Post #471516 by AquaZombie on Fri, Jul 24, 2009 5:01 PM

For professional reasons, I had it removed from the Conga web site (though not Thrillville's, which has a different focus and following), though I personally think, with all due respect, that anyone "offended" by this "slogan" is taking it way too seriously, as well as out of context. The media insists Oakland is "home of the drive-by," not me. The Mai Tai campaign is obviously intended to counter that specific, and wrongly perpetuated, misconception. I lived and did business (as programmer/promoter of the Parkway Theater) in Oakland for many years, so it's a source of personal pride for me as well. The "slogan" sums up this sentiment in one sassy, succinct sentence, and taken in context I still think it's totally innocuous, from my twisted POV, which obviously is not shared by everyone. Hence its deletion from the Conga site. It's no big deal and completely extraneous to the effort. It was never intended to be "the official slogan of the campaign." I thought I made it clear it was always my own personal grass roots saying, never intended to be written into the official resolution. (Most reps and citizens I've spoken to found the slogan effective, if way too "edgy" for mass consumption.) Anyway, I appreciate your sensitivity to the subject, and I'll keep it off the official record from now on.

ps I got inside word that head city council honcho Rebecca Kaplan is very supportive of this effort, and she's an important advocate to have in our corner. All this press can't hurt, either.

[ Edited by: AquaZombie 2009-07-24 17:10 ]