Jane Armbruster of Oakland wrote this letter to the editors of The SF Chronicle:
Editor - Regarding Chip Johnson's Feb. 15 column, "Oakland mayor politicks as people are killed:" Does anyone really believe that the presence of Mayor Ron Dellums or any elected official would have prevented the tragic loss of life in Oakland that weekend? Could Mayor Ron Dellums, Sen. Don Perata, Council President Ignacio De La Fuente and Attorney General Jerry Brown have donned Superman outfits and put themselves in the paths of bullets?
I worked to elect Ron Dellums because he understands that Oakland, and other cities, need more resources to address the deep-seated problems that produce murder in the streets. I would do so again because was in Washington, D.C., lobbying for resources. Unless he and other officials obtain more resources to address urban problems, governing cities is nothing more than administering scarcity. Administering scarcity means denying funds for filling some potholes, and policing some neighborhoods; means robbing Peter to pay Paul one year, and Paul to pay Peter the next; it cannot solve problems more complex than running for office.
Why hasn't Perata used his leadership position in the Legislature to at least begin to address the budget problems Proposition 13 has created for state and local governments over the past 30 years? Perhaps, had he done so, the current Oakland mayor could have stayed home that weekend.
JANE ARMBRUSTER
Oakland
I don't think one expected Mayor Dellums to take a bullet at all. But what one expects of any mayor is to recognize that a city's people need something to get excited about when things are down. Mayor Dellums has no overall economic development plan or program that the public is aware of and it may be that he does not care to do what's necessary to tell people about what he's doing or form a real plan.
Editor - Regarding Chip Johnson's Feb. 15 column, "Oakland mayor politicks as people are killed:" Does anyone really believe that the presence of Mayor Ron Dellums or any elected official would have prevented the tragic loss of life in Oakland that weekend? Could Mayor Ron Dellums, Sen. Don Perata, Council President Ignacio De La Fuente and Attorney General Jerry Brown have donned Superman outfits and put themselves in the paths of bullets?
I worked to elect Ron Dellums because he understands that Oakland, and other cities, need more resources to address the deep-seated problems that produce murder in the streets. I would do so again because was in Washington, D.C., lobbying for resources. Unless he and other officials obtain more resources to address urban problems, governing cities is nothing more than administering scarcity. Administering scarcity means denying funds for filling some potholes, and policing some neighborhoods; means robbing Peter to pay Paul one year, and Paul to pay Peter the next; it cannot solve problems more complex than running for office.
Why hasn't Perata used his leadership position in the Legislature to at least begin to address the budget problems Proposition 13 has created for state and local governments over the past 30 years? Perhaps, had he done so, the current Oakland mayor could have stayed home that weekend.
JANE ARMBRUSTER
Oakland
I don't think one expected Mayor Dellums to take a bullet at all. But what one expects of any mayor is to recognize that a city's people need something to get excited about when things are down. Mayor Dellums has no overall economic development plan or program that the public is aware of and it may be that he does not care to do what's necessary to tell people about what he's doing or form a real plan.
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