The week started with a Berkeley Town Hall on COVID-19 with Mayor Arreguin. I waited until late in the week when the recording would be posted and I could watch it on YouTube at 1.5 speed. By that time the U.S. had in 16 days added another million new cases of COVID-19 crossing 32,000,000 according to Johns Hopkins. I still prefer www.worldometers.info for my daily tracking with its easy to read spread sheet. The state by state incidence goes up and down, with hot spots appearing, being flattened and then popping up in a different location, all the while keeping the addition of another million on average of every 16 days since mid-February.

Dee Williams-Ridley, Berkeley City Manager, reported that the planning process for returning city staff to working on site will take about four months and that telecommuting (working remotely) for some will continue. While Williams-Ridley gave no speculation as to what degree telecommuting will continue in a post pandemic world, it is the big hovering question for all of us.

WETA (Water Emergency Transportation Authority) is planning around a robust commuting future that will spill over to support ferries and the proposed Berkeley Pier. The Ashby and North Berkeley BART housing projects are centered on a commuting population that will infuse new revenue and fill the trains. The $40,000,000 from Berkeley’s Measure O bonds will only provide enough funds to have 35% affordable housing at each station. That leaves 65% of these units to be filled by tenants with ample incomes for market rate apartments. -more-

The year was near the end of the decade, maybe 1969. If I told you I remembered the 60s, you'd know I wasn't really there. Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley, need I add California?

Protesting demonstrations and marches were common enough that we knew what to do and what to expect. We were part of a large crowd crowding into Sproul Plaza, a sprawling area in front of the University Administration Building bearing the name of the first system-wide President (1952-1958) of the University of California system, Robert Gordon Sproul. We were protesting, what? that day? It could have been against the Vietnam war. It could have been against racial injustice endured by the Black Panthers. It could have been against the general prohibition of political advocacy, e.g., free speech, on campus. I think we were protesting the University Administration's fencing off of newly-created Peoples' Park, four blocks from Sproul Plaza.

The previous weekend, scores of us had been digging on this vacant lot, planting trees, laying down broken pieces of cement sidewalk to become walking paths, erecting a bulletin board to enable our community to communicate with each other, putting up tents, building benches, tables, and a fire pit. A creative vegetable garden was begun, with psychedelic posters designating the plants in each row. -more-

Decision Comes on Heels of City of Berkeley’s Rejection of Cal’s Long Term Development Plans for Campus

Berkeley hills neighborhood group won a major court victory to hold UC Berkeley responsible for the impacts of a massive new softball stadium in the very high fire risk and environmentally sensitive Strawberry Canyon area.

The Alameda Superior Court ruled April 23 that UC’s proposed “Levine-Fricke Softball Field Improvements Project,” was so large and complex that it was not within the scope of any previous environmental review. As a result UC Berkeley is now required to do a full environmental analysis of the $26 million project, Judge Frank Roesch said in his ruling.

Panoramic Hill Association sued UC Berkeley alleging that Chancellor Carol Christ had approved the project without adequate environmental review and without properly evaluating the impacts of the project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

“Calling a $26 million project, with extensive demolition and construction, ‘improvements’ is like tearing a house down to the studs and calling it a remodel. Merely calling the project less than it was did not make it so,” said Janice Thomas, Vice-President for UC Affairs of the Panoramic Hill Association.

The project proposed a huge expansion of the field in the very highest fire risk zone designated by the state, with locker rooms, television quality lighting, 1,500 permanent seats, additional space for 1,000 temporary seats and a press box. -more-

[Editor's Note: The Berkeley City Council voted on April 20 to change these rules despite this April 19 letter from the union which represents city employees]

I am writing on behalf of SEIU 1021 to express our concerns about proposed changes to City Council Rules of Procedure which would have a negative impact on democracy in Berkeley. Specifically we are concerned that the proposed rules would make it significantly harder for members of the public to participate in the public comment process during the meeting by discontinuing the practice of reading emailed comments at the time of the meeting. The City Manager says "the community hasadapted well to the new technology" but it is not true. Affluent, well-resourced, tech-connected parts of the community have adapted well. But those with fewer resources, without broadband access in their homes, those who work swing shifts or other irregUlar schedules, will be negatively impacted by this change. I can not imagine that you intend a change that will disproportionately impact these segments of our community.

And we are equally concerned about a change which prohibits the consideration of new legislation except as narrowly related to Covid. To prohibit new legislation related to homelessness when we are still in a pandemic and homelessness is skyrocketing is counter-productive. To prohibit new legislation related to climate change when we can track back the root causes of this pandemic to climate change is illogical. We are in a crisis of faith in our community and our country related to policing and the disproportionate impacts of policing on black and brown and immigrant community members and to say that you will not entertain any new legislation on the question of how black people are treated by police at this time is unacceptable.

I appreciate Councilmember Hahn's supplemental packet proposing a sunset date and allowing a limited exception for items related to health and public safety. But these do not go far enough. Democracy should not be hindered at all, not even for the four months between now and July. Public health is an important progressive priority, but it is far from the only one. -more-

So far, Joe Biden's presidency has been a success. Recent polling showed his approval rating at 59 percent. Biden has done an excellent job handling the pandemic. He's managed to pass a significant recovery plan. And his administrative efforts have largely been successful.

The most recent Pew Research Poll (https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/04/15/covid-19-policies-the-u-s-economy-and-the-vaccine-rollout/) found President Biden with 59 percent approval (39 percent disapproval) -- this rating is deeply split along Party lines, as only 18 percent of Republicans approve of Biden's performance in office. Interestingly, more voters support Biden in terms of issues than in terms of his personality. For example, about 37 percent of Republicans agree with him on some or "virtually all" issues. Given this finding, it's most important to evaluate Biden in terms of progress on specific issues. -more-

If License Plates Could Talk (Note: They Can!)

I recently spotted a car parked in front of the Berkeley Main Post Office with a license plate that read: LIFELIB. The driver returned from his visit to the PO as I was snapping a photo of his fashionable plate.

"Yes I'm a lifelong Libertarian," he confessed. And then he asked if I knew about Daniel Nussbaum's 1993 book, PL8SPK, published by Harper Collins. Turns out, I was already an admirer of Nussbaum's Platespeak, a 93-page book that retold classic tales (like Romeo and Juliette) using only quirky personalized license plates registered with California's Department of Motor Vehicles. Here are two examples:

The story of the Garden of Eden in Platespeak

'EVENADM CHOWDWN THAT TABOO SNACK
'YIIIKES' THEY SAY.
'LOOKITU! LOOKAME! GOGETA FIG LEAF.'
And here's the fable of 'The Emperor's New Clothes' (where no one has the nerve to point out the ruler's nakedness):
'CHEERZ ECHO THRU THEGREAT CAPITAL.
'LKNGUD EMP' 'WAYKUL ENSEMBL'
'FITS POIFEKT'' -more-

Poor Diets Given to Mental Health Consumers Revisited

My wife when younger was underestimated. She graduated from a very good college before the onset of her condition, yet when she became bipolar, she was subjected to treatment as "a dumb mentally ill person". For example, her worker at California Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, Linda, sent her to a training to become a motel maid. This was inappropriate. She is a highly intelligent and thoughtful person and my marriage to her is one of the primary reasons that I've done well.

People with psych conditions are routinely grossly underestimated. This is a disservice. Being mentally ill doesn't make you dumb or worthless. And it does not mean that you do not deserve good health and a long, meaningful life.

Those who oversee non-independent mentally ill people have misconceptions concerning food that should be given. I know of an organization that is generous enough to often deliver a free meal, and I've eaten some of them. The error is assuming we prefer high fat, high carb, over seasoned food along with sweets. This is not a healthy diet, and it is unpalatable. Some good pork was ruined by smothering it in a massive amount of seasoned salt. I re-grilled some of it along with some water, and repeatedly drained off the salty, artificially- or paprika colored water. The meat was salvaged to the extent that I could make an acceptable sandwich out of it. My preference is San Luis Sourdough. It is not whole wheat. Yet most of the whole wheat grocery stores sell is doctored up with excessive sugar and other unnecessary ingredients. -more-

Worth Noting:

Even though I’ve tried to narrow the list of agenda items to those of the most interest, the Agenda Committee on Monday and the city council meeting on Tuesday still take up a lot of space. To review the full agendas for any meeting use the links provided.

Monday: The Land Use Committee at 10 am has one agenda item TOPA, The Agenda Committee at 2:30 pm is reviewing the City Council May 11 agenda and may take up discussion of objective standards recommendations, The Zero Waste Commission is at 7 pm and #3 under discussion/action may tell us how much of non-bottle plastic recycling of 1-7 is “wishcycling.” -more-