Measure W, the Oakland Fair Elections Act, will bring much-needed accountability to local government and make it possible for all Oaklanders to support candidates who will best represent them, no matter what neighborhood they live in, the color of their skin, or how much money they make. Oaklanders deserve a local government where our representatives represent all of us — where candidates and elected officials can focus on what our communities need, not what big-money donors and special interests want. If we want to see change on issues like affordable housing, community safety, and quality schools, we need more transparency about the outside groups that are spending millions to influence our elections and we need a more responsive city government.
Measure W will change this power imbalance by: creating transparency in who funds elections, equipping every Oaklander with the resources to support community-based candidates, holding government accountable, and extending the ban on lobbying by former city officials––and empowering our trusted community-led Public Ethics Commission to oversee it all.