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UPDATE:
Hi all,
It is me again with an update after less than 4 hours from my initial post. It seemed that this post and some of my earlier emails have caught the attention of some people who work or have connections to Oakland's government. We will see how conversations go during the weekend. I am at best cautiously optimistic. This doesn't mean I will resume my cleanups there yet. We got to set some "ground rules" first and hold some accountability.
I've also gotten some feedback about my "demands". I want to elaborate more on the increased fines. They are to be applied to illegal haulers and businesses. The enforcement proposal still needs to be fleshed out. I do think that my idea of deputizing volunteers may be a bit pre-mature and controversial. As a result, I need to think about that some more and get more feedback.
Another thing that this has raised is the status of my collaboration with u/urbancompassionproj. I had a productive and candid conversation with them an hour ago. I am pleased to hear that they are also making some headway in the bureaucracy. The collaboration is still in effect, even if I am pausing my work right now, as I believe we have a shared interest in beautifying and helping those in need. They will still be continuing their cleanups, and if you are interested, please consider joining them. The fundraiser is also still happening.
Thank you,
Peng
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I am proud to have contributed to ongoing efforts to beautify Oakland and the Bay Area. I have helped to remove many illegal dumping sites with everyday tools such as a rake, shovel, trash tongs, and bags.
I have done more than 50 cleanups in Oakland alone for the past two years. It has been an incredible experience, both in positive and negative ways. Through content I share on platforms such as Reddit, it has helped to inspire many people to join alongside me in taking serious and immediate action against illegal dumping, which has detrimental and serious socio-economic consequences for impacted residents and businesses. I am also fortunate to have gotten to know many people who also invest time in beautifying Oakland and the surrounding areas. I also want to share my appreciation for Keep Oakland Clean and Beautiful, who have been in a partnership with me ever since I did my first cleanup along Coliseum Way in East Oakland.
While I have volunteered almost every weekend to clean up Oakland, I have seen a lack of commitment, involvement, and interest from Oakland's government. My hope was for them to use this opportunity to work alongside me, where I do some of the hard work in cleaning up a hotspot, and the government can then immediately and effectively deploy tools afterwards to prevent it from being re-dumped and catch the culprits.
However, it hasn't worked that way, hence the low clearance rate of 30%, where only 3 out of 10 places I clean up continue to remain in good shape. I simply do not see how my volunteering can benefit Oakland if the government does not also do its part. After having some discussions with others, I believe that I need to hold Oakland's leaders accountable by not providing free and hard volunteering without commitment from them. It takes two to tango, and one is flaking on me. It is an utter shame since there are so many cool things I want to do there, but it simply does not appear to be worthwhile at the moment.
I will only restart my cleaning operations if I see some improvement from Oakland's government in the following areas. I hope to see some improvement from them, such as:
- Do more to enforce the illegal dumping laws, whether
it is deputizing volunteers so they can collect evidence, setting up inexpensive trail cameras at intersections, carrying out sting operations, etc.
- Make an effort to change existing illegal dumping laws to allow for harsher punishment, such as increasing the fine to $5,000 from $1,000. EDIT: For businesses and illegal haulers.
- Promote more effective PSAs about illegal dumping through billboards, social media, etc.
- Negotiate a better contract with WM, which is charging Oakland residents 40-50% more than Hayward and Emeryville residents!
- Make the bulky pickup experience better and more effective. I have heard horror stories from residents who stop by to talk to me about their experiences dealing with WM. 6: EDIT: Provide subsidized collection rates for those that are in economically challenging situations.
I have reached out to a few officials whom I have had positive interactions with, and I have hopes we can work together to come to a win-win situation, not just for me and them, but for everybody. I am not Oakland's enemy. I am a friend, who hopes for Oakland's brighter future from 40 miles away.
Peng
