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| Re: Bay Area, Berkeley by OGF 09/08/2003, 11:27am PDT | ||||
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| MM, you going to find the Bay Area is a lot more left then Wisconson. The Bay Area is dominated by the liberal left. There is no center, just left. The republicans are no real factor here. (We don't even try) There isn't even a real center based Demo in the area. Local and national elections are all demos. We have Boxer, Brown (Willie), and Barbara Lee. It's going to be really different for you coming from Wisconson. I don't say that cause I expect things to be bad for you, just different. You might find yourself far to the center on a lot of issues. I would also advise you to adjust to the fact that isince you're a white male, you're going to be limited in what you can do and say. The local demo party machines are run by minorities and women. Straight white males don't count. What they do and say is all in the background. Get ready to be in the minority. Especially in the important demo circles. The dominant forces in the bay area are. (black, asian, women, latino, and gay) The only exception for demos is old white guys who've been around since the 70's. Like Jerry Brown.
An Aside: I've hired a lot of people from the midwest and east coast. They almost all have a tough time adjusting to the Bay Area. It usually takes a while. My advice to you. Be very Politically Correct. Especially since you're white and from the midwest. Most people around here think your type is the problem. Especially if you're male. Also be careful. There are some areas you don't go. Ask someone. Don't go canvassing the ESO cause some hippie tells you it's okay. There already close to or over 100 homicides in Oakland. Don't make it easy to chalk up another. If you do dope, don't go to the ghetto to get your dope. For some reason upper and middle class people from the midwest and east coast seem to thing you have to go to the ghetto to get your dope. And don't freak out and stare at the he gay people. It's rude. Nothing says tourist like staring at the gay people. Also there are lot's of people with questionable sexuality. Don't try and figure out. Don't try and guess if its a male or a female. Just cause it has a mustache; and wears dockers and a plaid shirt, doesn't mean it's a man. When in doubt, don't use gender based language. For rent I would say $800 a month isn't enough. (Don't listen to SB and V on this. They aren't wrong. Just out of touch with the cost of living around here. Things have changed signifigantly since V was around.) Things are really expensive now in the bay area. Everything here cost more. Tack 20-40% onto about everything you pay now in Wisconson and you'll get the bay area cost. Get ready for sticker shock. (Example a bottled soda is $1.25 to $1.50, and a gallon of gas is 2.41.) I doubt that's what you'd pay for those items in Wisconson. Housing costs are outragous. There is no such thing as affordable housing. You should figure about $1000 minimum for what you want. That will put you someplace decent. There are parts of Richmond, El Cerrito, and Oakland that you won't be able to live in. Those are also the parts that are close to Bart. (Bart is for people who commute to San Francisco) Start looking close to Cal's campus in Berkeley. Berkeley has super strick rent control. They also make is nearly impossible to kick a tennant out after you move in. Also look in Emeryville and El Cerrito. Stay out of Richmond. Good rule of thumb for Oakland, El Cerrito, Emeryville, Richmond is nothing anywhere near a numbered street, or close to anything named Martin Luther King. As for your job. Canvassing most areas in Berkeley and Oakland may be fruitless. There are so many groups and causes doing the same thing. You'll find most liberals sympathic but tapped out. The Money you want is in other cities. Alamo, Alameda, Danville, Dublin, Pleasenton, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Moraga, etc... Marin is where the real money is for your cause. Also lots of money in the south bay. Palo Alto, San Mateo, and down to the Silicon Valley. If you want to be sucessful you're going to have to get to those areas. For that, you'll need a car |
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