Posted on 09/17/2023 3:52:07 AM PDT by Libloather
Talk about a blunder!
Oakland has missed out on funding from a $267million grant to combat retail theft after its leaders missed the deadline to file an application.
California planned to distribute the money to cities struggling to deal with the rampant looting, which has plagued the state.
But Oakland missed the July 7 deadline to apply for the grant due to alleged technical difficulties - and it has left businesses and residents furious.
Local pastor and community leader Bishop Bob Jackson slammed the city officials and said: 'You didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to fill out the grant.'
Oakland Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas admitted she was 'extremely disappointed' to miss out on the grant and added the city administrator was investigating how the mistake happened.
The office of California Governor Gavin Newsom announced plans to distribute $267million in grants to cities to help deal with the rising organized retail theft issue.
It publicized the deadline to maintain a 'level playing field'.
But following a legal review, the California Board of State and Community Corrections determined 'the City of Oakland did not meet the necessary requirements for a successful application submission and will therefore, not be eligible for funding consideration.'
The city's Economic and Workforce Development Department collaborated with the Oakland Police Department and community partners to put an application together for the governor’s Real Public Safety Plan grant opportunity, the City Administrator’s office told local website SFGATE.
While the police and community partners handed in their materials on time, the development department did not.
'Obviously this outcome is unacceptable,' the City Administrator’s office said in a statement.
Council President Bas said: 'Community safety is Oakland’s top priority, and I am extremely disappointed we missed a grant opportunity to bring more resources to our city.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
They have been asleep at the wheel this long, why would they wake up now?
-PJ
That’s the problem for hiring on D.I.E. principles rather than merit. There is no one who can, or will, do the actual work required.
Most big cities hire white consultants to fill out their grant paperwork—usually with a token black person as the “leader” of the organization to meet the affirmative action contracting policies.
Oakland couldn’t even fake it properly.
They don’t need money - they need to make a few absolutely free policy changes.
Inept voters = Inept leaders
Maybe gangs pay more than the grants - cartels moving into new opportunities.
Ooga Booga.
For that kind of money they could just buy the stuff and then give it away to their downtrodden masses.
Typical messed-up DM headline. Seems this is a state-wide program, so Oakland would have "only" gotten a fraction of that amount:
The office of California Governor Gavin Newsom announced plans to distribute $267million in grants to cities to help deal with the rising organized retail theft issue.
This is the leftist mindset - public funding = progress and solutions. Oakland is a cesspool, like much of Africa. No amount of funding is going to solve deep, structural, and cultural rot that afflicts this city.
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