Author Archives: Irene

Support Local News Publications

Posted on December 22, 2022 by Irene

Many communities do not have any local news publications, but Alameda is blessed to have three!   The Alameda Sun is where the city publishes all its public notices and covers local issues.  The East Bay Time’s Alameda Journal reports … Continue reading →

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Election Results Reveal Need for Ranked Choice Voting

Posted on December 10, 2022 by Irene

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) was a topic of discussion at Alameda’s 2022 candidate forums and in written questionnaires.  That’s because the voting method is needed in Alameda.  The recent election illustrates the value of RCV.  Majority Rule RCV ensures that … Continue reading →

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Ranked Choice Voting Gaining Steam

Posted on December 1, 2022 by Irene

Ranked Choice Voting gathered steam in the 2022 election.  From statewide to county and city races, the voting method of ranking candidates by preference was adopted by voters in eight more places.  Plus hundreds of thousands of voters across America, … Continue reading →

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Encinal Terminals Project Approved

Posted on January 28, 2022 by Irene

In a nail-biter finish, the Alameda City Council approved the revised Encinal Terminals project, including the proposed land exchange.  The project promises to turn a blighted industrial site into a mixed-use development with 589 homes, a Bay Trail waterfront promenade … Continue reading →

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Waterfront Housing Proposal Returns Again

Posted on December 30, 2021 by Irene

The Encinal Terminals project is coming back before the city council for the third time on January 4, 2022.  [Continued to January 18.]  The proposed project would be located on an old shipping site along the Oakland Estuary, behind the … Continue reading →

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Cliffs at Crown Beach

Posted on November 4, 2021 by Irene

More than five inches of rain pummeled Alameda on October 24, making it the wettest October day ever. The storm washed away tons of sand along Crown Memorial State Beach and Alameda Beach, leaving cliffs at the edge of the … Continue reading →

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Crab Cove Park Expansion Options Being Vetted

Posted on August 13, 2021 by Irene

The East Bay Regional Park District is gathering community input about how to further develop its park at Crab Cove on Crown Beach.  The park district acquired an extra four acres there in 2016. The park district has grouped possible … Continue reading →

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Trial by Data

Posted on May 6, 2021 by Irene

The verdict is in.  Alameda’s current voting system falls short on a number of counts. On April 27, the Alameda League of Women Voters hosted a forum that compared various election methods:  Alameda’s current plurality-at-large system, plurality by districts, ranked-choice … Continue reading →

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Democracy on Front Burner

Posted on April 22, 2021 by Irene

Democracy is at the forefront of today’s political debate.  Alameda is no exception. Alameda’s plurality voting system allows top vote-getters to win, even when a majority of voters did not vote for them.  And lopsided expenditures contribute to the impression … Continue reading →

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Funding the Police

Posted on October 15, 2020 by Irene

Alameda is joining numerous cities across the country in rethinking how we provide policing before next year’s city budget is prepared.  What level of policing we want and expect from the Alameda Police Department (APD) will determine the funding we … Continue reading →

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