I thought it might be nice for our newer members to know something about the founding of the Coalition for a Better Oakland. It’s kind of a slow news day anyway, so this is a good time to do it.
About three years ago, before I was banned from nextdoor.com, I was fairly active on that platform. I wrote about the same issues that concern me today: encampments, and the political assaults on the police that had been going on for years. Frequently, two other gentlemen, by the names of Jack Saunders and Rich DiLeo, would comment on my posts, largely agreeing with them, as I would agree with theirs.
I can’t remember who first proposed meeting to discuss the possibility of forming a group. It wasn’t me, so it would have been either Jack or Rich. We got together on Jack’s deck, in the Hills, and over Doritos and beer, and admiring the fine view, we hashed out the idea.
Thus the Coalition was born. Jack and Rich surprised me by suggesting I be president. For the next year or so, we were a scrappy little group. I started the blog, Jack became increasingly involved with Facebook and nextdoor, and our membership slowly grew. In late 2020-early 2021 we took the first steps toward becoming a legal nonprofit, and in August, 2021, became a 501(C)4 organization. In our Articles of Incorporation, we stated that the dual missions of the Coalition were (1) promoting and protecting the role of law enforcement in maintaining safe communities in the City of Oakland and surrounding areas, and (2) to advocate for better management and strategies for safely managing homeless encampments in the City of Oakland and surrounding areas. We felt we were the first formal organization in Oakland dedicated to those goals.
These remain our focus today, although ever-changing circumstances, such as the election of Pamela Price as District Attorney, obviously influence our day-to-day concerns.
From the start, Rich was the spark plug that energized the Coalition. He wanted nothing to do with the management of the group. Leave that to Jack and Steve, he said: he was content to be a sort of silent partner. Sadly, we lost Rich to cancer two years ago, but I think of him a lot, and remember his passion, drive and commitment. In his place we brought Todd Soderberg onto the Board, as Treasurer.
Rich, ever-optimistic, was sure we’d have thousands of members quickly. That didn’t happen. We currently have, between direct membership and our friends at Facebook and nextdoor, perhaps 1,000 who follow us daily. I suspect most of them tend to be older, and more conservative concerning things like crime. But I also suspect many or most are Democrats, and are certainly liberal when it comes to social issues. We’ve always said that the Coalition is nonpartisan, and indeed it is. You don’t have to be “red” or “blue” to dislike crime and support law and order and the police, and to want to see something done about encampments. When I was growing up, Republicans and Democrats alike were united in their praise of cops and in keeping streets clean and in working order. Somehow along the way, that changed—but that’s a whole different story.
As a nonprofit, the Coalition gets by on a very small budget. Much of it is funded by Jack and me. Only reluctantly do we ask our members for financial support. Our bills mainly go toward supporting our website, including this blog. Speaking for myself, this blog is the most important thing I do to support our group. I’ve been a blogger since 2008, so it’s in my blood to post five times a week. There isn’t always a lot of news going on—like I said, today is kind of slow. But I feel compelled to post at least five days a week, because so many of you have told me how much you look forward to reading me in the morning. I generally try to get a post up by 7:30 a.m. If I’m lucky, I’m able to write it the night before. If not, then by 7 a.m. I’m generally where I am right now, here at the keyboard, searching for a topic. Today, nothing suggested itself, so the thought of writing this history column arose. Here it is. I hope you like it!
Steve Heimoff