Opinion

It’s been an unpleasant few days around here. All weekend long, and for two days later the ominous drone of circling helicopters was heard at our house, as if we were in a war zone. University of California in its majesty was administering the coup de grace to the hapless romantics perched atop the skeleton of the lone redwood which temporarily survived the assault of the Monarch of the West. -more-

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OAK GROVE -more-

After UC cut down Memorial Stadium oak grove, the tree-sitters remained for three days in a lone redwood tree surrounded by decimation before they agreed to come down Tuesday morning. During those three days you probably wanted to know: What do they want in order to come down? -more-

Suddenly, in Berkeley, we are back in the early 1960s. Half a century ago a large, ad hoc, well-funded assortment of owners and managers targeted for urban development (classrooms, malls, hotels, discount houses, condominiums) the “unused” shoreline, the land and water to the west. A similar group of movers and shakers has now mapped out for concrete and asphalt, equipment and people, the beautiful natural park with its year-round creek, that extends up Strawberry Canyon to the east. -more-

Becky O’Malley’s editorial “Sarah Palin Fails Her Most Important Job” is unfortunate and misguided. -more-

As the presidential poll numbers tighten, I have recently heard the following: The American people are stupid, voters have again been manipulated by the media, working class voters will again vote on cultural, not economic, issues, and the United States will never elect an African-American President. This deep-seated distrust of the “average” U.S. voter appears to conflict with progressives’ stated faith in the wisdom of “the people.” For many progressives, the past week has brought back memories of 2004, when an openly right-wing president prevailed despite forcing the nation into a disastrous war. Some now believe that the 2004 scenario will be repeated, particularly in a media climate as supportive of McCain-Palin as it was toward Bush-Cheney. Not to spoil people’s misery fest, but 2008 is not 2004. And those lacking any confidence in voters’ ability to decide which candidates really represent “change” should become active in something other than politics. -more-

There are three local tax measures facing Berkeley voters: Measure GG, Fire Protection and Emergency Preparedness Tax; Measure FF, Library Bond; and Measure GG, the Gann Tax Renewals. The most objectionable is GG, for the reasons below, but there are also good reasons to say no to all three. -more-

The city clerk has published the ballot arguments for Measure KK, the anti-transit initiative, and anyone who is familiar with the issues can see that the measure’s backers have filled their ballot argument with false claims. -more-

First of all, full disclosure: Mr. Rizwan A. Rahmani, who penned a Labor Day op-ed regarding the questionable allegiances of Sen. Joe Lieberman, is my husband, so when I respond to the letter from David Altschul, I do so not only because the letter in question is full of “foul foolishness” (Mr. Altschul’s own letter-closing zinger), but also because he attacked the man I love, and unlike the aforementioned Sen. Lieberman, I know where my loyalties lie. -more-

Berkeley’s Public Works Commission is in the process of changing the criteria for allocating PG&E 20A public funds for underground wiring. It has been a process without public input or consideration from other city commissions. -more-