League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Alameda County, CA November 4, 2014 Election
	Jean Quan Answers Questions Candidate for Mayor; City of Oakland

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. Oakland sits on the Bay, and the waterfront, downtown, and West Oakland areas are particularly low-lying. With climate change bringing major changes, including sea level rise, what are your plans to bring this to the forefront of the Oakland mayor's agenda?

1)Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by increasing energy efficiency; shifting to clean, renewable energy sources; and achieving our zero-waste goals-I was one of the first mayors to support Community Choice Aggregation which holds the potential for producing clean energy for our local economy. 2)Given the likelihood of climate change, continue preparing Oakland for emergencies and disasters through our partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation on the 100 Resilient Cities program-working with other cities in the region and partner cities across the world to develop resilience in the face of potential disasters such as a major earthquake, as well as ongoing concerns including the impacts of global climate change.

2. What is your vision for Oakland, i.e., what issues are of special interest and concern and what ideas do you have to put Oakland in the forefront?

We are in a transformative moment where we believe we are able to offer opportunity to our young people through equitable economic development, instituting a school to career pipeline, encouraging entrepreneurship in the arts, tech and sustainability policies and programs while reducing violence in our neighborhoods and promoting family sustaining careers. Oakland is rising and it's important that we all rise together.

3. How would you address continuing high rates of crime in Oakland?

I've worked closely with the Oakland Police Department to implement real community policing, through 5 geographic areas with Area Captains who are accountable for working with neighbors to bring crime down. Diversifying the police force is also critical to effective community-based policing. We have made progress to re-organize the police department to be more effective and it's brining crime down, but we have much more work to do. My goal is to continue funding at least 2 new police academies each year to reach the necessary levels of staffing to meet the high need for 911 calls,responding to and solving crimes. We'll with continue targeted recruitment for women, multilingual, LGBTQ, local and people of color officers who can deepen the implementation of neighborhood-based policing and work closely with residents to better prevent and solve crime.

We will complete implementation of the remaining handful of federal court-ordered reforms in the police department, which will end direct federal oversight and re-build the Oakland Police Department as an accountable, effective, forward-thinking police department working with the community to reduce crime. We will promote OPD leadership who believe in this vision, led by Chief Sean Whent who was the Director of Internal Affairs and has been praised by federal monitors for his commitment to reform.

4. While most of the Bay Area has the lowest unemployment rate in the state, Oakland is still in trouble. How do you plan to stimulate the economy in Oakland?

I have successfully begun that work by getting the Port/Army Base project launched which includes a 50% Oakland hire requirement and the ground breaking of the Brooklyn Basin Project. With all the building of housing and opening of retail we'll need our youth to be prepared. The West Oakland Job Center and our community colleges are poised to reach out to unemployed or underemployed residents and youth. We are coordinating training with hiring needs and creating that school-including my Education Cabinet with OUSD-to career pipeline that will produce not minimum wage but living wage, family-sustaining careers and small businesses.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. 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: October 10, 2014 12:18
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