Bravo - plain speak. True. Appalling. Fixable! but will require a lot of focus, resources, and (hardest part) people who manage the city like a business that caters to its customers, not as bully pulpits for their agendas, or stepping stones to higher office. Look at Schaff and Kalb's next moves - do you really want this in state government? And looking at where their campaigns contributions originated ... lots of outside influence. How long will it take to turn over the city council and mayor? Those who rant about the costs of a recall ignore the costs of NOT doing so for DA and Mayor at present.
As reported recently-the crime in SF is down across the board, I wonder if SF is also under reporting or using flawed data ?.
If the crime in SF (and other near by cities) is indeed down, while still on the rise in Oakland, its just yet another pointer that the policies and resources are inadequate for what's going on in the city.
THANKS for including the California Partnership report. Note there is also a 2013 version that served as the kickoff for Ceasefire effort sponsored by Libby Schaaf (what I call "real" or the Boston based ceasefire) that resulted in Oakland shootings/homicide dropping by 50% https://giffords.org/stories/how-oakland-cut-homicides-in-half/ Real data is vital, but as you note, won't help without political and organizational will. Well done.
“Much of the public accepts their spin at face value.”
There’s your answer.
The “clinical trial” that is public safety in Oakland isn’t “uncontrolled.” It’s publicly micromanaged at a multitude of elections and referendums. It doesn’t lack a “principled design.” It’s elegantly constructed to insure rewarding careers for opportunistic politicians. And there is no shortage of “measurements of outcomes.” Incredible sums of taxpayer monies are spent on studies, reports, data collection, think tanks, consultants, review committees and “blue ribbon” commissions at every level of government—not to mention private efforts such as this Substack.
Oakland’s voters know exactly what they want, and deserve to keep getting it good and hard.
Thank you for taking the immense amount of volunteer time to research and write this excellent report! Now we need to find the people and resources to make clear and concise recommendations to reduce crime.
Another obstacle in getting change in Oakland is the role the unions play in elections. Promises of high pay and benefits and NO LAYOFFS to unions EXCEPT Police union make sense as a huge portion of residents have a family member or friend employed by the city. Cops, not so much. Don’t get me
Bravo - plain speak. True. Appalling. Fixable! but will require a lot of focus, resources, and (hardest part) people who manage the city like a business that caters to its customers, not as bully pulpits for their agendas, or stepping stones to higher office. Look at Schaff and Kalb's next moves - do you really want this in state government? And looking at where their campaigns contributions originated ... lots of outside influence. How long will it take to turn over the city council and mayor? Those who rant about the costs of a recall ignore the costs of NOT doing so for DA and Mayor at present.
The recalls involve life and death situations which are far more important than money.
Thank You!!!!!
A strong dose of reality in a city steeped in fantasy.
As reported recently-the crime in SF is down across the board, I wonder if SF is also under reporting or using flawed data ?.
If the crime in SF (and other near by cities) is indeed down, while still on the rise in Oakland, its just yet another pointer that the policies and resources are inadequate for what's going on in the city.
THANKS for including the California Partnership report. Note there is also a 2013 version that served as the kickoff for Ceasefire effort sponsored by Libby Schaaf (what I call "real" or the Boston based ceasefire) that resulted in Oakland shootings/homicide dropping by 50% https://giffords.org/stories/how-oakland-cut-homicides-in-half/ Real data is vital, but as you note, won't help without political and organizational will. Well done.
Moreover, Oakland spends more on policing than many other major cities, according to this Mother Jones article: https://www.motherjones.com/criminal-justice/2020/08/the-blue-budget-what-major-cities-spend-on-police/#:~:text=While%20there's%20wide%20variation%20in,of%20their%20budgets%20to%20policing.
Hi Philip,
If you have the time, please read the following Oakland Report article :
"Oakland employee compensation grew 2.5 times faster than inflation, far outpacing other cities"
“Much of the public accepts their spin at face value.”
There’s your answer.
The “clinical trial” that is public safety in Oakland isn’t “uncontrolled.” It’s publicly micromanaged at a multitude of elections and referendums. It doesn’t lack a “principled design.” It’s elegantly constructed to insure rewarding careers for opportunistic politicians. And there is no shortage of “measurements of outcomes.” Incredible sums of taxpayer monies are spent on studies, reports, data collection, think tanks, consultants, review committees and “blue ribbon” commissions at every level of government—not to mention private efforts such as this Substack.
Oakland’s voters know exactly what they want, and deserve to keep getting it good and hard.
Thank you for taking the immense amount of volunteer time to research and write this excellent report! Now we need to find the people and resources to make clear and concise recommendations to reduce crime.
Another obstacle in getting change in Oakland is the role the unions play in elections. Promises of high pay and benefits and NO LAYOFFS to unions EXCEPT Police union make sense as a huge portion of residents have a family member or friend employed by the city. Cops, not so much. Don’t get me
(Sorry for hitting send)
Wrong. I am a firm supporter of unions! But the counter side is usually hard nosed capitalists, not politicians looking for votes.