Features

CORPORATION YARD 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Well, it’s 2:57 Friday and I’m at the Corporation Yard get-together. I just talked to an employee who thought that “by the freeway” is a better place for the Corporation Yard. (I think he was fairly typical of the employees in general.) The employees are friendly with each other, but guarded concerning their jobs. The public is encouraged to sit at picnic tables, away from the employees, (and not next to the entrance to the food building where I staked out turf.)  

Mayor Bates was shaking hands and politicking less than 10 feet from me. Please, Planet readers, dig deeper into Corporation Yard issues for yourselves. 

Alice Jorgensen 

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EXPECTING RETORTS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I welcomed Ms. O’Malley’s Sept., 7-9, 2004 editorial, “Hostility and Ineffectiveness,” for its content. But I didn’t move quickly to my word processor—it was simply refreshing to see in print what one knew to be the situation, especially when expressed in communicative syntax, spelling, grammar and punctuation. So now we have the threatened male-bonding retorts. Ho hum. 

Helen Rippier Wheeler 

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ISLAMIC TERRORISM 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

While it was heartening to see a Muslim finally take a stand in print condemning terrorism done in the name of Islam (“To Muslim Extremists: Not in the Name of Islam,” Daily Planet, Sept. 10-13), Hassan Zillur Rahim will have to go a long way to convince a significant percentage of his co-religionists to sympathize with his perspective. A recent major international poll conducted by the respected Pew Foundation revealed that worldwide, the two international leaders a goodly percentage of Muslims held in most respect were Osama Bin Laden and Yasir Arafat. 

Moreover, while Rahim rightly castigates “Muslim fanatics” who “continued to wage one brutal terrorist act after another around the world — Moscow, Bali, Karachi, Madrid,” he conspicuously neglected to mention the cities of the country which has experienced far and away the most incessant violence done in the name of Islam. Until Muslims like Rahim are willing to condemn the non-stop acts of terrorism by Islamicists toward the citizenry of Israel, which has experienced on a per capita basis a thousand 9/11s, his commentary will appear more than just a little disingenuous. 

Dan Spitzer 

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WILLARD GARDEN 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

As a former Willard student, I was shocked to see the front of the school garden on Telegraph Avenue. Nearly all the hard work put into the Telegraph Avenue area was literally ruined. I remember, as a sixth grader, tending the front garden and appreciating the surroundings. Now it is history. All the hard work gone to waste. I am appalled by the Berkeley Unified School District’s destruction of this front area. And to add to the awe, BUSD claims that this was to “provide better handicap access.” This is confusing to me, as I think there is enough for four or five wheelchairs, side-by-side, to go through the Telegraph Avenue gate. For the next decision BUSD makes regarding this issue, it should consult with the PTA and Yolanda Huang, at least! Stop this now! 

Rio Bauce 

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THANKS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Your paper keeps getting better and better. Good choices and clear thinking and good writing—wow!  

I’m especially grateful for Ron Sullivan’s pieces on trees. Helping people recognize and appreciate our trees may result in more effective protest about the removal and/or mutilation of both public and privately-owned trees. Whenever I have asked why we can’t have more skillful pruners for our public trees, the answer has been “Prop. 13,” which has become a knee-jerk response to all problems. We can do better than that. 

Many thanks for your good work. 

Donna Davis 

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NEXUS BUILDING 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Thanks for your ongoing coverage of the efforts of the Friends of Nexus (including the 64 Berkeley residents, architects, neighbors, artists and craftspeople, businesspeople and others who signed the landmark nomination petition) to save Nexus. The accompanying picture, even if black and white, caught the charm of the historic structures (“Humane Society, Nexus Battle for Fate of Building,” Daily Planet, Sept. 10-13). 

I would like to suggest two corrections, however. The most important concerns the willingness of Nexus to invest in the buildings’ maintenance and upgrades. Over the years, we have spent over $100,000 for new roofs, electrical upgrades, and other improvements, including a $6,000 new sewer line this summer. 

We are eager to begin the seismic upgrade, underwriting all the costs, but are hopeful that can be tied to a lease extension considering the six-figure costs and disruption involved. 

The retrofit deadline extensions have been granted to the owner of the property—the Humane Society, not Nexus. A win-win scenario from our perspective would be to have Nexus assume the costs and responsibility for the retrofit as soon as possible, allowing the Humane Society to focus on their important mission of animal welfare. 

Robert Brokl 

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ACHIEVEMENT GAP 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Berkeley’s white liberals usually oppose diversity of thought or opinion but champion diversity of color, as long as they are not directly effected. Parents at Berkeley High are finally waking up to the fact that the manic attempt to erase the “achievement gap” is becoming detrimental to the education of their children. 

The four autonomous “small schools” planned for Berkeley High must reflect the demographic of the population at large (as per the school site plan). The Academic Choice program, which allows students to enroll in more challenging classes, is not a small school and therefore is not subject to the same quota system. 

As might be expected, the majority of students interested in Academic Choice were white and Asian. The Site Council suddenly became anti-choice and proposed a diversity requirement as per the small schools. Political correctness once again trumps common sense. 

Site Council President Claudia Wilken feared a segregated campus. If the closing of the achievement gap and a quality education were the true priority, segregation might not be a bad idea. Those at the lower end of the achievement gap have special needs and should receive special attention, but not at the expense of other students. Models which have proven to work best to help poorly achieving students include, separating not only by race but by gender, the wearing of uniforms and a learning environment with strict discipline. 

The biggest obstacle to closing the achievement gap was staring Principal Slemp right in the face as he addressed the capacity crowd at last Thursday night’s election for the Site Council. I counted a total of seven African American parents at the meeting! I estimate that to be less than two percent parental representation, where as they comprise 32 percent of the student body. 

The votes were cast, the people spoke, and Claudia Wilken and her group were swept out of office and replaced with a slate of candidates who ran on a pro-choice, pro-education platform. If these same Berkeley liberals would only apply such common sense to other issues in Berkeley, realize that political correctness makes it difficult to talk about actual reasons for many problems and therefor impossible to reach any real solutions, we might begin to make some real progress. Perhaps a step was taken Thursday night. 

Michael Larrick 

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BUSH’S RECORD 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

CBS’s revelations that Bush got preferential acceptance into the Texas Air National Guard, and that he failed to serve his country throughout his term of duty were answered by Dan Bartlett, the White House’s flack, saying that these were “old charges,” “politically based,” and that they resurface every election year. True, but this time, the charges are substantiated by documents and testimonials of the people responsible for giving Bush that life-saving break. The White House’s denials, like the televised denial by Bush himself, are shown to be flat-out lies. 

Since we can’t trust the current president to tell the truth about his own military service, how can we trust him to continue as commander-in-chief of our sons and daughters who are actually serving our country with their lives? 

Bruce Joffe 

Piedmont 

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RADICAL EXTREMISM 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I find it disgusting that people on the right, especially politicians, columnists, and some ordinary citizens who describe other people who are uncompromising environmentalists as either “radical environmentalists” or “environmental extremists.” Does that mean that other people, including myself, who want clean water, clean air, and no storage of nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, Nev., which is home of the Western Shoshone People, are radical extremists? 

If that is the case, then it seems that these people on the right enjoy having dirty water, dirty air, and support President Bush’s action of storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain. Above all, people on the right enjoy dirty water, dirty air, and want to live comfortable with four more years of President Bush.  

Billy Trice, Jr. 

Oakland 

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CITY EMPLOYEES 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Unlike all private sector employees who pay Social Security (payroll) taxes, all state, Alameda County, Oakland and City of Albany employees, and even Berkeley public school teachers, Berkeley’s city employees do not have to contribute anything to their own publicly funded pensions. This unique employee benefit was granted by the City Council under the previous mayor in better economic times for reasons unknown to the general public. It was a fiscally irresponsible and short-sighted decision, and by one estimate accounts for more than half of the city’s current budget shortfall of $10 million. 

This overly generous provision is part of the collective bargaining agreements city officials negotiated with unions representing city employees. These agreements don’t expire for another two years or so, but could be amended much sooner if all parties to the contracts agree to do so. 

Before we, the voters and taxpayers of Berkeley, go to the polls in November, the mayor and the leaders of the city employees’ unions owe us a detailed explanation, using figures verified for accuracy by the city auditor, as to why city employees should not have to share the costs of their publicly funded pension plan to help us avoid most of the proposed tax and fee increases or many of the planned budget cuts. If these official fail to provide an adequate explanation, the voters should hold their feet to the fire and reject the proposed tax and fee increases. 

Keith Winnard 

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A NASTY FLAVOR 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Regarding John Koenigshofer’s diatribe against Becky’s editorial about her recent Berkeley Police experience, I’d like to say that one can have a most unpleasant encounter with an officer and not file a complaint; so his statistics are undoubtedly way off the mark. 

I’m 63 and for ease of parking and gas conservation, I’ll ride a little Yamaha scooter to run errands. Last Sunday was sweltering and I couldn’t bear to wear my helmet. I got pulled over by Officer McDougall and ticketed! When he was finished with the 10 minutes of paper work (registration, insurance, license, etc.) he said, “You know, I could have your scooter towed.” Then he finished the process by saying, “Enjoy the rest of your day.” 

I’m sorry. It’s facetious, patronizing comments and attitudes like McDougall’s that put a nasty flavor in citizens’ mouths. I don’t think it’s typical, but it happens and it’s unnecessary. 

Mary Wilson 

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A NEW CAPTAIN 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The crew of the giant sinking ship U.S. America will elect a new captain. Miraculously they are divided into two parties and every adult sleeping on the sinking ship will cast one vote for person A, the nominee for captain of party A, of for person B, nominee of party B. The nominee who gets the most votes will be the new captain of the sinking ship. 

Great effort is made and much money is spent by the managers of parties A and B to convince the people it is in their own best interest to vote for their party. How do you get the women to vote for you, the blacks, the Mexicans, the rich as well as the poor, organized labor, pensioners, lawyers and government service, people clamoring for free education and medical care and free drugs? You make all these promises, you pay for all these advertisement, you get all these votes. 

The winner wins. This is the famous American Democracy every country should adopt as its form of government, Once every four years the little man is made to believe he has a vote in the kind of society he lives in, that representatives he elects will protect his autonomy and his right to work and his ability to take care of himself and his children. 

Reality is different. Money rules absolutely now, the same money rules and runs the country before as after an election and money rules in its own interest, using people and their governments for its own purpose. Global money needs free trade in a global market to maximize profits.  

Governments, dependent for their election and re-election on this money, have to support always free trade legislation and are thus powerless to protect their own people from the ravages of free trade and unable to stop global capital from scouting all over the world for the cheapest labor to manufacture the goods to be sold in the rich countries to the lucky people who so far have escaped from the hell of unemployment caused by global capitalism. 

The people who are so excited about voting for or against Mr. A or Mr. B are not aware they are both lackeys of global money impotent to save them from the great rape of global capitalism for whom the war in Iraq, like the war in Vietnam, is just a welcome source of extra income. 

Also, lately, we Americans have become quite fanatic about religion. So Mr. A and Mr. B must proclaim belief in the Judeo-Christian God and ask often for His blessing. No non-reborn-Christian or non-pro-Israel person can ever be elected to the presidency. 

This is a call for protectionism and isolationism, for peaceful coexistence and non-interventionism, a call for the fulfillment of the ideas of the American Revolution. 

Jan H. Visser 

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