The National Center for Public Policy Research commissioned this study in 2002 to quantify the effects of so-called "smart growth" — a more objective term would be "restricted growth" — policies on minorities and the disadvantaged. (Note: One finding in the article that has been disproven with the passage of time is that California housing prices have not been adversely affected by "smart growth.")
LANA speculates that the following description is not limited to the industries mentioned below, but also may include some large-scale developers, land speculators, and redevelopment agencies: "Mortgage fraud is a relatively low-risk, high-yield criminal activity …. according [to] a May 2006 Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) report, finance-related occupations, including accountants, mortgage brokers, and lenders, were the most common suspect occupations associated with reported mortgage fraud… . Perpetrators in these occupations are familiar with the mortgage loan process and therefore know how to exploit vulnerabilities in the system."http://www.fbi.gov/publications/fraud/mortgage_fraud06.htm
Many Oaklanders wonder why there is so much money for unnecessary development, yet nearly every service our city government is supposed to provide is starved for funds. What's up with that?