I’m still trying to figure out what the progressives really believe concerning rent and housing. Their actual agenda, I’m convinced, is a mystery wrapped in ambiguity, surrounded by a bodyguard of lies.
On the surface they utter cliches such as “Housing is a human right.” They create rent moratoriums in the name of COVID, even though COVID is no longer a problem. They protest against market rate housing. In short, their position seems to be fairly simple: to make housing available for all, as cheaply as possible.
That in itself is not objectionable. It’s unrealistic, of course, but an absence of realism has never stopped idealists. But there’s something sinister below the surface appearance of what Fife, Brooks, Thao, Bas and others like them present publicly. It’s becoming more evident to me every day that what they desire is to abolish our system of rental housing and replace it with some kind of “housing on demand” system, by which people who claim to be unable to afford rent will be allowed to live for free in homes owned by others.
You have to read between the lines to reach this conclusion, but that’s what I do. I can’t prove my case—not yet. I’m working on it. But the progressives increasingly are dropping clues as to their true objective, which is a war on landlords. For example, Carroll Fife just this morning tweeted her fear of being “rent blackballed” if she complains about leaks in her rented apartment. This seems designed for the sole purpose of stirring up resentment of landlords, which is a precondition of preparing the public to support anti-landlord legislation.
Fife also retweeted an ad for a public event involving her organization, Moms 4 Housing, which discussed the possibility of “Homes For All.” You’ll remember that Moms 4 Housing was Fife’s group; they squatted in that house and claimed they had the “human right” to take it over. That should have alerted everyone to Fife’s true agenda (I certainly realized it): that anyone who wants a house should be able to seize one. But Fife is very careful about what she reveals.
Cat Brooks, who holds no elected office, is less so. She proudly parades her war on rent like a badge of honor. She recently retweeted this tweet from the Oakland Tenants Union with the hashtag #CancelRent. Well, there it is, in black and white, the real agenda, unveiled for all to see: “Cancel Rent.” Brooks has suggested that landlords be prosecuted on “criminal” charges for rents she deems to be excessive. She also has suggested that, since “not housing people is violence,” then people are entitled to resist that violence.
In true military fashion, weaker pols, like Bas and Thao, are content to let Fife and Brooks take the flak in the front lines, while they garrison the rear. They rev up the troops for the coming battle. You perceive signs of their restlessness in the graffiti that adorns downtown’s sidewalks: “Kill Landlords.” “Rent Strike.” They stir up people’s resentment, which is easy to do in a town like Oakland. Bas authored Oakland’s eviction moratorium ordinance in March, 2020, and it is this ordinance that the City Council is poised to reconsider soon. It seems likely that the City Council, as currently constructed, will continue the rent moratorium, which is so unjust to property owners; but public pressure on them is mounting to end it, and we commend our friend, Seneca Scott, for leading this effort.
So keep your eyes on this rogue City Council and watch for developments in their war on rent, which is really a war on private property, including yours. We’ve reached a point where any victory for the wokes will only embolden them on their march for revolution, anarchy and “social justice” that is really a metaphor for dictatorship of the left.
Steve Heimoff