Editorials

Well, the crunch is upon us. At our house, the unopened ballots are still on the dining room table. We’ve heard on the grapevine that they contain the usual assortment of pointless or harmful proposals, including some that in principle we might not object to.

Some are easy. No to gambling in all forms. No to regulation-by-initiative of kidney treatment, which should be done by experts. Etc.

Also in the pile are endless glossy mailers paid for by vaguely named PACs. There’s a whole lotta’ money sloshing round.

But one of these giant color postcards claims that it “contains all .. and only” the endorsements of The Democratic Party of Alameda County. It features a great big red white and blue button: “Official Democratic Party VOTER Guide”.

Really? I first registered as a Democrat in Berkeley in 1960, and have been one ever since, here and in Michigan, but I don’t think they asked me who they should be endorsing. The all-aboard primary system means that everyone’s some sort of Democrat, which means that party makes little difference in my decision as a voter.

In theory, Berkeley has always had non-partisan elections, but since California’s turned into a one-party state the Newsom Dems are putting their heavy thumbs on the scale here too, telling us Berkeleyans who and what to vote for. And I don’t like it.

Berkeley used to be considered a progressive leader, whatever that meant. But no more. This mailer suggests that as a good Democrat I should vote for the old White guy whose main qualification is that he’s been a 20 year homeowner in my district. The Democratic Party of Alameda County has endorsed him instead of the middle-aged POC woman who’s been a long-time tenant activist around here and a staunch advocate of building only deeply affordable housing on public land, especially on BART parking lots.

But what’s worse, the Alameda County Dems tell me to vote for Berkeley Measure L, a poorly drafted and pricey ($650 million) slush fund which promises much yet requires nothing. It won’t be paid off until I’m 100 years old, god willing I should live so long,.

The Planet’s op-ed space has as usual been open to all opinions, but articulate opponents of Measure L have strongly outnumbered its advocates here. South County Democrats, who presumably dominate whatever endorsement process has taken place if any, seem to have missed the memo, however.

I don’t think I’ve ever voted against a Berkeley revenue measure in the 50 years I’ve lived here most recently, but it’s time for a change.
 

• I’ve watched the historic Civic Center being demolished by neglect.
• I’ve seen the swimming pool at Willard (once aka Ho Chi Minh) park filled in with dirt, while city staff promote an unneeded new edifice on park land that neighbors oppose.
• I see our streets dangerously unpaved, while silly schemes are painted on the pavement at the behest of very occasional bicylists.
• I’ve seen the city of Berkeley fail to challenge the ridiculous RHNA numbers which set impossible building goals, with the penalty for failure being loss of local government autonomy.
• Expensive consultants are hired to make foolish proposals, with "monetizing" the native plant area of Cesar Chavez Park with a commercial bandstand being the all-time worst.
• And also, as a reader of the early version of this screed pointed out indignantly, "Rashi and Jesse and a couple of the others think that it's OK for UCB to build on People's Park!"

Who's behind all of this nonsense?

Even though it’s the weekend before the election deadline, people that I respect continue to ask me whether I oppose Measure L. I’ve resisted recommending my own current inclination to others because I’ve not been sure. But I’ve asked trusted friends what they thought, and so far no one has said they support L.

The latest was one of the very best planning commissioners Berkeley has ever had. His response:

“Well, I have a NO on L sign in my window and have posted NO on L comments on NextDoor. Good chance that it will fall short of two-thirds.”

I’ve also gotten a number of communications, not necessarily intended for publication, which show based on city records that there are big money interests funding the push for Measure L. As soon as I can contact the authors for permission to publish these analyses with names attached, I’ll post them, but you can also look on the city’s web site yourself, though it’s not easy.

Me, I’ve decided that I will vote No, with the hope that whoever’s elected to the Berkeley City Council will rethink the preceding council's poor decision and take a better route to raising money. As a pre-13 homeowner I'm more than willing to pay my fair share of the expenses of running the city, but I want to be sure that what needs to happen actually does happen. So, No on L, and on to a better path.

And by the way, don't forget Mari Mendonca for District 8 and Elisa Mikiten for District 1. To coin a phrase, It's Time for a Change.