(KRON) — Congresswoman Barbara Lee formally introduced she is operating for Oakland mayor in April’s particular election. A 13-term member of Congress, Lee is named a number one progressive voice with years of expertise in public service. However whoever wins the mayorship faces a slew of challenges: from an enormous funds deficit to issues over homelessness and violent crime.
KRON4’s Stephanie Lin sat down with Lee to debate the congresswoman’s marketing campaign, her perspective on a few of Oakland’s greatest points, and why she’s selecting to run now on the age of 78, after almost three a long time in Washington, D.C.
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The interview has been edited for readability and brevity.
KRON4: Congresswoman, thanks a lot for becoming a member of us right here at the moment. We respect it.
Lee: Actually blissful to be with you. So, inform us a bit about simply how you feel at this second.
KRON4: You simply introduced your bid for mayor of Oakland. Now, this generally is a difficult place. Are you prepared?
Lee: Very difficult. However let me inform you. I did not simply announce it. It took two months to attempt to determine if this was one thing that I needed to do. Proper now, at this second in our metropolis’s historical past, the town wants management. You possibly can insist on accountability and transparency — hopefully somebody who has expertise. I feel that when you have a look at my document, and I hope folks perceive, I’ve been working for them and need to work for them and need to earn their vote. I feel that is the time for me.
KRON4: What’s the very first thing you intend to do in case you are elected to the workplace?
Lee: The very first thing I plan to do is convey folks collectively and say, let me take heed to you. Let me hear what you assume your priorities are. After all, I do know I’ll have to take a look at instantly taking a look at how we, restore the hearth stations, given the hearth threats, and I feel Oakland is basically extra ready than most communities as a result of I used to be within the legislature throughout the 1991 fireplace, and I knew what happened the trauma, the horrible devastation. So I need to make certain public security, which incorporates fireplace security, is addressed instantly.
KRON4: The Metropolis of Oakland is going through a pretty big funds challenge, a $130M drawback. Again in December, we all know the town council accredited these funds cuts impacting public security. So what do you see as the answer to fixing the monetary issues going through the Metropolis of Oakland?
Lee: There’s not one answer, fairly frankly, and I am more than happy that the county has unanimously handed the Coliseum framework to maneuver ahead with the Coliseum deal, which was tied to the town funds, but in addition gross sales tax income, and rising our income is extraordinarily necessary. That is not the one methodology measure of addressing the funds. We have now to take a look at non-public funding. And sometimes instances there are sources that we do not even learn about. So I need to make certain we now have a superb audit, that we all know the place the present sources are, and we all know how you can transfer ahead to extend income and to extend funding.
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KRON4: Is it potential to steadiness the town’s funds with out severely compromising public security?
Lee: We have now to have public security. Everybody desires public security, and I do not consider we’re going to compromise public security. We have now to do that proper and do it higher. I consider in, violence interrupters. I consider in stopping crime. I consider in ceasefire. And they’re doing phenomenal work. And so they do work carefully with the police division and the crime charge is starting to return down. Nicely, we now have a superb trajectory proper now. We have to take that to scale. And we will not simply preserve policing as the one solution to handle public security. We have now to forestall crimes from going down. And so I am on the lookout for new methods to try this, on a regional foundation.
KRON4: And so forth that subject, how do you apply your progressive values? Since you are seen as a pillar of progressivism on the nationwide degree in addition to the state degree. How do you apply these progressive values in the case of addressing points like violent crime, which is an enormous one in Oakland?
Lee: Nicely, these are Oakland values. I do not know, one progressive, one who would not care about retaining their neighborhoods protected, who cares who would not care about their youngsters having the ability to go to highschool and never fear about, college violence. I do not know any progressive, average conservative. I do not know anybody, so I do not consider that we needs to be, taking a look at public security and most points via, a lens that, is outlined by a political perspective as a result of we now have to take a look at Oakland values, and we now have to take a look at what Oakland residents stay and wish. And I consider the identical factor.
KRON4: Once we take into consideration issues via, for instance, a progressive strategy, I am certain that may form the strategy to policing or drug therapy or serving to someone who could be on the streets unhoused.
Lee: Nicely, look, you must have each standpoint thought of. I imply, I by no means I’ve by no means uttered ‘defund the police.’ I by no means was there. Some have been, some weren’t. However that is okay. I wasn’t. Some stated it was solely progressives who have been, doing the proper factor for police reform. And consider you me, I have been on the market on police accountability and police reform. That is me. However, consider you me, I perceive the necessity for public security for everybody. I don’t consider anybody has to compromise their values in the event that they know their backside strains and they’re working for folks.
KRON4: As you already know, the town of Oakland has a extreme challenge that involves understaffing with the police division. There’s that crime challenge. So how would you navigate all of that?
Lee: I would need to work with the police chief and the police union to speak to them about that, how we do it as a result of I do know that we’re not going to get to the variety of cops that, we deserve and want. However I additionally know that perhaps there are some efficiencies within the police division itself or throughout the metropolis, that we may help make it possible for cops are doing their job on the beat. Neighborhood policing is extraordinarily necessary. Folks need to work together with their cops. They need security. So we now have to take a look at if we do not have a funds that can enable for or a system that can enable for the hiring of extra cops the place we have to be, that we now have to take a look at what we are able to do within our metropolis authorities.
KRON4: Town’s police division has been beneath federal oversight for greater than 20 years. So how would you’re employed with the highest brass to convey the division into compliance?
Lee: We have now to take a look at what I consider that one or two assessments that haven’t been met but. I need to know why. As a result of that is an terrible very long time. However consider me, we’d like a police power that’s accountable. We’d like a police power that’s educated, that loves their jobs and desires to remain in Oakland. And we’d like a police power who will uphold the rule of legislation. So we now have to take a look at what has taken place and what’s going down to not enable this to shut. And so I’ve obtained to take a look at that and, we’ll perceive and consider it if the nice folks of Oakland elect me as their mayor.
KRON4: The variety of homeless folks elevated about 9% between 2022 and 2024. We heard from Governor Gavin Newsom saying that might threaten to withhold state funding from native cities, native governments in the event that they did not observe via with encampment sweeps. Would you observe via with that directive?
Lee: Nicely, we now have directives. We have now to grasp, how you can, handle directives in a humane method. To start with, we have to make it possible for, people who find themselves unsheltered, have a spot to stay. And the primary a part of that is ensuring individuals who, sadly, are unsheltered, we discover locations transitional housing and psychological well being companies. Hopefully, a job and a job coaching in order that they’ll get into everlasting housing instantly. We won’t let this occur and let folks keep on the streets.
It is a ethical shame. To start with, we should not even should have a directive. It is a ethical shame. It is inhumane; it is flawed. And folks dwelling on the streets, you already know, are there for a lot of causes. Some have been evicted, some simply haven’t any place to go due to due to the price of dwelling. There are numerous causes, however regardless of the causes are, they should not be dwelling on the road.
KRON4: However, in fact, all of that is going to value cash, proper? So the place do you assume that is going to return from?
Lee: We have to boost income. That is one technique. Secondly, we now have to take a look at efficiencies throughout the authorities the place is waste occurring. I do not know. Let’s look and see the place we might seize or have sources that aren’t being spent, for instance, that can be utilized for, the town. We’d like non-public funding. I am one. I’ve had a enterprise for 11 years, so I do not draw back from enterprise.
I feel companies can create good-paying union jobs for staff, for workers. So let’s speak to companies and create an setting, in Oakland, the place companies need to come to Oakland to create these jobs and financial alternative.
KRON4: You opposed the recall of Mayor Sheng Thao. Do you continue to stand by that?
Lee: Hear, I voted the best way and spoke out in opposition to that recall. However the individuals who performed the recall, they gained. So I obtained to just accept the need of the voters. That is what voters determined. That was the need of the folks. Now I am operating for mayor, and, I hope I’ve labored to earn everybody’s vote.
KRON4: Given the recall, given plenty of occasions which have occurred politically within the metropolis of Oakland, there’s fairly a little bit of mistrust concerned in metropolis authorities. How would you go to rebuild that belief of Oakland voters?
Lee: The dearth of hope, is an actual challenge I am grappling with and need to grapple with, if I am elected as a result of folks should have hope, they should consider of their metropolis. They should consider of their management. So I am hands-on, and I will go into the communities. You possibly can’t make false guarantees. So I hope folks know me. If they do not, I would like this marketing campaign to be a marketing campaign the place they get to know me and know what I’ve achieved.
I am not making a variety of guarantees on this marketing campaign, you already know. If I am elected, we’ll have a look at what guarantees we’ll make collectively and ship on them.
KRON4: I wish to ask you too concerning the topic of age. This has been one thing that is been beneath the highlight, particularly not too long ago over the past presidential election. A few of your opponents on this race have talked about that it is time for a brand new technology of management. Do you agree with that?
Lee: Hear, you already know, it is nothing I can do about my age. Nicely, all I can say is, I consider that my management, my historical past, my skill to convey folks collectively to resolve issues is one thing the voters should resolve in the event that they belief me to have the ability to do this. I’ve by no means labored at metropolis corridor so consider me, I’ve a variety of contemporary concepts for the town. I’ve by no means labored there.
Really, as a federal and state official, I’ve supported my metropolis and my congressional district in my state legislative district in ways in which have helped with the standard of life. And so, if I have not labored to earn, voter’s vote, then they will not vote for me.
So I hope they know although that I’ve, a variety of expertise, and expertise issues. I feel at this cut-off date in Oakland historical past and likewise having the ability to use my leverage, from in every single place, as a result of I’ve delivered and I’ve helped lots of people across the nation, all over the world, and I’d need to have the ability to now, money in on that.
KRON4: Do you assume there needs to be a most age restrict for elected officers?
Lee: No, I do not. You recognize, that takes away an individual’s elementary proper to vote for who they need to vote for. And in the event that they consider that somebody is just too younger or too previous or not skilled or has been there too lengthy. Voters are very good, particularly voters in Oakland, they will not vote for them.
KRON4: How would you apply that have from being in Congress to operating an area metropolis?
Lee: Nicely, I do know budgets and I understand how to applicable cash. I understand how to take a look at values and the place the gaps are and what folks want, by way of their each day lives, by way of prioritizing our funds and hard-earned tax {dollars}. I have been doing that for years. Now, hands-on in Oakland to have the ability to ship companies, to have the ability to attempt to, you already know, cope with potholes. Yeah, and to cope with the each day, issues of the town and need to simply assist folks, of their neighborhoods be the kind of neighborhoods that everybody deserves.
KRON4: Thanks a lot Congresswoman in your time, we respect it.
Lee: Good to be with you.
