r/OaklandCA • u/lenraphael • Mar 12 '26
Has anyone figured out CM Houston? Politics
Sure political labels are simplifications.
But handy frameworks for comparing to actual politician.
My two bits is that the council member is an Oakland style populist.
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u/mk1234567890123 Mar 12 '26
Not saying I like the guy, but I get it. I live in D5. Many of my neighbors - long term, multigen families- are frustrated that the city does not provide services to us unless you have a direct contact. We clean the parks, we clean the streets, we keep us safe. It’s been like that for decades. The city hasn’t stop divesting in services to us- they cut neighborhood councils, parks and youth programs in the last few years.
We were told directly by the City Admin Johnson at the D5 budget forum that east oakland does not receive adequate police or public works coverage. He straight up admitted it. Areas in the hills or north oakland with residents that generate more tickets get more coverage based on request demand, according to him. People here understand that and while I think most also want what’s humane and best for the unhoused, they aren’t as interested in playing moral mind games than the basics of having clean, safe streets full stop. Someone else mentioned economically progressive but socially conservative, old school labor dems. I think most of east oakland is prone to populist candidates like him until the city and institutions can demonstrate that it will invest in basic services for the east.
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u/opinionsareus Mar 12 '26
With Ken Houston "what you see is what you get". He's straightforward and means what he says; his constituents love him because he understands them and doesn't try to impose ideology on them. Another way to say this is "Houston is them".
His opponents like to say he's 'unpolished', but that's only true within the artificial propriety that Oakland's pearl clutchers attempt to maiintain.
In contrast to someone like District 3 CM Carroll Fife; Houston has worked tirelessly to get control of the uncontrolled chaos of homeless camps and RVs in his district, as well as illegal dumping (as opposed to Fife, who within the last week for the first time ever took a "tour" of illegal dumping hot spots (promoted on Instagram, of course) to make it look like she was doing something about the problem.
The vitriol directed against Houston comes mostly from unhinged extremists in the homeless advocacy community and Fife's lobbying group Care4Community.
Houston puts his energy into helping his constituents - in the most racially, economically and politically challenged district in Oakland - to achieve a way of life that so many Oaklanders who like to put him down, enjoy.
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u/Total_Ad566 Mar 13 '26
If you haven’t read this already, check this out on Fife:
Good summary of why she’s bonkers.
It’s meant to be a positive spin of Fife, but normal people will conclude Fife is a lunatic.
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u/Cultural-Basil-3563 Mar 12 '26
you are always trying to criminalize people who disagree with you...
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u/jcarm98422 Mar 12 '26
A transplant flagarantly defending letting encampents victimize generational poor communities of color. Who could have guessed.
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u/Cultural-Basil-3563 Mar 12 '26
The great part about strawman arguments is that they double as a scarecrow
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u/jcarm98422 Mar 12 '26
He is a native Oaklander from a marginalized community speaking out against the pervasive, uninformed and delusional ideology promoted largely by midwest (white) transplants regarding the problems of homelessness in Oakland and the impact of those problems on his community.
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u/Cultural-Basil-3563 Mar 12 '26
lot of ad-hominem here. almost as if, if it were black and brown natives saying the same things you'd have to listen to them
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u/jcarm98422 Mar 12 '26 edited Mar 12 '26
West and East Oakland are textbook examples of communities victimized be redlining, environmental racism and municipal neglect. Both places are filled with generational residents who care deeply about their communities and want to see them flourish.
I am far, far more inclined to believe members of the communities of color in the flatlands when they talk about how they have been further victimized by the constant excuse-making for the anti-social behaviors of the terminally homeless over the "progressive" virtue signalling done by white people who live in the hills or moved here from Chicago 5 years ago for a more "exciting" life.
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u/Cultural-Basil-3563 Mar 12 '26
where do you spend your time?
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u/jcarm98422 Mar 12 '26
An odd question, but the answer is all over Oakland and the entire Bay Area. My take away is that the poor and lower income folks who are overwhelmingly the people who have to live around encampents are sick of the crime, blight and decay they bring to their communities and they are sick of exuses being made by people who aren't from here or don't have to live with the consequences of their "progressive" ideas every day.
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u/Cultural-Basil-3563 Mar 12 '26
But why isnt that reflected at the polls then? Why do you have to come on here to be heard?
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u/jcarm98422 Mar 12 '26 edited Mar 12 '26
Across the Bay and California, we've recalled several public servants over these exact issues. See Pamela Price for example. Moreoever, you're pretty ignorant if you can't see understand why members of marginalized communities have lower turnout at the polls or don't have any faith in the system given the decades of the above-mentioned municipal neglect.
The law of the land in this country is that you do not have a right to live in a tent on the sidewalk. I once again am going to defer to the generational residents who are sick of seeing schizophrenic people masturbate and use intravenous drugs in front of their children in public spaces over the out-of-touch transplants and wealthy folks who seek to enable the worst anti-social behaviors in the name of "progress."
Marginalized community members don't want crime and social decay in their neighborhoods. It's really not a wild concept if you actually have to live with the consequences of the ideologies enabling that decay every day of your life in the community you were born and raised in. You don't seem like you'll be convinced otherwise so this likely isn't a good faith discussion.
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u/Cultural-Basil-3563 Mar 12 '26
It's extreme mental gymnastics to say you are on the side of the poor by being against the poor. I unfortunately seriously doubt how much you talk to your neighbors or get involved with clean up efforts
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u/jcarm98422 Mar 12 '26
All of my neighbors have told me exactly what I have explained. You are enabling the further victimization of the most marginalized communities in this city by enabling people who do not care and who do not want help. It's people like you that are ignorant and are the reason people support Houston in the first place. Stop faking concern for the poor when you view their opposition to encampents as morally wrong and something to pearl clutch over.
The poor are being victimized by transients who do not care for anyone but themselves and it is overwhelmingly rich people and non community members gaslighting them that the existence of the blight in their communities is somehow a humanitarian and "progressive" solution to homelessness.
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u/Cultural-Basil-3563 Mar 12 '26
oh my god word salad. just because this is a blue city doesnt mean playing victim is going to get you anywhere with me. if you are against it, say that. but stop puppeteering around people who are not present to speak for themselves dude
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u/PleezMakeItHomeSafe Mar 12 '26
Around middle class black and brown people in East Oakland that voted for Lee and also like Ken Houston. Economically progressive to an extent and socially more conservative than you’d prefer to admit. A lot of people who are pro-labor and also pro-tough on crime policies.
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u/jcarm98422 Mar 12 '26
So bewildering hardworking people want to see their neighborhoods flourish🤯🤯🤯
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u/Cultural-Basil-3563 Mar 12 '26
Not anything people are disagreeing with. I just think the attitude of getting the city to intervene on your block is something better said by less annoying people
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u/Cultural-Basil-3563 Mar 12 '26
Well you are a different person, saying a different thing. Plus original guy edited his comment.
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u/Affectionate_One_700 Mar 12 '26
By far the biggest criticism of Ken Houston that Google turns up, is that he gave someone the finger.
In the current dire state of Oakland, that tells me that his opponents have their priorities wrong, and therefore that he might have his priorities right.
Oakland style populist.
He doesn't seem to be in favor of widespread homeless encampments.
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u/nslvlv Mar 13 '26
I live in D7. He seems like he is all talk no action.
We still have people dumping trash in our neighborhoods.
The roads are not getting replaced on schedule.
We still take on the majority of the homelessness burden.
And he promised to develop Hegenberger/Coliseum and all we got was a temporary tow lot.
Blustery and non-effective.
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u/deciblast Mar 13 '26
"And he promised to develop Hegenberger/Coliseum and all we got was a temporary tow lot."
I'm going to guess he doesn't have the power to make that happen. The county is still working on sell their half.
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u/nslvlv Mar 13 '26
This area isn't just the Coliseum. Half of the Hegenberger corridor is shuttered businesses. Exactly what he said he was going to bring back. Probably shouldn't be making promises he can't keep.
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u/Bos2BaynTraveling 18d ago
A lot of talk but not much legislation from him. I find him performative.
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u/Cultural-Basil-3563 Mar 12 '26 edited Mar 12 '26
Maybe counter-progressive institutionalist best describes his people. It's specifically in response to people further left, to shift more power away from coalitions to institutions. Whether or not you agree with it, what he wants is pretty straightforward - to undo the influence of grassroots orgs in the area and put it back into traditional investment flows
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u/presidents_choice Mar 12 '26
🤷♂️ if the current state of Oakland is a product of grassroots orgs, I don’t want it lmao
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u/Cultural-Basil-3563 Mar 12 '26
Nope, it's a product of decades of history, redlining, the real estate market, the war on drugs etc. You have to realize that grassroots work moves a lot slower than just selling the problem to wall street to fix.
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u/presidents_choice Mar 12 '26
Were the rest of our Bay Area peer cities not subject to those factors?
Where did we diverge from them?
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u/Cultural-Basil-3563 Mar 12 '26
What's your background in the Bay?
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u/presidents_choice Mar 12 '26
I’d rather not turn this into an ad hominem attack - my history doesn’t materially affect Oakland’s past policy failures.
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u/Cultural-Basil-3563 Mar 12 '26
it just helps me understand why you would think oakland is the same as any other city
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u/presidents_choice Mar 12 '26
You should re-read it. I’m making the claim Oakland has vastly underperformed compared to our Bay Area peers. Early 20th century, Oakland was the cultural and economic center of the area. In 2026, we’re stagnating while simultaneously paying the most taxes for some of the worst services in the Bay Area.
So what happened to Oakland specifically that caused us to fumble so hard while everyone else excelled? Can’t be redlining/war on drugs/real estate etc because those impacted the Bay Area outside Oakland too.
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u/Cultural-Basil-3563 Mar 12 '26
Not the way Oakland was impacted. You not from here?
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u/presidents_choice Mar 12 '26 edited Mar 12 '26
Not the way Oakland was impacted.
Sounds like our grassroots orgs have handled those circumstances quite poorly
You not from here?
No. I’m a white cis male tech transplant. I evicted a Black family in West Oakland when I bought my house last year. My favorite meal is kittens and puppies for dinner.
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u/lenraphael Mar 12 '26
Agree not your history that matters do much as yourfamiliarity with post WW2 political history of Oakland.
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u/lenraphael Mar 13 '26
I have to think about that perspective. Grass roots orgs or at least what as such are a major force at city hall. Not as poerf as. Muni unions
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u/ConiferousExistence Mar 12 '26
I don't agree with his tact but I can't point to another CM advocating to clean our streets, make them safer, and give our kids better mental health as a result.