State bills Oakland for Henry J. Kaiser transfer

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 5/9/12 | Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross, Chronicle Columnists

[SmithL]

Oakland's sleight-of-hand play to sell the obsolete Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center back to the city for a quick $29 million may have backfired - leaving the cash-poor town with an even bigger deficit to eliminate.

As you might recall, Mayor Jean Quan pushed through a deal to sell the old convention hall to the city's own Redevelopment Agency last summer - just before Sacramento eliminated such agencies and sucked their money into the state's ailing budget.

The goal was to help erase the city's $58 million deficit for the fiscal year beginning July 1. Oakland thought it had beaten the deadline, but now state Controller John Chiang has sent out a letter basically saying all such deals are void.

Even worse, Chiang says Oakland owes the state the $29 million.

City Council President Larry Reid called the take-back "potentially devastating."

And it's not just the budget that could be affected. The city's plan to spend $3.5 million in redevelopment money to sketch out a mega pro-sports complex where the Coliseum now stands may be pulled as well.

The city administrator's office did not return our repeated calls over two days seeking comment.

Guess the news really is bad.

[Steely Tom]

This Jean Quan is really setting herself up for a huge future in the Democrat party. I’m not being ironic either.

[mongo141]

I am just absolutely heart broken at the troubles of those Socialists./s

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

They are hitting the Thatcher limit.