League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Alameda County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
	Alex Miller-Cole Answers Questions Candidate for Council Member; City of Oakland; Council District 3

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Oakland and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. (Foreclosure challenges) Many Oaklanders have lost their homes because of the economic recession; how can the city help homeowners, and how can the city help neighborhoods experiencing high rates of foreclosures and vacancies?

Real Estate is one of the foundational elements of a community. People need homes to live in, places to house their businesses in, and public space to share and enjoy communally. While there are many "causes" of our current economic downturn, the rapid fall of housing prices was key. For Oakland, this has led to a drastic decrease in tax revenue based on property values, and a corresponding crisis in funding essential government functions.

We must do a better job at protecting our residents when it come to foreclosures. I support a court-based mediation protocol. At the moment all we do is file notices with the county which are not properly reviewed and that give the banks the ability to move forward.

I see my role in this matter as the legislator who is to leverage all possible legal tools to protect our residents. I am very interested in exploring how eminent domain might be used as a tool to buy back foreclosed properties and then make them available again at a fair market value to those who lost them. A land trust could also be an excellent tool. We have done it before and we should do it again.

If we are serious about preventing gentrification and protecting our communities we must become doers and stop being just talkers. Home ownership is one of the strongest tools in preventing the displacement of our residents. It is up to us to make a difference. If this continues is only because we have not done our jobs.

While I am a landlord, I strongly support tenants' rights. I have been a property owner in Oakland for the past 16 years. My tenants are my neighbors and my friends. Some of my best endorsements come from our tenants. I feel that the main way to deal with foreclosures is to promote and grow a healthy economy.

Our City needs the introduction of economic development with a strong focus on workforce development. We can achieve this by ensuring that our training centers produce workers with high quality training and enough journeymen hours to be able to join Oakland's workforce. We can do this if we get the Oakland Port and the community to work together. We can do this through business retention and business attraction. I have done all of this. We just need to work together and be smart about how we connect the dots and achieve our common goals.

2. (Public Safety) Improving public safety is about more than just increasing the police force. What should be done for violence prevention?

It is imperative that we keep improving public safety and rebuilding the trust and cooperation between our community and the OPD. I have done this in my neighborhood, and I know it works. I did this without relying on a new tax or line in our City budget. I know we can do this City-wide. We don't need to reinvent the wheel, but we do need to refocus on community policing strategies.

I serve as Commissioner of the Community Policing Advisory Advisory Board, the Co-Chair of my local Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), and the Chair of the San Pablo Corridor Coalition, on of the most active community groups dedicated to improving public safety through progressive strategies. My work as member of these groups, as well as my years of community activism around public safety issues, have given me a broader perspective on the public safety crisis we face today.

There is no question that for as long as the status quo is maintained, we will need more and more police. This is a vicious cycle; I believe there is a better way. We can create the positive change we need by using innovative, on the ground strategies and dealing with problems at the root. It doesn't matter how many times we incarcerate, criminalize, or punish someone if we are not able to offer them a viable alternative to live a better life.

In addition, as a City Councilmember, I will fight for funding to be allocated to support programs that will address the root of the issues and I will oppose measures that promote the cycle of brutality, dehumanization, and alienation that result from seeking quick fixes. I support Restorative Justice programs. I feel that the City's involvement should go hand-in-hand with the programs to create increased opportunities for healing and advancement.

3. (Bringing businesses and jobs) Oakland needs more neighborhood serving businesses. What can the City Council do to bring more businesses and jobs to the city?

As your next District 3 City Councilmember, I will be the tireless ambassador that we have not had in decades. I will do this because I am fully invested in the future of the City. Shipping and warehousing, import/export, and rail are all essential to the growth of our our port. If our port is to become the economic engine for the entire region, we must prioritize these key sectors.

I want to work with the rest of the City Council to bring banking, medical, food, and other basic businesses and services to Oakland's "flatlands." There is a tremendous sales and revenue leak that funnels potential growth out of our City on a daily basis. As the next Councilmember, I will personally reach out and welcome every single business venture that comes into our City and District 3. I will assist and help develop a business center dedicated to actually guiding entrepreneurs, investors, and businesses who want to do business in Oakland.

4. (Your Council Legacy) In 20 years what do you want to look back on as having been your legacy in the City of Oakland?

In 20 years, I'd like to see my City Council legacy as the following:

1. A significant increase in home ownership for low-to-middle income families in the district.

2. The creation of good jobs and economic opportunities such as the Oakland Army Base, and the Port of Oakland. A vibrant economy for all of Oakland.

3. A safer Oakland for our children through increased public safety.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' responses are presented as submitted. Direct references to opponents are not permitted.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: November 2, 2012 12:00
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