Yu Tian Sheng

Donations to the family can be made to the Yu Family Foundation, c/o Metropolitan Bank, 250 E. 18th St., Oakland, CA 94606.

Fatal Assault in Broad Daylight

Lavonte Drummer and Dominic Davis

Charged with murder of Tian Sheng Yu, 59, and beating his son Jin Cheng Yu, 27.

Without cause or warning the thugs attacked Jin and his father, who were in the 1800 block of Telegraph Avenue on their way to look at coins in a shop. It was 3:04 p.m. Friday afternoon and the sun was shining.

Son Jin Cheng Yu recovers. His father went into a coma and died four days later at Highland Hospital. (SF Chronicle, April 18, 2010)

"Last year our serious crime stats declined 10%"

Councilmember Quan's statement is exactly the wrong one. Oakland remains two to three times more dangerous than all other major California cities. Oakland is still among the top five most dangerous cities in the country. (Quan repeated the statement in several of her most recent weekly newsletters.)

Oakland still has only half a police force compared with most major cities.

Quan dismisses Oakland's public safety crisis. More important to her is giving a sports team a new stadium. "Redevelopment funds could be tapped." (Quan newsletter 377, April 17, 2010.)

But public safety gets no help from Quan.

Update: Oakland police arrested Lavonte Drummer and Dominic Davis, 18-year-old residents of west Oakland and east Oakland respectively, on Monday night; they admitted involvement in the fatal attack and are charged with murder. The pair have prior arrests for robbery and assault. If you have further information, call 238-3821.

Meanwhile, executives of failed social programs are already exploiting the attack in an attempt to get more money. The executive director of Youth UpRising, an agency that welcomes gutter rappers as "career counselors," told a reporter that the incident should "rally citywide participation in programs to rehabilitate broken youth." (SF Chronicle, Apr. 20, 2010) The City has funded these programs in increasing amounts for twenty years with obviously dismal results. That does not stop poverty parasites like the Youth UpRising official, who pays herself $180,000 a year out of taxpayer funds, from making a cynical grab for more.