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A Letter from a Changed Mind

By on December 14, 2012 in Campaign Updates, Opinions & Editorials, Personal Journals, Uncategorized

This letter came to us unsolicited, and with the author’s permission, we are publishing it as an example of one whose mind was changed by the truth.

Webmaster
KnowlandParkCoalition

Dear Friends of Knowland Park,

I was all set to vote for Measure A1, until I met a nice lady at the Lake Merritt farmer’s market. I fell hook-line-and-sinker for the Oakland Zoo’s A1 campaign and their spokescat, “Leonard the Lion.” I explained this to the nice lady who ultimately turned me against the zoo and their expansion project. She proceeded to tell me what I needed to know; that all kinds of critters were going to be displaced by the A1 project. Bunnies, bobcats, skunks, etc. all would be homeless! I skeptically thanked her for the info and snottily told her that my opinion was quite nuanced, thankyouverymuch, but I did have an open mind and would make up my mind before the election. Thank God she got to me when she did. I slept on it and woke up the next morning completely opposed to A1 and its horrible scheme to encroach on these awesome creatures’ rightful home.

So this is a note of gratitude and a sincere apology for my snotty attitude to that nice lady. But also, I hope you guys will do a PR campaign to educate people about Knowland Park. I had seen your “Save Knowland Park” signs and I totally scoffed at them. “Save Knowland Park” is not a good tagline, sadly. I envisioned a little kids playground with seesaws and swings. I dug my heels in and hoped you would be defeated (sorry L). I have since come around, but only because Nice Lady got to me at the Farmer’s Market. I am not alone; my friends who I spoke with about this also were clueless about Knowland Park.

When you’re up against Leonard the Lion, you really need to bring it. So if you find yourselves in this unsavory position again, I would suggest a new tagline that tells people like me what is really at stake. Something like, “Save the Knowland 500-acre wild animal habitat and nature preserve.” You may need to shorten it to, “Save Knowland Wildlife Preserve.”

Perhaps you should fight fire with fire and anthropomorphize that  pretty little fox pictured on your mammals page:

“My name is Felicity Fox and I need your help! Please help me keep my home so my babies can thrive…”

“This is my baby Kip with his BFF Scooter the Skunk; please help them keep their home!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A million thanks and my sincere apologies for almost voting for A1.

Your friend for life,
Mary Swift
Technical Writer

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Nov. 17 Picnic Postponed Due to Rain

By on November 17, 2012 in Uncategorized

Stay tuned for further information!

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Get Out the Vote – No! on Measure A1

By on November 4, 2012 in Uncategorized

Today’s the day!

Today Alameda County voters will make the decision about Measure A1 – and we hope they will turn it down. But however this vote goes, the battle to save the park will not be over. If you support the NO on A1 campaign,

PLEASE be sure & sign up HERE (http://noonmeasurea1.com/noonmeasurea1.html)

so we have a way to let you know about next steps and park related events. We’ve built amazing momentum with this campaign, & your efforts big and small have been part of that. Thank you! And please help us stay in touch!

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Fact-checking the Claims of Oakland Zoo Executives and Spokespersons

By on October 28, 2012 in Uncategorized

What’s the Truth about Measure A1?

There has been considerable discussion about what was said, by whom, where and when, and what it all might mean. The following shows some of what’s been disputed.

We provide links to documents from many sources, including links to audio recorded at (1) the Oct. 11 League of Women Voters Election Forum, held at Piedmont City Hall, and (2) KQED’s Oct. 22 edition of Forum, hosted by Michael Krasny.

At both of these sites, search functions must be used to find the relevant files; for the first one, use “League of Women Voters”, and for the second, use “Measure A1”.

Where possible, we provide the timing of the clips provided, so the audio can be heard in its original context. The former site also provides streaming video.

For those interested in reading them, here is the full and official text of Measure A1. And here is an analysis of Measure A1 produced by No on A1 to Save Knowland Park, PAC #1351843. Sponsored by East Bay Chapter, California Native Plant Society.

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[Guest Blog] Social Justice and Measure A1: “Changing the Face of Oakland”

By on October 24, 2012 in Oakland Politics, Opinions & Editorials, Uncategorized

“[The project] totally changes the face of the zoo, it changes the face of Oakland.”*

Those are the words of Zoo Director of Strategic Initiatives Nik Dehejia when speaking of the Oakland Zoo’s expansion plans for Knowland Park. What can it possibly mean to “change the face of Oakland”? To understand that, we have to take the expansion plans as well as ballot Measure A1 in their larger context. This includes the history of how taxes have changed over the years. Right after WW II, US corporate taxes equalled over 5% of the total economy (the GDP). By 2009, they had shrunk that to just 1%.
(source: http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxfacts/displayafact.cfm?Docid=263)
In California, we have seen a similar process, as total corporate profits increased in the state by 485% from 2001 to 2010 but their tax liability only increased by 58.3%
(Source: http://www.cbp.org/pdfs/2012/120413_Who_Pays_Taxes.pdf)

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