When I hear the expression "house party" I can't stop humming the "house party" song by P-Funk. I get this image of my friend Fred Wesley playing his trombone and singing, "gonna have a house party, gonna have a house par-tee." However that wasn't the event tonight - no trombones, no Fred, but there was Jean--Jean Quan. She's running for mayor of Oakland. This was actually not the first time I had heard her speak. The first time I was inspired, but not convinced - today I became convinced. She's running against big money (Don Perata), and although I don't dislike Don, what Jean said tonight resonated with me. She has experience with the school board, she has experience on the City Council. She wants to have transparent government. She wants to create programs for youth and she wants to be mayor. I want someone who wants to do the job rather than get the job so they can stay in the public sector, or use is as jumping board into a higher position, or to get back to Sacramento or get to Washington. I want a hands-on mayor who actually cares about the city and after tonight I'm
convinced that she is that person.Ok, but one other thing... the house party was at a tattoo parlor. How cool and hip is that? Not only that, but I killed two birds with one stone. I've been thinking about getting a tattoo and this gave me an opportunity to speak with someone about it and learn a little more about it. Now I've got to convince my dear friend (who is reading this) that we need to go and make an appointment (note to dear friend: the jellyfish was really cool!)
2 comments:
Quan has experience alright.
On the school board, she humiliated Oakland by pushing "ebonics" and making us a national laughing stock. Worse, when she went to congress to testify about the debacle, she FELL ASLEEP in session. CSPAN caught it on tape.
On the Oakland City Council, Quan was chair of the finance committee when she insisted on spending our rainy day money... in the middle of an economic boom! We could really use that money now, but no such luck. Thanks for nothing Jean.
No way. Quan is very good at talking about how great she is, but it's all talk.
Perata? Maybe. But if he wins, we better keep an eye on him. He'll be effective at some things. Other times he'll be getting sweetheart deals for his friends.
And lets pray Dellums doesn't run again either.
With a field like this, the clearest answer is to stop looking for salvation from the government. Volunteer. Clean up your own block. The way things are going we'll have dirt roads in the hills in a few years. It's not looking good folks.
Can't comment about Quan - not an Oakland resident. But, a tattoo? Where??
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