Everado Rodriquez owns Bay Area Restorators, on East 8th Street, an area plagued by encampments and crime. He and his employees have endured being attacked and having their cars broken into. He’s begged the city, including Council Member Noel Gallo, to do something, anything to help him. But nothing ever gets done. Everado published this statement on the Coalition’s Facebook page; I’m reprinting it with his permission. If you can read through this and still vote for Nikki Bas, Sheng Thao or Rebecca Kaplan, then there’s nothing anyone can say to reach you.
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To All City Council Members, Mayor and all others:
I hate to sound like a broken record, but I will anyway. With a shortage in staff due to the pandemic and continuing with all the crime and lawlessness in this City. I have had a worker of mine attacked in broad daylight a few months ago and mentioned various times that the police did nothing. I will not repeat the story unless specifically requested. I have lost 2 more employees over the past few months as they saw our cars get broken into, our neighbors cars get broken into and their home robbed. I stopped going out to emergencies at night and on weekends to the detriment of our business income and to the detriment of our clients needing emergency services as it is not safe for us late at night.
By you, coddling the criminal activity and not prosecuting people for crimes that used to be enforced you have become "Enablers" to this lawless culture and put your tax paying law abiding citizens at risk, Why? Unforgivable.
You may call it petty crimes, but at $950.00 or less you get a "Pass" a " Do not go to jail" this isn't Monopoly, it is NOT A GAME, It is people businesses and livelihoods that are at stake.
Try doing a job when your tools are stolen, now you have to go and buy New tools which are very expensive and cost are increasing almost weekly if you can even get the tools, on top of that you have to tell your customer you can't continue the job because your tools/equipment got stolen, you just lost that customer as well as the tools, but it was a petty crime you say, how about our losses where they petty? $5K, $10K. $15k. $20K+
Justice is served best when it is "Balanced" in the middle too far to the left or right is unbalanced. We need to get back to the middle ground ASAP. Real People and businesses big and small are getting hurt for "Real".
There used to be so much work here in Oakland, it was business oriented a lot of industrial work, good jobs, good benefits, now it's nothing but selling drugs and harboring homeless, many, not all, are dangerous drug addicts and criminals, many walking with dangerous pitbull dogs, almost all without leashes. Try telling them to stop pissing or taking a crap while they got their pitbull on standby and a few with guns, yes I've seen them too many times to count. Wait, did I hear you say "call the cops" you must be joking, they will not come in time but 12 hrs. later or only if you became a serious crime victim but wait your turn.
I am seriously worried and frustrated, used to love, my Oakland with the can do attitude "Just Win, Baby" or the Warriors oh, wait their Gone Too Now. Just Slums, high crime and waste. Even our Police Officers are quitting.
If I have offended anybody I apologize, I truly do, a long time caring resident since 1970.
I hope to still be serving my community for the long haul and not become a Statistic.
[Signed] Everado Rodriquez
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Steve Heimoff