Independent Lens - Dogtown redemption - Oakland recycling center shut down - Pbs
This excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary Dogtown Redemption shows the battle of the Oakland City Council and NIMBYs against Alliance Metals, a recycling center that many homeless people in West Oakland depend upon for income. In a city council meeting, street resident Jason argues passionately in favor of keeping it open, only to have the police try to shut it down the next day. Premiering Monday, May 16, 2016. Check local listings: ******
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My name is Jason Witt,
and I've been a recycler for about 15 years.
I was in this neighborhood in West Oakland
that most people call Dogtown.
I'm gonna tell you right now
that recycling not only has saved my life.
My girlfriend was working on the street as a ***.
She no longer has to do that because of recycling.
As far as I'm concerned,
if you take away the recycle center,
crime will rise again in Oakland
to worse than you can ever think.
[Applause]
Actually--actually, the recycle center is
probably one of the safest places in West Oakland.
Man: Yeah!
[Applause]
As a person who works very, very hard
for my money every day,
I don't want to go to jail.
I'm sick and tired of going to jail,
and until I can get a job in Oakland,
until I can get a job,
I think that you should allow me to at least recycle.
All I'm doing is taking garbage.
I'm not touching cars.
I'm not touching cars, and I'm not selling drugs.
[Applause]
I do this now.
[Applause]
Bill: I came back around 3:00,
and the place was surrounded with cops,
and they were turning people away,
and they didn't say whether it was for the day
or until further notice or anything like that.
Man: Apparently, we ended up buying some PG&E wire,
and we shouldn't have bought it.
It was stolen.
They searched for the wire.
About a half-hour, 45 minutes later, they found it.
They talked to all the workers and asked questions.
Nobody really knew anything.
Right now, they're still in there, talking to Jay.
I believe it might have been an honest mistake.
I think that the city councilwoman from last night
was upset with Jay,
and honestly, I think it was a setup.
Nancy: My job is to make sure
that there is not illegal activity going on,
and there is illegal activity going on there,
so it's not a personal vendetta.
If he doesn't want police there,
he should stop doing illegal stuff.
It shows, amongst other things, that for 2 1/2 years,
