No more 4-4 behind closed doors.
The last time we discussed our two year Oakland City budget, meaning about six months ago, we heard nothing from our city council members for several weeks after the mayor put her proposal forward.
Then 4 came up with one plan, and another 4 came up with another plan.
Mayor Quan cast the tie breaking vote. She chose the Reid plan, supposedly because of support for Chabot Space and Science.
The reason we supposedly did not get more action or more than 4 people to a plan was because, supposedly, the Brown Act precludes more than 4 of them meeting and discussing a counter proposal. That may be true as far as discussing politics behind closed doors goes
.
Nothing stops them from discussing their ideas and negotiating out a compromise, in public, in council chambers in open discussion.
Today the Mayor has a new budget proposal to deal with the 30 million that will no longer go to pay for general fund items.
This time it would be great if our city legislature help open debate. Polled its members for votes and just plain hashed out the new budget sitting in their council chairs instead of their office or coffee shop chairs.
