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The Mean City -- What's Happening To People In Oakland?

I don't like how the neighborhood and city are evolving at all. I read about the man who was shot over a parking spot on Pearl Avenue and not far from me, and thought of what just happened to me.

I just moved over to Palm Avenue, and had to park my car to get back home to see my Mom who said she was sick. I didn't realize that where I parked my car just barely -- by later measure -- was in the space of the neighbor's driveway. But rather than leave a note - they were able to back out -- they had my car towed. I got the car back the next day, but geez. Suppose I didn't have the means to do that? Really, the car -- I didn't park in the driveway, so it didn't warrant a tow. It was a really mean thing to do on the part of the people at 384 Palm, but I forgive them. Me? I'd have just left a "Hey Neighbor" note.

I am going to write them a friendly letter, but what gets me is that acts of incivility like this are all too common around here. People don't know each other and seem to -- in some cases -- like having little wars with each other.

If its not that, it's landlords like Lillie Jue, the owner of 375 Van Buren Avenue, who defer maintenance such that we were without water for days, no hot water on several occasions this year, I had a heater that was a hazzard, one woman was sold an apartment without heat, and her own off-site manager (she has no resident manager in the 30-unit complex) writes an email to me accusing her of racial discrimination!

All this and the City Attorney's office does nothing. I know this because I was on them about it for months. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

I still hold out hope, however. The people in this complex I'm on Palm Avenue are nice as are the property owners. But I do remember a better neighborhood. There are good people, but now you have to find them, whereas they used to be all around.

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