Sacramento Bee January 27, 1999

City officials reject one-man campaign against spanking

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- City officials have swatted down Jordan Riak's vision of a no-spanking zone.

A City Council committee voted 2-1 Tuesday to reject a resolution that would have declared Oakland a "No Spanking Zone" by warning parents that hitting their children teaches them violence is OK.

The committee instead proposed an alternate resolution promoting awareness of issues about children, parenting and education. The revised resolution will be considered in March.

City officials had indicated they would reject the idea, noting Oakland has laws against child abuse.

Despite the defeat, the full council will vote on his measure in two weeks, said Riak, who lives in Alamo in Contra Costa County. He said he was not optimistic the council will pass his proposed measure.

"If they're spankers themselves, it makes them a bit uneasy to support something that may challenge their own behavior," said Riak, who has three grown sons. "And many of their constituents are made uneasy by the proposal, especially those who spank."