I attended last night a homeowners meeting up in the hills. It had been called by neighbors concerned about a shocking increase in crime in the once-safe area. They invited Sheng Thao, the new Police Chief Floyd Mitchell and the district city councilman Kevin Jenkins. Mitchell brought along three members of his command staff. About 100 people came, a good showing for such an event.

“Berlin,” Goethe said in the 18th century about the great city (where however he never lived), “is home to such an audacious set of men that you have to be a tough customer and a little rough around the edges now and then just to keep your head above water.”

I took a long walk along Telegraph Avenue yesterday, from my neighborhood up to Temescal, and along the way saw two big signs in store windows. One said “Abolition is the presence of housing, healthcare, education, & life free from state violence.” The other, at a gallery, said “Queer art for abolition. No cops! No cages!”

So I heard about this guy, Isaac Abid, whom I don’t know. He’s a developer, and has come up with a plan for a new Oakland neighborhood he calls “Northlake.” I found this website, Northlake-Oakland, but it contains no information or links, just a nice overhead photo of the area.

The idea of “reparations” has been thoroughly rejected by voters, who have followed the curious concept since it popped up several years ago. They’ve decided, by overwhelming majorities, that it’s a bad idea.