Features

ON THE HOMEFRONT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Maybe now that the City of Berkeley has solved the Middle East crisis and censured the president, it could clean up the broken glass on Bancroft Way between Shattuck Avenue and Milvia Street? It’s been there for six months now and if we are going to be the city shining on the hill, maybe we could solve some of our own little problems before we spend our tax dollars telling the rest of the world how to run itself. 

Paul Glusman 

• 

CENSURE VOTE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Berkeley City Council censures President Bush? 

Not in our name. 

Jeanne Gray Loughman 

Norma Gray 

• 

UC HOTEL 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Randy Shaw’s letter (Daily Planet, March 12-15) should be required reading for those who think the UC-proposed downtown hotel and conference center is a win-win for the city and the university.  

While relentlessly expanding into adjoining neighborhoods and the downtown, UC officials hope to avoid a legal challenge on this project by giving consideration to certain city zoning laws. But this doesn’t mean the city will have an effective voice in determining the most appropriate use of this land in our downtown. 

Many questions remain to be answered. For example, Mr. Shaw points our that a UC conference center and hotel could be substantially underutilized for much of the year—a huge dead space in the heart of downtown. Will it be another disappointment, like Oakland’s downtown Hyatt/convention center? Is this the best use of land in the heart of our tax base? Have we considered other priorities? 

While UC Berkeley is a great university, its reach can be greater than its grasp in matters that go beyond its educational mission. 

Alan Goldfarb 

• 

NEW MEDICARE LAW 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The corporate media has not been covering the fact that the Bush administration has been using our tax dollars to run misleading ads for the new Medicare law. Although studies show most people will pay more, and many thousands could lose existing coverage, the $12 million dollar ad campaign says, “Same Medicare, more benefits.” In fact, this law will benefit the drug companies and HMOs. I do not want my tax dollars used to mislead the public. Here is some information I’d like to share with readers of the Daily Planet. 

Most people will actually pay more under the new law. According to a Consumers’ Union study, “Most beneficiaries will face higher out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs after full implementation, despite the benefit.” 

Medicare is forbidden to negotiate lower prices with drug companies, despite the Veterans Administration’s proven success of this approach. 

People with drug costs of around $500 per month get no Medicare help for half the year. Each year, people on Medicare must pay 100 percent of their drug costs between $2,251 and $5,100. 

Drug companies will get $139 billion in new profits under this law, and HMOs will receive billions to participate. The Wall Street Journal wrote, “Corporate lobbying groups are emerging as winners.” 

Approximately 2.7 million seniors could lose more generous benefits from their former employers, according to the Congressional Budget Office. 

Congress’ General Accounting Office investigated the ads and found that while they are not technically illegal, they contain “omissions,” overstatements, and have a “political tone.” The GAO pointed to the ad’s failure to mention that drug discount cards will cost up to $30 annually, and that savings will vary by drug. 

The media firm hired to run Medicare’s TV ads, National Media Inc. of Arlington, Virginia, also works for the President’s reelection campaign, the Republican Party and drug companies. 

For citations on most of the above facts visit the Campaign for America’s Future at: www.ourfuture.org/docUploads/200401_medmythfact.pdf. 

Janice Schroeder 

• 

SEAGATE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association (BAHA) appreciates the Daily Planet’s coverage of the proposed Seagate Building on Center Street. The project comprises a massive nine-story mixed-use structure, with 145-148 residential units and 150-158 below ground parking spaces. It is moving forward toward full permit review. Accordingly, BAHA has written Acting Planning and Development Director Dan Marks expressing growing concern that there are elements of this project that are patently contrary to the Berkeley Downtown Plan, adopted by the City Council in November 1990. 

It is apparent to BAHA that the physical dimensions and the environmental impacts of the proposed Seagate Building are deserving of no less than a full public review process in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Furthermore, because planning is simultaneously proceeding for the University of California Hotel and Conference Center, announced on November 5, 2003, it is even more incumbent upon the city to adequately review the cumulative effects of two high profile projects, neither of which, by definition, are in compliance with the Downtown Plan. 

BAHA has ascertained with some alarm that, to date, an initial study—the mandated first step prescribed by CEQA—has not yet even been started by city planners. 

Susan Chase 

BAHA President 

• 

WHY NOT W? 

Editors, Daily Planet:  

Why Martha Stewart but not George W. Bush? Stewart convicted of making false statements, conspiracy to make false statements, providing misleading information involving insider trading. No soldiers, innocent civilians or children killed or maimed. 

Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, et al, have not yet been charged despite their false statements regarding matters of war involving non-existent nuclear weapons, chemical weapons, biological weapons, and al-Qaeda connections. Misleading information leading to war for control of world’s second largest oil reserves in Iraq, with permanent U.S. military bases, dominated by oil corporations and their politicians. Lies and war causing over 10,000 deaths and maimings, including Americans and thousands of Iraqi civilians including children killed or maimed. 

Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Wolfowitz also helped Reagan-Bush aid their war criminal ally Saddam Hussein with vast sums of money and assistance in the 1980s. As Stewart faces possible prison, when will Bush and his co-liars and one-time Saddam supporters be charged with false statements and misleading information” resulting in the deaths of thousands? 

Patrick Keilch 

• 

PAINT THE CROSSWALK 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

With regard to my daughter Ashley’s Girl Scout Gold Award project of putting a crosswalk on Allston Way so that students can safely cross between the school and the park where they eat lunch, the California Vehicle Code states the following: 

1. Section 21373 states that if a school board requests traffic control devices, the City must start work on surveys within 90 days. 

2. Section 21372 States that the City must establish “traffic controls devices near schools for the purpose of protecting students” based upon pedestrian volumes, vehicle volumes and proximity to schools. 

3. Section 21368 states that crosswalks within 600 feet of a school must be painted yellow “for the protection and safety of persons attending the school”. 

While none of these sections specifically state that Berkeley High School must have a crosswalk between the school and the park to protect the lives of our young people—as compared to merely protecting vehicular flow—the code certainly does hint around that perhaps the City of Berkeley traffic department would be doing our kids a great favor if they would “turn to” and paint the darn crosswalk. 

Our children have been illegally crossing Allston Way for more than 60 years. They’ve received traffic tickets for doing this. They’ve faced detention and on-campus suspension for doing this. They’ve been yelled at, they’ve endangered their lives, they’ve injured themselves and they’ve lost their lunches while trying to run across the street in the face of on-coming traffic. They’ve even gotten hit by cars—and they still do it. We think it’s time we stopped making criminals of our youth and started protecting their right to be safe. Crossing Allston at lunchtime means a lot to Berkeley students.  

Berkeley students are good kids. They work hard at school (many go on to Harvard). They have a short lunch period. They are not criminals. Let’s show them that we care and give them a yellow (and red) crosswalk.  

One last sobering thought: Our high school students will get their lives endangered soon enough when George Bush’s proposed universal draft plan goes into effect. Let’s protect them now—while we still can. Let’s get out there and paint that crosswalk! 

Jane Stillwater 

• 

FALSEHOODS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I wish to point out several major falsehoods in the following statement, (“Censure Council Vote,” Daily Planet, March 12-15): “...both Mayor Tom Bates and Councilmember Linda Maio cited the fact that Congresswoman Lee had poured cold water on the impeachment idea during a late January meeting with Berkeley activists.” 

1) Neither Mayor Bates nor Councilmember Maio were present at the Jan. 30 meeting with Congressmember Lee, and, therefore, are not qualified to make factual statements. Present at the meeting with Congresswoman Lee were 13 members of the public representing 12 of the 14 organizations, (either based in or with members in Rep. Barbara Lee’s District 9) which have endorsed the impeachment of at least President Bush and Vice President Cheney. 

2) All but two of the representatives present at the meeting live in Congresswoman Lee’s district, and since several live in Oakland, the group as a whole cannot be characterized as “Berkeley activists.” Furthermore, three national organizations endorsing impeachment: Veterans for Peace, the National Lawyers Guild, and the Green Party had representatives present. 

3) Most importantly, Congresswoman Lee did not “pour cold water on the impeachment idea.” She supported the efforts of the National Coalition to Impeach Bush/Cheney, and encouraged us to continue organizing in order to help create a groundswell of support for impeachment. Although she indicated, until such groundswell, her priority would be to concentrate on voter participation. Nevertheless, Congresswoman Lee indicated that she might submit a Resolution of Inquiry to the House International Relations Committee that would make reference to impeachable offenses. Congresswoman Lee also agreed to participate in a town hall Meeting on impeachment, to which she might invite Congressmembers Maxine Waters and John Conyers. The National Coalition to Impeach Bush/Cheney had put the plans for a town hall Meeting on hold. We felt it very important to support the Berkeley City Council Peace and Justice Commission “Investigate Impeachment Resolution” of the March 9 City Council agenda. Our aim was to foster the groundswell of support for impeachment that was called for by Representatives Lee and Conyers. 

Some 200 impeachment supporters attended the rally and press conference, many of whom afterwards packed the City Council chambers.  

Gene Bernardi, National Coalition to Impeach Bush/Cheney 

• 

XXXXXXXXXX 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

To: Mayor Bates, Councilmember Maio, and Berkeley Planning Commission  

Berkeley citizens worked for years to agree on the West Berkeley Area Plan, a clear vision for Green Valley industrial growth that will ensure sustainable development while keeping the city’s business ecosystem as diverse as the culture. One dimension of this vision is an expanded reuse and recycling industry. Berkeley already has a base of reuse and recycling businesses that help achieve recycling goals and provide local employment. The industry can grow much larger, but only if it has affordable land.  

Berkeley has an opportunity to lead the resource industry’s development—and build economically—as Alameda County pursues its goal of diverting 75 percent of discarded resources from waste. Achieving this goal will require industrial infrastructure in manufacturing zones. Important ecoindustrial development is already moving forward in San Leandro. Gilman Street is correctly zoned and ideally located to develop ecoindustrial parks and resource malls including both large and small businesses. Perhaps the wealthy Alameda County Recycling Board would help. The time is ripe.  

Resource malls and ecoindustrial parks are a future-oriented path to a solid and diverse economic base. They need land and affordable locations. Even retail is permitted in the MU-LI zone if the business is a Materials Recovery Enterprise.  

Urban Ore is one resource business that has already suffered from rising Gilman Street land values. When we lost our lease, we couldn’t afford to buy the property because of rising land values. We were forced to leave the neighborhood and went through a difficult four-year transition. We were being courted by other cities. If we had left town or gone out of business, Berkeley citizens would have been deprived of our environmentally sound disposal and resale service, and thousands of tons of resources would have been wasted every year. Instead, we continue to provide 22 fulltime jobs with fully paid healthcare, 11 parttime jobs, $1.6 million annually in revenue, and low-cost products without pollution that help people keep their property in good repair.  

The community has clearly said it wants this kind of enterprise. We have helped write three citizens’ initiatives that put recycling on the ballot, and they all won with more than 60 percent of the vote. Recently the Independent Recyclers Council of the California Resource Recovery Association asked Urban Ore’s Dr. Daniel Knapp to write a statewide citizens initiative for Zero Waste and Recycling Infrastructure. It will include a surcharge on garbage to fund recycling development—similar to Alameda County’s wealthy program.  

Building infrastructure for a growing recycling industry will require lots of land, funding, and participation by experienced developers. If Berkeley builds in this direction, the citizens will not have to be overcome. They will applaud and participate.  

Mary Lou Van Deventer  

Operations Manager  

ˇ