December 17, 2024

 Enough is Enough!  Why All Budget Cutting Plans Coming Out of the City Council  Are Doomed to Fail! 

If you are wondering why Oakland can not get out of debt and is increasingly becoming a city of drugs, homelessness and bankruptcy, here is the reason. 

In simple terms if you keep piling more debt on debt, with no intention of actually solving the underlying problem by growing your economy with skilled jobs, industry, energy development, and expanding the export base of our great Port, you will have failed to reverse the underlying reason of what is causing us to have a bankrupt city.

There is an old expression "You can put lipstick on a pig BUT it is still a pig".

 For example, go back to  what happened in 1997, when Oakland issued a 15 year holiday from paying the old Police and Fire pension fund.  Instead Oakland GAMBLED that they would get a better  interest rate to pay the pension fund later.  Well, things didn't work out, Wall Street crashed and Oakland ended up losing big time.

What did the City Council end up doing? They then issued another bond holiday to cover the debt. And then they made another bet with Wall Street and lost again!

As your Mayor of Oakland, this gambling with people's lives and bail out practice will stop.

Time to face the music Oakland is bankrupt!

 We need to do a bankruptcy reorganization, and I refuse to throw good money after bad on all this worthless debt that is destroying our people. We need to do a full audit and get rid of all the wasteful agencies that have been set up, as well as NGOs. 

 I will re-start up the process of  restoring the real physical economy and tax revenue base by building new industries, energy plants, and skilled jobs that will provide a vibrant future for our great city. 

I guarantee that  necessary city services, such as police, fire, ambulance, health services are fully funded and no cuts to these essential services that Oaklanders need will be touched as the present proposals by the City Council will do. 

I will work with President Donald J. Trump and get federal help to get rid of the Fentanyl on our streets. Also, we will shut down the illegal Cannabis warehouses in Oakland. 

Finally, I want to immediately  meet with the leaders of the Port of Oakland, Fire, Police, Education, Cultural programs Now to establish priorities for my new administration! 

And I hereby take a solemn pledge to all of you, If I don't change Oakland in my first term in Office, you have my word I will not run again. 

Oakland deserves Better. Together we can ensure that Oakland will no longer be the Poster Child of Failure!

Contact: Gerald Pechenuk at cities12345678@gmail.com

FPPC # 1477156

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Mindy Pechenuk: “It time to stop all the chatter that the problem of the Oakland budget is the Overtime of the Oakland Police"

"My track record on these questions is solid gold" 

As one of the first announced candidates for Oakland Mayor, and as the only announced candidate who actively and publicly supported the Recall of Sheng Thao and Soros D.A. Pamela Price, I can assure everyone that the voters of Oakland will in no way, shape or form go along with the budget cuts in the police department as implicitly/explicitly proposed by Oakland Budget Administrator Bradley Johnson at a late November City Council meeting. 

The voters called for GREATER POLICE DEPLOYMENT AND PROTECTION AGAINST CRIMES OF ALL SORTS. As far as Johnson or anyone else's comments calling for budget cuts against police and fire protection, all I can ask is " Whose interests are Johnson and his gang paying homage to"? It is not the needs of the people of Oakland. 

I agree 100% with Sergeant Huy Nguyen, President of Oakland Police Officers Association correctly observed, "An UNDERSTAFFED police department and the demand for service is the biggest driver of overtime" 

I am calling on my fellow Oaklanders to join me and state unequivocally:

“It time to stop all the chatter that the problem of the Oakland budget is the Overtime of the Oakland Police"


"The real problem has been the systemic mismanagement of Oakland over many decades. If we do not face this, the problem will never be solved"

Oakland, like many cities in the 1990's, bought into the Wall Street speculative schemes, instead of building industrial, manufacturing and other productive activities. Over many decades activities compounded with other bad decisions, like Sheng Thao mismanagement of letting go Oakland sports teams, and the city council's insane ordinances restricting our police department to spending hours in reports, and not allowing them to do their job. 

Do the math! When you constantly cut your police, fewer officers have to do more. This means overtime and more crime. If we increase our police force, with qualified officers, remove the ordinances and the oversight. We will have a safe and productive city. Also, simply raising taxes will not fix the problem, but make it worse. 

So, let us clear the air and look at the real solutions!

Time to get back to what works, having real jobs, industry, small and medium business. You need to have real growth to make your city vibrant and a life for everyone. 

One more thing, time to realize we will have a real President in the White House, Donald J. Trump. With President Trump we have a friend who will federally help Oakland. 

Your choice either go bankrupt with the bond holders and the courts running Oakland or go with my campaign and solutions for Oakland's next Mayor. 

In simple terms, more destruction, inflation and crime or a healthy future for all and our children. 

VOTE MINDY PECHENUK for MAYOR OF OAKLAND 2025. 
For more information: Gerald Pechenuk, cities12345678@gmail.com
FPPC # 1477156