Oakland, CA – There is one word that can be used to describe how the residents and workers in the City of Oakland, California feel, FRUSTRATED.
Oakland residents are frustrated with the condition of the roads, sidewalks, homeless encampments, speeding cars, sideshow activity, abandoned vehicles that sit for days, months and yes, years. The levying of taxes/fees on homeowners to cover shortages. Dirty streets, illegal dumping, speeding cars are prevalent everywhere but downtown; that’s Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf’s focus; everyone else has to wait.
City Of Oakland Police Harassment Of Wilson Riles An Example Of Why Residents Are Frustrated
Want an example? Look at the way the City of Oakland treated our legendary former City Councilmember Wilson Riles! All Riles wanted was a zoning variance permit for a temporary religious structure in his own backyard. What did he get at the City of Oakland Zoning Department? The Oakland Police were called on Wilson Riles, and then unjustly harassed and arrested him – someone known to many as a true gentle man.
And just because Wilson Riles was arguing over a technical planning issue. Because Wilson Riles was, there’s the word again, frustrated, he got the Oakland Police called to harrass and arrest him – by the City of Oakland.
So now, we have “Zoning While Black” to go with “Walking While Black”, “BBQing While Black” , and a growing list of things blacks in Oakland can’t do because it’s ridiculously intimidating to someone white – in Oakland. Oakland.
Maybe the white Oakland worker who went ‘silly season’ and called the Oakland Police on Wilson Riles was frustrated too?
City of Oakland workers are frustrated with the vacant positions that prevent them from effectively aiding residents; not enough bodies, not enough resources, not enough money. Oakland workers are overworked performing the jobs of two to three people and being disciplined when the work is not performed in a timely manner.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf Is Choosing Downtown Over Residents
It appears Mayor Schaaf is not interested in the residents of Oakland nor its employees. It’s about build, build and build some more and what the City of Oakland can’t pay for will be levied on homeowners.
The needs of Oakland residents are not being met because there are not enough bodies to service those needs. This is the message Oakland City workers want Oakland residents and merchants to understand.
No succession planning, institutional knowledge is leaving and the Mayor of the City of Oakland continues to smile while Rome is burning around her. Her mantra to the workers, “no money, no money, no more money.” To the residents, “pay up or you get nothing!”” Yet property owners are paying through the nose and Grant monies are flowing into Oakland…Where is all the money being stashed????
Let them eat cake, but in this case it’s Cheez-Its. Use temp workers to perform the work of seasoned employees and let the residents suffer and wait.
Who suffers? we all suffer!!!
Damn it! Enough is enough!
Nancy Sidebotham