On Wednesday a Berkeley citizen activist, Kelly Hammargren, filed a challenge to the Berkeley City Council’s December 8 approval of an 18-story project at 2211 Harold Way in Berkeley, on the landmarked site of the historic Shattuck Hotel, which occupies almost the full city block bounded by Shattuck, Kittredge and Harold. Now a second petitioner, Berkeley resident and BART commuter James E. Hendry, has filed another challenge to the same project .

Both plaintiffs have filed, “pro per”, i.e. as individuals not represented by an attorney. -more-

The Berkeley Historical Society is currently offering an exhibit entitled "Art Capital of the West: Real and Imagined Art Museums and Galleries in Berkeley" (running through April 2, 2016). This made the BHS the perfect spot to host a presentation by Lawrence Rinder, the incoming director of the spanking-new, soon-to-open Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA). Rinder recently appeared at the BHS's exhibition room in the Veterans Building (1931 Center Street) to offer an insider's peek into the architecture and mission of the stunning new downtown venue. -more-

King's American Dream: "A land where men will not take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few." -more-

He came out against the war. Against all advice. -more-

Institutions vs. constituencies

A structural disconnect has made itself evident between the Berkeley City Council and the people of the city. Three major crises face the people of the city – a crisis in housing (dislocation), a crisis of homelessness (criminalization of poverty), and a crisis of policing (racial profiling and militarization). In each, an institutionality has risen against constituencies (aka real people), and in each, council has sided in both comportment and policies with institutionality. Indeed, it is council’s focus on strengthening institutionality rather than in protecting the people affected by those institutions that has generated these crises.

Though council has not been unanimous in this, it evinces a disturbing consistency – the same six voting for institutionality and three voting for constituency. As a constant element, it indicates a disturbing ethical corruption among the six (aka machine behavior). But it also reflects a disturbing acquiescence (to council’s own institutionality) by the three – disturbing because any crisis requires extreme imagination and audacity as a response. Both the six and the three abandon constituency by hiding in their respective institutionalities. With many twists of logic in their discussions, they all pretend that there is a symbiosis between the two (institutions and constituencies). As a political crisis, it marks a profound disconnect of governance.

But the disconnect does not just emerge from ill-advised choices. It is produced by an underlying structure that is itself corrupt, and which imposes its own exigencies. To see the political crisis as conditioned by an underlying structure does not excuse the council. Instead, it highlights the council’s inability or refusal to resist that more profound structural corruption. And too often, that refusal expresses itself in a preference for disparagement, scorn, and procedural machinations against those facing these crises without protection and calling for justice and fairness.

Let us briefly outline these crises, and then examine their underlying structure. -more-

In yet another blatant attempt to stifle free speech, Saudi Arabia executed a much revered Shia cleric, Sheikh Nimr and 46 other dissidents. Nimr had been arrested multiple times, including his involvement in protests after the Arab Spring uprising. His activism dates back to his grandfather who long stood in opposition to Saudi oppression of the Shia minority. Nimr promoted a rare new democratic model calling for the support of the oppressed against the oppressor, no matter their religion, their sect and their ethnicity. He was a unifying voice who won the admiration of many young Sunni men and women. -more-

I have read the article pertaining to the aforementioned. The issues with the EIR have been explained and are very important for the reader to understand. However, there is another important area the article does not address, which is that the development has not plans in the project for those individuals with disabilities. This project does not confirm and address any units that will provide for Seniors and/or individuals with disabilities. The Berkeley Commission on Disability addressed this issue at one of their Commission meetings concerning the need for disabled units. I know you will be following up on this topic. If you are able to investigate this aspect also it will be very beneficial to those who have those Disabilities. -more-

A big thank you to Kelly H for continuing to hold the city accountable for its poor job done with regard to the Harold Way project. She shows us by her action what true citizenship requires - not greed - but indeed caring for the needs of all the citizens of the city. Time for the rest of us to join her and others in this effort to clean up the project entirely and helping the members of the city council to find the exit doors. They have not served us well at all. -more-

In flip/flop movements, the arc of the universe seems to be bending towards and away from social justice.

Much like the other unsung hero, Nelson Mandela, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, has languished in jail for decades only to emerge from the shadows helping her party win the November election by a landslide. Unfortunately, the rise of democracy has been accompanied by a racist and xenophobic demagoguery against the Rohingya (Muslim) minority. -more-

Governor Brown says that if his ecologically ruinous peripheral tunnel project is denied, water might be cut-off to Silicon Valley.

But he's not making any promises. -more-

The Berkeley City Council recently voted to allow for-profit developers to remove parking spaces from their new buildings. But the Council did not require developers to pass the cost savings on to the buyers or renters of the units in those buildings. This giveaway to developers will increase their profits and will also increase the difficulty of finding a parking space on the already-jammed streets. -more-

Even JFK complained about the high cost of running for elected office! To try to get elected our political system requires candidates to spend so much for media adds that it practically forces them to take bribes from multinational corporations and special interest groups. So it is no wonder that our politics are in disarray. -more-

The Trans-Pacific Partnership is blatantly anti-America and anti-American Citizens. Our laws are here to protect us from the likes of big national and foreign corporations, which have shown again and again that they will always act against public interests if there's a buck to be made by doing so. -more-

There has been growing concern in Flint Michigan of lead contamination in the drinking water. The poisoning of the water began after an unelected emergency manager appointed by Governor Snyder switched the city’s water source to the heavily polluted Flint River in a bid to save money. Lead is an extremely hazardless contaminant that can cause permanent health damage including memory loss and developmental impairment. Tests at Virginia Tech reported that the water could have been treated for as little as $100 a day. The mayor of Flint revealed that it would cost $1.5 billion to fix the city’s crumbling water infrastructure. State officials have ignored residents’ complaints for over a year. Last February, tests showed alarming levels of lead but officials told residents there was no cause for concern. -more-

Richard “Dick” Lerner, anthropologist, political organizer and gardener, died Dec. 16 surrounded by family and friends. -more-

Sylvia McLaughlin, last living founder of Save the Bay, dies at age 99

Sylvia McLaughlin, co-founder of Save the Bay, dies at 99

Environmentalist Sylvia McLaughlin dies at age 99

Environmental Giant Sylvia McLaughlin of Berkeley Dies at Age 99

Save The Bay Co-Founder Sylvia McLaughlin Dies

California environmentalist Sylvia McLaughlin dies at age 99 -more-

More ‘Progressive’ Than Thou

This year’s Democratic primary season has become a contest to claim this label — but in American politics, it has always had a slippery definition. -more-

I have heard it said that the main issues people deal with in their twenties are work and relationships. Yet, there are plenty of people in their forties who continue to have these struggles. A television show called, "The Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce" (while this particular show fails to maintain the "suspension of disbelief" that fiction is supposed to have) points to the idea that, for many people, these are issues keep coming back. -more-

There a scientific consensus on global warming. In the scientific field of climate studies, which includes many disciplines, the consensus can be demonstrated by the number of scientists who have stopped arguing about what is causing climate change. So a consensus in science is different from a political one. There is no vote. Scientists just give up arguing because the sheer weight of consistent evidence is too compelling, the tide too strong to swim against any longer. “...the debate on the authenticity of global warming and the role played by human activity is largely nonexistent among those who understand the nuances and scientific basis of long-term climate processes.” In other words, more than 95% of scientists working in the disciplines contributing to studies of our climate, accept that climate change is almost certainly being caused by human activities. Global warming is no longer about science -- it is now a political, economic, social debate. -more-

My routine of playing tennis every Saturday morning was disrupted by the ongoing rainstorms of El Niño, and as a result I was able to attend the Alexander String Quartet’s final “Mozart in Vienna” program at 10:00 am on Saturday, January 9, 2016 at St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Berkeley. These “Mozart in Vienna” programs have been presided over each Saturday by music historian-in-residence Robert Greenberg, who introduces the works to be performed and lectures on their salient musical attributes. Brooklyn-born Greenberg, who was referrred to by The Bangor Daily News (Maine) as “the Elvis of music history and appreciation,” treats his lectures as a kind of stand-up comedy routine, and he comes off at times almost as a carnival barker. Nonetheless, Greenberg knows his music, and he is at his best when, as he did on January 9, he coaxes the Alexander String Quartet to play the very phrases the lecturer wishes to call to our attention. -more-