Oakland, California, Sending Out 1,500 Layoff Notices

Boy, my recently created "California" tag has been getting quite a workout lately--and that, of course, is bad news for The Golden State. The latest economic hit was reported on Friday by a local television station in San Francisco:

There are a lot of anxious city worker in Oakland. They just got word that hundreds of pink slips are going out next week. The layoffs are the result of a sudden loss of money from Sacramento.


When these 1,500 plus layoff notices start going out next week, we're told it will be the largest number ever sent out by this city at one time. When the actual layoffs occur, it will be more like several hundred, but there's no doubt this process will be painful for all involved.

"It's devastating for this organization," said Oakland city administrator Deanna Santa.

Santa confirmed for ABC7 more than half her city's employees will receive layoff notices, starting next week, that's more than 1,500 pink slips in all.

"We have a workforce that will be reduced in a very short period of time without the normal engagement process that this city has put in place in the past," said Santana.

Still, Santana said it has to be done after the California Supreme Court's decision supporting the disbanding of redevelopment agencies. In Oakland, that's a loss of $25-$30 million per year. Redevelopment dollars fund 159 full-time positions.

There was one additional little interesting tidbit in this story:

One other note, redevelopment dollars pay for much more than the agency itself -- 17 Oakland police officers are paid for out of that money. The officers can't be laid off because of a prior agreement they have with the city.

The mayor, city administrator, city council members, half of all of their salaries are paid for out of that redevelopment money. It's not clear at this point whether or how those salaries might be affected by all this.

I wonder if one of the 17 police officers whose salary came from redevelopment money was the one who shot that unfortunate Occupy protester in the head with a tear gas grenade? Because it seem that firing his ass would at least do a little to alleviate the problem. Oh, and how about shitcanning Oakland's scumbag mayor for siccing her thugs on the Occupiers in the first place. See? I'm GOOD at this budget cutting stuff.


Bonus: I'd like to dedicate this song to the Oakland PD