The Editor's Back Fence

New: Don't Miss This: Which Side is He On?
Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates tells all in video of speech to Berkeley Property Owners Association (the landlord lobby).

Saturday July 04, 2015 - 12:03:00 PM

He's been the developers' guy all the way, all along, he says.

Tom Lochner of the Contra Costa Times has found a video in which Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates tells his landlord buddies in the Berkeley Property Owners Association that he's on their side all the way. And so, he says, is Laurie Capitelli. He says he started out as a developer himself, as did Capitelli. Who knew?

In the speech, Bates advises the landlords to form their own Political Action Commitee (PAC) and suggests a city takeover of the Rent Board and the Housing Authority. No kidding.