Editorials

Maio’s dismissal of Craig correct 

Editor: 

I have read your recent articles about the dismissal of Karen Craig from the commission on disability. I have been living and working in Berkeley for the past seven years. I would like to take this opportunity to give praise to Councilmember Linda Maio for her actions around Karen. I have participated in many meetings and discussions with Karen both on the commission and around disability issues which were both related and unrelated to EDI. I have witnessed inappropriate conduct where Karen persists with her own agenda and cannot open her mind to other ideas or speak in a professional way about matters concerning the entire disability community. 

I liked Karen and her persistence about making Berkeley more accessible to all residence with disabilities. However, I cannot condone the outlandish way she speaks to both other commissioners as well as city staff. It takes a lot for a councilwoman in the city of Berkeley to differentiate between someone with a disability who sits on a commission because of their disability and someone who is professional enough to carry out the mission of responding and acting for the entire community and not just for personal gain.  

I believe that Karen has served her time and done the community a lot of good. But, like most good things, it must end eventually. I wish that people will let Karen keep doing her brilliant activism and let the new commissioner, Bob Allamand show his new perspectives and carry on with the rest of the commissioners to keep leading the country in the large disability community which Berkeley is so lucky to have.  

I commend Karen for all of the progressive work she has done and I also commend Linda Maio for taking a stand and knowing when it is time for change.  

I sincerely hope that commissioners do not let this delay the work that lies ahead for the commission as well as the entire Berkeley disability community. Thank you for your time. 

Nicholas W. Feldman 

Berkeley