Oakland Mayor Jean Quan camp gears up

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 3/18/12 | Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross, Chronicle Columnists

[SmithL]

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan isn't waiting to see if the recall drive against her qualifies for the ballot - she already has a well-oiled campaign up and running to keep her job.

And with good reason. Joe Tuman, a San Francisco State political science professor and KPIX political analyst who placed fourth in the 2010 mayoral election, tells us that if the recall qualifies, "I would definitely run."

Tuman's entry would offer Quan's opponents an alternative to the only other announced candidate so far, City Councilman and former mayoral candidate Ignacio De La Fuente, whom some see as unelectable.

So it may be no surprise that an estimated 21,000 Oakland voters recently got a glossy, eight-page mailer, Oakland on the Rise-State of the City, Mayor Jean Quan.

The mailer, which featured a logo remarkably similar to the city's and an invite to a City Hall volunteer fair, was paid for by Stand With Oakland, a group made up of Quan supporters and her friends in the labor community.

"We feel very strongly that a recall would be unfair, divisive and incredibly expensive," said Stand With Oakland coordinator Pam Drake.

"Even with some of the mistakes, we still believe that Jean is the hardest-working mayor we've ever had," Drake said.

Drake said volunteers are setting up town hall and house meetings for the mayor and working on Quan's 100 Block Plan to take back some of Oakland's most crime-ridden neighborhoods.

To some, however, the 100 Block Plan appears to be more talk than walk.

"I certainly haven't seen anything yet," said City Council President Larry Reid, whose East Oakland district is one of the prime targets of the plan.

Meanwhile, the recall drive sputters along, with some wondering whether backers have the time, organization or money to gather the signatures needed

[RetiredTexasVet]

Really doesn’t make much difference which freak you pick to lead the freak show.

[johnthebaptistmoore]

I wish there was a way for conservatism to become a dominant political force, throughout all cities, worldwide. Leftist politics would be finished, if conservatism could, ever, end the ongoing leftist dominance of all cities, worldwide.

[oldbrowser]

I wish there was a way for conservatism to become a dominant political force, throughout all cities, worldwide. Leftist politics would be finished, if conservatism could, ever, end the ongoing leftist dominance of all cities, worldwide.

That is the Achilles heel of conservatives, they can't run for minor government offices because they are busy creating jobs and running business to provide the country with needed goods and services.