Oakland’s massive blunder over losing Gov. Newsom’s offer of grant money for fighting retail theft made headlines around the nation. Once again, our city is a laughingstock—or an object of pity—or both. Obviously, heads have to roll over this major failure—but whose?

I often use the phrase “If Oakland was a normal city” to suggest that Oakland is not normal, no more than a blood test showing 150 mg/dl of blood sugar is normal. If you got that test result, you’d be diagnosed with diabetes, and your doctor would prescribe treatment.

We’re all hoping we can recall Madame D.A., and I think we will. But we have to realize this: Recalling Price will do nothing to immediately reduce crime. Sure, it will make us all feel good. And it will give us hope that, after going off the rails, Oakland can begin to get back on the track of a normal city.

1.     Eyewitness – the fare jumper

Had to go to San Leandro yesterday, and when I returned, I saw a very tall young woman leap over the fare gate. This sort of thing really pisses me off. Almost without knowing it, I turned to the woman and said, in a loud voice, “Hey! You didn’t pay!”

I’m constantly amazed at how pedestrian Sheng Thao’s mind works. To be honest, she doesn’t seem very intelligent to me. She possesses a certain girlish charm that makes her appealing to some voters, but when it comes to the chops of running a big, complex city, Thao is out of her league.