Page One

BOWL BOYCOTT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I’ve shopped at Berkeley Bowl for years when it was non-union, even though I support workers’ right to unionize. But the fact that the owner paid a union busting firm customers’ good money and succeeded in reversing the votes of enough workers who signed union cards to change the outcome is quite disturbing, given the anti-union, anti workers’ rights climate all over the country. I called management a few months ago and said that if they persisted in trying to break the union drive with fake fear tactics that I’d stop shopping there. They did; I will. 

Let it be known that I’m withdrawing the thousands of dollars that I spend each year at Berkeley Bowl. I’ll shop elsewhere for a few years. Even though I know the workforce there is young and inexperienced I’m also angry at the false consciousness that would cause some of these young workers to betray their own friends and comrades and change their votes after supporting unionization earlier. As in all of these situations it’s likely that some of the strongest union supporters will be fired or pressured out. The dogs of war, violence, and intimidation who currently have the upper hand in our country will take us down the road to hell if working people can’t stick together in defense of their own lives, let alone defending the rights of people imprisoned or invaded by the U.S. government. If you stop shopping at the Bowl let the management know.  

Marc Sapir MD 

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LOOMING DRAFT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In regards to your “Dead-Soldier-a-Day Calendar” cartoon (Daily Planet, Nov. 18-20), I find it compelling to respond to this short-sighted comical depiction. It’s missing the inscription of “Former Berkeley Student.” Despite the fact the military is all volunteer, it is likely probable that a draft will ensue based on our ever increasing presence in Iraq and other places in the world. So, I ask, “Why are CAL students not raising hell?” CAL was a fertile ground in the mid-60s into the mid-70s for significant opposition to the war in Viet Nam. As Stephen Stills wrote in the song For What It’s Worth: “It’s time we stop...Hey..What’s that sound...everybody look what’s going ‘round.....Paranoia strikes deep..into your hearts it will creep...It starts when you’re always afraid..Step out of line....” 

So CAL students, wake up and “hip-hop” into the real world that may cost you your lives. 

Jonathan M. Dietz 

San Rafael 

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NO NEW TAXES 

The following letter was addressed to Councilmember Maio. 

Thank you for soliciting my opinion on the proposed ballot measure to increase our property taxes. 

My property taxes for the year 1999-2000 were $2,636. My property taxes for the year 2003-2004 are $4, 663. That is a slightly over 75 percent increase in just four years. How can I possibly be in favor of any further tax increases? 

From my observations as both a temporary staff member and recent consultant for the city, I believe that Berkeley’s fiscal problems stem from sometimes 

throwing money at organizations and groups that have nothing to do with maintaining city functions and facilities, funding items with little hard information about the project, a union contract that does not allow any real layoffs as instead undesirable and incompetent staff are simply placed in another job in another department. 

During my time working for the city I observed at close hand staff that spent the day at personal pursuits, staff that were not at work at all but claimed 

that they were and were paid, staff that said they were too busy to do their job and then spent the entire morning in personal conversation, staff that couldn’t handle simple job responsibilities—such as basic ccomputer functions, filling out forms, etc.—but were paid over $60,000 annually. I literally ran into full-time staff, whose hours I knew, out jogging or at the YMCA taking classes during work hours not remotely near lunch break. 

I observed City Council vote to approve a bond measure one week and during the second and final approval of that same bond measure add 50 percent to the bond measure without noticing their mistake. I observed bond measures that have been funded, that we are charged additional taxes for, and yet the money is not used for what it was intended. 

We now also know that there are people who have property for which they get no tax bill or are under-billed. 

To give you a touch of personal background, I moved to Berkeley over 20 years ago as a staunch advocate of unions and rent control—even while then and previously owning rental property. In other words, I am hardly “conservative.” I still approve rent control and unions, just not Berkeley’s. 

In response to your proposal, I simply cannot afford additional increases in Berkeley city services or property taxes. Home owners and small property owners need a tax rollback and more care and efficiency in their city government, not yet another tax increase. 

Sorry, 

Sasha Futran 

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OUT OF TOUCH 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The City Council is woefully out of touch with reality. Reality for many Berkeley residents means real or impending layoffs or cutbacks on hours worked. Yet while the city council proposes yet another parcel tax on the upcoming budget, they are also proposing to pay city employees wages and benefits for volunteering.  

The program, Berkeley Champions, would allow city employees up to 40 hours per year of paid leave to volunteer for Berkeley’s youth. It requires that employees use an equal amount of their own time prior to requesting paid leave through the program. This still amounts to being paid half normal wages and benefits for 80 total hours of volunteer time. The program lists fiscal impacts such as “improved image and reputation” for the city and “retention” of city employees.  

Many residents are worried about retaining their jobs and the roof over their heads. City employees receive adequate compensation and benefits. These include paid fitness club memberships to the tune of over $272,000 for 513 employees. I doubt if retention is much of an issue when budget problems will lead to likely layoffs. A reduced staff with more employees out on paid volunteer time could add to problems. Surely it would be more appropriate during our fiscal crisis that employees use vacation time and free time for volunteer activities like the rest of us do. If the city and councilmembers are concerned about their image and reputation among the voters they will rethink this program. Now is not the time for this well intentioned program. 

Do I support volunteering and mentoring for Berkeley’s kids? Absolutely! Without financial compensation, in true community spirit. 

Robin Wright 

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ESCAPED TAXES 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Regarding the so-called “escaped taxes,” It seems that Anne Marie Hogan, Berkeley City Auditor, has not done her job. Ms. Hogan states she was aware of possible problems with the computer program used for identifying commercial properties subject to these taxes, which could result in some escaping taxation through omission. She says she sent a memorandum to city authorities stating her concern. 

Apparently that was the end of her concern. These questions should be asked: To whom was the memo sent and when? Why has a copy of the memo not been made public? What was the reply, if any, and from whom? What efforts, if any, were undertaken to correct the problem? And last, did Auditor Hogan follow up her own memo, and if not, why not? 

Evelyn Giardina 

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13 THINGS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Here are 13 things I love about living in Berkeley, or the reasons I’m willing to pay more parcel tax.  

1) Totland, and other well-equipped, clean parks for my daughter to play in.  

2) The well-trained, sympathetic police officer who came to my house to take a vandalism report. 

3) Libraries with long hours and enthusiastic librarians. 

4) Having someone on city staff to call when there’s graffiti in my neighborhood. 

5) The nurses and health educators at Berkeley High who patiently deal with big and small problems everyday.  

6) The health department services for the uninsured, and the public health benefits for all of us that come from taking care of those in need. 

7) Being able to call a planner about zoning violations, and proposed projects. 

8) Commissions and staff to listen to all of our citizen input. 

9) The bike bridge, traffic calming, and the new bus shelters. 

10) Efficient trash pick-up and street cleaning. 

11) Berkeley Arts Center and the Senior Centers. 

12) Youth recreation and sports programs; low-cost summer camps. 

13) The tool lending library.  

These are just a few of the things that make our city special and livable for people of all ages. It takes staff to run them, and I think as citizens we should appreciate all that they do, and avoid cutting staff.  

Carol Dorf  

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BUDGETARY ISSUES 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Naive, hopeful me; I thought with a decisive (self-styled) progressive Council majority, I’d see pro-active leadership staking out budgetary issues that would provide a lever for some necessary, fundamental reforms. The situation is dire. We needed leadership to rise to the occasion. 

Council had plenty of time. They knew Berkeley’s budget would face a serious deficit. But instead of committing their authority to fighting for closing state tax loop holes that allow oil companies to avoid paying billions, fighting for high income earners paying as much taxes as lower earning payers, and fighting for the reduction of the prison complex budget, Council instead chose to preserve the status quo and tax Berkeley homeowners. 

Fighting for equity might have threatened Council’s Democratic Party credentials, financial support, and job security. In addition, the property tax has  

churned up anger and resentment against unionized city workers. Council is responsible for the current anti-union resentment. Council has played into the hands of Berkeley’s Right.  

We no longer have a progressive Berkeley City Council. (The centrists have won out again.) What we have instead are accountants, adept at jiggling and selling unfair taxes, amounting to another short-sighted, short-term bailout. 

Maris Arnold 

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PC DUNCES 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In regards to your cute, little, upbeat article “Latino Youth Prevail in Central Valley” (Daily Planet, Nov. 18-20), wouldn’t a more accurate headline have been “Over-breeding Latino Hordes on Verge of Permanently Ruining the Quality of Life in California”? 

Because you know as well as I that that’s exactly what’s going on. The only difference is, you politically correct dunces won’t actually speak the truth until it’s 20 years too late. And then, only to check in with your useless “solutions” to all the unsolvable problems that you helped to create in the first place. 

Be sure to check back with me in 20 years, baby, if only for a sick laugh at what’s left of California. (And I guarantee you will still remember this letter 20 years from now, unfortunately, as opposed to most of the forgettable drivel you publish.) 

Peter Labriola 

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FIREFIGHTER FAUX PAS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I am a Berkeley resident and a San Francisco firefighter. In 2000, I also co-founded a camp for young women to teach about leadership and the fire service called Camp Blaze. 

I am frustrated with your word choice in your Nov. 11-13 article entitled “Firemen Describe Inferno.” As you well know there are a number of women working in the fire service around the Bay Area (yes, in Berkeley too) and throughout California. Using the word firemen, though while accurate to describe the gender of the Berkeley firefighters’ mentioned in your article, excludes firefighting women from public awareness. 

Women make up a small percentage of the firefighters nationwide, but that proportion is much higher here in California and higher still in the Bay Area. The citizens of our city and our state need to know that all firefighters are not men. Many young women still have no idea it is a career path option, and media representations such as yours continue to shroud our profession in mystery. 

Not all firefighters are men. Can we refer to what it is we do and not our gender? 

Alissa Van Nort 

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EDUCATION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Michele Lawrence sees a right-wing political agenda aimed at undermining public education! How is that Michele? Is it by exposing the failed policies and teaching method experiments championed by the left-wing dominated school system in this country for the past 40 years? Is it by expecting a teacher to exhibit some basic knowledge of the subjects which they are teaching? Is it by testing the children to see if they can pass an exit exam by their senior year which is written on a ninth and tenth grade level? Is It giving parents a choice to opt out of this failed system? 

The schools are constantly crying that they have no money and that the class size is too large. The real problem is political correctness. The warped notion that we should mainstream everyone and that all classes must be “diverse” has resulted in dumbing down and an inability for teachers to control the classroom. Too much time and energy is diverted from teaching motivated and interested students. Students who do not want to learn or behave should be put into “special” classes as they were when I went to school. We had 35 to 40 students in a room and somehow we learned. 

The “small schools” program will not work because it must reflect the make up of the larger student body as a criteria.  

Michele Lawrence says “we’re robbing underachieving kids of their social capital.” What these “underachieving kids” really need is discipline (bad right-wing word) and to learn some manners and study skills, which does not take a lot of money. They are robbing normal achieving kids of an education! I know many public school teachers who send their children to private school for this very reason. It is like a chef who will not eat in his own restaurant. 

Michele Lawrence seems obsessed with her hatred for the political right, while it is the left who has destroyed our educational system. They are being exposed and are looking to cast blame else where. 

MIchael Larrick