Fresh off our panel event “Changing the Initiative Process” with Alex Lee (state assembly members), Nicole Derse (50+1 Strategies), Shawn McDougal (CDP), and Chris Chew (Cooperative 4 the Community) we decided to send a letter of support for the Clean Money Act. The act aims to replace corporate contributions from elections with a publicly financed Read more about Letter of Support for AB 20: Clean Money Act[…]
Hella People Power Organizing Over a period of six months in 2019, we collected nearly 45,000 signatures across the city from Oaklanders who understand the transformative potential of putting the budget in the hands of the people. The campaign was an amazing example of the power of grassroots organizing. Together, we demonstrated the impact that Read more about 2020 Yearbook[…]
Early Monday morning KPFA hosted the Community Democracy Project and At-Large Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan on their UpFront segment with Cat Brooks for a discussion on the city administration’s proposed budget cuts. The cuts include reducing Fire Department services and layoffs to other departments. CDP member Blake Hihara woke up early to make the case for Read more about KPFA Interview with Cat Brooks and Rebecca Kaplan[…]
Our phones buzzed at 6:20 AM with a message, “What a beautiful morning to #defundopd!” Then came another promising donuts! It was time to paint the People’s Budget in front of Lake Merritt for the city to see how Oaklanders actually want our money spent. What’s the People’s Budget? The People’s Budget Amendment is the Read more about Hella People Painted[…]
Flipping the Power Structure The People’s Budget is a form of participatory budgeting that puts residents in charge of how the city spends its money. The United Nations considers participatory budgeting a democratic “best practice” and the New York Times called it “revolutionary civics in action.” Our People’s Budget Initiative creates the largest model in Read more about What is a People’s Budget?[…]
Last Monday, we joined Moms 4 Housing at the #ReclaimMLK march. We were stoked to see so many of you all out there with signs and drums and smiles and babies. Moms 4 Housing is “a collective of unhoused and insecurely housed mothers, organizing to reclaim vacant homes from real estate speculators.” One of the most Read more about Moms 4 Housing – Reclaim Mlk[…]
The politics of spectacle—driven by the posturing and performance of elites—reinforces mass passivity rather than mass engagement. VOLUNTEER NOW Just as patriarchy relegates women to the private sphere while men dominate the public sphere, corporatocracy pushes us to focus on our individual affairs while public affairs are dominated by the dictates of capital. DONATE The Read more about Reclaiming Our Public Selves[…]
We have wrapped up our first month of signature gathering thanks to our awesome volunteers and members! Each day we gather signatures is an opportunity to share the vision of people power in Oakland, connect with our community, and exercise teamwork and communication. Best of all it directly supports getting the people’s budget initiative on the ballot! Read Read more about Summer 2019[…]
Recap from our Housing Crisis Panel On April 11, we hosted a panel on Oakland’s housing crisis that featured representatives from Causa Justa, The Village, Oakland Warehouse Coalition, Safer DIY Spaces, EveryOne Home, East Bay Community Law Center, and City Council representative Rebecca Kaplan. Some highlights from our panelists: -More than 3,000 people are Read more about 🏡 A Call to Action – A Response from Community 😍[…]
The Community Democracy Project is an all-volunteer campaign working to turn the power structure right-side up by putting the budget in the hands of the people.On January 18, 2017, in response to the Anti Police-Terror Project’s call to #ReclaimMLK with 120 hours of direct action, the Community Democracy Project hosted a People’s Budget Assembly. A group Read more about #ReclaimMLK: The People Voted To Reduce OPD Funds, And Invest In Housing And Workforce Development[…]