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SHOOTINGS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Thank you for covering the numerous shootings recently in South Berkeley and North Oakland. I’m glad to know that someone is paying attention—besides the Berkeley police.  

When I attended the Thursday night ROC meeting (the neighborhood association of Russell, Oregon and California), I learned from our marvelous beat officer, Jim Marongoni, that there have been six shootings in the area in the past two weeks. Given this level of violence and murder, police patrols on both sides of the border have been increased. 

I think the Berkeley police do a pretty good job of responding to our numerous problems, but where has our city government been? Both our newspaper-loving mayor and South Berkeley councilmember Ms. Shirek were invited but neither could be bothered to show up. None of Ms. Shirek’s aides came either. I really find the lack of support from our city government offensive. 

For the nine years I’ve lived in this ‘hood, I have rarely seen Ms. Shirek attend a meeting. I can only remember one time. And I found her unhelpful to say the least, and that’s being very polite. As for our new mayor, he showed up once and “held court” as a fellow attendee described it. He said he might come back if we were nice to him. 

I’m really fed up with those two who don’t do enough for South Berkeley. As Ms. Shirek’s term is coming to an end, I want everybody to ask themselves: Has South Berkeley gotten any better? Is there less drug dealing? Do the buildings look better? Do people have better jobs? I actually think it’s gotten worse and I’ll vote for just about anybody before Ms. Shirek. 

Indigo 

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TITLE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Mr. Scharfenberg states in his article of June 27 that the Alameda County Green Party has “come out in formal opposition to the recall.” This is not completely correct, as the local Green Council reached consensus only on opposing the recall petition signature drive, and urged Greens not to sign. 

Some councilors believe everything about the recall should be opposed and the party should not run a candidate under any circumstances. Others support running a candidate and support Peter Camejo’s candidacy. Some councilors believe that it is too early to take a position on the recall itself or on possible candidates, because it is unknown when or even if there will be any recall at all and who will or will not run for the Demopublicans. 

This broad spectrum of opinion is not a sign of a “rift” as your headline states, but is the signature of a democratic, grassroots organization wherein each person’s opinion is respected. The Green Party does not try to impose control over its members’ speech or actions as other parties often do. 

Robert Marsh 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Green Party members demonstrate a lack of political imagination when  

they say that Peter Camejo’s participation in a potential recall vote would somehow reflect poorly on the Greens. To characterize Republican efforts as “undemocratic” implies that we have a choice between a legitimate, democratic electoral process and one that is not. Until multi-million dollar campaign chests, and all that goes along with them, are removed from the political equation, democratic elections will continue to be a chimera of fevered delusion. Political advantage could be scored with a public disgusted with the entire sordid spectacle of electoral politics as usual. In the last election, the Republican and Democratic candidates for governor were the strongest argument possible for an instant run-off process, and making “None of the above” a valid ballot choice. 

A good number of liberal/ progressive interests are acting as if the Republicans are about to blast the state with the electoral version of Darth Vader’s Death Star. Republicans are not acting from a position of strength but one of incredibly desperate weakness. Unable to elect anyone to an office at the state level higher than dog catcher or the state Legislature (at times, somewhat interchangeable positions), despite all their wealth and resources, the Republican Party is basically toast in California. They are a political one trick pony whose slash and burn social and fiscal policies and recent budgetary escapades have alienated them from a variety of political sectors. 

Liberal and progressive forces need to embrace and project the type of  

political imagination shown in Upton Sinclair’s campaign for governor in 1934. There are parallels worthy of immediate consideration and adoption contained within Sinclair’s “End Poverty In California Campaign.” Those were  

times of grand and sweeping political vision. Peter Camejo’s entry into the recall fray offers a viable alternative to choosing between Conan Republicans and venal, GOP-lite Democrats. Both grovel and drool at the feet of their corporate masters; growling, barking, and performing tricks on command. No more selling out to the Democratic Party, portraying itself as the lesser of two evils. Democrats must feel the pain of losing elections when a progressive candidate splits the vote by taking positions they refused to embrace. 

Stephen Dunifer 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

According to Rob Wrenn’s informative article about housing in Berkeley, over 7,000 housing units were built in Berkeley between 1960 and 1974, while 1,140 units were built during the 1990s.  

The 1990s looked like a boom compared with the previous decade or two, but we actually were building housing at not much more than one-fifth of the rate of the 1960s.  

Charles Siegel