Oakland Tribune Outtakes

As my dear, late mother would say: ‘the squeaky wheel gets the grease.’ And all the squeaky, squawky drivers who wrote, called and emailed their elected reps to protest the new parking fees, fines and hours, have been heard.

Both Councilmembers Pat Kernighan and Ignacio De La Fuente are ready to sponsor legislation to do away with the 8 p.m. meter enforcement, rolling it back to the previous 6 p.m. cutoff (hooray, I say!).

“We have to admit when we made a mistake,” De La Fuente told me earlier today.

“After hearing from a great many outraged constituents, I have concluded that the City Council tried to impose too much at once regarding parking fees and fines… Consequently,  I favor rescinding the 8 pm enforcement and going back to 6 pm. ,” wrote Kernighan in an email I just received.

Nothing can happen until the council gets back from break in September. And a word of warning: that revenue the city would have gotten has to come from somewhere. My advice: enjoy the moment of victory, it could be short-lived.

There was  a lot of posturing involved in this anger-fest over parking laws in Oakland. I think the recent hikes were the straw that broke the camel’s back. Figures like 300 to 400 percent increases in the past few years were brandished during the meeting at the Grand Lake Theater, whose owner Allen Michaan instigated the event. He blamed years of bad business on parking policies. But he has blamed other things in the past. No doubt the merchants are being affected. But I don’t think Michaan’s proposal for a business shut-down next Thursday is such a great idea if parking is already hurting business. But he said he has several hundred signatures on a petition to recall City Councilmembers. They’re going to have to offer better responses than maybe people will take more public transit or let’s see how things go to calm things down. I just wnat to know how much it’s going to cost the city to pay the meter maids to work until 8 p.m. How is that saving money?

The AWL says “Hell No.” Maybe we should say “Hella No” and “F-You for asking.”

The other day a Trader Joe’s clerk scrutinized my credentials for buying a bottle of wine. “Have I checked your ID before?” he said. That was his polite way of saying, “Let’s see it.” I always relish the look on people’s face when they see 1969. But it’s been happening more often than usual and among young clerks who have special youth detectors. “Should I take it personally that I have been carded twice since I turned 40?” I asked my boyfriend. I wanted to take it personally. But then I remembered the agenda item on next Tuesday’s City Council meeting.  OPD stands to get $100,000 from the Alcoholic Beverage Control dept. for a year-long crackdown on illegal booze sales and nuisance sellers. It looks like OPD wants to go after sales to minors and liquor stores but they might be including any establishment with a liquor license, such as the Seven Seas cocktail lounge on Mac. in the Laurel Dist.  I really don’t know how much this money would change things. My sense is that it supports efforts already in the works.

The incredible tale of the Camera 84 project (”we’re leaving disposable cameras around the world. people are picking them up, taking a few photos and passing them on, eventually returning home - so we can tell their stories”) in which one disposable “camera then hopped across the pond with Michael J, and the roll was finished off in Oakland, California…”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVhz4pstyGE
I don’t think the video reps everyone’s experience “living in Oakland.” But I think it’s good for people to share their life and thoughts with those who don’t share the reality, so I’m putting it up here. The video references the OPD-Mixon shootings, which provoked long-simmering complaints and opinions that were never resolved.  So be prepared.

Dellums’ office just announced Oakland is the fourth greenest city in the nation when this blog post from Civil Eats popped up: “In Oakland, California last week, the political momentum seemed to clearly and perhaps irrevocably shift to formation of a sustainable food system for the nation. Hailing from three western states and Washington DC, 120 leading activists (from farms, ranches, philanthropy, businesses and NGOs), 15 USDA officials, and two important northern California mayors focused on the issues of food security, foodsheds, and public-private partnerships to accelerate change.” Read on for more…

FTC to Investigate Bloggers Receiving Pay for Posts. The Federal Trade Commission announced plans last week to monitor blogs for payments and claims.

Sandwiches Pittsburgh style at Primanti Bros. I can’t beleive it. There’s a neighborhood called Oakland in Pittsburgh.