How does a 37-year-old with no experience outside city government and just four years on Oakland’s City Council win a hotly contested mayoral race? By becoming the candidate of government unions, of course.
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s home was raided by the FBI last week as were two other homes owned by members of the Duong family. The Duongs own California Waste Solutions, a company that has a billion-dollar contract with the city. Thao is reported to have traveled to Vietnam at the Duong family’s expense last year. Since the raid, Thao’s lawyer and communications director both quit and her former chief of staff called on her to resign. Thao refuses to leave office, however, claiming that she is completely innocent and the victim of “right-winged forces” that are trying to take her down.
Thao’s political troubles did not start with the raid. Thanks to rising crime, a weak economy, and a huge budget deficit, Thao was already facing a recall election set for this November. As bad as Thao has been in office, though, there still is a good chance she will hang on to power. How is this possible? She still has the support of the very same government unions that supported her the first time. In a crowded and well funded field of candidates, Thao secured the endorsement and campaign donations of: Alameda Labor Council, California Federation of Teachers, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (Oakland city workers union), International Association of Firefighters, SEIU United Healthcare Workers West, State Building and Construction Trades Council. No other candidate was endorsed by a government union. Without that support from the union, Thao would never have won. With their support she won by only 677 votes.
Government unions are the most powerful force in California politics. What government union leadership wants, government union leadership gets. In Sacramento, no other special interest is as successful in getting its agenda passed and blocking the agenda of other special interests than government unions. And government unions are famously corrupt. California government employee union leaders are routinely arrested for embezzlement, fraud, corruption, and racketeering.
