Opinion

More on the Berkeley ballot measures: for the election-weary among us, it’s hard even to remember which is which. Here’s an easy way to remember why to vote NO on Measure T, courtesy of Wikipedia:

“The Trojan Horse is a tale from the Trojan War about the stratagem that allowed the Greeks to finally enter the city of Troy and end the conflict….After a fruitless 10-year siege, the Greeks constructed a huge wooden horse, and hid a select force of men inside. The Greeks pretended to sail away, and the Trojans pulled the horse into their city as a victory trophy. That night the Greek force crept out of the horse and opened the gates for the rest of the Greek army, which had sailed back under cover of night. The Greeks entered and destroyed the city of Troy, decisively ending the war….

“Metaphorically, a "Trojan Horse" has come to mean any trick or stratagem that causes a target to invite a foe into a securely protected bastion or space.”

Are you a member of an organization that endorses candidates, such as a neighborhood association, a Democratic Club or a political party? Please send us a report of who and what you've endorsed, and we'll post it.

Do you know of a candidates' night somewhere? Let us know about it, and we'll let everyone know.

Here's the email link for all this: news@berkeleydailyplanet.com. Click on it, and write us a letter.

Thanks for participating. -more-

At this time of distrust and chaos around the world especially in the Middle East the Muslim world needs to remember the time when the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon Him) was stoned in the city of Taif and bled to the extent that his shoes were soaked with blood. At that time Angel Gabriel came to him saying that at Prophet’s one word he had the ability and permission from God to join the two mountains and crush the people who lived between them. What did our injured Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) say? ‘NO’. He showed patience and forbearance because God will help the same people come to the right path. If our most honored and respectable Prophet can forgive the people who caused his blood to stain his clothes and shoes then who are we to take revenge on others? -more-

"We really, really need this law,” states the literature supporting Mayor Tom Bates’ proposed anti-sitting law. “But we’re not going to use it for six months and even then hardly ever.”

Sound peculiar? It should. Why shouldn’t the city use a law it claims to need so badly? Why all the backtracking and double-speak?

If you know why, then you probably know that nationwide there’s a move to recognize the cost of the peculiar but politically popular temptation to fine poor people for having no money. -more-

This Tuesday, the Berkeley City Council approved final wording on the majority of revisions to several Berkeley Police Department (BPD) policies and external agreements. This package addressed mutual aid, memorandums of understanding, surveillance, intelligence activities, grants for police equipment, and how Berkeley will handle detainer requests from ICE. The Council voted on all issues except detainers. -more-

A new online site, the Berkeley Almanac, features a lengthy opinion piece on the Berkeley Unified School District's recent encounter with superintendent candidate Edmond Heatley and his critics. -more-