Public Comment

School Board Election

Matthew O’Brien
Thursday October 16, 2014 - 10:13:00 PM

As a long-time Berkeley resident, I have had my share of disappointments with local politicians, yet I have never been moved to write an opinion to urge the public to vote against a politician until now. Unfortunately, my experiences with Josh Daniels, incumbent candidate for the Berkeley School Board, have made it clear to me that he does not effectively serve the public’s or our youth’s best interests. My experiences with Josh Daniels have shown him to be ineffectual, hypocritical, and yet another public servant who does not believe in accountability. 

In March of 2013 I wrote to Mr. Daniels when new construction at Berkeley High and the athletic facilities between Dwight and Carleton was just getting underway. I alerted him to a golden opportunity to provide health and fitness opportunities to our youth and the community at large. I informed him that installation of pull-up bars and other durable outdoor exercise equipment could be done at very low cost at this point during construction, would require very little maintenance cost, and would provide not only our youth, but all members of the public health and fitness options. His first response was to provide a number of excuses for not taking action, the principal reason being that he and the School Board’s main responsibility is to provide students with a high quality education and not to spend the taxpayer’s money wisely. 

I took that opportunity to educate Mr. Daniels about the importance of physical activity as part of a well-rounded education and that good exercise habits at a young age can positively affect health outcomes for a lifetime. I invited him to speak with p.e. teachers, coaches, and athletic directors to see if they were opposed to the installation of exercise equipment for student use. I pointed out again that this would be a chance to use public funds wisely because not only would such equipment directly benefit students, it could also directly benefit other members of the community, the people who are actually paying for the schools. How often is it that public money for schools can also directly benefit other community members? I pointed out that everyone wins— students, community, taxpayers. I asked Mr. Daniels where he anticipated opposition to installation of equipment would come from.  

I was delighted when he responded on March 9, 2013, “You’re right. There’s no disagreement and nothing to oppose. I’ll talk with the facilities direct (sic) and see what we can do in terms working in things like that to existing and/or future projects.”  

Now, however, after construction has been completed, there is no outdoor exercise equipment for our youth and community to use at either site. As a result of Josh Daniel’s inaction and ineffectualness, our youth have been deprived of these important health and fitness opportunities. Our greater community has been as well, and that opportunity to provide great bang for the public buck for the tax payer was squandered.  

Mr. Daniels has jumped on the politically popular in Berkeley soda tax bandwagon, yet when he had a chance to take action to provide real health and fitness opportunities for our youth, he did nothing. It is time for the Berkeley voters to get rid of hypocritical politicians. 

I have asked Mr. Daniels on a number of occasions why there is no exercise equipment at the two sites. Where did the opposition come from? He has refused to answer. He is dismissive of the public who he is supposed to serve, and he feels no need to be accountable. I urge all Berkeley voters to dump this guy. We are already suffering from his ineffectualness and disregard for the public. We deserve and we pay for better.