we only have as many as we can afford for

5|Page
 Make Oakland Better Now! Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire

$180k/officer. I would approach this differently than the Council. I would

encourage voluntary early retirement for the officers (about 15% of the force)
who are 2-3 years away from retiring; then offer to hire them back at less than
half time (under 1000 hours/year). They can legally be hired back as
independent contractors, so long as they are less than half time. All the city
would have to pay is slightly less than half their base salary; for these
independent contractors, there would be no health care, no pension, no overtime,
since they are on early retirement. I would then take the savings from those
retirements and hire more officers at the entry level AFTER reducing base pay
for new hires from $85k (what we pay now) to a lesser amount (commensurate
with what other cities, like New York and Los Angeles, pay for entry-level
positions). I would not touch the existing compensation of current officers, thus
avoiding interest arbitration. In this system, I would not have to lay off officers,
and we could actually save money and grow the force.

8. In recent years, key components of community policing in

Oakland have been the interactions between the Measure Y
Neighborhood Beat Officers, Neighborhood Safety
Coordinators, community members and Neighborhood
Crime Prevention Councils. The Neighborhood Beat
Officers have now been eliminated, and the functions of the
NSC’s have been consolidated. To what extent do you
believe community policing is important, and if you believe it
is important, how can it be accomplished in Oakland?
Answer:

After examining this issue and discussing it with numerous members of

our city, I am persuaded that the term community policing actually means
different things to different people. For some, it references a perception that the
police are part of the problem in our community and requires greater civilian and
community control. For others, it references a desire to have greater civilian
volunteer efforts with police in parts of our community to assist reporting of crime.
For many, community policing is really just about the logic of having dedicated
problem solving officers (PSOs) and beat cops. My guess is that your question
references the latter of these three. I support this concept completely, especially
because it creates a human interfacing between the community and
representatives of the OPD. This kind of community policing creates
relationships and builds trust. I would continue this in my administration. At the
same time, I want to observe what many police officers have also shared with
me. In a time of staff shortages, having dedicated PSOs and beat cops who are
only assigned to their districts or beats becomes an expensive luxury when a
priority one call comes through and there are not enough officers to respond.
During a time of transition to more officers, I will continue community policing, but
I would ask for some public understanding if PSOs and beat cops have to
occasionally help out in emergencies and urgent situations.

6|Page
 Make Oakland Better Now! Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire

Public Works

9. In its April, 2009 performance audit of the Oakland Public

Works department (http://tiny.cc/afihq), Matrix Consulting
Group, which conducted the audit, recommended that:
a. The City should be replacing or rehabilitating an average of 1% to
2% of its sanitary sewer mains each year” at a cost of about $7.5
million; and
b. The City should be spending approximately $30 million annually for
the repair and replacement of the City’s streets (at the time of the
audit, the annual expenditure was $7.2 million).

Matrix also noted that the General Purpose Fund contribution to the Public
Works budget was far less than that of comparable California cities, and made a
series of recommendations (at pages 24-25) for adequate funding of the city’s
public works needs. Which of these recommendations do you support, and how
will Oakland meet its obligations to repair and replace sanitary sewers, streets
and infrastructure if you are mayor?

Answer:

This kind of audit provides terrific material, but it leaves me at a

disadvantage for answering your questions because the report is a year old, and
I am unable to tell what, if anything, the City has done with its recommendations
(btw pages 24-25 do not deal with ―recommendations for adequate funding‖—as
your question implied). Nevertheless, I’ll try and answer your questions as best I
can.
I do think maintenance, rehabilitation, or outright replacement of sewer
lines should be a priority for the City; waste management (a quaint euphemism)
is a core function of government. The problem with making sewer lines a priority
is that they are underground, and as the saying goes, ―out of sight, out of mind.‖
These become the infrastructure issues we don’t think about until a massive
rainfall occurs, sewage lines back up, or the lines break from lack of repair or
age. In short, we only think of the problem when it becomes a problem. I believe
in regular maintenance and prevention.
This report makes a lot of recommendations—including the two you
mention above. I am unable to tell from the report why or how they reached the
numbers ―1 to 2%‖ of sewer lines to repair on a yearly basis; my guess is that
they reached this conclusion based upon existing revenues. That hardly speaks
to the question of need, or the urgency of rehabilitating or replacing this
infrastructure. Consequently, I can’t comment on whether that is the right number
for replacement or rehabilitation (as opposed to 5% or 7% or whatever). The
report notes at page 15 that the City had not met this benchmark (1-2%) in the
previous fiscal year (before the study).

7|Page
 Make Oakland Better Now! Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire

Likewise, the recommendation that Oakland be spending $30 million

dollars annually for repair and replacement of streets seems obvious enough—
but why it was $30 million and not a larger number—I cannot say. It is obvious
there are more than $30 million worth of repairs to be done on our city streets.
Failure to repair these problems creates a sizable amount of damage to
automobiles (and bicycles!), and clearly can lead to possibilities for accidents.
This serves no one’s interest.
How do we pay for any of these things? I believe they are a core function
(like that for rehabilitation and replacement of sewage lines) of government. They
will be a budget priority for me—but how much we can spend will turn (in all
honesty) on what decisions are made about closing the deficit in January of
2011.

Management, Leadership, Accountability and Transparency

10. Oakland is a large and very complex entity with a $1.1+

billion budget and thousands of employees. Please
describe:

a. Your specific experience that qualifies you to oversee an

enterprise of this size and complexity;

First, I have worked within bureaucracies for nearly three decades in

universities. Two of these were public universities, with labor unions, colleges
and departments that fiercely defended their turfs, overworked non-teaching
staffs, lecturers without tenure, tenured professors, administration staff and
senior management all the way up to the president's office. These bureaucracies
on an organizational chart would be much larger than anything you see on
Oakland's city chart. Additionally, both of these universities have been through a
series of economic cycles (recessions, flat growth, recovery, boom period, etc)
that were the exact experience cities like Oakland encountered. My experience
within these entities-and especially in the last 23 years at San Francisco State—
has included committee chair positions for hiring and retention, tenure and
promotion and curricular development. Other experience has involved resolving
conflicts between departments over control of curriculum, advising committees
over academic freedom issues, and (system wide) helping to adjudicate disputes
over supplemental salary increases. Of course, these are not identical to a city--
but the experience of working within public bureaucracies is very parallel.
Like these public universities (the other was Cal), the city of Oakland has
an elaborate bureaucracy. Like a university, the departments and agencies
within the city are to a degree balkanized, and sometimes in competition for
resources. Like a university, the city employs workers who belong to different
labor unions. Like a university's unions, the city's unions are active, and
participate vigorously in establishing precedent through contracts that have long

8|Page
 Make Oakland Better Now! Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire

term impact on policy and economic vitality (or the lack thereof) for the host
institution.
Next, let me say that my experience also comes from familiarity and
expertise in politics and governance. Both as a professor and as a political
analyst for news media, I often focus on the process of governing, especially as
that relates to policy issues and how these are translated to the public. This
extends locally from topics including local responses to crime, homelessness, or
unemployment, to state governance and policies or initiatives concerning taxes
and growth, environmental protection, or budget deficits, and from there to
national governance (both Congress and the President) for both domestic and
international policy issues. At any of those levels (local, state, national), I have
an understanding of the process of governing. Moreover, I comprehend the
inherent limits of governing and sharing power between an executive (mayor,
governor, president) and a legislative branch (city council, state legislature,
congress). The entities are all different, but the same rules for cooperation and
competition usually apply.
Finally, let me say that my background also includes the experience of
running small businesses--two of which were family businesses (restaurants, as
a younger person), and later an educational enterprise, and also a small
consulting company. I know what it is to make a payroll, to manage employees,
and to deal with compensation issues.

b. Your theory of management, with examples of how you have

applied that theory;

Let me dissect this question in different ways. I want a strong, centralized

management that begins with the mayor’s office and disseminates authority
through the city administrator’s office to individual department heads. Although
my city administrator (who will align with my values) will deal with the day-to-day
functions of governance, I intend to offer hands-on management of both my city
administrator and all department managers. They will have access to me and I
intend to visit them on a regular basis. As the old management cliché goes, you
have to inspect what you expect. At the level of departments I otherwise will
promote a relatively flat culture of management – meaning, that all department
heads will be roughly equal in power and report up by function to the city
administrator.
As a practical matter, I have managed my small businesses this way and
also used this approach when running university forensic programs (with staffs of
8-10 people and over 100 students, at both CAL and SFSU). I also assisted my
corporate clients (in my business consultancy) to effectively communicate
through these very kinds of approaches in large institutions like Wells Fargo
Bank and Bank of America.

c. Your philosophy of executive leadership, with examples of

when and where you have shown that philosophy.

9|Page
 Make Oakland Better Now! Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire

I believe that an executive should lead by example, and model the behavior he or
she expects of others. Moreover, I believe that an executive should develop,
possess and execute a vision for the entity he or she leads.

Answer:

11. The City Administrator is the day-to-day head of city

government. What criteria will you employ and what
qualifications will you look for in appointing the City
Administrator? Answer:

The profile of the individual I would place in this very important position would be
one who has experience with municipal administration, a strong work ethic (to
match my own), an ability to communicate and inspire managers and workers,
and a shared vision (to match my own) about long term planning, fiscal discipline,
and sustainable, long term planning to provide the core functions and
responsibilities of government.

12. What will you do as mayor to ensure that your agenda is being
executed? Answer:

As Mayor, I will do the same thing that any effective executive must do to
ensure his agenda is being executed – I will actively manage those under my
office. What this means is taking the initiative to effectively oversee departmental
operations. I will not fall victim to the micro-management curse, which would
only lessen my effectiveness as Mayor, but I will insist on regular meetings with
department heads that will require them to present me with firm, verifiable data
as to capacity of their department, including a history of the performance of their
employees, from the most senior managers to the lowest worker. When I set a
goal for a particular department, I will do so pragmatically. Prior to setting any
goal, I will advise each department head involved of my intention regarding that
particular goal and require them to prepare a feasibility report, which includes
available manpower, financing, and any known impediments to achieving that
goal. I will then meet with those department heads to work out any problems that
may have arisen but were not necessarily accounted for in the initial assessment.
I will listen to the counsel of those with whom I consult, but will not be swayed by
intransigence or inertia by established management. Instead, I will insist that
each department head push the limits of their department’s capabilities in
defining the particular goal involving that department or departments for the
betterment of our City.
Once a reachable goal has been agreed upon, I will insist that daily
progress reports be sent to my office and will personally review each such report.

10 | P a g e
 Make Oakland Better Now! Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire

Additionally, I will meet weekly with each involved department head both to
review the progress reports and rectify any unforeseen complications that might
arise during implementation of the particular initiative, so as to ensure that
continued progress is maintained in reaching the set goal.
For those policy goals that depend on the cooperation of the City Council,
I will actively participate in all City Council meetings in order to advocate for the
action necessary to achieve the goal. I will maintain constant contact with our
Council members to ensure that progress is made in completion of the goal, and,
if I face intransigence on the part of the Council, will turn to you, our citizens, to
rectify this barrier to the advancement of the policies I know are vital, not only to
the restoration of Oakland as a world-class destination and city, but also for the
improvement of the lives of all Oaklanders.

13. What metrics or benchmarks will you establish for your

performance and the performance of City department heads?
How will Oaklanders know whether benchmarks are being met?
Answer:

Here are the initial benchmarks I will set for myself: a) within the first six
weeks of my election victory (in November) I will begin a system-wide audit of
city government; b) within that same time period, I will have hired a new city
administrator, and made personnel decisions regarding department heads and
new hires; c) by January I will be involved with negotiating and navigating my
way through the city’s deficit challenges; d) by February I will attempt to have
implemented my new staffing policy for police hires costs; e) by mid-February I
will have introduced my new policies regarding business development and new
jobs.
As for my department heads (new or old), I will expect all to have
participated in decisions about staffing change, cost-saving, and measures to
close our deficit. Deficit reduction will occur. In this initial period, Oaklanders will
―know‖ that ―benchmarks are being met‖ by evaluating whether the above
deadlines have been met. I intend to communicate as much in my inaugural
address, and to make these goals accessible in the new and redesigned website
for the Mayor’s office.

14. How can Oakland’s television station, its web site, and other
media be used to more effectively inform and engage Oaklanders
concerning city government activities and issues? Answer:

If by ―television station‖ you refer to the channel that broadcasts those

scintillating City Council meetings (how’s that for reality TV?), I would say there is
much more we can do. I am unaware how the station is otherwise used
currently—and if I’m saying that (as a professional with more than 25 years in TV
broadcasting)—then chances are good, most people don’t know about our

11 | P a g e
 Make Oakland Better Now! Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire

station and/or it isn’t used for much else. This is most likely an underused
resource. In the abstract I would say now that I would like to think creatively
about how we might use this to broadcast messages that are part of a positive
narrative of our city.
Our website, may be the better resource for that purpose, however—and I
think it bears some upgrading. Much of it is currently difficult to navigate, and the
look of the whole thing I find to be dull and dated. Web presence is the modern
and cost-effective way to communicate with (and provide information for) the
public.

15. Should the City be taking other steps to more effectively engage
the citizenry in city issues, and if so, what steps? Answer:

See my answer above re: web presence. Additionally, I think much good came
from Mayor Dellums’ efforts with task forces. I think our future challenges may
require more use of these.

Economic Development

16. Many Oakland candidates and office-holders express the opinion

that Oakland city government systemically business-unfriendly.
Do you agree or disagree? If you disagree, explain how the city
has established a favorable climate for business development. If
you agree, describe what you see as the systemic problems and
explain how you, as mayor, would fix them. Answer:

Our city is challenged by a reputation that suggests city government is

unfriendly to new business development, and not always supportive of existing
business-mostly small business. Because of this, Oakland continually loses out
on the opportunities that allow cities to grow and thrive.
As Mayor, I will work to attract large companies to become tenants in
vacant parts of the city's commercial real estate properties. In recent years,
Oakland has lost tenant companies, decreasing the number of large-scale
employers in the city. Currently, too much of the blend for large scale employers
favors public sector entities such as the federal government, the State of
California, the County of Alameda, the University of California, and the City of
Oakland. However, for the presence of large businesses like Clorox, Kaiser, or
Dreyers, the city would be even more dependent on public sector employers to
provide large employment opportunities. A healthy, robust economy depends on
balance between public and private large employers as well as small businesses.
I will also more thoughtfully manage and coordinate the approach to support
and nurture small business in the city. Much of the rhetoric by city administrators
and elected officials continually herald the significance of small businesses as
economic generators and reliable providers of employment. Sadly, ask any small
business owner if the city's deeds match their words and you will learn that the
opposite is often true. From excessive efforts to tax everything from annual

12 | P a g e
 Make Oakland Better Now! Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire

business licenses, business equipment, and where applicable, sales

transactions-to harmful and poorly considered parking policies, counter-effective
zoning policies and the like, small business owners who already struggle in a
challenging economy often find themselves falling further behind their
competitors in neighboring communities because of city policies that lack
coordination and foresight. As mayor, I will direct a review of the different points
of intersection between city hall and small businesses, and work to reform
policies with respect to taxation, parking, land use and competition in ways that
support and encourage small business growth.
I will target and attract new industry growth by leveraging the unique assets
of the city. Both reports by the metropolitan COC and the McKinsey consulting
organization identified several new types of industries that represent real growth
opportunities for Oakland. These include, among others, green industry, life
sciences and healthcare, and digital media. While the city has made some
limited progress in attracting and helping to develop these businesses here,
much more needs to be done. More rational land use policy, for example, can
free up currently unused space for office and laboratory sites for biotechnology
start-ups. Educated workers from graduates of UC, Cal State East Bay, Mills
College, St. Mary's or either of our community colleges can provide available and
stable supplies of new labor for companies interested in settling within Oakland.
The same can apply for green industry-for example in solar power. China has
taken the lead in manufacturing of solar panels, but installation and maintenance
will still require local laborers. Additional curriculum for teaching of solar
technicians can be encouraged at local community colleges, resulting in a
certification program that provides a steady stream of employees for solar
providers who headquarter in Oakland. This kind of leveraging can occur for all
target industries if the city takes an active lead in the process.
Lastly, I will identify and develop retail sectors in various parts of the city.
New retail growth will provide new jobs for Oaklanders, more choice and diversity
for shoppers, economic activity for various regions of the city, and new tax dollars
from sensible sales tax policies. The 10K program began the process, for
example, of providing many new living spaces within the downtown area-but did
not always bring accompanying development of retail space. While the city may
not be inclined to court super-stores or large chains, larger retail tenants can still
serve as anchors in various sections of the city, beside which small local
businesses may become neighbors. The mayor's office should be used to
identify and target potential retail anchors who may have existing ties, interest in,
or history with Oakland, and be willing to invest in the retail redevelopment of the
city.

17. What, if anything, does Oakland have to learn from Emeryville,

Berkeley or other cities about how to effectively use Enterprise
Zones and redevelopment funding to attract and retain
businesses? What, if anything, have other cities done that
Oakland will start doing if you are mayor? Answer:

13 | P a g e
 Make Oakland Better Now! Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire

I believe that the underlying Enterprise Zone concept is a good one. Care must
be had to ensure that the return Oakland receives, in terms of increased
employment for our residents and eventual increases in our tax revenues,
surpasses our initial expenditures in land allocation and tax breaks. That said, I
believe that modified Enterprise Zones, which combine city-granted incentives
with strong oversight to ensure our goals are met are most appropriate.
What we can learn from other cities is that these initiatives have been largely
successful but are fraught with unexpected consequences. For instance, the City
of Emeryville has certainly increased its tax base through redevelopment, but it
has also suffered a concentrated area of traffic congestion as a result of the
concentration of businesses within a relatively small geographic area.
In an area as geographically large and as economically diverse as
Oakland, I believe that, while the initial focus will be on already established retail
areas such as the Broadway corridor, the appropriate scope of such an initiative
is city-wide. This not only allows us to rezone blighted and under-utilized land in
a way that will benefit the residents of those areas and those businesses
receiving the benefits of Enterprise Zoning, but also ensures benefits to the city
overall by increasing local employment in impoverished areas, maximizing the
productivity of our real estate, and facilitating the efficient transportation of people
into and out of those areas. As these zones bear fruit, the increased tax base
can be reinvested into infrastructure improvements such as rehabilitating blighted
areas and increasing the viability of public and shared transit operations. Such
an approach has already been proven in the dock areas of London, and I have
every expectation that Oakland, with its greater natural beauty and far more
pleasant climate can do even better.

Other

18. What, if anything, can Oakland city government learn from other
cities about how to maximize its ability to provide quality services
to its citizens in difficult economic times? Answer:

I think that the most important thing that we can take away from other
cities is the simple fact that efficiency is key to the effective provision of services
to our residents. The simple fact of the matter is that our city is rife with
inefficiency. We have duplicative positions, an untenable bureaucracy, and too
much balkanization among our city departments.
Early in this campaign, a city employee relayed a story to me that I think is
instructive. When a grant of federal money is allocated to our city for a specific
purpose, say park maintenance, there is a certain amount paid to the city by our
federal government. In an efficient system, that money, say $10 million, would
go directly to the department that cleans and maintains our parks. They would
then spend that money and the maximum benefit of the grant would go to all of
us. That, unfortunately, is not our reality.

14 | P a g e
 Make Oakland Better Now! Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire

The reality is that the grant money stops at three, four, or five other
―interim departments,‖ some of which were created for the sole purpose of acting
as intermediaries. Every time that original $10 million stops at one of these
departments, ―administrative fees,‖ the cost of running the department, is taken
out of the grant. The result of this practice is that by the time the original $10
million grant reaches the department it was intended for it is now $8 million or $7
million or maybe even less.
The way things are now, the residents of Oakland gain the benefit of only
a fraction of most grants given us because so many unnecessary ―middle-man
departments‖ have taken their share before the funds arrive at their intended
destination. As Mayor, I will eliminate any ―middle-man‖ department under my
control unless it can demonstrate that the benefit it confers to our residents
warrants the ―cut‖ it takes from our citizen’s funds. If such a department or
program is under the control of the City Council, I will actively advocate that they
take the same steps and, if they refuse, I will use the bully pulpit of the Mayor’s
office to let you know they have done so. As Mayor, I will do all I can to eliminate
waste in our city government and when I need your help, I will ask you for it.
Together, we can ensure that our residents, and not some entrenched
bureaucracy or special interest, benefit from every dollar our city spends. As
your Mayor, I promise you that we will maximize our ability to provide quality
services to our citizens.

19. The majority of Oaklanders love their city, and believe it has
unparalleled positive elements that are simply not recognized in
the rest of the state and country, including history, diversity, and
vibrant activity in its culture, arts, restaurants, etc. Does the
mayor have a role in getting this message out there, and how
should the city send this message? Answer:

The simple answer to the first part of your question is yes. The Mayor of
Oakland not only has a role in promoting the ―hidden excellence‖ of our city but,
in my opinion, an effective Mayor has the predominant role in advocating all
aspects of Oakland, not only to the residents of the Bay Area and our state but to
all the peoples of the world. The second aspect of your question requires an
answer that provides a bit more depth.
First, the fact is that in our modern media-saturated world, perception is
often more important than reality. Currently, despite all of our inherent attributes,
the sad truth is that Oakland is perceived as an unattractive, dangerous place by
most outsiders. While much of this perception is misplaced, the fact remains that
we now must address a serious public safety problem that has languished,
unaddressed by our career politicians, for years and has seriously impacted our
ability to promote the true greatness of Oakland. My common sense plan for
increasing and better utilizing police presence in our city will have the dual

15 | P a g e
 Make Oakland Better Now! Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire

benefit of increasing the safety of our residents while also changing the
perception of Oakland as a place that is not attractive to visit.
Second, it is vital that we improve the economic viability of our city. My
plan to increase the proportion of private sector employment in Oakland, which
will institute business friendly development policies that will actively court private
sector employers and will include a focus on retail businesses that are willing to
give hiring preference to local workers, here in Oakland. This will not only
increase the employment opportunities for Oaklanders, particularly the lowest
income residents among us, and increase funding to the city through an enlarged
tax base but will also provide an increased incentive for people outside of the city
to visit Oakland.
Finally, once we have implemented my programs and have seen the
positive results they will bear, the city must begin to actively promote all of our
attributes, from our climate and natural beauty to our world-class entertainment
and sports franchises, to our, now improved, retail opportunities to the rest of our
state and beyond. I would not be opposed, given the availability of funds
following the success of my business plan, to create some kind of public-private
joint venture that utilized the power of the Mayor’s Office in combination with
established advocacy groups such as the Chamber of Commerce and public
relations firms to actively promote the achievements we have made and to
actively change the perception of our city to reflect the reality that we, as Oakland
residents already recognize. That our city is the jewel of the Bay Area.

Dated: September 20, 2010 By: Joe Tuman

(Electronic signature – i.e., “/s/
Name” is acceptable)

16 | P a g e