Round Four

Oakland tries again:

The liberal-run city has had four different mayors in a four-month period after Mayor Sheng Thao was recalled this November and subsequently indicted on eight counts of bribery. Oakland has been without a clear leader this year as the city continues to grapple with ongoing crises. Taylor's campaign to finish out Thao's term was aimed at shaking up the political "status quo" and restoring Oaklanders' faith in their politicians after months of uncertainty. Taylor's policy platform highlighted public safety initiatives, budget stabilization to avoid bankruptcy, anti-corruption and increased efficiency at City Hall, tackling homelessness and boosting the local economy. There were 5,490 homeless people in Oakland in 2024, a 9% increase since 2022, according to Alameda County Health's January 2024 Point-in-Time (PIT) report. While the Oakland Police Department reported a decrease in violent crime in 2024, 2025 began with a crime surge, including five recorded homicides within a 48-hour period. By Jan. 3, The San Francisco Chronicle reported Oakland's third homicide of the year and seventh since Dec. 30, 2024. Oakland's staggering $129.8 million budget deficit for Fiscal Year 2024-25 forced some Oakland firehouses to close their doors earlier this year, but the City Council was able to pass a resolution to reopen those firehouses earlier this year. "Oaklanders are frustrated," Taylor told Fox News Digital in an interview ahead of the special election. "We are upset that we have not been getting what we deserve, what we should be getting from our local government. The status quo continues to fail us when we see crime rates rising out of control, we see homelessness still growing when it's shrinking in neighboring cities, we see our city facing the largest fiscal budget deficit in our history – a number of failures that show that what we have is not working."

But they keep trying the same old thing anyway...