A Van Jones protege, Jakada Imani, was sworn in as the newest member of the Oakland Port Board of Commissioners Tuesday October 20, a mere twelve days before Occupy Oakland protesters marched to the Port of Oakland and "effectively shut down" the fifth largest containerized port in the U.S. Weeks before thousands of occupiers disrupted maritime operations at the port, Imani articulated his vision for the area. Port redevelopment, a project long in the works, "is going to be the biggest development in Oakland in my life...It's going to pull us out of poverty." This kind of utopian grandstanding helped get the Jones clone on the commission. But not before he encountered some roadblocks. Imani's controversial confirmation followed a contentious debate among City Council members who wanted Mayor Jean Quan, a 60's Berkeley radical, to reappoint longtime commissioner Margaret Gordon. A progressive activist praised by Oprah Winfrey for her work in bringing awareness to environmental racism, Gordon worked on building consensus among different Oakland interests. Her willingness to compromise may have....
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