I don’t get to West Oakland, and specifically to The Lower Bottoms, very often. But when I do, it’s almost always connected with Seneca Scott, who lives there. I’ll usually walk from my home in Adams Point—a distance of about 2-1/2 miles--and am always struck by how beautiful the neighborhoods are. So many Victorian and Queen Anne houses, with flowery yards and leafy trees and an old-timey sense of community. And security fences: I always notice that. Almost every home has a security fence.
And that makes me sad. People should be safe and secure everywhere, especially in their homes. I try to imagine a time before those old houses were surrounded by steel and wood barriers; for most of their existences, I should think. I envision the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, when West Oakland had the same beauty and vibrancy, but far less crime—when men gathered after work in neighborhood lounges, took their wives to jazz joints on weekends and walked home after midnight with the scent of jasmine and magnolia perfuming the air. There must have been no fear or threat, no sound of gunfire, no wailing sirens. And I find myself longing for a return of those times.
Which brings me back to Seneca Scott. He officially announced his candidacy for Mayor of Oakland yesterday, at the Bruce Beasley Sculpture Center on Lewis Street. Beasley, who set down roots in The Lower Bottoms 60 years ago, creates massive, abstract metallic sculptures of majesty and soaring dignity; it was, I thought, a fitting location for Seneca to give a lofty speech about his own visions for the future of our City.
I can’t say that Seneca and I agree on everything. I think Seneca is still fine-tuning some of his positions. That’s to be expected. He’s not experienced in the ways of City Hall or the budget process; who is? He’s said positive things about expanding the number of cops in OPD, which appeals to me, although he’s also said, truthfully, that we can’t arrest ourselves out of the current crime wave. It encourages me that he’s as upset as I am about conditions in Oakland, which explains his campaign’s motto: “We Deserve Better.” Anyway, I would not want a person for Mayor whose mind was rigidly pre-set and impervious to new information. Seneca, even in just the year I’ve known him, has shown an admirable gift for growth.
But what I can say is that, whenever I come away from Seneca, I feel better about myself, about Oakland, about life in general. The man inspires me, like a better angel of my nature. I certainly can’t say that about the other major candidates for Mayor, most of whom I have talked with. Not only do I leave those meetings not feeling better, I actually feel worse. It’s so depressing to endure these intellectual and moral midgets, so benighted and cynical, who have their hands on the levers of power and do so little to help us.
Seneca said much the same thing in his remarks, and it was a crowd-pleaser. People do not much care for the current Mayor or the City Council. And why should they, when incompetence and dishonesty are rampant? Is there any candidate with the vision to save us? Do they pass the old test of “Would you want to have a beer with them?” Seneca has that je ne sais quoi, the courage, vision, commitment and humility that have always marked political leaders. He is wicked smart and will hit the ground running. He will be challenged to find the money to do the things for homeless people he says he wants to do. But I don’t doubt his sincerity, and I can see him going through the budget line-by-line to see where waste and abuse can be trimmed—especially if he’s able to get his proposed Charter Amendment approved by the voters, which would make him a “strong mayor.”
A Seneca campaign this year is going to be an exciting and interesting thing to behold. I should imagine that, at some point, the media are going to pick up on this appealing young man; and by “the media” I mean the national media. Seneca’s is a story that is unfolding, a tale in the process of being told, an artwork being crafted in the hands of a master artisan. We know not how the story, how the artwork will turn out; we know not who the potter is. But it’s fun to watch, and a privilege to be even a minor cog in the wheelworks. As a person, not as the President of the Coalition for a Better Oakland, I heartily endorse my friend Seneca Scott for Mayor of Oakland. Please consider making a donation to his campaign through this link.
Steve Heimoff