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by Lynda Carson
Oakland, Ca-In a shocking revelation during last
nights (Tue-June-25) packed City Council Meeting, it
became apparent that $100,000 (one hundred thousand
dollars) to feed the poor got lost in the shuffle of
budget cuts being voted upon.
Near the begining of June 2002, the Oakland
Independant Support Center which is affiliated with
the Food Bank, was notified that they were not to
receive this years budget allocation of one hundred
thousand dollars to feed the poor in Oakland. No
explanation was offered by City Officials as to where
the money went.
During last nights council meeting several staff and
board members of the non-profit group stepped up to
the podium to address council members and ask what
happened to the money.
Council members proceeded to vote for the proposed
budget cuts despite knowing full well that the money
to feed the poor was missing from the budget
proposals.
Sydny Loggins an Assistant Director of the Oakland
Independant Support Center directly asked the council
members, "wheres the money"; and went on to explain
the hardship to come for the poor if the funding were
not replaced immediately. Council President Ignacio de
la Fuente and the other council members had no idea
why the money was gone, but requested that the staff
look into the matter and get back to them during the
next two weeks with an explanation as to where the
money went.
The Oakland Independant Support Center has been around
for the last 12 years and hands out over 2000 meals
per month to the poor in Oakland. Located downtown
Oakland, they serve the poor two meals per day five
days a week, offer showers and food packages to the
needy. Many of their clients are the mentally ill, and
homeless.
From James Sweeny the Executive Director to Sadie
Anderson a volunteer coordinator and Board Member of
OISC, they expressed alarm about the harm being done
to the poor if the money was not replaced. When I
asked Eva Green a procurement specialist with OISC to
describe the outcome of this fiasco if the money was
not replaced, in a word she said; HUNGRY! We can not
afford to lose that money she says, and that the two
meals a day for the poor are extremely important to
all who have no where else to go to be fed.
Ms. Green went on to say that she earlier spoke to
Libby Schaff a staffer for Council President de la
Fuente, and wants to believe that the money will come.
During a call to Sadie Anderson of OISC, she believes
that it will be a total disaster if the money is not
replaced. Our clients need food before taking
medications she says, and many of their clients are
mentally disabled. She also expressed concern that
their clients will be forced to steal to make up for
the loss.
In a call to Councilman Dick Spees office, staffer
Shawn O'shea says; this somehow slipped under the
radar screen, and that the money was a part of a
general pool of money lost in the budget cuts. It was
not something that the council members focused on he
went on to say, and that only official quotes from
this office can be offered by Councilman Dick Spees.
According to Councilmember Jane Brunner, she says; she
was surprised by this, and tells me that the city
manager is looking into it. Councilwoman Brunner goes
on to say that she believes there will not be an
interruption in service, and that they will
investigate to find out where the money went. It's
possible that it is grant money coming to an end, she
went on to say.
Nearly half of Oakland city service budgets come from
grant money, and cannot be touched by city officials
who may want to redirect funding to other projects.
Councilwoman Nancy Nadel tells me that it appears to
be a mistake. If so, they do not know how to rectify
it she says. Presently, their not really certain that
the money is gone or where it will come from to
replace the missing money if thats the case, Ms. Nadel
states.Councilwoman Nadel went on to tell me that
there are some serious discussions taking place to
shift money into new programs for community gardens in
an effort to teach people how to grow their own food
in the city parks of Oakland.
In a boost to supporters of the Just Cause Initiative,
Councilmember Nadel also stated that the initiative is
for certain heading to the November ballot, and that
it is merely a formality for the council to vote on it
beforehand. She says; the councils options are limited
to being for the initiative or against it. If they are
concerned enough about it to take action, they may
place a competing initiative upon the ballot that may
be weaker than the one offered by the people of
Oakland. At this point, Councilwoman Nadel went on to
state that she would not be surprised if other
councilmembers come up with their own version of a
"Just Cause Measure", but has not heard of any in the
works.
Whether it's incompetence, negligence, or just a
mistake; wherever the money went to feed the hungry
lets hope that the City of Oakland gets to the bottom
of this mystery as soon as possible before it's a
total disaster. | 
