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Editor: 

Allow me to second Tom McHenry's suggestion that the "latest reinvention of Berkeley politics" the Berkeley Party, should be called the Nimby Party. For the vague and harmless sounding platitudes of this group masks a specific and bizarre agenda: Keep Everyone Away and Don't Change Anything. 

The comments of their leaders saying the city should "discourage development" and "We've done our growth" underscores their NIMBY agenda, and reminds one of the simplistic nativist movements of another century. 

Their assertion that, if we could just stop development-- everything would be fine, underscores their indifference to the plight of students, renters, workers, and the many others looking to cope with the housing woes of Berkeley. 

I am all too familiar with their program, having battled both their Mr. Muir and Ms. Olson on various affordable housing projects throughout the city. 

It appears that the Berkeley Party would like to deal with the complex issues of affordable housing, congestion, and economic development by putting gates at the city limits to keep others away, and stopping everything else inside. It is a rather strange platform for a City with an illustrious history of embracing and initiating change. 

Patrick Kennedy 

Panoramic Interests 

Berkeley