Economic Platform

Create an Economy that Works for Everyone

Too many people have to work multiple jobs to barely make it through the end of the month. Oaklanders need good paying jobs close to home, and this means recruiting progressive companies that hire locally and pay living wages. Oakland also needs to work with other cities to create a Public Bank that will help us invest in Oakland.

As Mayor, we will zero in on the development and implementation community-rooted solutions to improve the well-being of all residents.

We will recruit progressive companies that hire locally and pay living wages.

Oakland is a vital, progressive city, and our businesses should reflect that. Oakland is the perfect city to be the hub for the growing B Corporations movement. B Corporation Certification measures a company’s entire social and environmental performance. The accompanying Impact Assessment evaluates how a company’s operations and business model impact their workers, community, environment, and customers. This will provide us with a path to increase the number of just and equitable employment opportunities. One step that will help Oakland move ahead of other cities as a preferred location for B Corporations and other startup Internet businesses is to install our own broadband network and establish a municipal Internet Service Provider. This will simultaneously improve service and reduce costs.

Join with other cities to create “A Public Bank for Oakland”

The City of Oakland has partnered with Alameda and Berkeley to explore the possibility of creating a public bank, and it is time that Oakland had a Mayor to champion this project. A Public Bank ensures that the City’s money supports Oakland and Oakland businesses, and is not taken out of our city or state by Big Banks. In addition, having a Public Bank creates more resources for job training programs, infrastructure investments, (including affordable housing and street repair) as well as capital for local, small businesses that are woefully under capitalized.

Support Small Businesses and Ensure Equity

The City needs to increase the gross receipts tax for big business in order to provide more support for small businesses that are a vital part of our city and economy. In addition, small businesses need one-stop shops for all permitting, and zones that limit big chain stores from displacing our small mom-and-pop stores. We will build partnerships with our Community Colleges such as Laney and Merritt, to create technical assistance for small businesses, particularly in East Oakland where we need to ensure economic development without displacement.