Opinion

A panel discussion of the upcoming national election at UC’s Wheeler Auditorium last Thursday featured some familiar faces—Joan Blades of MoveOn.com, Prof. George Lakoff of “framing” fame, and the bloggers’ hero, Markos Moulitsas, “Daily Kos,” with political scientist Bruce Cain as moderator—articulating their now-familiar themes about what’s happened to progressive politics in the United States and what can be done about it. Cain joked that the panel was “fair and balanced” just like Fox News. A strongly partisan audience was obviously hoping that one of them had brought along a crystal ball showing a clear victory for Democrats nationally next week, but no one was confident enough to make such an optimistic prediction. The fourth panelist, political science professor Paul Pierson, was a new face, a last-minute replacement for Robert Reich, another familiar member of progressive pundit arrays. -more-

Wednesday night the genteel old Berkeley City Club (I’m so old that I remember it as the Women’s City Club) was the scene of a discussion between the two candidates for Berkeley’s District 7 City Council seat. Present in the audience and on their best behavior were some distinguished graying veterans of the venerable group known as People’s Park activists, as well as a number of members of the Telegraph Avenue Merchants’ Association which sponsored the event, some neighborhood residents and a small but enthusiastic claque supporting candidate George Beier. (An overheard conversation as the audience left suggested that some of these were from Oakland and Concord, but it’s OK if they came to cheer for a friend or family member—one was his sister.) -more-

BATES ON BUILDINGS -more-

Wednesday, Barack Obama speaking about his book, The Audacity of Hope, said “Americans were yearning for an end to slash and burn politics.” Unfortunately, the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce BBG PAC wasn’t listening. On Thursday, a no-holds-barred-we-don’t-care-about-the-truth hit piece urging No on Measure J appeared in Berkeley mailboxes. This hit piece is so over-the-top that people should vote YES on Measure J just to send the message that cheap shots mailed from Southern California have no place here. -more-

Public education is the most critical social justice issues before us today if we are to assure the future of a working democracy. On Nov. 7, Berkeley voters will have the opportunity to renew their support of the public education system by voting yes on Measure A. -more-

“What’s that, Mama?” asked my 6-year-old daughter one recent afternoon, as she looked over my shoulder at the newspaper I was reading. She was pointing at a photograph of yet another impromptu street corner shrine in Oakland; a Mickey Mouse doll with “RIP Pooh” scrawled on its shirt, some flowers, an empty, open liquor bottle of the deceased’s preferred brand. -more-

The Daily Planet recently reported that Al Gore came to Berkeley to support Proposition 87. Berkeley residents might be surprised to learn that our Chamber of Commerce has come out against Prop 87, even though a large majority of Berkeley residents will certainly vote for this proposition that deals positively with our nation’s oil addiction by taxing oil companies to fund alternatives to our current oil dependency and to reduce oil consumption. -more-

Sweeping together popular and questionable proposals into one package is an old political trick that too often frustrates many voters. But often the politicians gamble on the enthusiasm for one part to carry the wriggling bundle through to a win. -more-

Since I am known as an advocate for Berkeley homeowners, taxpayers, and neighborhoods, many Berkeleyans have asked me about my local voting choices in the upcoming November 7 election. As do I, many of these long-term Berkeley residents feel politically homeless, disenfranchised, and less than sanguine about the future of middle income homeownership, of our lovely neighborhoods, and of our entire little polity. -more-

ALBANY -more-

Call me frustrated. Some weeks ago—never mind how long precisely—I set out to try to get straight answers from Mayor Bates about some questionable statements he has made about the recent settlement agreement between the City and the University of California. I dutifully attended campaign forum after forum, patiently waited for the question period, then stood up and carefully aimed my inquiries. But every time it seemed that the mayor would be obliged to give a direct answer to one of my queries, he slipped away into the unfathomable depths. Alas! Did my efforts ultimately prove as fruitless as Captain Ahab’s hunt for the great white whale? We shall see. -more-

A lot of readers are focusing on the effects Proposition 90 will have on eminent domain in California, but many are missing that this is one of the most squarely anti-environmental initiatives to reach the California ballot in decades. -more-