We would like to do an interview with you about your blog for
http://www.BlogInterviewer.com . We’d like to give you the opportunity to
give us some insight on the “person behind the blog.”

It would just take a few minutes of your time. The interview form can
be submitted online at http://bloginterviewer.com/submit-an-interview

Best regards,

Mike Thomas

Since you lived here for a while you know that the unprecidented upswing in the real estate market was a rising tide that lifted all ships. Oakland’s substantial increase in new housing development was largely driven by this macroeconomic force, not by Mayor Brown’s policies. Sure, he helped get things built by getting cozy with developers (most notably some of his friends from his time as govenor), but given the amount of development that has happened in all surrounding communities, Oakland’s prime geographic location and the number of families fleeing the overheated housing SF housing market for places east, I’d venture that almost ANY mayor would have had similar results. Like many politicians before him he has been the reputational beneficiary of things that have little to do with his actual actions.

Regarding your points about police officer and unemployment: you’re actually incorrect about the vote for police. The residents of Oakland voted FOR funding 200 new positions. The question hasn’t been funding, its been the ability to attract potential officers to the Oakland police academy. Trust me, I know this because the inability to fill these funded positions is a topic of discussion at our monthly neighborhood meetings. Is the inability to get cadets Brown’s fault? Probably not. However, his administration’s lack of concern with, or particular prioritization of, after school programs, job training programs, and other services to help kids have activities and hope has been notable. Jerry’s primary iniative to “help” the schools and the city’s kids has been the ill-advised and poorly executed military charter school. Not exactly a shining beacon of liberal social policy.

So, that’s my two cents. Now I’m going to go to a neighborhood meeting which includes agenda items dealing with several muggings and a kidnapping that have happened within recent weeks. I’m sure we’ll get an update on the city’s 110th homicide while we’re there. Not that I’ve heard word one from our lovely mayor on the topic.

There is an increase in crime going on in every major city in the U.S. and that’s going to be true as the boom years on the 1990s fade from memory.

We now have lost the gains in employment made at the lower ends of the pay scale and the upward mobility that characterized the 1990s. That coupled with higher inflation and wage stagnation is manifesting itself in increased crime, just as it did during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

I think Jerry Brown is completely misunderstood. He’s never was as liberal as those outside of California painted him. As mayor he improved that city significantly (I lived there from 1998-2004) and the city as a whole turned a corner.

I hope in year or so we are able to return.

He’s not running for anything other than AG. But frankly, I think he’d be a better answer to anything that Republicans would offer. California Republicans are notoriously draconian in terms of crime and imprisonment. I should know, a could portion of my Southern California family is of the home-schooling, John Bircher variety. Nice people, sure, but scary politics and very involved with the PR and leadership of California Republicans.

Cat (oakland resident, dc native)