I’m not diminishing the magnitude and tragedy of the suffering. I could not imagine being one of the parents of the killed or missing. My focus was on the lax enforcement of safety regulations and how that may have been driven by ideology at the city government level.
This is an example of a corrupt and willfully incompetent local government which has criminally endangered and destroyed the lives of dozens of citizens. I’d be willing to bet that this is not the only illegally constructed residence and workplace in Oakland. The owner,manager and lead tenant should all be under arrest and in cuffs in a interview room along with the building inspectors and fire Marshall. The Mayor should also be under investigation. This building was operating under third world conditions in the heart of our high tech hub.