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Councilmember Spring accused 

Last evening I witnessed a display of Berkeley politics at its worst and the brazen manner in which a public commission was lied to and misled by Councilwoman Dona Spring compels me to speak out. I happened to be attending the Commission on Disability meeting at the North Berkeley Senior Center and noticed that one of the topics was a recommendation to the city regarding the proposal to grant the Ashkenaz dance club $30,000 in public funds for accessibility improvements. I happened also to be present when this item was brought up at the City Council budget hearing several weeks before. A motion was made by Kriss Worthington and seconded by Betty Olds, that the Council not vote on the money for Ashkenaz until the Commission on Disability had a chance to make a recommendation.  

Dona Spring was at the Commission meeting last night, negating that vote of the City Council by spreading the story that the money for Ashkenaz was a done deal and had already been voted on. The Commission therefore, voted to go along with what they were misled into thinking was a fait accompli. If this had been done in the context of a trial, it would have been a clear case of jury tampering — but since it was done in a political setting there is little chance that Councilwoman Spring will be held to account. I just want her to know that there are citizens who are watching, and who are disgusted with this kind of deceitful behavior. 

Joe Cadora 

Berkeley 

Spring takes the stand 

I am responding to the letter by Mr. Cadora which accuses me of lying to the Commission on Disabilities about the Council’s approval of an allocation of $30,000 to the folk dance club Ashkenaz. In the future, it would be a good idea for Mr. Cadora to get his facts straight before hurling out slanderous accusations at people.  

The Council passed the proposed budget of Shirek, Maio, Spring and Worthington on June 27, 2000. In the approved budget, was the following allocation and language: “An allocation for improvements at Ashkenaz is being proposed for $30,000, to fund miscellaneous upgrades. Of this amount up to $15,000 in proposed ADA improvements is to be referred to the Commission on Disability.” As one of the authors of the budget, the intent of this language was to have the Commission give input into the accessibility design.  

The motion made several weeks earlier by Councilmember Worthington to refer the requested funding for Ashkenaz to the Commission on Disabilities was modified and superseded by this later motion which passed as a part of the fiscal year 2000-2001 budget. 

I sit by what I told the Commission about this matter that the $30,000 allocation was approved by the Council but not yet released pending input from the Commission on the accessibility issues. I dispute Mr. Cadora’s distorted portrayal. 

Dona Spring 

Berkeley City Councilmember