What aggravates me the most about the Oakland artists’ colony fire story is how glaringly obvious the problem was to the neighborhood, for years. Here are some screenshots from Google, taken in 2014. You can see junk piled up on the sidewalk on 31st Ave., not only blocking neighbors from walking there, but blocking the entrance to the warehouse as well. In contrast to this total mess and danger, the neighbors on the short block meticulously care for their houses and front yards.  Here is the well kept house next door: And here are the two houses across the street, freshly painted and upgraded: Whom are these city administrators working for?  If the reports in the media are true about the number of complaints coming from the neighbors – including noise, drugs, and people living in a structure not zoned for residency – it makes you wonder if the city would ever take action against anyone, for anything.  (Read Full Post)