An anonymous group of "concerned East Bay citizens"
threatened yesterday to obstruct the Raiders' return to Oakland
with a ballot measure that could "scare off investors and
collapse an agreement embraced three days ago by elected
officials," according to Stacey Wells of the OAKLAND TRIBUNE.
Organized under the banner "Taxpayers for a Vote on the Raiders
Deal," members "want an independent financial review of taxpayers
costs and risks" involved in a plan to sell $225M in bonds to
relocate the team. The group has hired S.F.-based p.r. firm
Advocacy Communications to run the campaign and has established a
toll-free phone number "to recruit members" (OAKLAND TRIBUNE,
7/14). Peter Fimrite reports that former Alameda County
Supervisor Don Perata, a longtime Raiders advocate, said he will
file documents today demanding that the group file papers with
the Fair Political Practices Committee which would reveal their
identities. Perata: "These guys are hired guns, and they're
representing some big money San Francisco interests. We're onto
them and we are going to force them out" (SAN FRANCISCO
CHRONICLE, 7/14). Perata also asked: "Is it [49ers President]
Carmen Policy? This is not the first time that people in San
Francisco have treated Oakland like a colony" (Sandy Kleffman,
SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 7/14).
