Extra

New: ELECTION NOTES - 2024

Rob Wrenn
Monday October 07, 2024 - 12:55:00 PM

Landlord and Real Estate Money at Work

A new low in hit pieces can be seen in a mailer attacking Nikki Fortunato Bas, candidate for County supervisor, with an image of her holding a sign saying “Defund the Police”. There’s an asterisk for a footnote in smaller print at the bottom that says “This image has been manipulated.”

So, apparently, hit pieces can include fake images as long as they acknowledge doing so with a footnote. Who is paying for this? The California Real Estate Independent Expenditure Committee with funding from real estate industry groups. They probably don’t like Nikki Bas’ positions on rent control, tenant protections and support for affordable housing. -more-


IDF Continues Their Rampage in Gaza

Jagjit Singh
Tuesday October 15, 2024 - 10:51:00 AM

Taking full advantage of Vice President Harris’s preoccupation with the U.S. elections and a perceived weakness in her leadership, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has intensified his campaign in Gaza, showing no regard for Palestinian lives. He has now issued a “surrender or starve” ultimatum to the entire population—evoking memories of the worst excesses of the Third Reich—all amid the deafening silence of the Biden-Harris administration. -more-


SMITHEREENS: Reflections on Bits & Pieces: Storms, Norms & Reforms

Gar Smith
Tuesday October 15, 2024 - 10:14:00 AM

Weather Woes: Can the Vote Float?
The intersection of presidential elections and the consequences of severe climate change could lead to an unprecedented Constitutional crisis. -more-



Page One

Updated: Resolution for an Immediate and Permanent Ceasefire in Gaza, and an End to U.S. Military Aid to Israel, and Support for Palestinian Self-Determination

Berkeley Peace and Justioe Commission
Saturday October 05, 2024 - 12:25:00 PM

WHEREAS, the Peace and Justice Commission advises the City Council on all matters
relating to the City of Berkeley’s role in issues of peace and social justice (Berkeley
Municipal Code Chapter 3.68.070); 1 and

WHEREAS, the Commission’s mandate finds that “the wealth that could be spent to
help the poor, heal the sick, house the homeless, educate the children, and care for the
elderly is now spent on ever more costly weapons of mass destruction;” and -more-



Election Section

How Margot is Voting In Ballot Order

Margot Smith
Saturday October 12, 2024 - 03:33:00 PM

As supported by the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club, the Berkeley Tenants Union, Our Revolution East Bay, some by the California Democratic Party (CADEM), and ACLU. Your Voters Guide has all the supporters and opposers of the propositions and measures for your review. If Jarvis is for it, vote against it. All they think about is $$, not the common good. -more-


Berkeley Independent Voter's Guide

Abe Cinque
Saturday October 12, 2024 - 03:36:00 PM

For years, our little city has endured the audacious arrogance of Sacramento incumbents who’ve been invisible to constituents here, while working against our interests (and working hard for the likes of PG&E and corporate developers). This election offers unusual chances to send a message: we can vote for alternatives to the arrogant, the incompetent, and the unqualified heirs-apparent crowned by big money.

Please consider these a-la-carte suggestions, mix and match, do your own research, and decide for yourself. I address mostly races that are realistically contested, and/or controversial, in our precincts. Please forward – but anywhere I say “we,” I mean I or the consensus of the Cinque family, not any publication hosting this. -more-


Kamala Harris: To the Finish Line

Bob Burnett
Thursday October 10, 2024 - 05:35:00 PM

We’ve entered the final of three stages of the Kamala Harris presidential campaign. The first stage began on July 21st when Joe Biden decided not to run for President and endorsed Kamala. In this stage, Harris had to reintroduce herself to voters and prepare for the Democratic convention. The second stage began with the September 10th Harris-Trump debate. In this stage, Kamala had to elaborate her policy positions. Now we’ve reached the third stage: the race to the November 5th finish line: getting out the vote. -more-


Public Comment

Urgent Need for Ceasefire and End to Hostilities in Israel-Palestine

Jagjit Singh
Monday October 07, 2024 - 12:06:00 PM

Today marks the first anniversary of the tragic events of October 7th, when Hamas’s military wing breached the Israeli-constructed barrier fencing in the Gaza Strip. The initial conflict led to the loss of around 1,200 lives, with 250 individuals taken hostage to push for the release of thousands of Palestinian political prisoners held by Israel. While over half of the hostages have since been released through negotiated deals, Israel’s main response was to launch a full-scale assault on the already besieged Gaza Strip. The human cost of this conflict has been staggering—conservative estimates place the number of Palestinians killed at over 41,000, while recent projections suggest the toll could reach hundreds of thousands. -more-


You Are Our Voice – Stand with Lebanon for Peace and Dignity

Deans of the Faculty of Health Sciences – American University of Beirut, Lebanon-- Abla Mehio Sibai (2020-present), Iman Nuwayhid (2008-2020), Huda Zurayk (1998-2008)
Wednesday October 02, 2024 - 04:12:00 PM

We write to you today as former and current deans of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the American University of Beirut (AUB) in Lebanon, with a profound sense of urgency regarding the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Lebanon. As public health professionals, educators, and advocates for justice, we are all too familiar with the devastating effects of conflict on human lives and societal well-being. Lebanon now stands on the brink of a nationwide humanitarian catastrophe, and we urgently reach out to you– our colleagues, peers, and friends from academic Public Health institutions and health bodies worldwide. We need you to amplify our voice. -more-


The absence of ceasefire undermines Democrats chances of winning Congress, perhaps even the presidency.

Marc Sapir MD, MPH
Tuesday October 01, 2024 - 11:06:00 AM

Supporters of Israel insist opponents should stop calling Israel an apartheid and genocidal state. They pretend we make this up and are anti-Jewish (though they know many Palestine supporters are Jews).

Former US president Jimmy Carter long ago wrote about Israel’s apartheid. Moreover, every day now the Israel-US massacres and terrorism in Palestine and Lebanon prove those labels are apt—adding to the South African government’s case and the International Court of Justice’s provisional decision saying so. The reason that lovers of Israeli apartheid work so hard to try to stop this language is not because they think it’s untrue. They must crush accurate language about Israel or their narrative that this barbarity is all a response to Hamas, to terrorism and October 7, 2023 will collapse.

They must block people from learning that this full on genocide culminates 76 years of US-backed Israeli apartheid terrorism. Now they say the same about Hezbollah, the most popular political organization in Lebanon. Hezbollah’s head Nasrallah made clear that Hezbollah would stop shooting missiles into Israel as soon as Netanyahu agrees to a ceasefire on Gaza.

Israel’s response was to murder Nasrallah, killing a messenger proposing peace. -more-


New: Measure EE is the Smart Choice to Fix Berkeley Streets

Isabelle Gaston
Monday October 14, 2024 - 11:52:00 AM

Measure EE or "Fix the Streets" is a well-crafted tax measure that focuses like a laser on three things: Street repaving, fixing sidewalks and pathways, and improving bike boulevards. It will pave all streets in Berkeley, bringing them all up to a "good" condition defined as a Pavement Condition Index of 70. -more-


A BERKELEY ACTIVIST'S DIARY: Full Disclosure?

Kelly Hammargren
Monday October 14, 2024 - 10:59:00 AM

It seems like the national news media is hanging in anxious anticipation for that “October Surprise” event, revelation, or catastrophe that will swing the Presidential election one way or the other. -more-


Israeli Aggression in Lebanon: Escalation at the Expense of Peace

Jagjit Singh
Wednesday October 02, 2024 - 12:09:00 PM

Israeli airstrikes and targeted raids in southern Lebanon have already killed over a thousand civilians and displaced over a million more. Now, Israel is claiming to have launched a ground invasion, though Hezbollah and U.N. peacekeepers deny that such an incursion has yet begun.

The chaos is escalating, and while President Biden has called for a ceasefire, the mixed signals coming from the U.S. government are troubling. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s conversation with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reinforced U.S. support for Israel’s actions along the Lebanese border. Meanwhile, the targeted assassinations and bombings suggest that Israel's true aim is to provoke a broader conflict involving the U.S..

Hezbollah’s media sources confirm that while Israeli forces attempted to enter southern Lebanon, they were forced to retreat under heavy firepower. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears more concerned with rehabilitating his shattered image after October 7 than with any sincere pursuit of peace. His government has continually sidelined the Gaza front and opted to expand the war into Lebanon, perhaps believing that escalation will rewrite history in his favor. However, this reckless expansion of conflict is not only undermining Israel’s standing in the region but is also a direct threat to U.S. interests in the Middle East. Jordan’s Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, said it clearly: peace is within reach, but only if Israel ends its occupation and allows for the establishment of a Palestinian state. -more-


Two Letters to Berkeley Councilmember Igor Tregub re Peace and Justice for All?

Summer Brenner, District 4 resident
Tuesday October 01, 2024 - 11:19:00 AM

LETTER 1:September 4, 2024 Dear Councilman Tregub:

Today, I am writing to you as a second generation Jew, mother of two, and grandmother of five. Seven blessings in my life, which qualify me to speak about humanity's responsibility to protect the rights of civilians in conflict, and especially the rights of children to live and thrive. There is even a UN Charter on the Rights of Children, which if you haven't read, I'm glad to send you a copy. In it, you will find a list of rights that entitle children to safety, shelter, healthcare, education, and LIFE! I believe that Berkeley's City Council adopted a Resolution to officially support this Charter.

To say that I was shocked at your dismissal of Diana Bohn from the Peace & Justice Commission is an understatement. Shock followed by dismay. There is some terrible calculus going on with the City Council, who, during the last 11 months, have refused to host an open discussion about the genocide in Palestine. The calculus is that the lives of one group are more valued and valuable, that is, more entitled to life than other groups. The lame excuse is that a discussion would exacerbate divisiveness. Yes, the community is divided, but hiding from division only creates more anxiety, more reactiveness, more hostility. -more-


Ta-Nehisi Coates Speaks Out on Israel

Jagjit Singh
Thursday October 10, 2024 - 05:59:00 PM

As Israel expands its attacks on Lebanon, acclaimed writer Ta-Nehisi Coates speaks out. His new book, The Message, is partly inspired by his visit last year to Israel and the occupied West Bank, where he observed a system of segregation and oppression reminiscent of Jim Crow in the United States. “It was revelatory,” Coates states. “I don’t think the average American has a real sense of what we’re doing over there — and I emphasize 'what we're doing' because it’s not possible without American support.” -more-


Trump? No Tough Guy

Bruce Joffe
Sunday October 06, 2024 - 03:08:00 PM

Some admire trump, thinking he's a "tough-guy" who can control the world's dictators. How is a tough-guy different from a bully? A bully intimidates timid weaklings, like Kevin McCarthy and Mike Johnson, but easily folds when confronted by real tough-guys. Trump yielded to Putin, publically, saying he believed Putin over our national security agencies, in Helsinki, July 2018. -more-


Complaint with California FPPC

Paola Laverde
Monday October 14, 2024 - 05:41:00 PM

On Sunday, I filed a complaint against Sophie Hahn, Mayoral candidate in Berkeley, with the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC).

The complaint states that Ms. Hahn failed to disclose her family’s income and stock holdings as required by law.

My 6 page complaint, accompanied by 24 exhibits, shows that since 2020, Ms. Hahn failed to disclose both her share of her husband’s income which exceeded over $500,000 per year as well as family stock holdings that exceed $4 million.

Both of these disclosures are required by California law. The purpose of these laws is to allow California citizens to know the financial interests, and potential conflicts of interest, of those we elect. -more-


Demand Tax Giveaway be taken OFF the Berkeley Consent Calendar

Kate Harrison
Monday October 14, 2024 - 02:12:00 PM

There is a proposal on the Berkeley City Council’s consent calendar for October 15th to exempt the taxation of businesses that receive research and development grants. -more-


The R&D Tax Exemption Giveaway on Tuesday's Berkeley City Council Agenda

Zelda Bronsteins
Monday October 14, 2024 - 11:33:00 AM

On the evening of October 10, someone forwarded to me an email from Kate Harrison’s mayoral campaign, signed by Harrison and asking recipients to protest a proposal on the council’s October 15 consent calendar that would “exempt the taxation of businesses that receive research and development [R&D] grants.” [bold in original] -more-


A BERKELEY ACTIVIST'S DIARY: Peace and Justice

Kelly Hammargren
Wednesday October 09, 2024 - 01:41:00 PM

Monday, September 30, 2024 was the long overdue meeting of the Peace and Justice Commission on a “Resolution for an Immediate and Permanent Ceasefire in Gaza, and an End to U.S. Military Aid to Israel, and Support for Palestinian Self-Determination”.

You probably know by now that the resolution passed with an 8 to 7 vote. But there is a lot more to what happened. -more-


SMITHEREENS: Reflections on Bits & Pieces: Reach, Preach and Speech

Gar Smith
Sunday October 06, 2024 - 03:00:00 PM

Biden the All-Powerful
Much has been made (and rightly) of Joe Biden's shuffling walk and bumbling speech but he could now be seen as one of the most powerful leaders on Earth. All thanks to the Supreme Court.

Much has been made (and far-rightly) of the Court majority's lack of concern for women's reproductive rights but the court's political appointees (appointed for life) may have transformed an enfeebled Biden into an unprecedented SuperPrez endowed with quasi-dictatorial super powers.

When did this happen, you ask? The fulcrum of justice hit the floor when the Supreme majority of Trump-appointed/Trump-friendly jurists ruled that the Former President and Multiple Felony Perpetrator was immune from prosecution for any executive acts committed during his tenure as a serving president. In short: A President is Above the Law.'

But hold your ponies, jurists. Trump is not president at the moment: Biden is. So the court's ruling confers these extraordinary powers on Joe Biden. In his closing days in the Oval Office, Joe could, if if he wished, rule that Trump's criminal convictions justify the Former President's immediate incarceration. Trump has claimed that, if he were re-elected, he would become a dictator "on day one."

It looks like Trump's appointees on the High Court have empowered Joe Biden with dictatorial powers for the remainder of his term in office. Thinking bigly, Biden could even order the removal of the Trumpist jurors on the court and call for their seats to be filled by members of The Squad. -more-


The Medical Model of Psychiatry Can Be Seen as Either Less or More Discriminatory

Jack Bragen
Saturday October 05, 2024 - 04:44:00 PM

Your brain is the most important organ in your body. And you already know that because your brain says so. If people didn't have good brains, we would not be at the top of the food chain, we would not have technology, and we would not have civilization. It is our brains that make us think we are at the top--and there is a lot of reality to that thinking. Other creatures have good brains as well. But humans have opposable thumbs, and that gives us the advantage. -more-


Editorial

Berkeley Mayor Backs Giant Tax Giveaway to Tech Interests

Becky O'Mslley
Monday October 14, 2024 - 02:50:00 PM

Sometimes it’s hard to find the story under all the information. Before I took up journalism (the first time) I shared the common belief that there’s such a thing as truth, if only you could find it. But when I started writing stories about local events, guided by the likes of Bruce Brugman at the San Francisco Bay Guardian and Sandy Close at Pacific News Service.I realized that we’re constantly surrounded by a swarm of facts, and you have to pick and choose amongst them to end up with a coherent story.

And no story is completely true. Stories are informed by the belief system of the assigning editor and/or the reporter.

Bruce had two main hobby horses when I worked for him. One was “the Manhattanization of San Francisco will ruin the city” and the other was “PG&E is no damn good”. He was vastly derided by the chattering classes who worked for the Chronicle for these ideas, but surprise!, he was spot on, Check out the daily wailing about The City’s doom loop and the huge number of vacant office buildings there for proof..

Sandy used to tell us that California would be a majority-minority state by the year 2000, which seemed fanciful in the 1980s. She was right, and PNS morphed into the important Ethnic Media Services following what she predicted. A good reporter can imagine the future.

Every reporter has a point of view. I use the word “reporter” in the loosest possible sense these days,now that we’ve entered the era of citizen journalism. Especially in a literate city like Berkeley, there’s an abundance of intelligent people who are good writers, who welcome the opportunity to expound on topics that interest them, presenting curated facts as arguments for their beliefs. They are today’s reporters in many small towns and even in more pretentious cities like this one.

As a former high school debater I appreciate a good argument, but I realize you can always argue contrary point(s) of view. A strong belief can distract a reporter from the important story concealed in a flurry of facts.

Today (Monday, October 14, 2024) we have a good illustration of how that happens.

Reporter A discovers that Councilmember B seems to have neglected disclosing family salaries and investments as required by state law, and Reporter A writes an op-ed about it. Ex-Councilmember C, while complaining about a proposal on tomorrow’s Berkeley City Council agenda, neglects to mention that she herself had supported a somewhat similar proposal in 2019, which omission Reporter D exposes in another story. And Citizen Reporters E,F and G are now chiming in to express outrage at various aspects of the situation.

But no one pulled the big story out of these smaller ones. You could call it the OMG effect.

Folks, folks, you’ve uncovered a flock of facts, but the really shocking story is that Mayor X, in the tradition of Berkeley mayors who preceded him, is trying to slide out of office on a giant giveaway to the tech sector and its UC patrons. He wants to exempt a vast collection of Berkeley tech start-ups from paying taxes on business gross receipts relating to government and philanthropic research and development grants.

OMG!

He’s put the item on the “Consent” or “Information” part of the Berkeley City Council Agenda, presumably in the hope that no one will notice. Items on Consent can be passed with no discussion by an increasingly passive council. They just might get away with it.

That’s the story. Parts of it can be found at berkeleydailyplanet.com.

Your job? Put it all together yourself and then tell the council what you think before tomorrow at 6. You can attend in person or online if you want to speak after that at the council meeting. -more-


Arts & Events

September Mystery/Thriller Novels

Bob Burnett
Saturday October 05, 2024 - 04:47:00 PM

This month I have six mystery/thriller novels to recommend. -more-


Events

THE BERKELEY ACTIVISTS' CALENDAR, October 13-20

Kelly Hammargren
Saturday October 12, 2024 - 02:52:00 PM

Worth Noting: -more-


THE BERKELEY ACTIVIST'S CALENDAR: Oct. 6-13

Saturday October 05, 2024 - 04:21:00 PM

Worth Noting:

Yom Kippur Jewish Holiday begins at sundown Friday, October 11 and ends at nightfall on Saturday, October 12.

The next City Council meeting is October 15 at 6 pm. The agenda is available for review and comment and follows the list of city meetings.

BNC – Berkeley Neighborhoods Council is rescheduled to October 19 at 10 am

  • Monday, October 7, 2024:
    • At 10 am the Land Use Committee meets in the hybrid format.
    • At 3 pm the 4 x 4 Committee meets in the hybrid format.
    • At 6:30 pm the Landmarks Preservation Commission meets in person.
  • Tuesday, October 8, 2024:
    • At 11 am the Solano Business Improvement District meets in person.
    • From 6 – 7:30 pm the Community Meeting on Dreamland at Aquatic Park capital improvement plan meets on ZOOM.
  • Wednesday, October 9, 2024:
    • at 2:30 pm FITES meets in the hybrid format.
    • At 6 pm the Planning Commission holds a hearing on Middle Housing General Plan Amendments.
    • At 6:30 pm the PAB meets in the hybrid format.
    • At 6:30 pm BOLT meets in person.
    • At 7 pm the Homeless Services Panel of Experts meets in person.
    • At 7 pm the Parks Recreation and Waterfront Commission meets in person.
  • Thursday, October 10, 2024:
    • At 10 am the budget Committee meets in the hybrid format.
    • From 6 – 7 pm the James Kenney Community Center holds an open house.
    • At 6:15 pm the Transportation and Infrastructure Commission meets in person.
    • At 7 pm the Housing Advisory Committee meets in person.
    • At 7 pm the ZAB meets in the hybrid format.
  • Friday, October 11, 2024:
    • From 5 – 9 pm is Teen Night After Spot.
    • At 7:30 pm the doors open for Live Oaks Laughs LOL Comedy Show.
  • Saturday, October 12, 2024: At 9 am is volunteer day at the Ohlone Dog Park.
Please take advantage of checking the City website for any surprises and meetings posted on short notice at https://berkeleyca.gov



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BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS -more-


Back Stories

Opinion

Editorials

Berkeley Mayor Backs Giant Tax Giveaway to Tech Interests 10-14-2024

Ceasefire Resolution Votes Should Inform Choice of Candidates 10-05-2024

Public Comment

Urgent Need for Ceasefire and End to Hostilities in Israel-Palestine Jagjit Singh 10-07-2024

You Are Our Voice – Stand with Lebanon for Peace and Dignity Deans of the Faculty of Health Sciences – American University of Beirut, Lebanon-- Abla Mehio Sibai (2020-present), Iman Nuwayhid (2008-2020), Huda Zurayk (1998-2008) 10-02-2024

The absence of ceasefire undermines Democrats chances of winning Congress, perhaps even the presidency. Marc Sapir MD, MPH 10-01-2024

New: Measure EE is the Smart Choice to Fix Berkeley Streets Isabelle Gaston 10-14-2024

A BERKELEY ACTIVIST'S DIARY: Full Disclosure? Kelly Hammargren 10-14-2024

Israeli Aggression in Lebanon: Escalation at the Expense of Peace Jagjit Singh 10-02-2024

Two Letters to Berkeley Councilmember Igor Tregub re Peace and Justice for All? Summer Brenner, District 4 resident 10-01-2024

Ta-Nehisi Coates Speaks Out on Israel Jagjit Singh 10-10-2024

Trump? No Tough Guy Bruce Joffe 10-06-2024

Complaint with California FPPC Paola Laverde 10-14-2024

Demand Tax Giveaway be taken OFF the Berkeley Consent Calendar Kate Harrison 10-14-2024

The R&D Tax Exemption Giveaway on Tuesday's Berkeley City Council Agenda Zelda Bronsteins 10-14-2024

A BERKELEY ACTIVIST'S DIARY: Peace and Justice Kelly Hammargren 10-09-2024

SMITHEREENS: Reflections on Bits & Pieces: Reach, Preach and Speech Gar Smith 10-06-2024

The Medical Model of Psychiatry Can Be Seen as Either Less or More Discriminatory Jack Bragen 10-05-2024

News

New: ELECTION NOTES - 2024 Rob Wrenn 10-07-2024

IDF Continues Their Rampage in Gaza Jagjit Singh 10-15-2024

SMITHEREENS: Reflections on Bits & Pieces: Storms, Norms & Reforms Gar Smith 10-15-2024

Updated: Resolution for an Immediate and Permanent Ceasefire in Gaza, and an End to U.S. Military Aid to Israel, and Support for Palestinian Self-Determination Berkeley Peace and Justioe Commission 10-05-2024

How Margot is Voting In Ballot Order Margot Smith 10-12-2024

Berkeley Independent Voter's Guide Abe Cinque 10-12-2024

Kamala Harris: To the Finish Line Bob Burnett 10-10-2024

Arts & Events

September Mystery/Thriller Novels Bob Burnett 10-05-2024

THE BERKELEY ACTIVISTS' CALENDAR, October 13-20 Kelly Hammargren 10-12-2024

THE BERKELEY ACTIVIST'S CALENDAR: Oct. 6-13 10-05-2024