Is the blame to be shared that led the A's out of Oakland?

[LVfan]

The Oakland fans supported by the Bay Area media want to pin all the blame on the owner. That might feel good, but maybe some introspection is in order.

The A's management stated the low salary totals result from low fan attendance leading to diminished revenue. But the fans state that the low attendance results from poor performance. So it's a chicken and egg situation. But not completely. Low attendance also results from the condition of the stadium and high crime rate around the stadium.

Then Oakland wanted the A's to pay for low income housing around the proposed new stadium site, reportedly double the California requirement. Statistics show crime rate is higher in such housing, with its residents among the biggest victims. So you take Oakland, already considered one of the most dangerous cities in the US (on the Forbes list of 15 Most Dangerous Cities in the US*), then add an additional magnet for crime around the stadium. Any owner would have to be absolutely crazy to take such a deal. But that is the California way, decisions so politicians can feel good about themselves.

But that gets to the bigger picture, and that is all about California, whose politicians and voters who support them have driven California into the ground. It was no big deal when many left. It was also no big deal when companies like Oracle left. Most fans didn't care. But now when the A's leave, it hits home, and it is convenient to blame the owner.

So are the fans blameless? Some are, but those who have voted to enable the conditions share the blame, and that probably applies to some of the journalists as well.

* www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2023/01/31/report-ranks-americas-15-safest-and-most-dangerous-cities-for-2023/

 

[LVfan]

The crime in Oakland has been mentioned, often in an offensive manner by outsiders. While the San Jose Mayor is not a Bay Area outsider and has an agenda of wanting a team in San Jose, he makes some interesting comments:

San Jose mayor derides San Francisco, Oakland in renewed plea for MLB team

In a follow-up interview on the subject with KGO-TV on Monday, Mahan aimed for an even lower-hanging fruit as part of his renewed plea for baseball: Crime in San Francisco and Oakland is out of control, especially compared to San Jose. "Nobody going to a sporting event wants to worry about their car being broken into and in San Jose, they don't have to," Mahan said. "We are the safest big city in the Bay Area."

It's a familiar point of attack from Mahan, who issued similar comments in April 2023, a few months after assuming office. "I will say emphatically that San Jose will not become San Francisco," Mahan said at the time. "I think everyone deserves to live in a safe and clean environment."

www.sfgate.com/politics/article/san-jose-mayor-derides-sf-oakland-in-mlb-plea-18173408.php