These are weird times. Passions are high, on all sides of every issue. I watched the news about the 10-hour meeting yesterday of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, on Mayor Breed’s state of emergency declaration for the Tenderloin (which passed); and while I agreed with the Mayor, I couldn’t help but be struck by the force of the opposition. Everybody feels so strongly in these days of suffering and privation.
But it is, after all, the Holiday Season, and in that spirit I’d like to wish everyone Peace, Good Will and Joy. I hope you all gather safely with your loved ones or, if you’re going to be alone, I hope you have some cozy, safe, happy down-time. To the Oakland City Council, many of whom I frequently find myself at odds with, I wish you the wisdom to make the right decisions. To Council Member Fife, I still hope to have that cup of tea with you. To the Oakland Police Department, I wish you, above all, Safety; and I thank you for always serving and protecting us. To Mayor Schaaf, I wish you a fine future after you leave office: no matter what you end up doing, I hope you love it. To the readers of this blog, thank you for being interested in what I have to say. To the members and subscribers of the Coalition for a Better Oakland, I profoundly thank you for joining with us and sticking with us. To the homeless people of Oakland, I hope you get your lives together; ultimately, in the long run, your recovery depends on you. And for everyone who has lost someone they loved in the past year (as I did), I wish for Healing of the heart,
Have a very Happy Christmas!
Steve Heimoff