Street Beat

by Madeline Moore

What's the first thing you want the new mayor of Oakland to do?

Flenoid McCleary (3814)

You've got to look out for the kids. They need to have something to do after school. Bring back some of the programs they used to have, like NYC. Some kind of community work. Kids are just sitting around doing nothing. "A mind is a terrible thing to waste."

Marcaysha Alexander (3860)

I would like to see the streets safer. Do something about the violence. People are afraid to go outside and walk around. The new mayor should put more policemen on the street walking.

Dee-Lila Camenga (3868)

Education should be the first priority. K-5, reentering students, and special-needs students have had fund cuts. Then he needs to improve the public-transportation system, focusing as well on traffic-light and crosswalk safety. Also, there should be more funding for nonprofits, especially for victims of substance abuse.

Kris Holm (3884)

Additional support for public schools. First of all, clean them up. As it is now, much of this is done voluntarily by parents. How can our children learn in rundown, dirty, unsafe schools? Also, our new mayor needs to reinstate funding for after-school programs such as music, and an increase in library hours.

Evelyn Smith (3891)

As a retired school teacher, I can tell you that the priority should be put on jobs for the young. If the new mayor can find constructive ways to get the young off the streets, I can assure you the crime rate will definitely decrease. Not to mention how much it will help the young to help themselves.

Dahlia Silvers (3907)

A lot more affordable housing, and rent-control laws with some teeth in them. It's becoming impossible for working middle-class citizens to find decent and reasonably priced accommodations. I moved here from San Francisco because I couldn't find affordable housing. Now Oakland is getting just as bad.

Maureen Holmes (3916)

Traffic signals. There are places where fatal traffic accidents continue to occur because the traffic lights are not effective or nonexistent for instance, the entrance to Highway 13 from the Redwood Road on-ramp. Also, the Safeway on Fruitvale just up from MacArthur is unsafe.

Kay Dan (3922)

Public parks need to be more accessible to everyone. Special areas should be set aside for dogs and horses so as not to infringe on the "people" areas.

Lori Lee (no picture)

That's easy. (1) Crime reduction; (2) broader economic development; (3) social services. Oakland needs serious assistance in all of these categories.