Or save up a lot and move to Alameda. Or less and move to San Leandro.

Maybe David is right. Maybe it is time to leave California. I’ve lived in seven other cities in seven other states – and Oakland is my favorite of all of them – but is it really worth the premium? Is it really worth supporting the priveleged class (i.e. government workers)? Sure, I’d pine for the Banh Mi, but I could probably employ a personal Vietnamese chef for these prices.

Maybe they made the sidewalk around Lake Merritt that wide to accommodate a guillotine and screaming, peasant spectators. And the goose shit is there so they have something to fling.

City Hall greed = unions + bureaucrats unwilling to cut a decade of fat rolls =

DEBTOR’S PRISON

for us mere citizens. Reminds one of the Parisian situation circa 18th Century

As I have always stated, I think it is unfair that people (renters) who are protected from the costs of the things they vote for, are allowed to vote on those issues. Seriously, it’s like letting everyone vote on marriage rights for lesbians and gays – and with the same results.

Second, and just as importantly, why in hell are we floating bonds to pay for pension funding shortages? That takes an already fiscally damaging situation and compounds (pardon the pun) the problem with interest payments. If we have to float bonds for personnel costs, you would think that would suggest to someone that the personnel costs are way too high. When politicians covet the backing of the police and fire unions to get re-elected, it is no wonder that we’re in the situation we find ourselves.

The City Council awarded those pensions and now we’re saddled with the costs because of their complete fiscal irresponsibility. It’s as sickening as the OO “compromise”. A compromise wouldn’t have been necessary if they had shown some spine and worked to defeat OO in the first place. Instead, like always, they worry about things that are not central to a functioning city, then wring their hands at the dire situation their inaction (or inappropriate actions) have caused, and in the process we all go deeper into debt.

And now this ridiculous piece of costly, useless nonsense.

If we want to help out the citizens of Oakland how about we focus on fixing our public transit? That will have real benefits for all citizens and the legal liabilities are well covered by our current lawyers, not to mention it won’t cause us to walk into federal territory.