In the wake of the tragic fire at the Oakland warehouse known as the Ghost Ship, the city recently hired a public relations firm for a “6-month deal worth up to $90,000, to serve as official media consultants and spokespeople.” Comments and news reporters have noted that while it’s expected for businesses to hire a PR firm, using public funds for costly PR for a specific reason just doesn’t seem right, and it’s not surprising that some citizens are outraged.
In this report on news of the contract, Oakland City Councilman Noel Gallo said, “I think that was a misappropriation and a misuse of public funds. That is really unexplainable.”
