Comments on: Where does our money go? http://www.abetteroakland.com/where-does-our-money-go/2009-04-21 The Continuing Story of a City Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:06:35 +0000 hourly 1 By: Max Allstadt http://www.abetteroakland.com/where-does-our-money-go/2009-04-21#comment-113531 Max Allstadt Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:12:58 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=2827#comment-113531 Dave O, I don't know what city you live in, but allow me to summarize my experiences with OPD: Iive in West Oakland, and when I see drug deals repeated on the same corner, when I see child prostitutes soliciting, when I see pimps breaking into vacant houses and setting up shop... I call OPD, and they usually show up pretty fast. I have also had a friend hauled off to Santa Rita because he was drinking in public and he had a warrant. The cops who busted him were totally civil about it, because my friend calmed down and was totally civil about it. I have no doubt that there are bad cops on the force, as there are in any department. I have no doubt that there's intitutional dysfunction in OPD and OPOA that keeps both organizations from giving this city the best they can. But simplistic comments like yours don't help push things forward. I'll quote a favorite film for you: "There are no good guys, there are no bad guys... It's just a bunch of guys." Dave O,

I don’t know what city you live in, but allow me to summarize my experiences with OPD:

Iive in West Oakland, and when I see drug deals repeated on the same corner, when I see child prostitutes soliciting, when I see pimps breaking into vacant houses and setting up shop… I call OPD, and they usually show up pretty fast.

I have also had a friend hauled off to Santa Rita because he was drinking in public and he had a warrant. The cops who busted him were totally civil about it, because my friend calmed down and was totally civil about it.

I have no doubt that there are bad cops on the force, as there are in any department. I have no doubt that there’s intitutional dysfunction in OPD and OPOA that keeps both organizations from giving this city the best they can. But simplistic comments like yours don’t help push things forward.

I’ll quote a favorite film for you:

“There are no good guys, there are no bad guys… It’s just a bunch of guys.”

]]> By: Dave O http://www.abetteroakland.com/where-does-our-money-go/2009-04-21#comment-113523 Dave O Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:54:48 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=2827#comment-113523 The OPD needs to take some of the massive resources that they put into harassing people like Geoffrey Peet (not to mention ordinary people on the street) and use it to fight crime. Who gave them this big agenda of meddling in everything? Oakland is paying the OPD large sums to tear the city apart. The OPD needs to take some of the massive resources that they put into harassing people like Geoffrey Peet (not to mention ordinary people on the street) and use it to fight crime. Who gave them this big agenda of meddling in everything? Oakland is paying the OPD large sums to tear the city apart.

]]> By: len raphael http://www.abetteroakland.com/where-does-our-money-go/2009-04-21#comment-111403 len raphael Sat, 25 Apr 2009 04:55:00 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=2827#comment-111403 How about shifting some money away from the city attorney's office and over to the city auditor's dept? outsource more of the city attorney work? (ok, so i'm a little biased) -len raphael temescal How about shifting some money away from the city attorney’s office and over to the city auditor’s dept? outsource more of the city attorney work? (ok, so i’m a little biased)

-len raphael
temescal

]]> By: Ralph http://www.abetteroakland.com/where-does-our-money-go/2009-04-21#comment-110163 Ralph Wed, 22 Apr 2009 06:58:29 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=2827#comment-110163 With the exception of Brooks and IDLF, I am not convinced that council actual listens to the voters. They poll their little favorite groups and make a decision based on the outcome of those love-ins. I love parks but from my perspective you can not take $2MM away from parks and libraries, which apparently everyone loves, and then tax us to make up some of the lost revenue. And god forbid that the OO compromise fail. With the exception of Brooks and IDLF, I am not convinced that council actual listens to the voters. They poll their little favorite groups and make a decision based on the outcome of those love-ins.

I love parks but from my perspective you can not take $2MM away from parks and libraries, which apparently everyone loves, and then tax us to make up some of the lost revenue. And god forbid that the OO compromise fail.

]]> By: Ken http://www.abetteroakland.com/where-does-our-money-go/2009-04-21#comment-110157 Ken Wed, 22 Apr 2009 06:46:37 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=2827#comment-110157 N//V- i'm super busy with work and personal life. i'd love to attend these types of meetings once things are more settled. you guys reporting back is valuable. keep it up. N//V- i’m super busy with work and personal life. i’d love to attend these types of meetings once things are more settled.

you guys reporting back is valuable. keep it up.

]]> By: Naomi Schiff http://www.abetteroakland.com/where-does-our-money-go/2009-04-21#comment-110148 Naomi Schiff Wed, 22 Apr 2009 06:15:08 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=2827#comment-110148 And I agree that it was startling how few people turned out, though the heat in the room may have driven some away. And I agree that it was startling how few people turned out, though the heat in the room may have driven some away.

]]> By: Naomi Schiff http://www.abetteroakland.com/where-does-our-money-go/2009-04-21#comment-110145 Naomi Schiff Wed, 22 Apr 2009 06:05:03 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=2827#comment-110145 It can be difficult to accurately compare budget with SF which is both a city and a county, and thus has a much larger budget by comparison with Oakland, even allowing for population difference. (But then they have to run a hospital, big jail, county social services, etc.) They collect much more property tax. Our property tax supports Alameda County as well as the city. And, in these discussions we are not seeing the redevelopment sector of the Oakland budget, which is large, though restricted in various ways. In the pie chart distributed by the city, parks & rec and libraries are each said to be about 3 percent of the general fund. Parks & rec has been slammed repeatedly in earlier budget cycles and is now extremely understaffed, overworked, and having to leave things undone. Libraries are very heavily used during high unemployment times, especially now that they provide the main internet access for many people. I don't think we should cut either department at all. I think we should be looking at the revenue side, and looking for ways to intensely focus on promoting small -to-midsize business development, something Economic Development is not always making a high enough priority. Create jobs, populate vacant retail frontages, and we will enhance safety and liveability as well. It can be difficult to accurately compare budget with SF which is both a city and a county, and thus has a much larger budget by comparison with Oakland, even allowing for population difference. (But then they have to run a hospital, big jail, county social services, etc.) They collect much more property tax. Our property tax supports Alameda County as well as the city.

And, in these discussions we are not seeing the redevelopment sector of the Oakland budget, which is large, though restricted in various ways.

In the pie chart distributed by the city, parks & rec and libraries are each said to be about 3 percent of the general fund. Parks & rec has been slammed repeatedly in earlier budget cycles and is now extremely understaffed, overworked, and having to leave things undone. Libraries are very heavily used during high unemployment times, especially now that they provide the main internet access for many people. I don’t think we should cut either department at all.

I think we should be looking at the revenue side, and looking for ways to intensely focus on promoting small -to-midsize business development, something Economic Development is not always making a high enough priority. Create jobs, populate vacant retail frontages, and we will enhance safety and liveability as well.

]]> By: Eric Fischer http://www.abetteroakland.com/where-does-our-money-go/2009-04-21#comment-110028 Eric Fischer Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:59:16 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=2827#comment-110028 San Francisco recreation and park budget is $128 million, down from $140 million (according to http://www.sfnpc.org/0910RPDbudget), from a $6.1 billion total (according to http://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/controller/budget_information/Citizen_Guide_Budget_April_2008.pdf) Looks like approximately 2% of the total budget in either city. San Francisco recreation and park budget is $128 million, down from $140 million (according to http://www.sfnpc.org/0910RPDbudget), from a $6.1 billion total (according to http://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/controller/budget_information/Citizen_Guide_Budget_April_2008.pdf) Looks like approximately 2% of the total budget in either city.

]]> By: Jim T http://www.abetteroakland.com/where-does-our-money-go/2009-04-21#comment-109985 Jim T Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:48:20 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=2827#comment-109985 The parks and rec spending seems unfortunately low, especially considering what natural beauty we have in Oakland, and could better capitalize on. Especially downtown needs a bit more love in the P&R department. Anybody know how this compares, percentage-wise, to San Francisco? (a city which seems to maintain it's parks beautifully) This question, I guess, gets to the root of the problem - ie is this a "management" problem, or something we can/should throw some more money at? The parks and rec spending seems unfortunately low, especially considering what natural beauty we have in Oakland, and could better capitalize on. Especially downtown needs a bit more love in the P&R department.

Anybody know how this compares, percentage-wise, to San Francisco? (a city which seems to maintain it’s parks beautifully) This question, I guess, gets to the root of the problem – ie is this a “management” problem, or something we can/should throw some more money at?

]]> By: Dave C. http://www.abetteroakland.com/where-does-our-money-go/2009-04-21#comment-109969 Dave C. Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:06:11 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=2827#comment-109969 Thanks! Thanks!

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