The Opinion Pages

Editorials

Editorial: Whatever Became of the Commons?

By Becky O'Malley
Tuesday July 17, 2007
"Public Commons for Everyone.” Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? The slogan, adopted by Mayor Bates for his re-run of the anti-panhandling ordinance which he’d supported once before, was probably coined by his house flack Cisco DeVries, formerly of San Francisco’s Staton & Hughes political public relations firm. It acquired Orwellian overtones when it became clear that the Bates ordinance’s real purpose was to keep unattractive persons away from the public commons, particularly from shopping districts. But the council approved it, in concept at least. -more-

Letters

Letters to the Editor

Tuesday July 17, 2007

Reader Commentaries

Commentary: Mayor’s Proposed Public Comment Rules Violate Fair Play

By Dona Spring
Tuesday July 17, 2007
On Tuesday July 17, the City Council will take up the issue of how public comment at Council meetings is structured. We will be deciding who gets to address the Council and how long they will get to speak. -more-

Commentary: Berkeley Iceland: A Treasure that Should Not Be at Risk

By Gale Garcia
Tuesday July 17, 2007
I attended the hearings on the landmark designation for Iceland, our jewel in the heart of Berkeley. Those wishing to preserve Iceland spoke spiritedly on behalf of this well-loved asset—and they were brilliant. They paid tribute with eloquence and soul. -more-

Commentary: Thoughts on Berkeley Living

By George Oram
Tuesday July 17, 2007
One of my favorite songs from long ago begins “Why, oh why, oh why oh why did I ever leave Ohio?” -more-

Healthy Living: What Are We Eating and How Is Our Food Produced?

By Charlene M. Woodcock
Tuesday July 17, 2007
These essential questions are being raised more and more often, at least in California, and several local authors and filmmakers have addressed them recently in illuminating ways. -more-

‘Inquiring Mind’ Journal Throws 25th Anniversary Party

By Marty Schiffenbauer
Tuesday July 17, 2007
As the psychedelic ’60s morphed into the sour reality of the ’70s, many a dazed survivor was struck with the revelation that there was more to life than sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll. For some, a search for enlightenment led to Buddhism, which had a particular appeal for Jewish hippie intellectual lefties—such as a fair percentage of my pals. Picking up on this trend, a local stand-up comic, Darryl Henriques, did a shtick where he inhabited the persona of the Swami from Miami, chief guru of the Bu-ish religion. -more-