Opinion

Twit of the Week: “Announcing today that I'm running for Mayor of Berkeley to continue the progress we've made over the last 10 years.”—From Mayor Tom Bates, to his 363 followers on Twitter yesterday.

Campaign Slogan: “A Lifetime of Public Service!”

Age at the end of his fourth term: 78

Probably most annoyed: District 5 Councilmember Laurie Capitelli, who had legitimate hopes that it might be his turn. -more-

The Article:

For all its support of the local culinary and retail economy, one might expect the East Bay Express to understand the value of retaining affordable habitat for working artists and good jobs in manufacturing and industry for working people - lynchpins of the 99%. Unfortunately, the opposite is true in this week’s Express article by editor Robert Gammon - “The Battle Over Live-Work Communities in West Berkeley”. When measured against the Express’s ongoing support of Occupy goals, the article’s editorial perspective is not only mystifying in the abstract, but destructive of on-the-ground societal equity the paper purports to champion. -more-

Dozens of advocates of community urban farming took over UC’s Gill Tract on Earth Day, April 22, establishing a camp and planting about two acres of vegetable crops. Their goal is to prevent development of this five-acre piece of land that represents one of the few remaining agricultural spaces with the best ("class-one") soil in the East Bay. This effort would allow the community to be engaged with the land, arguing that preserving it as a productive farm is consistent with public policy and the public interest. Such preservation would also honor the history of the Gill Tract, which has housed researchers who, since the 1940’s, conducted research on biological pest control, protecting California agriculture from exotic pests without the use of chemical pesticides. -more-

This letter is in regard to the Lions Hall Project at 2301 Durant Avenue, which appears on the May 1, 2012 Council Agenda. I respectfully request that Council ask the advice of City Auditor Hogan and City Attorney Cowan in evaluating the issues I raise in this letter, and I respectfully request that Council remand the Lions Hall Project to the Zoning Adjustments Board and order the Zoning Adjustments Board to conduct a proper public hearing to determine the merits of the Global International Montessori School and the true point of view of all stakeholders in the issue of the proposed Lions Hall Project. -more-

I am a grandmother. I am going to vote for President Obama in November -more-

EDITOR'S NOTE: These open letters were issued by contending parties in the dispute over the occupation of what is now agricultural land on the Gill Tract, which has been managed over several decades by the University of California at Berkeley. -more-

On Tuesday, May 1st at 7:30pm, the City Council will hold the West Berkeley Project’s most important public hearing on the future of West Berkeley. This hearing will address the allowable size and nature of development on West Berkeley’s largest properties (at least 4 acres or 1 city block) in 5 of the 6 W. Berkeley zones (M, MM, MULI, MUR, CW – R1A excluded) from (and including) San Pablo Ave. to Frontage Rd. -more-

Editor's Note: The latest issue of the Pepper Spray Times is now available.

You can view it absolutely free of charge by clicking here . You can print it out to give to your friends.

Grace Underpressure has been producing it for many years now, even before the Berkeley Daily Planet started distributing it, most of the time without being paid, and now we'd like you to show your appreciation by using the button below to send her money. -more-

I see every day the same sad faces and hear every day the same heartbreaking stories from the people I meet on the road to my bus stop. “I have no food, no job and no place of my own,” they say, “but some years back I had food, clothing and a rented apartment. I am homeless now.” These people collect plastic or glass bottles and empty metal cans. I wonder how much plastic and metal they need to collect before they can exchange empties for food or clothing. These people are not in good health. They pick up leftover sticky food from the trash bin and lick the food to test if it is edible. They barely have on clothes sufficient for the weather. Sometimes I carry extra fruit and clothing to share with them before I board my bus to work. -more-