{"id":300798,"date":"2026-05-05T13:24:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T13:24:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/300798\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T13:24:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T13:24:12","slug":"oakland-chainsaw-massacre-by-steve-tavares","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/300798\/","title":{"rendered":"Oakland Chainsaw Massacre – by Steve Tavares"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Vol. VI, No. 1,261<\/p>\n

\u2014Oakland property owner Matthew Bernard cut down 38 protected trees beginning in 2021, prompting the city\u2019s Public Works Department to seek a $915,000 fine based on the value of the trees and staff time.<\/p>\n

Last month, the Oakland City Council deadlocked on how to respond to what staff repeatedly described as a willful and blatant violation. <\/p>\n

Mayor Barbara Lee declined to break the tie, ultimately sending the issue to a follow-up vote at this afternoon\u2019s meeting.<\/p>\n

The debate exposed sharp divisions on the council. Councilmember Janani Ramachandran pushed for strict enforcement of the law, while Councilmember Carroll Fife framed the issue through a racial equity lens. <\/p>\n

Councilmember Ken Houston emphasized practicality, arguing the now-cleared property should be allowed to move forward with development.<\/p>\n

There is little dispute that the scale of the violation is an extraordinary, Avatar-like example of eco-terrorism in Oakland.<\/p>\n

The act of cutting down even a single protected tree without a permit is a serious offense in Oakland and elsewhere; removing 38 trees over multiple incidents is alarming.<\/p>\n

How the council resolves the matter will signal more than the fate of one case\u2014it will reflect Oakland\u2019s approach to enforcement, development, and the credibility of its own ordinances.<\/p>\n

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