http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/quagmire/ en-us Fri, 7 Nov 2008 15:51:41 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2127877/posts Oakland voters may have shot their city in the foot by approving one ballot measure this week that boosts funding for children's programs while defeating another that would have beefed up the police force to fight crime. The passage of Measure OO to increase mandatory funding of children's programs by $16 million a year, coupled with the failure of Measure NN to hire 105 more police officers by raising property taxes, could be a thorn in city finances for years. Bottom line: Kids' after-school programs should be stellar - if the kids can get there without becoming victims of crime.... San Francisco Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2127877/posts#comment Fri, 7 Nov 2008 15:51:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2116456/posts OAKLAND — The lead detective assigned to investigate journalist Chauncey Bailey's killing ignored evidence linking Yusuf Bey IV, former leader of Your Black Muslim Bakery, to a role in the killing and interfered in two other unrelated felony cases involving Bey IV, according to an investigation by the Chauncey Bailey Project. The Bailey Project's reporting has led to a police internal affairs investigation of that detective, Sgt. Derwin Longmire, and whether his relationship with Bey IV may have compromised the case. Law enforcement officials said the investigation of the Bailey killing is in crisis. If Longmire is charged with administrative... Contra Costa Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2116456/posts#comment Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:01:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2088480/posts From the day Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums took office nearly two years ago, residents have witnessed a steady decline in city government function as public confidence has withered. The city's administrative structure and finances are in deep distress. In the coming weeks, the city's elected officials must make significant cuts to balance a budget deficit that has grown to $50 million since the start of the fiscal year less than three months ago.There's also the question of who's in charge at City Hall after Dellums, under pressure, fired City Administrator Deborah Edgerly amid allegations that she tipped her nephew, a... San Francisco Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2088480/posts#comment Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:45:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2068919/posts If there's any good news coming out of Oakland's City Hall right now, we're having trouble finding it. The city faces a deficit that could exceed $50 million. Recently outsted city manager Deborah Edgerly is being investigated by the FBI for allegations of fraud and nepotism. City officials can't account for millions of dollars that have disappeared from the city's reserve funds. And as Oakland's already sky-high crime rates shift out of lower-income communities and into the city's restaurants and nail salons, city officials look not just negligent but downright clueless. (Which is something that those lower-income communities might have... San Francisco Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2068919/posts#comment Wed, 27 Aug 2008 08:20:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2066286/posts The NYT's have finally admitted what pretty much everyone has already figured out for themselves. The surge has worked. But all that we have gained, all we have achieved could be undone by a precipitous withdrawal: Yet for all the signs of fatigue, General Petraeus is preparing to leave Iraq a remarkably safer place than it was when he arrived. Violence has plummeted from its apocalyptic peaks, Iraqi leaders are asserting themselves, and streets that once seemed dead are flourishing with life. The worst, for now, has been averted. And so in the general’s exhaustion comes the glimmer of hope,... Flopping Aces http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2066286/posts#comment Fri, 22 Aug 2008 19:35:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2065080/posts Russian troops on August 20 entered the Black Sea port city of Poti for the second day in a row, reportedly stationing columns of armed vehicles at the city’s main entrance and in an outlying district. The Georgian Ministry of the Interior states that Russian troops are "digging into" the port city, a strategic site and the location of a recent $200 million port development project. Although reports from the ground differ, Poti City Administration Chief Roin Gigiberia told EurasiaNet that Russian soldiers have started cutting potholes into the city’s streets and have set up check points on a bridge... EURASIA INSIGHT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2065080/posts#comment Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:53:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2064279/posts When bank robbery suspect Elmer Reyes crashed his getaway car on Interstate 880 in the East Bay, he told the officers who arrested him that the bad economy made him commit the crime. And when Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums responded to a spree of takeover robberies at restaurants in the city this month, he also blamed poor economic times as a motive for the crimes."The desperation of these crimes speaks to the broader issue of where we are in terms of this economy," the Quiet Mayor said. "When people become this desperate, they take desperate acts and we have to... San Francisco Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2064279/posts#comment Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:01:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2059647/posts Russia apparently isn't in a quagmire. They apparently did go to the UN and ask for permission first. They are not in an unnecessary act of aggression. I haven't seen any drive by reporters lament any unilateral actions, have you? http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2059647/posts#comment Sun, 10 Aug 2008 23:48:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2057863/posts <p>There is a neighborhood adjacent to Capitol Hill in Washington that is under siege. But the police can't turn things around on their own. On any given day, residents and visitors to the Trinidad area of Northeast are forced to traverse unfamiliar streets because D.C. police have barricaded the neighborhood as an anti-crime tactic - and when law enforcers accomplish that they are intent and in effect creating a police state in the nation's capital. Granted, there is considerable blood being shed in Trinidad. But how undemocratic to set up check points.</p> Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2057863/posts#comment Thu, 7 Aug 2008 05:27:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2053099/posts After being led by two consecutive celebrity-politicians as mayor, the people of Oakland might be better served with a citizen-mayor, one with his - or her - feet firmly on the ground and familiar with residents' desires, government's challenges and the city's top priorities. With the scandal at City Hall in the past month as a backdrop, it's becoming increasingly clear that Oakland residents need a mayor with a ground-level view, not a fly-over assessment. Running a city where some crimes are skyrocketing, public schools are treading water and many residents are eager for independent leaders - who aren't beholden... San Francisco Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2053099/posts#comment Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:32:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042392/posts While Oakland officials dig out from their latest crisis - a criminal probe into the actions of City Hall's ousted chief administrator - the city's well-known gun violence and killings are again surging. In a city beset with social and structural ills, from political cronyism to budget and leadership shortfalls, about the only thing that seems to be on the rise in Oakland is the homicide rate. Since January, there have been 71 homicides in Oakland, 13 of them since police rounded up more than 50 alleged members of a violent street gang on June 17 - putting the city... San Francisco Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042392/posts#comment Tue, 8 Jul 2008 14:47:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2028303/posts Over in Oakland they like it loud - so loud that all 45 of the Police Department's Harley-Davidson motorcycles have been equipped with shiny new tailpipes, at a cost of $500 apiece, to rev up their roar.It seems the cops just didn't feel safe on toned-down bikes."There's an old motorcycle adage that you are heard before you are seen," said Deputy Chief Dave Kozicki, explaining the department's decision to toss the bikes' muted factory-issued mufflers in favor of the more high-volume pipes.Kozicki cited an accident three months ago in which an Oakland officer riding a toned-down cycle was struck by... San Francisco Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2028303/posts#comment Mon, 9 Jun 2008 14:42:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2019480/posts WASHINGTON (AP) -- A technical glitch on an unrelated piece of legislation forced Democrats Wednesday to jerk their election-year fiscal blueprint from the House floor. The nonbinding budget plan has already been delayed by more than a month when congressional leaders discovered Wednesday that they had failed to send to President Bush a portion of the farm bill. He vetoed the rest of that measure Wednesday and the House overrode the veto. In short, the glitch on the farm bill needs to be fixed before the budget can pass or else the boost to farm and food programs can't be... AP via SFGate http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2019480/posts#comment Thu, 22 May 2008 01:34:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2013361/posts HILLARY Clinton's campaign overnight predicted a rapid end to the Democratic White House race next month as the press read the last rites to her quest to be the first woman president. With more party elders drifting to Barack Obama's camp and the media declaring the nominating battle all but over, Senator Clinton aides battled back with appeals for voters to be heard and for new donors to come forward. Even as he vowed no surrender from the former first lady, Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe said party bosses known as "superdelegates" would coalesce behind a candidate once the final... Herald Sun http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2013361/posts#comment Fri, 9 May 2008 00:36:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2010251/posts Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, nearly 18 months in office, still reacts like a rookie to the most important events that affect the lives of city residents. When major breaking news has occurred while he was away, Dellums' office has issued generic, one-paragraph statements that are not only vague but leave the impression that he doesn't understand the city and the impact that such events have on the people who live there. His dispatches from afar no doubt are intended to convey a sense that the mayor is on the case, but they have the opposite effect - highlighting his emotional,... San Francisco Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2010251/posts#comment Fri, 2 May 2008 15:08:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2006385/posts Anthony Cataldo of Oakland first raised concerns about aggressive bullying at his son's elementary school last year after Zachary lost four teeth on the playground - but he said he received only a verbal assurance that things would change. Cataldo said he complained again when some boys at school kicked 7-year-old Zachary in the stomach three months ago but got no response. Now - two days after an older student slammed Zachary against a tree, fracturing his skull and sending the first-grader to intensive care - Cataldo is hiring a lawyer, and school officials are paying attention. San Francisco Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2006385/posts#comment Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:03:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2005736/posts With Oakland citizens fearful and angry about crime, and some even fighting back against robbers and intruders, a top Oakland police official told city leaders Tuesday night that police alone can't solve the violence. "Right now, it's pretty clear we are in a time of increased crime," said Oakland police Deputy Chief Dave Kozicki, adding that crime nationwide is up due to the faltering economy. "But the bottom line is we believe we cannot arrest our way out of these problems." Oakland's crime problems are deeply rooted in economics and family values, and Kozicki called on the city's schools, families,... San Francisco Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2005736/posts#comment Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:20:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2005412/posts A North Oakland resident shot and critically injured a suspected burglar this morning in the resident's home, police said, the third time in a week that a would-be crime victim in the city has fought back with gunfire. The shooting happened about 8 a.m. in a home on the 600 block of 59th Street near Shattuck Avenue, police spokesman Officer Roland Holmgren said. Police did not immediately release the name of the suspect or the resident. Today's shooting took place a block from where 59th Street resident Patrick McCullough shot and wounded a 15-year-old boy outside his home in February... San Francisco Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2005412/posts#comment Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:33:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2005364/posts OAKLAND, Calif. (KCBS) -- Oakland police are worried that more and more people will take the law into their own hands, after two store owners shot two robbers in recent days. People have a right to protect themselves, but things can get out of hand quickly if everyone starts packing a weapon, said Deputy Police Chief Dave Kozicki. "That's a concern that law enforcement has all the time, that people will engage in vigilantism," said Kozicki. A 22-year-old Oakland man was shot at least three times and critically wounded when he tried to hold up a liquor store Saturday night.... KCBS All News 740 AM http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2005364/posts#comment Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:53:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2005215/posts I've been in neighborhoods in Detroit, Chicago and South Philly where store clerks do business from behind a formidable barrier of bulletproof glass - and customers place their money in a turnstile. In Oakland, some store owners are choosing hot lead as the best material to put between themselves and would-be robbers. On Saturday night, the owner of Ed's Liquors in the 2700 block of 23rd Avenue returned fire after being wounded in the leg and shot the gunman, an 18-year-old Pittsburg man, at least three times, authorities said. And two days earlier, a clerk at Wah Fay 8th Avenue... San Francisco Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2005215/posts#comment Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:46:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2003999/posts CHICAGO -- The weekend has gotten off to an especially violent start, with no fewer than 20 people shot on the streets of Chicago, three of them fatally, from Friday afternoon through early Saturday. About 12:50 p.m. Friday, a girl was wounded in the arm when she and another person were shot at 2714 W. 66th St. A Chicago Lawn police sergeant said two people were shot and "one of the victims,'' a girl, was shot in the arm. The sergeant would not disclose the girl's age. The girl was taken to Holy Cross Hospital. About 3:30 p.m., a 15-year-old... NBC5.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2003999/posts#comment Sat, 19 Apr 2008 16:01:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1996695/posts Oakland's hills are but a few miles from the flatlands of West Oakland, but the landscaped front yards up the hill and the unforgiving streets of the flatlands are culturally a world away from each other. When residents of Montclair hear gunfire, it's usually a distant popping sound, hardly distinguishable from a car backfiring, but no one in West Oakland would mistake it because warring groups there have turned the community into a combat zone. Whenever war has erupted on the streets, no one in the community feels safe. And everyone is traumatized one way or another. The latest violence,... San Francisco Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1996695/posts#comment Fri, 4 Apr 2008 15:09:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1994765/posts MSNBC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1994765/posts#comment Tue, 1 Apr 2008 00:30:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1981961/posts The Municipal Railway will not use buses from its new hybrid fleet on one line that runs through the public housing projects in San Francisco's Hunters Point neighborhood until officials can stop troublemakers there from turning off the buses' power switches. Muni drivers have reported over the last couple of weeks that people have been shutting down the power on their buses by flipping a switch that can be accessed easily through an unlocked panel on the outside of the bus. When that happens, the drivers can't accelerate, they lose radio contact with dispatchers and the interior lights on the... San Francisco Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1981961/posts#comment Fri, 7 Mar 2008 16:05:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1981731/posts Mr. Hess is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Editor's Note: Following is a column Mr. Hess wrote in June 1978, when Jimmy Carter was just midway through his term. We think it's worth reprinting. It shows how early Carter's flaws became apparent to eagle-eyed pundits like Mr. Hess. Let us assume that Jimmy Carter is an intelligent, decent, hardworking man. Assume, moreover, that he has appointed to his cabinet and sub-cabinet many men and women who are experienced and dedicated. How, then, can a president - certainly no less mentally alert than most past presidents - with many... History News Network http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1981731/posts#comment Fri, 7 Mar 2008 03:38:04 GMT