Public Comment

After recently going through my first election cycle as chair of government affairs, I wanted to offer a few thoughts on the Great ’06 Berkeley Political Struggle. I recently finished reading 1776 and John Adams by David McCullough and Founding Brother’s: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph Ellis, and so was able to experience this election cycle in the context of political history. Then, as now, the political bickering and posturing began before and lasted long after the actual votes were counted. There is a major difference however, the bullhorns are much larger today. 

Today, a single sentence may be spoken; then that sentence may be repeated ad nauseum. It will be commented on and analyzed in print, on radio, on television and on the internet. Thankfully, in most places, while there are obvious opinions, there are at least attempts to be journalistically objective. Not in Berkeley where our dubiously self-proclaimed “second most read paper” avoids even an attempted veil of objectivity. 

I believe in things, I have opinions and I admit that freely. I am, quite obviously, involved in the Chamber and, perhaps less obviously, an enormous advocate and proponent of business in Berkeley. I believe in the Chamber of Commerce and I believe in the businesses the Chamber represents. The Chamber is an amazingly open institution where ANY member may serve on the Government Affairs (GA) Committee. All Chamber political positions start in the GA Committee (about 25 members). Every political issue starts with research and work that is done by members of GA who bring to the table different understandings and opinions and different research capabilities and expertise. The GA committee makes recommendations to the Board (about members), who bring even more breadth, depth and often times passion to the discussion and who ultimately decide upon the positions the Chamber will take publicly. 

Contrast the Chamber’s decision-making process to a privately held newspaper subject to little or no checks and balances. It would be extremely seductive to take one’s millions (assuming one had millions) and buy a “news”paper to print one’s own opinion and hire private eyes to dig up dirt (or manufacture it when it is otherwise unavailable) and hire shills to write articles that support that opinion and tear down opposing views. It may be tempting, but it does not make for a better world. Everyone knows there is a bias in the “Second most read paper”; not everyone knows the enormous amount of money that stands behind that bias. Thankfully, Berkeley is a thinking town and I am certain I am not the only person wondering if their unrelenting front-page “articles,” editorials and ultimate doorstep delivery (first time in history) pushes them over the line from “news”paper into sneaky vehicle to dodge campaign finance rules and support their hegemony? 

The Chamber of Commerce freely admits that we have an interest in the economic development and the commercial success of Berkeley. Someone has to pursue this end and I am simply baffled that we don't all have an interest in it? What's more, we are in business for ourselves and so know a thing or two about how we could improve the business climate in Berkeley. We believe the commercial success of Berkeley leads to, among other things, more purchases from other local merchants (success breeds success), more and better jobs, new business formations, gifts for non-profits, more well-funded arts institutions and increased tax revenues that ultimately feed city services. Wouldn’t these be good things? 

While I don’t expect a repeat of the 1804 Burr-Hamilton pistol duel in Berkeley, a duel may be a more civil way to deal with our differences than the interminably nauseating barrage of absurdity that wafts from the “Second most read paper’s” pages. At least, if we did it the old fashioned way and we lost to their much larger and more well-financed bullhorn, we wouldn’t have to be around to listen to it anymore. 

Jonathan DeYoe is chair of the Government Affairs Committee of the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce.