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by Eddie Dillard
When I look at the individuals running to replace the late Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan, I must examine several key factors before I make a clear and rational decision.
First, a past track record is extremely important as it speaks to an individual’s dedication to accomplish public good. Second, a combination of professional capacity traits is a strong indicator of one’s ability to perform the task and duties of the office of supervisor.
When it comes to leadership capacity, the ability to develop consensus building and creative vision, Rebecca Kaplan is the best and only choice to replace Supervisor Wilma Chan. If we use effective governance and the ability to embrace diversity as an evaluating tool, Rebecca Kaplan is a cut above the other candidates.
When we measure the broadest elective experience and the ability to work with people with divergent opinions, Rebecca stands head and shoulder above the others. If we measure our choice by ethical standards, it becomes abundantly clear that Rebecca is the best and right choice.
While the other candidates may be worthy and deserving of consideration to replace former Supervisor Wilma Chan, Rebecca’s commitment to addressing the issues former Supervisor Wilma Chan embraced are at the core of her campaign. As she did while on the Oakland City Council, Rebecca will continue to address head-on the rising unsheltered population, ensuring access to adequate medical and mental health services for our uninsured residents, tackling the housing affordability and housing demand issues and seeking equitable solutions to the county’s procurement processes.
Rebecca can forge a partnership between the County of Alameda, the City of Oakland and the Oakland Unified School District to utilize vacant and underutilized buildings for the development of affordable housing for homeless and low to moderate income Alameda County residents. The county has sites such as the long abandoned North County Jail and the former General Services building on Fifth and Broadway in Oakland, which has been vacant for many years that would be ideal for housing development.
For these key reasons, I urge you to join Oakland City Councilmember Carroll Fife, former California State Assemblyman Honorable Sandre Swanson, former Mayor of Oakland Elihu Harris, Pastor Kenneth Chambers of Oakland’s West Side Missionary Baptist Church, Geoffrey Pete, Mike Ghielmetti, Cat Brooks, Kitty Epstein and many other Alameda County business owners and residents and vote yes to elect Rebecca Kaplan to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors on June 7, 2022.
Eddie Dillard, freelance writer for the Oakland Tribune, Oakland Post, Globe Newspaper, Daily Californian as well as SF Bay View, can be reached at 510-706-9005 or eddie.dillard2020@gmail.com. He worked 30 years for City of Oakland Office of Economic Development and for 15 years served as president of Oakland’s Black Chamber of Commerce.
