About
San Leandro Talk (SLT) is a space for sharing news and opinions about what’s going on in the city of San Leandro, California. It works in conjunction with the San Leandro Talk Facebook page and the @SanLeandroTalk twitter account.
I, Marga Lacabe, started this blog because I felt there was a real need for a place where San Leandro citizens could virtually meet to learn what’s going on in town and discuss the future of San Leandro, and because the existing media shows little inclination to dig below the surface of what’s happening in town. While I’m the primary writer of this blog, everyone is invited to participate. If you’d like to write a post for this blog, please contact me. You are also encouraged to friend/follow SLT on Facebook and twitter.
The rules for commenters on this blog and the associated Facebook page are pretty simple. I expect everyone to treat everyone else with respect, but I define that broadly. If you’re easily offended by people’s language or opinions, this is not the place for you. However, personal attacks, hate speech, trolling and post/comment spamming will not be tolerated. People who are abusive, will be blocked.
Your first comment to the blog will be moderated, subsequent comments will not. Please don’t post anonymously unless you are in a situation where your comments would jeopardize your job or safety. If you do post anonymously, and it’s not obvious why, please e-mail me (from a throwaway account if needed) and let me know why you should be able to post anonymously.
As for me, my name is Margarita Lacabe. I’m in my 40’s, I’m married to Mike Katz-Lacabe (editor of San Leandro Bytes) and we have two little girls that attend Bancroft Middle School and Roosevelt Elementary. I have lived in San Leandro for 14 years. My personal website is at Marga.org. My personal blog is at VoxPublica and my food blog here.I was a founding member of the San Leandro Community Action Network, I’m currently a member of the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee and I have worked on several campaigns for local office. I’m an international human rights lawyer by training, an activist by vocation and a troublemaker by personality. My concerns at the local level are good governance, transparency, accountability and the protection of civil liberties.
I’m curious as to why you require posters to identify themselves but you do not disclose who you are – seems like a bit of a double-standard.
To tell you the truth, I hadn’t noticed I hadn’t given my name. It was just an oversight which I will fix now. I did give quite a bit of info about me, including links to my website and blog, the name of my husband, etc. – so believe me, I wasn’t trying to hide myself.
Hi! I’m Katherine and somewhat Conservative.
But I DO want to say THANK YOU for the time and effort you are putting into your blog! I only wish I had found it sooner!!!
I truly believe that if only more people (no matter what their “political label”) would take the time to tell about what is happening in their own “back yard”, we would be in a much better position to stop “problems” before they even got a chance to start.
Your statement about “existing media shows little inclination to dig below the surface of what’s happening in town” is so true. And it is especially frustrating when trying to “vet” candidates for positions like City Attorney, City Manager, Director of Public Works, etc.
Our own little town is paying Meyers Nave thousands of dollars a month (that we really don’t have) for “legal services”: over $12,000 of which, in one month, was for “researching the history” of an empty bar’s Conditional Use Permit and Zoning.
And yes…there is a lawsuit against the city in that case as well.
So again, thank you. You have armed me with a wealth of information that I will be able to share at our next City Council Meeting.
Hi! I am the publisher of Kid Scoop News, a newspaper for kids that goes to about 30 classrooms in San Leandro Elementary schools grace to the support of local business sponsors. I have written a press release about this, and have a lovely photo of David Irmer holding an amazing thank you poster from one of our classrooms. Could I submit these to you for consideration of being posted in your blog? Thank you!
Hi Neighbors, This mostly affects this of us on Georgia way, but maybe someone out there in the ether has some good advice.
The Casa De Maria parking problem has worsened. Patrons of CDM often, and I mean multiple times a day block our driveways as they run in to get their orders, or even sit down for lunch. There have been screaming matches between the patrons and us neighbors because the employees, owners, and patrons of CDM feel the we “the neighbors” are the problem. Patrons will often curse at us when we ask them not to park in front of our driveways, or tell us to just wait, that it’s no big deal, they’ll just be a few minutes…, and walk away with their car blocking driveways. They feel since they will only be a little while it’s not a problem to park where they can.
The employees of CDM park their personal vehicles on our street as well as all of the business vehicles. When we see them on the street (which is multiple time per day) they greet us with a smug look, or they ignore us. The fact that they park their business vehicles on Georgia way only makes tight parking worse since they already park their personal vehicles here as well.
I have personally gone inside CDM to ask if we can talk about the problem, but I’m only shuffled away or ignored by folks pretending not to know who I am.
I can assure you that most of us on Georgia way are affected by this. The police are called almost daily now by either me (twice in the last two days) or by my neighbors. The police response time varies since it’s a non-emergency which gives the person causing the parking problem ample time to leave before the cops get there to either have them towed or ticket them.
Today I was advised to go to the city council about the matter since it has gone on for YEARS now and only seems to go in favor of Casa De Maria, who ironically own Angelina’s Pizza as well.., so we get all their cars parking here too.
I know it’s a public street and parking is for everyone, but in all my years living in the Bay Area I have never encountered anything like this. Casa De Maria, and their patrons are flat out rude to us, so I’m putting this here to see how other feel about this. I’ve personally spoken with my immediate neighbors and we all feel the same way.
does anybody out there have any advice for us folks here on Georgia way?
Thanks,