Rebecca Kaplan for Oakland At Large Councilmember

I am delighted to get to strongly recommend someone I know so well. Rebecca Kaplan has been a smart and enthusiastic member of the AC Transit Board of Directors for six years. She has succeeded there because she is smart, politically savvy, and because she knows how to get things done with people she doesn't agree with. She has strong ethics, she is smart and insightful, and she connects with people. These are also the same reasons my organization, the Transportation and Land Use Coalition, hired her as a policy advocate for a one-year campaign in 2001. She was incredibly effective.

She also has experience as a civil-rights attorney, legislative aide, and an outreach consultant protecting Oakland residents from predatory loans and foreclosures. She will be a great policy-maker and she has the potential to become a bridge-builder on the Oakland City Council.

I don't know as much about Kerry Hamill - nor do many voters, because she hasn't done too many speaking engagements. She used to work for Perata, now is a PR person for BART (two transit people in the same race!) and is currently an Oakland School Board member. But from what I can find, Kaplan is by far the better candidate.

For some examples of others who have looked at this race, see:

• "A Better Oakland" blog post on their debate.
• Daily Kos post excited about Kaplan.
• Kaplan's endorsements.
• News about Kaplan.