Extra

Endorsing Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin for State Senate (August 18) the Chronicle’s editorial board calls him progressive? Jesse became mayor with that moniker, but many Berkeley citizens know he’s not.

The endorsement conveniently ignores: despite the County Board of Supervisors making clear they were phasing out former Sheriff Ahern’s Urban Shield program (which provided military training and free military hardware to police departments) Jesse kept Berkeley supportive of the program, claiming we needed a military armored vehicle.

Years before the October, 2023 Hamas raid into Israel proper, in the midst of Israel then bombing the bejeezus out of Gaza, Jesse accepted a free junket to Israel to get “educated” in Zionist justifications for apartheid. Now, unsurprisingly (unlike progressive Hayward, Richmond, San Francisco) Jesse refused to even allow a Council vote on a ceasefire resolution in Gaza.

On housing: while the Friends of Adeline and other progressive organizations have demanded that new housing at the Ashby BART station include 50% low income apartments, Jesse hasn’t shown up. Our numerous apartment developments in downtown Berkeley are geared toward exorbitant market rates. Failure to provide affordable housing engenders greater homelessness.  

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