.Letters of The Week: Our Readers Chime in on Lieutenant Governor Hopeful Gayle McLaughlin

Also: Lots of Support for the Owners of Henry's Gallery Cafe

“Lieutenant Governor Hopeful Gayle McLaughlin Wants to Take the East Bay’s Progressive Revolution to Sacramento” by Darwin BondGraham, News, August 2:
It Takes One Phone Call
Thank you for your inspiring piece about the former mayor of Richmond. I felt overwhelmed by media and an increasing feeling of helplessness, so I joined a group to “drunk dial your senators.” Your story about Gayle McLaughlin’s arrival in Richmond and subsequent activism, particularly her influence in changing the police department, caused me to reflect on how she impacted her community at a local level. My calls to my City Councilmember about homelessness felt more meaningful than those to my Senator about health care, because, as I called, I pictured the flower sticking out of the tent-home I ride my bike past on the way to work. Recall the adage “all politics are local.” I encourage everyone to visit IndivisibleGuide.com/Act-Locally and search for a political movement near you. A journey of a thousand miles begins with one phone call.
Michael Barnes

Progressively Bankrupt
Richmond’s finances are in horrible shape, now Gayle McLaughlin wants to take her ideas to Sacramento (the state is already in enough financial trouble due to tax-and-spend politicians).
Her campaign slogan should be “Progressively Bankrupt.”
Bob Kray

“Black Oakland Leaders Criticize Mayor and Police Chief for ‘Lack of Control’ Over Police Department” by Darwin BondGraham, News, August 4:

Don’t Get Distracted
This “open letter” is nothing more than a political stunt to make it appear as though Councilmember Desley Brooks and Supervisor Keith Carson are active in addressing the issues in Oakland. Police misconduct in Oakland is not a new issue. Brooks has been a councilmember for 15 years; why waste her precious time now on this letter? Perhaps, it’s because Brooks will be running for re-election in 2018. She is self-serving, and Oakland is the perfect place to do absolutely nothing and not be held accountable.
Carson is a mystery. But several projects he is associated with are questionable, according to the 2016-17 Alameda County Grand Jury final report.
Don’t be distracted with this “open letter” nonsense.
Mari Jones

“Oakland Rallies Around Owner of Henry’s Gallery Café, Who Recently Lost His Business and Life’s Savings” by Ashley Wong, News, July 31:
We Should Welcome Immigrants
What a terrible tale, and what brave and wonderful people! May they be helped and heartened by the generous response from their customers and neighbors. Surely Jung and Park are precisely the kind of immigrants we as Americans should be welcoming.
We’re lucky in the Bay Area to have a paper committed to covering the “small” stories — which are very big to those impacted by them.
Thanks, Express, for speaking truth to power.
Rhoda Slanger

Hoping They Can Land on Their Feet Again
I’ve met Jung and Park many times. They are lovely — always happy and helpful. I hope they are able to find a new location.
Jim Willows

“What East Bay Trivia Nights Say About Our Collective Knowledge (or Lack Thereof) of Non-White History and Culture” by Ryan Lindsay, Arts Feature, August 2:
What Should the Questions Be About?
This article brings up an interesting issue: What should the questions actually reflect? Should it be the demographics of the United States? Of Oakland? Of the people at the particular bar?
Tommy Katz

Corrections
In last week’s cover story, we neglected to disclose that Gayle McLaughlin’s husband is a delivery driver for the Express.

The photographer for the McLaughlin story was Josh Fogel.

In our July 26 feature on rappers SOBxRBE, we reported that the crew was from the Crest in Vallejo. That’s inaccurate; only Slimmy is from the Crest. The rest hail from other North Vallejo neighborhoods.

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