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Newly confirmed Mayor Jean Quan said this week that her highest priority is to “put children at the heart of the politics and business of Oakland.”
At a ceremony at the recently refurbished Fox Theatre that was attended by more than 1,000 people, Quan, 61, was sworn in as Oakland’s 49th mayor and the first Asian and female mayor in the city’s history.
Quan, a veteran Oakland politician who has been on the City Council the past eight years and served on the city’s school board for 12 years prior to that, said she believes that the key to reducing the city’s high crime rate is to improve education and job opportunities for its youth.
In a 20-minute address, Quan said that far too many youths are missing class and failing to graduate from high school, something that she said makes it likely they will turn to crime.
Quan, who doesn’t have any direct authority over the city’s schools in her role as mayor, said she will form an education cabinet and will seek 2,000 volunteers to work with and mentor youths who need help.
“Graduation rates will increase, the number of young people who get jobs will increase and the rate of crime will do down,” she said.
Quan said she also wants to recruit Oakland youths to become police officers in the city, saying that currently 85 percent of its officers live outside of Oakland, and she wants more officers to live in the city.
Quan said she is “honored and proud” to be leading what she described as “one of the most beautiful cities in the world and one of the most diverse cities in the world.”
Her grandfather came to Oakland on a ferry boat in 1906 after surviving the catastrophic earthquake in San Francisco, Quan said.
“My family came here 104 years ago with nothing but the clothes on its back,” she said. “I believe in dreaming. Oakland is a city of dreams for newcomers.”
Quan pledged to those in attendance that, “Together we will create an epic story of a great city.”
Quan is succeeding outgoing mayor Ron Dellums, who served for four years but chose not to seek re-election.
She said Dellums has been “very gracious” during the transition process but could not attend her inauguration because of family issues.
Before the inauguration ceremony, Quan walked around downtown Oakland to visit sites that are historically significant to her, such as the Pacific Renaissance Plaza in Chinatown, the Asian Resource Gallery, Lincoln Elementary School, the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts, and the Leamington, a historic office building where Quan’s grandfather worked as a union cook when it was a luxury hotel.
City Council and Oakland school board members who were elected in November were also sworn in today.
The lone newcomer to the City Council is Libby Schaaf, a city hall insider who was elected to the District 4 seat that Quan formerly represented.
Larry Reid, who was first elected in 1996, was selected by his colleagues to be the City Council’s new president, succeeding Jane Brunner, who served in the post for the past two years.
Councilwoman Desley Brooks, who was first elected in 2002, was selected to be Oakland’s vice mayor.
Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente, who was first elected to the council in 1992 and served as its president for 10 years before Brunner assumed the post, was selected to be president pro-tem, which means that he will take over for Reid when he’s out of town or unavailable for a meeting.
Gary Yee was selected as president of the Oakland school board, and Jody London was selected to be its vice president.
Jeff Shuttleworth, Bay City News
Jeff Shuttleworth, Bay City News
I thought Jean Quan being elected Mayor was perhaps a bit of fresh air, but then I found out she is another bleading-heart liberal from Berkeley whose history indicates she will likely be an advocate for more runaway spending on welfare and social services. Not what is needed as Oakland faces the real possiblity of going bankrupt, and they are having to lay off police while they continue to average a murder a day.
I watched an interview with the Mayor and when she was asked how she was going to solve Oakland’s problem she said, “Ancient Chinese secret.”
I thought that was brillant.
She better make double sure she is in the US legally or the minute somebody get mad, they’re to claim that she is in the US illegally.
It’s a thankless job in that city, no matter how looney left the current occupant is. Jean Quan, welcome to the jungle…
Editor: I think it more relative for this website to interview the Mayors of the Tri-Valley. While I acknowledge that Oakland does impact us, I believe that readers care more about local politics. You know, “potholes, schools, special tax districts, and why some local businesses closed…local.” Heck, here’s some more stories: you could even write up why Livermore claims it’s an eHub. You could even expand upon this story: Tri-Valley will be the next Silicon Valley… along with congestion.
Go for it. Can’t afford paid reporters? Hire some interns, then hire other interns to check the validity of the prior’s stories.