The Oakland Scene: What's the Hold Up?

For those of you interested in understanding more about how Instant Runoff Voting can benefit Oakland, where it is poised to be implemented for the 2010 election, and why there is a delay in the implementation, check out these two radio interviews (14 minutes in length total) from KPFA-FM.

KPFA has a new program called OaklandSeen, which focuses on Oakland issues. The host, Aimee Allison, recently interviewed two people about IRV: Esperanza Tervalon-Daumont, Director of a coalition called Oakland Rising, and Oakland city councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.  

According to its website, Oakland Rising is made up of Just Cause Oakland, Urban Habitat, EBASE, ACORN, Asian Pacific Environmental Network and the Ella Baker Center. Esperanza Tervalon-Daumont's interview starts at the 25:44 minute mark on the KPFA link.  In her four minute interview she does a great job laying out how IRV could help disenfranchised communities.    

Following the interview with Esperanza is a ten minute segment with Rebecca Kaplan, whose comments on IRV perfectly complement Esperanza's.  Kaplan says that IRV in Oakland is “incredibly important for our democracy and our budget.”  The segment also features sound bites from community activists and members of the League of Women Voters at the rally and press conference held at Oakland City Hall last Friday.

If you want to know why IRV would be good for Oakland and get a sense of the behind-the-scenes shenanigans which threaten the will of the Oakland electorate, check out this very informative and enlightening segment from OaklandSeen.