Source: SFGate.com

Chip Johnson

When the owners of Oakland’s 56-year-old Merritt Restaurant & Bakery sounded the alarm last month, city officials tossed them a $150,000 lifeline to keep the lakeside hangout alive.

But when the owners of Neldam’s Danish Bakery, which has stood on Telegraph Avenue for 81 years, asked for similar consideration they were informed that the city’s “bank was closed.”

“I did say the bank was closed, it has been closed for 14 months and I closed it,” said Walter Cohen, director of the Community and Economic Development Agency, recalling the meeting.

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Why isn’t Dellums working on this?

Another example of Dellums not stepping up and doing something about the budget.

Source: SFGate.com

Chip Johnson

An Oakland City Council member told me the other day that no one wants to be associated with the nasty business of staff and service cuts – or take responsibility for the loss of 200 Oakland police officers.

I have some bad news for all of you Oakland elected officials: Not only did you sign up for this detail, the public already blames you.

They blame you for high crime and low school achievement, even though public education is a state responsibility. They blame you, at least a little bit, for the state of public finances and for failing to keep Mayor Ron Dellums engaged, even though the public elected him. They blame you for the pending departure of the Oakland Athletics, and for the return of the Oakland Raiders.

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