MAYORAL CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

Please complete, sign and e-mail to

Oaklanders@MakeOaklandBetterNow.org

Candidate Name: Arnie Fields

City Budget

1. Please state your position on the following November ballot

measures:

Measure V (increased medical cannabis tax and new non-medical

cannabis tax). Answer: No. There is already a tax in place. Let the
business flourish and not over tax to where they kill the organic growth
that we have seen within the last five years.

Measure W (telephone trunk line and access line taxes). Answer: No.
People pay enough taxes. The answer is not more taxes its is dealing with
the corruption that goes on in our City of Oakland Office suites that needs
to be dealt with rite here rite now.

Measure X ($360 parcel tax). Answer: No. Again, we need to cut from the
top, keep people working at the bottom, and this tax will not bring any
more police it will just take care of debt service and retirement plans.

Measure Y (suspends police staffing appropriation requirements for

collection of 2004 Measure Y parcel tax). Answer: The money is going to
retirement and pensions and debt service. The City of Oakland, needs to
be retooled that is the only option we have to straighten out the financial
crisis. The second option is bankruptcy. I have spent my whole life turning
things around. I see the beauty in everything, and there is beauty in saving
Oakland and dealing with the finances, which can only be sorted out by
weeding out the corruption downtown in City offices.
 Make Oakland Better Now! Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire

2. In June, the City Budget director reported that Oakland faced a five-
year general purpose fund structural deficit of $589 million. (See page 19 of City
Administrator’s report at http://tiny.cc/5jytp and a spread sheet adding the
numbers at http://tiny.cc/9sowf). After the City Council’s recent budget
amendments, much of that structural deficit remains. As mayor, what steps will
you take to eliminate that deficit? Answer: Again the City is in the deficit because
of miss management, and waste of funds. This City will not turn around until you
deal with the corruption that is going on in the City building offices. This is the
only time you will see things change. Management within the City of Oakland
starting digging this hole in 2000 with Jerry Brown’s elitist agenda policies, which
he used to double the value of his compound on second Harrison which he sold
in his last term for roughly 4.6 million.

3. Budgeted expenditures reflect a city’s priorities. When you present

your first budget to the City Council for consideration, what current city functions
will you give the highest priority, and how will your proposed budget reflect that
prioritization? For what city functions will you reduce or eliminate expenditures?
Answer: Public safety, education, and jobs. I will eliminate expenditures by
cutting City bureaucracy on the top level. We have double the amount of city
employees that we need. We will keep people working at the bottom level and
will cut fat from the top.

4. Each of the city’s labor agreements will open during your term as
mayor, which means that wages and benefits will be up for negotiation. As
mayor, what will be your plan for balancing the city’s interests in maximizing
taxpayer services per tax dollar and retaining and attracting skilled and motivated
employees?

Answer: I will ask people to ask themselves, “what can I do for Oakland?”, rather
than “what can Oakland do for me?”.

Public Safety

5. Under recent adjustments to the 2010-11 budget, 120 police

officers are scheduled to be laid off in January 2011 (in addition to the 80 laid off
in July 2010) if Measure V, W, X and Y do not pass. If you are elected in
November and these measures are not enacted, will these layoffs take place? If
not, what specific budgetary steps will you take to prevent them? Answer: No I
will not lease any officers. I will eliminate jobs from the top, which there are way
too many of those people upstairs that will have to go so that we can take care of
priorities in Oakland, public safety. Safety is always first.

6. Several citizens groups have advocated “civilianizing” police

functions that do not require the use of sworn officers, arguing that using civilians
for such functions as police misconduct complaint intake, press relations and

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property crime investigations can substantially cut personnel costs and maximize
the availability and effectiveness of sworn officers. Chief Garcon of San
Francisco implemented civilianization in Mesa, Arizona and has begun doing so
in San Francisco. Do you support civilianization, and if so, for what functions?
Answer: Yes because when people do things for the love of what they are doing,
they do a much better job than people who are paid for that job. Not in all cases
but in general.

7. At the end of your first term as mayor, how many sworn police
officers do you believe Oakland should have, and what steps will you take to
accomplish that goal? Answer: 817. How I will accomplish that, is by bringing in
a slew of businesses, eliminating the corruption, eliminating a large portion of
crime. Cutting 15-30% of homicides or more and that is a grantee. I will
accomplish that by implementing my anti-litter campaign. If you could litter on the
street you could steal a bike if you could steal a bike you could steal a car if you
could steal the car you could break into someone’s house. That situation could
become deadly.

8. In recent years, key components of community policing in Oakland

have been the interactions between the Measure Y Neighborhood Beat Officers,
Neighborhood Safety Coordinators, community members and Neighborhood
Crime Prevention Councils. The Neighborhood Beat Officers have now been
eliminated, and the functions of the NSC’s have been consolidated. To what
extent do you believe community policing is important, and if you believe it is
important, how can it be accomplished in Oakland? Answer: Again, it is
extremely important, it is one of the keys. People need to support from the top
but they don’t need people to plan from the top.

Public Works

9. In its April, 2009 performance audit of the Oakland Public Works

department (http://tiny.cc/afihq), Matrix Consulting Group, which conducted the
audit, recommended that:
a. The City should be replacing or rehabilitating an average of 1% to
2% of its sanitary sewer mains each year” at a cost of about $7.5
million; and
b. The City should be spending approximately $30 million annually for
the repair and replacement of the City’s streets (at the time of the
audit, the annual expenditure was $7.2 million).

Matrix also noted that the General Purpose Fund contribution to the Public
Works budget was far less than that of comparable California cities, and made a
series of recommendations (at pages 24-25) for adequate funding of the city’s
public works needs. Which of these recommendations do you support, and how

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will Oakland meet its obligations to repair and replace sanitary sewers, streets
and infrastructure if you are mayor?

Answer: The moral of the City needs to change. The people of the City are doing
a great job, it is the City government that is running the place into the ground. If
you keep the same people in power it is only a matter of time before they run it
into the ground, they have been doing a great job running things into the ground,
that is why we need historic change rite here rite now. I know where the rubber
hits the road and bring that spotlight to shine on the corruption and I am the
Mayor that will do it and turn the City around. Guaranteed.

Management, Leadership, Accountability and Transparency

10. Oakland is a large and very complex entity with a $1.1+ billion
budget and thousands of employees. Please describe:

a. Your specific experience that qualifies you to oversee an

enterprise of this size and complexity;
b. Your theory of management, with examples of how you have
applied that theory;
c. Your philosophy of executive leadership, with examples of
when and where you have shown that philosophy.

Answer: I have been creating business from nothing the last 25 years. When I
finished school, I never made more than 10, 11, $12 an hour and with hard work
and knowing how to save I have been able to invest millions of dollars into the
City of Oakland. I am wired on how to do a lot with a little. With a billion dollar
budget there is nothing that we cannot get done and accomplished here, but you
need to eradicate the corruption. That is what is plaguing the city, they are
digging a hole and they don’t want to stop digging.

11. The City Administrator is the day-to-day head of city government.

What criteria will you employ and what qualifications will you look for in
appointing the City Administrator? Answer: Someone with proven track record in
personal and professional accomplishments, not just degrees and PHDs.

12. What will you do as mayor to ensure that your agenda is being
executed? Answer: People within my administration and who are in charge of
our various departments will be held accountable by me personally. They are to
support the functions of the city and insuring a level playing field and fairness for
everyone, regardless rich, poor, black, white, the entire rainbow will be
represented with our administration.

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13. What metrics or benchmarks will you establish for your

performance and the performance of City department heads? How will
Oaklanders know whether benchmarks are being met? Answer: Percentage of
kids graduating the amount of new business coming into the city and cutting the
homicide rate below 50% where is it at now. And by having my town hall
meetings monthly by monthly if needed, to keep my finger on the pulse of the
moral and where the support is needed.

14. How can Oakland’s television station, its web site and other
media be used to more effectively inform and engage Oaklanders concerning city
government activities and issues? Answer: To be more interactive with the
people, and to show people the ugly side and not just the candy coated version
that is usually put in front of us.

15. Should the City be taking other steps to more effectively engage
the citizenry in city issues, and if so, what steps? Answer: Town hall meeting
monthly or by monthly.

Economic Development

16. Many Oakland candidates and office-holders express the opinion

that Oakland city government systemically business-unfriendly. Do you agree or
disagree? If you disagree, explain how the city has established a favorable
climate for business development. If you agree, describe what you see as the
systemic problems and explain how you, as mayor, would fix them. Answer:
The city is not business friendly and is not entrepreneur friendly and needs to be.
I will fix this by being your next Mayor of Oakland, a proven entrepreneur with a
25 year track record. To educate on the corruption please go to
auditOaklandceda.com

17. What, if anything, does Oakland have to learn from Emeryville,

Berkeley or other cities about how to effectively use Enterprise Zones and
redevelopment funding to attract and retain businesses? What, if anything, have
other cities done that Oakland will start doing if you are mayor? Answer: 15
years ago Emeryville looked up to Oakland. A large amount of the projects in
Emeryville wanted to transform in Oakland and now Oakland looks up to
Emeryville. You need to get those old dogs out of here that has stifled the
progress of Oakland. You need to get new blood, with fresh ideas and a solid
vision for the future of the City of Oakland.

Other

18. What, if anything, can Oakland city government learn from other
cities about how to maximize its ability to provide quality services to its citizens in
difficult economic times? Answer: We should look at cities that are self

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sufficient, and realize that the people of Oakland are Oakland’s customers and
they are the most important people to our city. The people of Oakland will always
be my number one concern. Not developers, not city administrators that don’t
even live in this town, but want to decide what’s built and what is torn down, and
who to extort money from this week!

19. The majority of Oaklanders love their city, and believe it has
unparalleled positive elements that are simply not recognized in the rest of the
state and country, including history, diversity, and vibrant activity in its culture,
arts, restaurants, etc. Does the mayor have a role in getting this message out
there, and how should the city send this message? Answer: Yes! As mayor I will
be your #1 cheerleader like I have been for the last 44 years. As Mayor Oakland
will become a beacon of love and hope with an even playing field that I will level
for all rite here rite now. A vote for Fields is a vote for yourself. Help us bring this
historic change now, rather than having more of the same for another 4-8 years.
Thank you sincerely for this opportunity.

Dated:__9/14/10___________ By: Arnold Fields, your

next mayor
(Electronic signature – i.e.,
“/s/ Name” is acceptable)

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