Features

POLICE DOGS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Perhaps I am alone in this opinion, but I find the notion absurd that but for the efforts of a few courageous so-called “progressives” on the Berkeley City Council and elsewhere that Berkeley would be overrun with Lynch Mobs and Brown Shirts. Recent views expressed in East Bay papers opposing Police Dogs in Berkeley seem disingenuous at best. 

In my experience Berkeley Police efforts have been hamstrung by “progressive” politicians and other ideologues who have shown re markable tolerance for violent drug crime, battery, and rape, in South Berkeley. 

I believe many youth at risk in Berkeley (including those who have committed brutal crimes) have been neglected, abandoned, and given a pass by the “progressive” power struc ture in Berkeley which is loath to consider even constructive common sense interventions. 

This neglect results in harm to everyone concerned. 

The scores of beatings, shootings and other violent crimes, in my neighborhood alone, (including murder and rap e) perpetrated by criminals of all ages (very often drug related) have been both treated with sarcastic humor and cast as the victims’ responsibility. “Progressives” also seem to have no problem with drug dealers raising vicious pit bulls. 

I believe I ha ve, what should be, an acceptable compromise concerning the police dog issue: Use smaller, lower profile, dogs like Beagles that could accomplish many of the needed and beneficial tasks. Contrary to the clarion call of denial by Berkeley “progressives,” c rime actually does happen in Berkeley. 

John Herbert 

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MALCOLM X FLOOD 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The drainage problem at Malcolm X is a storm sewer problem at King and Prince streets. That is, there isn’t a storm drain at King and Prince. Sure, there’s a ho le at the corner that fools people into believing it’s a drain. But it doesn’t go anywhere! There is a fine great drain at Ashby, several feet below grade. The City of Berkeley needs to install a real drain at King and Prince that connects to the Ashby pi pe. 

I know more about this than any human deserves. I stood in knee-deep water during El Nino, in 1996, at that intersection and watched the lower depths of Malcolm X flood. Water will not go down a drain, no matter how splendid its engineering, if the a djacent street is inundated over curb level. The architects of the Malcolm X renovation investigated and considered running their own pipe to the Ashby storm drain—and in retrospect probably should have. I probably won’t live to see the city deal properly with this. So BUSD takes a $100,000 hit every time this happens, which is getting to be more than once a year rather than once in five years as formerly. I sqawked to the architects, to the district, to the civil engineers, predicting these recurrences. But I’m only a citizen who doesn’t have time to attend many meetings on the behalf of a mundane public good. 

Lawsuits speak louder than words, I guess. Maybe that’s becoming America’s method of choice for getting action, since common sense doesn’t seem t o have much potency. 

Bruce Wicinas 

• 

MARRIAGE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Erich Fromm wrote, “To love one’s flesh and blood is no achievement....Only in the love of those who do not serve a purpose, love begins to unfold.” 

It’s not that I disagree with Becky O’Malley’s advocacy of marriage (“Marriage: Good for Spouses, Kids and Community,” Daily Planet, Feb. 17-19), but compared with Fromm’s presentation of the fusion of two who truly love each other as the pathway to the eternal (“Erotic love is exclusive, but it loves in the other person all of mankind, all that is alive”), her perspective comes across as pretty drab and duty-driven. The institution we are given by state or religion is a palliative, and too often a shroud; and it could represent a breach of trust with one’s soul to rest in it too complacently. If we require a legal contract to ‘bind’ our decision to love, we’re lost. 

Pamela Satterwhite 

• 

PUBLIC COMMENT 

Editor, Daily Planet: 

Mayor Tom Bates’ proposed changes to public comments and public hearings at city council meetings strike yet another blow at the democratic process. 

A majority of Berkeley voters elected Tom Bates mayor in the misguided belief that he would look after their interests. They are now learning to their sorrow that they have entrusted the chicken coop to the fox. 

Issues brought by the public to the city council often are too complex to cover in three minutes. Reducing public comments from three minutes to two will make it even more difficult to get the message across. 

Moving public hearings to Thursday nights would assure that concerned citizens who follow important developments at the council and ZAB will have to sacrifice one in order to attend the other in two out of four cases. 

Tom Bates, your proposals are bad. I t’s best to withdraw them at once. The least you can do is hold a public hearing, where the people will tell you what you should have learned at the parcel tax hearing. 

It’s time for Tom Bates to ask: “Why am I here, and who am I supposed to serve?” 

Dani ella Thompson 

• 

DEMOCRACY NOW 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

As the Bush administration brazenly backs the overthrow of the democratically elected government in Haiti it is once again clear that we in the United States are living under the rule of criminals. 

W e need to impeach this administration; we need to indict this administration; and we need to begin a serious push for democracy in this nation. 

George Palen 

• 

SO WHAT? 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I read your article and accompanying memo from Mr. Cowan to th e mayor and I’m wondering what all of the brouhaha is about. It reads like a clear and simple explanation of what the city’s possible options are, and not, as Councilmember Spring says, a “plan for how the city can grease the tracks and overcome any citizen concern and input.” 

From the way I read it we’re going to have a fight on our hands anyway and we’ve got to find some common ground (something often in short supply). City center is sadly and slowly hollowing out and to have a large hotel and tourist destiniation (the museum complex) to provide jobs would be great. 

Bill Newton 

• 

MURAL ART 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I am writing to correct misinformation in an article entitled “Mural’s Sad Fate Spotlights Art Program” in your Feb. 5 issue. It was wonderful article describing the ways in which art, expecially mural art, is so underaprreciated and that the artists are so often unrecognized. The article shows a nice picture of the La Pena Cultural Center mural and then mistakenly credits it to Osha Neumann alone. I wated to write this letter assuming Mr. Neumann would correct this mistake since, in fact, the mural was created by four artists: Anna de Leon, Ray Patlan, O’Brien Thiele and Neumann. 

I know this for two reasons. All four artist’s names are printed on the base of the mural. In addition, I was personally involved since the soaring ceramic birds that represent the condor of Chile, the eagle of Mexico and the quetzal of Guatelmala were created by Anna de Leon and fired in my kiln on Parker Street. As far as I know, this mural is unique in that it combines the painted surface and the more dimensional ceramic, which gives so much vitality and surface interest to the mural. Also, the ceramic withstands ravages of the elements indefinitely, even as the paint fades. 

I believe that when artists come together to make art, they should all, not just the most vocal or the one interviewed, be recognized for their work. I believe that was the point of Jakob Schiller’s article, for which I thank you. 

Francesca Roveda 

• 

TYRANNY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I was amazed to see the laughable headline, “Tyranny Seen in the Oakland School Takeover” in the recent article by J. Douglas Allen-Taylor (Daily Planet, Feb. 20-23). I have enjoyed most of your columnist’s previ ous UnderCurrents essays, but now he seems to have gone off the deep end. The Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) under the leadership of Superintendent Dennis Chaconas has managed to run up many millions of dollars in deficits in the last few years. T he OUSD asked the State of California for a $100,000,000 loan to bail them out of the financial hole that they had managed to dig themselves into.  

State control of the OUSD operations was the price that they had to pay. Now folks are whining about any a nd every cost-cutting measure, including school closures. Its time for protesters and whiner-babies to get a grip and grow up. The OUSD Board members, Superintendent Chaconas and his top administrators failed in their sworn responsibility to keep the (OUS D) in good financial order. Millions and millions of dollars has been looted from the (OUSD) by staff embezzlers, crooks, thieves and just common grafters.  

A recent story in the Oakland Tribune (2/19/04) reported how several former OUSD employees were m iraculously still receiving paychecks long after their employment with the District had ended. 

It is evident that many teachers and staff members showed zero loyalty to the OUSD and happily looted the District budget for as much as they could get away wi th. Endless cell phone calls to friends and 

relatives paid by the District. It was, “Get on board the OUSD reparations train, we’re pulling out of the 

station soon. Bring your friends, relatives and neighbors too. It the biggest party in Oakland ever. Don’t miss out.”  

Tyranny is what Bush has created in Iraq, it is not tyranny for the new State Administrator of the OUSD to balance the District’s budget. 

James K. Sayre 

Oakland 

• 

XXXXXXXXXX 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I found your recent BUSD budget article (20-23 Feb 2004) interesting in that the Vera Casey Center budget shortfall is $100k. With 10 students regularly using its services, this amounts to $10,000 per student. According to the article, the Vera Casey Center operates on a state grant, meaning th at its budget is larger than $100,000; unfortunately the center’s budget is not noted in the article. Surely the center’s services can be provided in a more cost-effective manner. 

Peter Zielinski 

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XXXXXXXXXX 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In the ongoing discus sion about the $72 million dollars in ABAG loans Patrick Kennedy scored, he states, “The general benefits to the city of the additional 425 units of new housing are also there for people to judge (Daily Planet, Feb. 20-23).”  

The buildings LEAK. Many peo ple would consider leaking five-story buildings to be a problem rather than an asset. Maybe Mr. Kennedy will take a moment to tell us what measures are being taken to prevent his three projects under construction from being the next batch of leakers to “benefit” this proud city. 

C. Osborn 

• 

XXXXXXXXXX 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Schwarzenegger’s office gravely warns the public that gay marriages being performed at San Francisco’s City Hall will cause mayhem, that it will “lead to anarchy.” Other foes of gay marriage warn of a “fierce backlash.” 

What now: Will Washington policymakers initiate preemptive military strikes against San Francisco—as they did in Kabul, Khandahar and Baghdad? 

Will Gov. Schwarzenegger or President Bush call in the U.S. military to drop cluster bombs on civilian wedding parties—as in Afghanistan? 

I suppose we should take the warnings seriously. After all, there’s no knowing from one minute to the next what this administration will drop on our heads, or—God forbid—on the heads of others. 

Sheila Newbery 

[Yesterday I e-mailed you a letter responding to Elizabeth Will’s letter in the Daily Planet for 17 Feb; that letter can stand, but if it’s not much trouble I’d replace it with this] 

In the Daily Planet for 17 February, Elizabeth Will wonders whether pilots and/or air traffic controllers have started to zero in on her house near El Cerrito Plaza, and whether “zoning” allows such. Like her, I know nothing about zoning, but Bay Area aeronautical charts don’t show any no-fly zones. I n any case, anyone who spends an hour or two on the BART platform will wonder what the fuss is about. When Oakland Airport is using runway 11, its arrivals from the south and east pass over the Berkeley-to-El Cerrito area westbound at 3000-4000 ft; some a re audible but none are bothersome. Once in a while an equally unobtrusive SFO arrival will appear at 6000 ft. But most of the year Oakland is using runway 29, which means 80-90% of OAK-SFO traffic is miles away from El Cerrito, and the few airliners that do appear are either level at 5000 ft or climbing above 10000 ft. Neither is loud enough to attract attention. 

Tim Zukas 

455 41st St #2  

Oakland CA 94609-2536  

510-653-4585 

I applaud Matthew Artz for writing the article about how “Bush Law  

Sabotage s School’s Effort to Leave No Child Behind” is wrongly giving  

Washington Elementary School a bad reputation. As a mother of a first  

grader at Washington, I felt really bad when I got the School District’s  

letter stating that Washington is a “needs impr ovement” school and I can  

opt to transfer my child to another Berkeley school. By the way, I heard  

from our Leadership Team meeting that not one Washington family opted to  

transfer. Last year, when I was searching for a school for kindergarten, I  

visited four schools in my zone and one private school. We selected  

Washington. Why? Because for my family, it is the best choice. My son is an  

intelligent and confident child, so I knew that he would be fine in public  

school. He had completed three years of Montessori preschool and was a good  

candidate for private school. But, I felt that a private school would be  

too homogenous. Frankly, how many families can afford $9,000 tuition a  

year? Not only am I interested in good academics, I want him in an  

e nvironment that reflects the Bay Area in race, culture and economics,  

because social development is important too. 

Since being at Washington for two years now, I’m impressed with the school.  

I’m part of the Leadership Team, which comprise of the principal, staff,  

teachers and parents. As a group, we help make spending decisions together.  

I like this inclusion. Honestly, I’m learning more about Washington every  

year and I like what I see. Of course, I’m not happy about everything at  

Washington, but that would be unrealistic. Are there better schools than  

Washington? That is a personal question each family needs to search out for  

themselves. It upsets me when I hear that parents avoid Washington because  

of what they hear rather than what they see and experience for themselves. 

We need good parents and kids at all Berkeley schools so I hope that  

families take the time to research schools by visiting them. 

Washington Elementary School Parent, 

Mimi Chin 

Mimi Chin 

Principal Architectural Associa tes, Design Services 

Residential and Student Service Programs 

2610 Channing Way, 4th Floor 

Berkeley, California 94720-2272 

Telephone: 510-643-4338 

Fax: 510-643-1222  

I have one minor correction to make to Lesley Emmington’s wonderful  

article about t he Blood house and the continuing destruction of  

Berkeley’s historic resources. While the Southside, and indeed much of  

the City, did support and benefit from the Neighborhood Preservation  

Ordinance; it was in fact authored by Martha Nicoloff along wit h the  

Oceanview Committee in response to the wholesale bulldozing of houses in  

the West Berkeley Redevelopment Project Area. Committee members threw  

themselves prostrate in front of bulldozers and then unsuccessfully sued  

to force the Redevelopment Ag ency (which at the time was a separate  

board headed by the City Manager) to comply with the newly adopted NPO  

and to stop the razing of some of the oldest houses in the City. It was  

then that the City Council became one of the first in California to  

d eclare itself to be the Redevelopment Agency and they created a plan to  

restore the Oceanview neighborhood. A fragment of the original  

committee continues to exist as the Oceanview Tenant and Neighborhood  

Associations and we’re still waiting for the Ci ty to fulfill the  

promises that it made so long ago.  

Rhiannon 

731 Virginia St 

Berkeley Ca 94710 

510-524-9586 

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