Council Members Favoring Censure Are a “Bunch of Hypocrites,” Says de la Fuente

Jul 19, 2013

Posted in City Auditor’s ReportResponsive Government

By Post Staff

Former Councilmember Ignacio de la Fuente is saying council members who support censuring Desley Brooks are “a bunch of hypocrites.”

In an interview with the Post this week, de la Fuente weighed in on the public uproar over the pending motion to censure Councilmember Desley Brooks.

De la Fuente said he knew of an instance when Council President Kernighan had called city staff specifically to instruct them to stop issuing citations in the hills to drivers who park on the wrong side of the street.

“All of us have done something when it comes to pushing to solve our constituents needs,” he said.“All councilmembers get calls from their constituents demanding actions on their needs and problems and concerns.”

Frequently, council decisions would not be carried out without councilmembers working directly with staff, he said.

“I remember when Jane Brunner, Pat Kernighan and I would get calls and complaints, and we would try to move things along to solve problems and bottlenecks in the bureaucracy.

“All city councilmembers have shepherded projects – we all have pushed staff to get things done.”

Instead of backing a motion to censure, the City Council should focus on writing a policy that would give them something concrete by which to measure their actions, he said.

Igancio de la Fuente

“Let’s not be a bunch of hypocrites,” he said.

In related news, the Post has learned that the Grand Jury is in possession of an email dated Feb. 5 from Libby Schaaf on police staffing that documents the council member’s attempt to direct city Budget Director Donna Hom.

“I’ve asked Donna Hom to develop an Excel tool that would allow us to easily cost-out various scenarios,” in order to “figure out how to get Oakland to 1,000 cops,” Schaaf wrote in the email.