15.07
63.72
21.21
What those numbers represent are the percentage of people who, overall, answered yes, no, or not sure to a set of 59 questions on Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf’s Performance Survey designed by me, Zennie Abraham and for my new Oakland News Online .com blog. The questions were taken directly from her 2014 list of “positions and priorities.” The objective was to determine if Oaklanders believed the Mayor did the job she told the public she would do, and by laying out that list of “positions and priorities.”
My overall concern was the formation of a performance evaluation that was unbiased. By using the Mayor’s own list of objectives, and just placing the words “Did the Mayor:” in from of each one, and then a “?” after each one, a question was formed. For example, the priority of “Connect with Communities and Restore Community Policing” became “Did The Mayor: Connect with Communities and Restore Community Policing?” – and so on.
Thus formed what I contend is the best evaluation system for an incumbent ever created, and something that can form a model for future efforts. Every candidate has a set of such “positions and priorities” – why not form a way for residents of a city to evaluate if that person did what they, themselves, said they were going to do.
Not A Push Poll
This is not a “push poll.” A push poll is, as political observer and blogger Taegan Goddard put it, “a seemingly unbiased survey that is actually conducted by supporters of a particular candidate that intends to disseminate negative or misleading information about an opponent. Its intent is primarily to distribute propaganda rather than to understand the views and opinions of the public.”
By providing simple question responses “yes”, “no”, or “not sure”, the Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf Performance Survey provides the Oakland voter with a chance to give their opinion on if the mayor attended to the priorities and maintained the positions she created a list of in 2014. There is no pre-survey negative information or positive information on Mayor Schaaf or any other candidate for the Oakland’s Mayor’s Race for 2018. Thus, it is not a push poll, and any claims to the contrary are from the uninformed.
Results for November 12th
To the date and time of this download of survey data, which was November 12th 2017 at 7 PM EST, there were 135 responses and 1,885 overall survey visits. I created one formula set that formed an average response for the categories “yes”, “no”, or “not sure” combining each of the 59 questions.
This way, over the life of the survey, we can track change in overall response: the more Oaklanders who respond to the poll, the more likely we are to obtain a true picture of how the electorate views Mayor’s Schaaf’s performance in meeting her own barometer of success.
Where we are today is that the Mayor has not attended to most of the priorities or maintained most of the positions she established in 2014. The survey’s overall opinion is that she has misfired 63.72 percent of the time (a note vote) or scored positively 15.07 percent of the time (a yes vote), with respondents to questions saying that 21.21 percent of the they were “not sure” if the Mayor attended to most of the priorities or maintained most of the positions she established in 2014.
Where The Mayor Did Well
The area the Mayor received the best score in was for “Did The Mayor: Grow Bikesharing and Safe Cycling Routes Across Oakland?” Here, the scores were “yes” 56 percent, “no” 30 percent, and “not sure” 14 percent. As reported here, before, the highly visible Ford-sponsored blue bike rental racks around town helped a lot. In fact, it’s fair to say that without them, the Mayor would have scored a “not sure” or “no” reflecting a lack of other visible evidence that the Mayor was working to grow bikesharing and safe cycling in Oakland.
Mayor Schaaf also scored well with the question “Did The Mayor: Fund Street and Pothole Repair?”. 41 percent said she did, whereas 50 percent said she did not, and just nine percent were not sure. This, as I’ve said before, points to a clear communications problem, as the City of Oakland and the Mayor via social media have worked to get the word out about the massive, multi-year effort to improve Oakland’s streets via repaving. But the methods used have employed more of a traditional media approach, where a more comprehensive 21st Century media approach would work better.
Where The Mayor Did Not Do Well
Given the massive problem with affordable housing and the homeless, it should surprise no one that Libby had the highest “no” votes for the question “Did The Mayor: Bring Down the Cost of Living?” – 87 percent said no, with 7 percent yes, and 6 percent not sure. And remember, that question was based on a priority Mayor Schaaf established before she was elected in 2014, and the problem of lack of affordable housing started spiraling to massive proportions.
Indeed, the vast majority of Mayor Schaaf’s poorest scores were in areas concerning cost of living related issues.
Scores Updated Weekly
These scores will be updated once a week between now and the 2018 Election Day. That way, as the number of respondents grows, we will get a better view of how the total electorate feels about how Mayor Schaaf has done. Moreover, it will give Mayor Schaaf a chance to go out and tell her story to Oaklanders who may not have got the message.
Of course the best way to for the Mayor to focus on better quality of life cost of living responses is by bringing in more new, and ideally low-skilled but well-paying jobs and not just tech positions, and aggressively reducing housing costs – by any means necessary. And fast: the November 2018 Election will be hear before we know it.
Here’s the full list of questions and statistics for November 12th 2017:
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf Performance Survey Scores For Nov 12th 2017
What follows are the raw numbers, and next to them, the percentage representation for “yes”, “no”, and “not sure”.
1 Did The Mayor: Connect with Communities and Restore Community Policing? Average Main Scores
Yes 14 0.10 15.07%
No 107 0.79 63.72%
Not sure 14 0.10 21.21%
100.00% 100.00%
2 Did The Mayor: Strengthen Police Force –maintain a baseline of 800 officers and a goal of 925?
Yes 17 0.13
No 78 0.58
Not sure. 40 0.30
100.00%
3 Did The Mayor: Hire More Civilian OPD Employees?
Yes 17 0.13
No 59 0.44
Not sure 59 0.44
100.00%
4 Did The Mayor Speed Up Police and Emergency Response with an Improved 911 System?
Yes 13 0.10
No 98 0.73
Not sure 23 0.17
100.00%
5 Did The Mayor Get Maximum Benefit from Violence Prevention and Intervention Programs?
Yes. 14 0.11
No. 83 0.63
Not sure. 34 0.26
100.00%
6 Did The Mayor Keep Youth Out of Prison?
Yes 11 0.08
No 100 0.75
Not sure 23 0.17
100.00%
7 Did The Mayor: Focus on Root Causes of Crime, Starting with Jobs, Better Wages and Education?
Yes 19 0.14
No 106 0.78
Not sure 11 0.08
100.00%
8 Did The Mayor: Will Appoint a Vice Mayor for Community Safety?
Yes 16 0.12
No 71 0.53
Not sure 48 0.36
100.00%
9 Did The Mayor: Learn from Successes and Failures of Other Cities?
Yes 15 0.11
No 97 0.72
Not sure 22 0.16
100.00%
10 Did The Mayor: Work with City Attorney to Reduce Payments of Claims for Police Misconduct by Half?
Yes 12 0.09
No 82 0.62
Not sure 39 0.29
100.00%
11 Did The Mayor: End Federal Supervision on OPD saving $2M per year?
Yes 17 0.13
No 83 0.62
Not sure 34 0.25
100.00%
12 Did The Mayor: Expand Access to High-Quality Education for All Oakland Students?
Yes 20 0.15
No 96 0.72
Not sure 17 0.13
100.00%
13 Did The Mayor: Expand Student Access to Personalized Learning and Technology?
Yes 17 0.13
No 86 0.64
Not sure 31 0.23
100.00%
14 Did The Mayor: Strengthen and Expand Pathways to College and Career?
Yes 29 0.22
No 84 0.63
Not sure 20 0.15
100.00%
15 Did The Mayor: Develop Restorative Practices for Youth Across City Agencies?
Yes 18 0.14
No 87 0.65
Not sure 28 0.21
100.00%
16 Did The Mayor: Make Oakland “Teacher Town USA”?
Yes 13 0.10
No 103 0.77
Not sure 18 0.13
100.00%
17 Did The Mayor: Implement 311 System for Better Service Delivery?
Yes 16 0.12
No 62 0.47
Not sure 54 0.41
100.00%
18 Did The Mayor: Implement CityStat Performance Accountability System for City Employees?
Yes 10 0.08
No 77 0.58
Not sure 46 0.35
100.00%
19 Did The Mayor: Embrace Public-Private Partnerships?
Yes 34 0.26
No 60 0.45
Not sure 38 0.29
100.00%
20 Did The Mayor: Combat the “Digital Divide” and Engage Residents?
Yes 17 0.13
No 95 0.71
Not sure 21 0.16
100.00%
21 Did The Mayor: Innovation Fellowships for City Employees?
Yes 13 0.10
No 68 0.51
Not sure 52 0.39
100.00%
22 Did The Mayor: Invest in Infrastructure, Use Bonding Against Future Revenue?
Yes 21 0.16
No 75 0.57
Not sure 35 0.27
100.00%
23 Did The Mayor: Create a 5- and 10-year Capital Planning Program?
Yes 14 0.11
No 68 0.52
Not sure 48 0.37
100.00%
24 Did The Mayor: Fund Street and Pothole Repair?
Yes 56 0.41
No 67 0.50
Not sure 12 0.09
100.00%
25 Did The Mayor: Pursue State Funding for Streets?
Yes 28 0.21
No 59 0.45
Not sure 45 0.34
100.00%
26 Did The Mayor: Assess the Value of City-Owned Assets?
Yes 13 0.10
No 68 0.52
Not sure 49 0.38
100.00%
27 Did The Mayor: Save Money and Hassles on Repaving Projects?
Yes 16 0.12
No 79 0.61
Not sure 35 0.27
100.00%
28 Did The Mayor: Make Oakland Responsible and Collaborative About Deferred Liabilities?
Yes 14 0.11
No 70 0.53
Not sure 47 0.36
100.00%
29 Did The Mayor: Cultivate Additional Revenues and Cost-Savings?
Yes 15 0.11
No 83 0.62
Not sure 35 0.26
100.00%
30 Did The Mayor: Capture Value from Real Estate and New Growth?
Yes 25 0.19
No 78 0.60
Not sure 28 0.21
100.00%
31 Did The Mayor: Respond Strategically to the Dissolution of Redevelopment?
Yes 14 0.10
No 97 0.72
Not sure 24 0.18
100.00%
32 Did The Mayor: Speed Up the Transformation of Parks and Open Spaces?
Yes 13 0.10
No 104 0.79
Not sure 15 0.11
100.00%
33 Did The Mayor: Care for Our Libraries, Community, Sports and Cultural Facilities?
Yes 16 0.12
No 104 0.78
Not sure 13 0.10
100.00%
34 Did The Mayor: Make Transportation a Priority in City Hall?
Yes 27 0.20
No 75 0.57
Not sure 30 0.23
100.00%
35 Did The Mayor: Slow Down Neighborhood Streets?
Yes 24 0.19
No 83 0.64
Not sure 22 0.17
100.00%
36 Did The Mayor: Grow Bikesharing and Safe Cycling Routes Across Oakland?
Yes 74 0.56
No 40 0.30
Not sure 18 0.14
100.00%
37 Did The Mayor: Make Transit a Great Option?
Yes 20 0.15
No 90 0.67
Not sure 24 0.18
100.00%
38 Did The Mayor: Make Streets Good Places for People?
Yes 13 0.10
No 104 0.79
Not sure 15 0.11
100.00%
39 Did The Mayor: Make Parking Make Sense?
Yes 11 0.08
No 97 0.74
Not sure 23 0.18
100.00%
40 Did The Mayor: Plan Our Neighborhoods for Appropriate Development?
Yes 12 0.09
No 103 0.77
Not sure 19 0.14
100.00%
41 Did The Mayor: Help Get New Housing Built?
Yes 31 0.23
No 75 0.56
Not sure 27 0.20
100.00%
42 Did The Mayor: Look for New Housing Funds and Use Affordable Housing Funding Strategies That Work?
Yes 22 0.17
No 85 0.64
Not sure 25 0.19
100.00%
43 Did The Mayor: Pursue Additional Sources of Funding for Affordable Housing?
Yes 23 0.17
No 77 0.58
Not sure 33 0.25
100.00%
44 Did The Mayor: Prioritize Protection of Current Rentals?
Yes 23 0.17
No 93 0.70
Not sure 17 0.13
100.00%
45 Did The Mayor: Incentivize the Creation of Affordable Units?
Yes 21 0.16
No 94 0.71
Not sure 17 0.13
100.00%
46 Did The Mayor: Get Tough on Bad Landlords?
Yes 15 0.11
No 97 0.73
Not sure 20 0.15
100.00%
47 Did The Mayor: Fight for Oakland’s Fair Share?
Yes 17 0.13
No 95 0.73
Not sure 19 0.15
100.00%
48 Did The Mayor: Raise the Minimum Wage to a Livable Wage?
Yes 28 0.21
No 89 0.67
Not sure 16 0.12
100.00%
49 Did The Mayor: Bring Down the Cost of Living?
Yes 9 0.07
No 117 0.87
Not sure 8 0.06
100.00%
50 Did The Mayor: Support New Business Formation?
Yes 31 0.23
No 74 0.55
Not sure 30 0.22
100.00%
51 Did The Mayor: Retain and Expand Existing Businesses?
Yes 18 0.14
No 88 0.67
Not sure 26 0.20
100.00%
52 Did The Mayor: Market Oakland as a Great Place for Business?
Yes 40 0.30
No 69 0.52
Not sure 24 0.18
100.00%
53 Did The Mayor: Partner with Businesses to Create Training?
Yes 17 0.13
No 78 0.59
Not sure 38 0.29
100.00%
54 Did The Mayor: Help Workers Secure Jobs and Prepare for Careers?
Yes 16 0.12
No 92 0.69
Not sure 25 0.19
100.00%
55 Did The Mayor: Lift Up Our Small Businesses?
Yes 21 0.16
No 88 0.67
Not sure 22 0.17
100.00%
56 Did The Mayor: Make “Made in Oakland” a Reality?
Yes 16 0.12
No 96 0.73
Not sure 20 0.15
100.00%
57 Did The Mayor: Attract New Employers?
Yes 30 0.22
No 77 0.57
Not sure 29 0.21
100.00%
58 Did The Mayor: Cut Red Tape for New and Expanding Businesses?
Yes 12 0.09
No 85 0.65
Not sure 33 0.25
100.00%
59 Did The Mayor: Make Neighborhoods with the Highest Unemployment “Job Creation Zones”?
Yes 13 0.10
No 98 0.74
Not sure 22 0.17
100.00%
60 What Oakland City Council District Do You Live In?
District One (North Oakland-Rockridge) 4
District Two (East Lake Merritt – Chinatown) 4
District Three (Adams Point – Downtown – West Oakland) 3
District Four (Montclair – Oakland Hills – Central Oakland Laurel Heights ) 2
District Five (Fruitvale / San Antonio to Central East Oakland ) 3
District Six (Central East Oakland) 3
District Seven (East Oakland) 7