Oakland warehouse operator sparks outrage for mourning loss of venue — not victims

Yahoo News ^ | December 4, 2016 | Dylan Stableford

[grundle]

The operator of the converted warehouse in Oakland, Calif., where a fire broke out during a dance party on Friday night, killing at least 30 people, has been widely criticized over his initial response to the tragedy.

“Everything I worked so hard for is gone,” Derick Ion Almena wrote in a Facebook post early Saturday morning. “Blessed that my children and Micah were at a hotel safe and sound … it’s as if I have awoken from a dream filled with opulence and hope … to be standing now in poverty of self worth.”

Almena’s post was met with immediate backlash from Facebook users for omitting any mention of the victims.

“Not one mention of the people burned to death in your death trap building,” one wrote. “You are a real piece of work.”

“All you worked on? What about those who have died?” wrote another. “I lost two very close and dear friends in the fire and all you seem to care about is whatever material stuff you owned, which can be replaced unless the lives your death trap has taken.”

[windsorknot]

If only he could have been there when the fire broke out.

[SkyDancer]

I’m not defending him, I just think he’s not speaking coherently. Imagine if you were pulled out of a car wreck and what you say immediately after would come back to haunt you. Would you think it fair. The loss of all those people must be affecting his thinking right now.

[Hugin]

No permits, sprinklers or fire alarms, this guy’s troubles are just starting.

[Reddy]

Wonder if PEElosi had any connection.....

[yukong]

The information coming out that the City knew of this commune, that folks were living there in violation of the law and that all manner of city and state safety codes were being violated, and yet nothing was done to enforce the law, just exemplifies the rotten nature of liberal run communities. Remember this is a “sanctuary city” attitude.

My guess is that the attitude of the powers that be was that we just cannot enforce the law because that would be repressive of their free living lifestyle. Forcing them to shut down would be totalitarian and oppressive.

So the powers that be looked the other way and took the position that there wasn’t anything they could do. They allowed a couple to run an illegal residential, commercial, entertainment center without those operators paying for the necessary safety features.

Now at least 30 are dead. Because the city refused to enforce their “repressive” laws. If I were a family member of a victim I would sure that city into bankruptcy.

Just a perfect example of a liberal haven.

[Bob]

I’ve only seen a report of one recent failed inspection attempt but none of citations having been issued.

[morphing libertarian]

I think this is Barbara Lee territory

[Chode]

heh, wait till the civil suits come...

[yukong]

Sue the city into bankruptcy is what I meant. Sorry

[dfwgator]

Waiting for someone to blame it on Trump.

[yukong]

I had the same thought!

[Timpanagos1]

“Imagine if you were pulled out of a car wreck and what you say immediately after would come back to haunt you.”

I have been there, with a home on fire.

My only thoughts were, people’s lives.

That’s it. Just life.

[Timpanagos1]

Are you okay with local, state and federal inspectors entering your home at any time they wish and without notice?

[Ann Archy]

LEFTIES ONLY think of THEMSLVES!! HANG HIM!!!

[Ann Archy]

LEFTIES ONLY think of THEMSLVES!! HANG HIM!!!

[Ann Archy]

LEFTIES ONLY think of THEMSLVES!! HANG HIM!!!

[Riley]

He was renting it and subletting to tenant artists, many of whom lived there illegally. No running water, no sanitation, pirating electricity from the neighbors. He and his wife are into drugs and the Occupy movement. It looks like he was ripping his tenants off as well. Insurance? LOL This guy, according to the insiders who are speaking out on his FB wall, is as underground and sketchy as they come. He had been repeatedly warned that the place was a fire trap, and he’s laugh that off. He also had anger issues.

[WayneS]

True but he’s not thinking coherently.

He's a "progressive" "artist" - by definition he is incapable of thinking coherently. But why should that excuse his selfish, sociopathic, narcissistic, comments about fire?

[txrefugee]

That pile of junk should have been condemned long ago. How did such a crowd fit inside, let alone dance, with all that beat up furniture, flammable screens and paper lanterns, etc. everywhere? This was a disaster just waiting to happen, and the owner should be jailed.

[lee martell]

This guy is well known in the East Bay as a faux bohemian, wanna-be showman who ignores inconvenient rules, and got away with it for a very long time. His three kids were taken by the CPS for a while last year, when his water was cut off (nonpayment) and they had no place to bathe. I know very little about him, (I’m much older than his client base and don’t care for those kinds of bands)but have heard of him.