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Letter lands Shirek opponent in hot water

By Judith Scherr Daily Planet Staff
Friday September 29, 2000

Multicolor campaign signs have begun sprouting on telephone poles and in front yards, but you really know it’s election season when colorful accusations burst onto the scene. 

That’s what’s happening in the District 3 council race. 

A letter that has sparked the fury of the campaign to re-elect Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek, was written by Marcy Li Wong, an applicant who had a project before the Zoning Adjustments Board, of which Shirek opponent James Peterson is a member. The letter targets Peterson. 

Wong, the architect working on a project proposed for 1544 Spruce St., did not return any of the Daily Planet’s six telephone calls. 

In the letter dated Thursday Sept. 28, written to members of the ZAB, Wong references the Spruce Street project, which was up for a vote that night.  

In the letter, Wong first identifies herself as the applicant for the project then states: 

“I was telephoned by ZAB member James Peterson in mid-September, 2000, following the ZAB hearing on this project, which resulted in a continuance pending mediation. He discussed this project and then informed me that he is running for the City Council. He solicited my support and told me that he would send me an envelope for a contribution.” 

In the letter, Wong goes on to say that, on reflection, she felt uncomfortable with Peterson’s request and asks Peterson to recuse himself from voting on the Spruce Street project “even though doing so may hurt my project’s chances for approval.” 

The accusatory tone of the letter angered Peterson, who tells a very different story of his conversation with Wong. 

“I may be black, but I am sophisticated and politically savvy,” he told the Daily Planet. “There is no way in the world I would behave that way. I am also devastated.” 

Peterson explained that he had recommended that the two sides in the dispute over changes to the Spruce Street property go to mediation to work out their differences. Peterson said he called Wong to find out how the mediation had gone. He was concerned that she understand that a neighbor would be heavily impacted by the project, he said. 

He further stated that it was not he who raised the question of his candidacy, but Wong. “She said, ‘Congratulations for running for council,’” he said. Then, Peterson continued, Wong told him she wanted to support him and asked him to send her a campaign contribution envelope.  

“I didn’t solicit the support,” he said, adding that, to date, the $10,000 he was using for his campaign “has come from my own pocket.” 

He added that he would be willing to resign from the board. “I’m devastated,” he said. 

Peterson went on to speculate that someone from the Shirek campaign may have been “forcing” Wong to write the letter. “The question is, is there something else going on here?” 

In response to the question of “force,” Mike Berkowitz, spokesperson for the Shirek campaign, laughed. He said, “more seriously,” that he thought Peterson’s actions could end up in court. 

But City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque said the concern is of a lesser nature. 

“State law prohibits the receipt of over $250 for certain officials,” she said. That would include members of the ZAB. And Berkeley limits campaign contributions to $250, she noted. 

Wong’s contribution was less than $50, Peterson said.  

Albuquerque said the remedy would be for Peterson to recuse himself from the vote on the Spruce Street application. 

Berkowitz, however, said the question was not about the amount of money contributed. 

“It is wrong (for a public official) to solicit money for something while a case is pending,” he said, adding that the state and local fair campaign commissions would be looking into the issue. “The judgment is so questionable,” he said.