When the young maniac kicks the old Asian woman in the head, you know all you need to know about these four criminals. Animals. Savages. So-called human beings who have forfeited all claim to humanity. And one of them just eleven years old.

The buzz in City Hall circles is that Libby Schaaf is “counting the days” until she can leave a job that’s become oppressive to her: Mayor of Oakland.

I ran into Vincent Williams at Seneca Scott’s big rally yesterday at City Hall. Vincent, who runs the Urban Compassion Project, told me an unsettling story: Recently, he was intervening in a situation between Caltrans and the residents of a homeless encampment, when he was unceremoniously arrested and taken to Santa Rita Jail. There, he was thrown into a cell, where he languished for twelve hours, until the cops released him with no charges, no explanation and no apology.

Oakland is a town where many stupid things are done by our electeds. But this is just about the most pathetic and shameful thing they’ve done in a long time. The City Council just approved paying a $250,000 settlement to a group of homeless people who sued the city for “failing to offer [them] shelter options that met residents’ needs” after a federal judge allowed the city to remove them from an illegal encampment.

From time to time I get an email from an unhappy member of the Coalition for a Better Oakland. Their complaint is that we offer plenty of griping, but are deficient in solutions. Every once in a while, these people actually unsubscribe to CBO.