JIF, what's the point of sending letters to Councilpersons who don't care? Why not select a candidate and set up an organization to DEFEAT the present councilmembers as well? Let's face it. While most Americans are busy working and are busy raising their families,( a harder and harder endeavor when you cannot count on government for either schooling or public safety), still most Americans are gripers and complainers. In my old neighborhood everyone wanted to be the "general". But guess what? none of them wanted to do anything. This is the modern disease of Americans today. They all luv power but nobody wants to be a worker bee. Maybe it's because they don't know how, I don't know. But what's so hard about giving one hour a week to go out and talk to your neighbors? It has powerful financial and life ramificaitons for EVERY single VOTER in the city of Oakland. Residents and Voters could not only get better public safety, but better managed schools and better state legislators. Voters and concerned citizens need to grow up politically and get past moral indignation and self-righteous. To the extent that the voter is addicted to this, things will continue. Right now as I'm talking, the city unions represented at the Alameda County Labor Council are mobilizng and organizing to put out workers and newsletters to support the council members and candidates they have endorsed. The SEIU unions are looking to support council members who gave them fat pay increases. The black churches mobilize large numbers of congregants to vote as well. Then there is the Democratic party which largely comprises a middle class professional grouping. It has large numbers of attorneys who dominate the democratic clubs. the flatlands of Oakland are not represented in these democratic clubs and there is no political will to establish their own democratic clubs to change the status quo in Oakland. If the flatlanders would just ESTABLISH their OWN democratic clubs with their own priorities and make their OWN ENDORSEMENTS, you would see a change in the political status quo in Oakland. It would mean real political empowerment. Because all of the council and mayor are all part of the democratic establishment. the question if why haven't intelligent people in the flatlands figured this out? Why cannot the voters understand that THEY, and THEY alone, hold political power and stop giving it away to corrupt, morally bankrupt opportunists who pose as liberals but are just looking to further their way up the political ladder? Instead residents are picked off like flies by councilmembers for a little power and a few rewards and crumbs. So, it goes back to my original point. People need to organize and unite around principles and self interest and stop looking for personal power and start joining with their neighbors in behalf of self interest and change. That's how real POWER will come. And then support the person who will best represent your interests and keep the community as his/her advisor. someone like Patrick McCullogh who has articulated this message of keeping the community close and someone like Charlie Pine. People who will be independent from developers and big unions. END OF POLITICS 101