Oakland Poor Food Money Disappears

Oakland Poor Food Money Disappears

By Lynda Carson 6/26/02

Oakland, Ca-In a shocking revelation during last nights (Tue-June-25) packed City Council Meeting, it became apparent that $100,000 (one hundred thousand dollars) to feed the poor got lost in the shuffle of budget cuts being voted upon.

Near the begining of June 2002, the Oakland Independant Support Center which is affiliated with the Food Bank, was notified that they were not to receive
this years budget allocation of one hundred thousand dollars to feed the poor in Oakland. No explanation was offered by City Officials as to where the money went.

During last nights council meeting several staff and board members of the non-profit group stepped up to the podium to address council members and ask what happened to the money.

Councilmembers proceeded to vote for the proposed budget cuts despite knowing full well that the money to feed the poor was missing from the budget proposals.

Sydny Loggins an Assistant Director of the Oakland Independant Support Center directly asked the council members, "wheres the money"; and went on to explain the hardship to come for the poor if the funding were not replaced immediately. Council President Ignacio de la Fuente and the other council members had no idea why the money was gone, but requested that the staff look into the matter and get back to them during the next two weeks with an explanation as to where the money went.

The Oakland Independant Support Center has been around for the last 12 years and hands out over 2000 meals per month to the poor in Oakland. Located downtown Oakland, they serve the poor two meals per day five days a week, offer showers and food packages to the needy. Many of their clients are the mentally ill, and homeless.

From James Sweeny the Executive Director to Sadie Anderson a volunteer coordinator and Board Member of OISC, they expressed alarm about the harm being done to the poor if the money was not replaced. When I asked Eva Green a procurement specialist with OISC to describe the outcome of this fiasco if the money was not replaced, in a word she said; HUNGRY! We can not afford to lose that money she says, and that the two
meals a day for the poor are extremely important to all who have no where else to go to be fed.

Ms. Green went on to say that she earlier spoke to Libby Schaff a staffer for Council President de la Fuente, and wants to believe that the money will come.

During a call to Sadie Anderson of OISC, she believes that it will be a total disaster if the money is not replaced. Our clients need food before taking medications she says, and many of their clients are mentally disabled. She also expressed concern
that their clients will be forced to steal to make up for the loss.

In a call to Councilman Dick Spees office, staffer Shawn O'shea says; this somehow slipped under the radar screen, and that the money was a part of a general pool of money lost in the budget cuts. It was not something that the council members focused on he went on to say, and that only official quotes from this office can be offered by Councilman Dick Spees.

According to Councilmember Jane Brunner, she says; she was surprised by this, and tells me that the city manager is looking into it. Councilwoman Brunner goes on to say that she believes there will not be an interruption in service, and that they will investigate to find out where the money went. It's possible that it is grant money coming to an end, she went on to say.

Nearly half of Oakland city service budgets come from grant money, and cannot be touched by city officials who may want to redirect funding to other projects.

Councilwoman Nancy Nadel tells me that it appears to be a mistake. If so, they do not know how to rectify it she says. Presently, their not really certain that the money is gone or where it will come from to replace the missing money if thats the case, Ms. Nadel states.
Councilwoman Nadel went on to tell me that there are
some serious discussions taking place to shift money into new programs for community gardens in an effort to teach people how to grow their own food in the city parks of Oakland.

In a boost to supporters of the Just Cause Initiative, Councilmember Nadel also stated that the initiative is for certain heading to the November ballot, and that
it is merely a formality for the council to vote on it beforehand. She says; the councils options are limited to being for the initiative or against it. If they are concerned enough about it to take action, they may place a competing initiative upon the ballot that may be weaker than the one offered by the people of Oakland. At this point, Councilwoman Nadel went on to state that she would not be surprised if other councilmembers come up with their own version of a "Just Cause Measure", but has not heard of any in the works.

Whether it's incompetence, negligence, or just a mistake; wherever the money went to feed the hungry lets hope that the City of Oakland gets to the bottom of this mystery as soon as possible before it's a total disaster.