Councilman Bauters Quietly Contradicts Himself on Recall of DA Pamala Price
He Tells Liberal Democratic Party He Supports the DA and a Conservative Activist Group He Supports Her Recall
Emeryville City Councilman John Bauters reversed his position on the most controversial East Bay topic of this campaign season; the recall campaign against Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, by first publicly supporting the DA and then quietly voicing support for her recall, the turn around done without any new information about the DA having been revealed. The Tattler recently learned of the surprising 180 degree flip, made in front of a powerful anti-Price activist group from whom he was seeking an endorsement for his November Alameda County Board of Supervisor’s run.
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| Alameda County Supervisor Hopeful John Bauters He's joined conservatives in calling for the recall of DA Pamala Price. |
At the Alameda County Democratic Party candidate endorsement meeting in January, candidate Bauters, attempting to curry favor, said he was not supportive of the recall attempt then building against the progressive District Attorney. By September, the tech/crypto currency funded recall campaign had picked up steam and Bauters quietly did an about-face when again, attempting to curry favor, he assured the conservative activist group Empower Oakland, he’s fully supportive of recalling the DA. He added that he had personally not voted for Ms Price in her election in 2022, a fact he did not share with the Alameda County Democratic Party in January. During the eight months between those two interviews, nothing newsworthy happened that would explain a total reversal other than a shift in the political winds.
The Democratic Party supports the DA Pamela Price while the Big Tech funded Empower Oakland group as well as Republicans and corporate Democrats, are calling for her ouster. It is noteworthy that Empower Oakland also strongly supports the recall of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, a dream project of East Bay conservatives.
The evanescent flip-flop of Council member Bauters on such a serious and informative matter without an explanation has called into question his actual immutable values, to the extent there are any there of any substance. Normally politicians will explain to their constituents and the press why they did a total turn about on a contentious and publicly impactful issue such as this but Mr Bauters is refusing to answer.
The Alameda County Democratic Party ultimately did not endorse Mr Bauters or his competitor, the labor backed Nikki Fortunato Bas, but Empower Oakland did endorse him.
As Councilman Bauters shifts his campaign for the Board of Supervisors race into overdrive, some local pols are expressing concern over the gentleman from Emeryville and his appetite for political power. The whiplash on the District Attorney issue is but one inflection point. Many have noted Mr Bauters’ lack of truthfulness on the matter of his contrition on his Emeryville record of rolling back the wages of the poorest workers when he attempted to gut Emeryville’s Minimum Wage Ordinance in 2019. Bauters told the Alameda County Democratic Party at the January meeting he regretted his attempt to cut Emeryville’s minimum wage. He was sitting in the hot seat at the time, seeking their endorsement, telling them something they would want to hear. Later when in a similar chair at the Empower Oakland candidates endorsement meeting, he told the conservatives there he had no regrets, “It’s hard to point to a vote I’ve taken in recent years I have regret for” he said. Empower Oakland awarded him their endorsement.
But it’s his contradiction on DA Pamela Price that has everyday Democrats confused. Is candidate Bauters for or against recalling the DA? He has said both and he’s never answered for that. Cynics point to the opportunism that would be Bauters to take if he was simply telling the County Democrats (more left wing) that he’s against the recall to get their endorsement and telling Empower Oakland (more right wing) he’s in favor of the recall to get their endorsement. The cynics might be right but there’s no way to know for sure because Bauters isn’t saying; he has steadfastly refused to answer our questions on this pressing matter in the public interest. Councilman Bauters seems to be less concerned with being transparent to the public, his constituents, and more concerned in picking up endorsements.
