Comments on: Writing about the budget in 140 characters or less http://www.abetteroakland.com/writing-about-the-budget-in-140-characters-or-less/2009-06-17 The Continuing Story of a City Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:06:35 +0000 hourly 1 By: SF2OAK http://www.abetteroakland.com/writing-about-the-budget-in-140-characters-or-less/2009-06-17#comment-222016 SF2OAK Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:09:09 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=3273#comment-222016 Parking- It is a joke in OAK how many placards I count sometimes up to 80% in a block. The new pay stations are a ripoff. Why do they say 1 hrs. parking is $1.25 in one spot and $1.50 in another. This system is so flawed it is another taking from you the taxpayer. Why not use a fastpass like device where you put it in your windshield press a button and start your meter when you return push to stop instaed of being forced to buy time in advance and may not know how much you need (what if the stroe you want to visit is closed?) in advance. Also compare the info on Berkeley's tickets to OAK Berk. gives more pert. information. OAK should try some leniency on Parking and try and get some retail business instead it goes the other way whci drive people to Emeryville or Alameda. And now Oak wants to make Lakeshore TJ's parking pay, after the citizens bought the lot. OAK is ripping you off yet again. Parking-

It is a joke in OAK how many placards I count sometimes up to 80% in a block. The new pay stations are a ripoff. Why do they say 1 hrs. parking is $1.25 in one spot and $1.50 in another. This system is so flawed it is another taking from you the taxpayer. Why not use a fastpass like device where you put it in your windshield press a button and start your meter when you return push to stop instaed of being forced to buy time in advance and may not know how much you need (what if the stroe you want to visit is closed?) in advance. Also compare the info on Berkeley’s tickets to OAK Berk. gives more pert. information. OAK should try some leniency on Parking and try and get some retail business instead it goes the other way whci drive people to Emeryville or Alameda. And now Oak wants to make Lakeshore TJ’s parking pay, after the citizens bought the lot. OAK is ripping you off yet again.

]]> By: Robert http://www.abetteroakland.com/writing-about-the-budget-in-140-characters-or-less/2009-06-17#comment-222011 Robert Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:02:49 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=3273#comment-222011 The cost of a parking ticket is not much related to pricing parking to ensure availability. the cost of the ticket should serve as a deterent to trying to skate by without paying. It only took me a couple of tickets to decide it was much cheaper to feed the meter than to pay the ticket. So there is not a logical disconnect in what NK said. Also, except in a few areas, I usually do not have a problem with finding parking at a meter. And if you believe that parking should be priced to ensure that it is available, we are already there for most of the day, in my experience. There are a few times and places where parking at a meter is a problem, and fees should be raised specifically to address those issues. But this demand based parking rates is something that Oakland does not seem to have either the technical ability or political will to address. The cost of a parking ticket is not much related to pricing parking to ensure availability. the cost of the ticket should serve as a deterent to trying to skate by without paying. It only took me a couple of tickets to decide it was much cheaper to feed the meter than to pay the ticket. So there is not a logical disconnect in what NK said. Also, except in a few areas, I usually do not have a problem with finding parking at a meter. And if you believe that parking should be priced to ensure that it is available, we are already there for most of the day, in my experience. There are a few times and places where parking at a meter is a problem, and fees should be raised specifically to address those issues. But this demand based parking rates is something that Oakland does not seem to have either the technical ability or political will to address.

]]> By: Oh Pleeze http://www.abetteroakland.com/writing-about-the-budget-in-140-characters-or-less/2009-06-17#comment-222005 Oh Pleeze Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:01:43 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=3273#comment-222005 Re: "...[S]omeone should buy her a copy of HCOFP for her birthday." Given: The library's book budget is being cut, New books will have to come from somewhere. So...How about buying a copy for the *library* so everyone on Council, as well as we everyone with a library card, can read it...assuming, of course, that -- Council even uses Oakland's libraries, and -- that Oakland's libraries are still kept open (I will refrain from comment on rumours regarding Council's individual and collective literacy level) Re: “…[S]omeone should buy her a copy of HCOFP for her birthday.”

Given:
The library’s book budget is being cut,
New books will have to come from somewhere.

So…How about buying a copy for the *library* so everyone on Council, as well as we everyone with a library card, can read it…assuming, of course, that
— Council even uses Oakland’s libraries, and
— that Oakland’s libraries are still kept open
(I will refrain from comment on rumours regarding Council’s individual and collective literacy level)

]]> By: Pamela Drake http://www.abetteroakland.com/writing-about-the-budget-in-140-characters-or-less/2009-06-17#comment-221807 Pamela Drake Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:32:24 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=3273#comment-221807 Okay, I confess that I didn't read every comment. But Naomi did mention that adult ed is being killed off. Since the state took away our protections through categorical funding, we've had very serious cuts. Our year-round program is no more. I am unemployed this summer as an adult ed teacher and have little hope of work in the fall. My students have little hope of a job, especially without a diploma, and yes, many with below 8th grade reading levels. As to sidewalk parking, I have always opposed it for myself. Then under Brown's administration, many new houses were built on our street -previously one side of our narrow street was almost empty due to the houses sliding off the hill back in the 1910s. Parking is more difficult now and I have been sideswiped twice. Neither my insurance company nor I care much for the situation. Looks like I'll be on the sidewalk with everyone else on my street- in Kernighans' district . $3 per hour for our commercial districts-puhllease. How can that help, less business, less money for libraries. I think the council members sound nonsensical because the situation is nonsensical! Okay, I confess that I didn’t read every comment. But Naomi did mention that adult ed is being killed off. Since the state took away our protections through categorical funding, we’ve had very serious cuts. Our year-round program is no more. I am unemployed this summer as an adult ed teacher and have little hope of work in the fall. My students have little hope of a job, especially without a diploma, and yes, many with below 8th grade reading levels.
As to sidewalk parking, I have always opposed it for myself. Then under Brown’s administration, many new houses were built on our street -previously one side of our narrow street was almost empty due to the houses sliding off the hill back in the 1910s. Parking is more difficult now and I have been sideswiped twice. Neither my insurance company nor I care much for the situation. Looks like I’ll be on the sidewalk with everyone else on my street- in Kernighans’ district .
$3 per hour for our commercial districts-puhllease. How can that help, less business, less money for libraries. I think the council members sound nonsensical because the situation is nonsensical!

]]> By: V Smoothe http://www.abetteroakland.com/writing-about-the-budget-in-140-characters-or-less/2009-06-17#comment-216362 V Smoothe Thu, 18 Jun 2009 04:19:05 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=3273#comment-216362 Yeah, I was having a hard time following her logic there also. Yeah, I was having a hard time following her logic there also.

]]> By: Patrick http://www.abetteroakland.com/writing-about-the-budget-in-140-characters-or-less/2009-06-17#comment-216172 Patrick Thu, 18 Jun 2009 03:19:34 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=3273#comment-216172 I forgot to mention that I monitored Twitter on split screen while watching KTOP last night - I thought the Twitter feed was most engaging. It kind of punctuated the "action" (a la MST3000) and prevented me from yelling at the image of Desley Brooks any more than absolutely necessary. Perhaps a little simplistic, like bullet points, but isn't that the point of Twitter? Speaking of DB - what was she going on about with the Design Team not being responsible for a negative fund balance and therefore should not be laid off thing? If it came down to laying off who was actually responsible for the current budget crisis, most of the people on that dais would be the first to go. I forgot to mention that I monitored Twitter on split screen while watching KTOP last night – I thought the Twitter feed was most engaging. It kind of punctuated the “action” (a la MST3000) and prevented me from yelling at the image of Desley Brooks any more than absolutely necessary. Perhaps a little simplistic, like bullet points, but isn’t that the point of Twitter?

Speaking of DB – what was she going on about with the Design Team not being responsible for a negative fund balance and therefore should not be laid off thing? If it came down to laying off who was actually responsible for the current budget crisis, most of the people on that dais would be the first to go.

]]> By: V Smoothe http://www.abetteroakland.com/writing-about-the-budget-in-140-characters-or-less/2009-06-17#comment-216153 V Smoothe Thu, 18 Jun 2009 03:12:02 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=3273#comment-216153 Well, my problem wasn't so much that the points raised by the Council weren't valid - many of them are. It's just that they've all been discussed before at previous budget meetings. Well, my problem wasn’t so much that the points raised by the Council weren’t valid – many of them are. It’s just that they’ve all been discussed before at previous budget meetings.

]]> By: hedera http://www.abetteroakland.com/writing-about-the-budget-in-140-characters-or-less/2009-06-17#comment-216130 hedera Thu, 18 Jun 2009 03:05:43 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=3273#comment-216130 First, @vsmoothe, you get a Purple Heart for doing this! And I don't think it sounded like the Marx Bros. - the Marx Bros. films were wittier than that. It sounded like a British comedy about politicians, along the lines of "The Office." Terrifying. Speaking as the owner of a handicapped placard (which I haven't used since my second knee replacement healed) - They come from DMV. You don't pay a fee for them. You have to carry a special ID that proves it's your placard. And the issue with them isn't so much free access to paid parking spots as it is access to <i>close</i> parking spots - you can't tell by looking at someone whether they have congestive heart problems or emphysema which seriously limits how far they can walk. I do agree that placards are abused - I once got into a fight (back when I walked with a cane!) with a couple of women after the younger one got out of a placarded car and <i>ran</i> into the Post Office. The older one screamed at me for objecting because, she said, it was her placard and the daughter was doing it for her... First, @vsmoothe, you get a Purple Heart for doing this! And I don’t think it sounded like the Marx Bros. – the Marx Bros. films were wittier than that. It sounded like a British comedy about politicians, along the lines of “The Office.” Terrifying.

Speaking as the owner of a handicapped placard (which I haven’t used since my second knee replacement healed) – They come from DMV. You don’t pay a fee for them. You have to carry a special ID that proves it’s your placard. And the issue with them isn’t so much free access to paid parking spots as it is access to close parking spots – you can’t tell by looking at someone whether they have congestive heart problems or emphysema which seriously limits how far they can walk.

I do agree that placards are abused – I once got into a fight (back when I walked with a cane!) with a couple of women after the younger one got out of a placarded car and ran into the Post Office. The older one screamed at me for objecting because, she said, it was her placard and the daughter was doing it for her…

]]> By: yamp http://www.abetteroakland.com/writing-about-the-budget-in-140-characters-or-less/2009-06-17#comment-216078 yamp Thu, 18 Jun 2009 02:47:55 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=3273#comment-216078 Is it a little weird that the council members are talking about 6.4 million in concessions from fire but there isn't even a contract on the table yet? They might hope to get that--and they very well may--but it seems a little presumptuous to balance your budget on that assumption before the union membership has even had a chance to vote. Is it a little weird that the council members are talking about 6.4 million in concessions from fire but there isn’t even a contract on the table yet? They might hope to get that–and they very well may–but it seems a little presumptuous to balance your budget on that assumption before the union membership has even had a chance to vote.

]]> By: Patrick http://www.abetteroakland.com/writing-about-the-budget-in-140-characters-or-less/2009-06-17#comment-216017 Patrick Thu, 18 Jun 2009 02:29:17 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=3273#comment-216017 Libraries are repositories of knowledge and, in the digital age, a place to seek knowledge via the internet. They were not intended to or set up for Adult Literacy programs. And, at $3000 a person, it's a pretty poor value besides. ADA placards: they can give them out to people with hangnails for all I care, but why does such a placard excuse people from paying for parking? If they have the ability to drive to work/shop, they also have the ability to pay for parking. I've never quite understood this "handicap discount"; it seems to me that it singles out people that deserve to be treated/allowed the same access as everyone else by treating them differently. And as all it takes is a doctor's note, the practice screams "ABUSE ME". Parking on the sidewalks: de rigueur in my neighborhood. But as I pointed out to my next door neighbor when she parked on the sidewalk in front of my house (she moved her car), I am now responsible for the repair/liability of that sidewalk. And sidewalks are not designed to hold a ton of car weight, they are designed to hold the weight of people. Sidewalk parking should be banned/enforced as long as the City has decided that they're my responsibility. Libraries are repositories of knowledge and, in the digital age, a place to seek knowledge via the internet. They were not intended to or set up for Adult Literacy programs. And, at $3000 a person, it’s a pretty poor value besides.

ADA placards: they can give them out to people with hangnails for all I care, but why does such a placard excuse people from paying for parking? If they have the ability to drive to work/shop, they also have the ability to pay for parking. I’ve never quite understood this “handicap discount”; it seems to me that it singles out people that deserve to be treated/allowed the same access as everyone else by treating them differently. And as all it takes is a doctor’s note, the practice screams “ABUSE ME”.

Parking on the sidewalks: de rigueur in my neighborhood. But as I pointed out to my next door neighbor when she parked on the sidewalk in front of my house (she moved her car), I am now responsible for the repair/liability of that sidewalk. And sidewalks are not designed to hold a ton of car weight, they are designed to hold the weight of people. Sidewalk parking should be banned/enforced as long as the City has decided that they’re my responsibility.

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