Page One

Minimum wage must be living wage 

Editor: 

The Industrial Welfare Commission is holding hearings this month to determine whether or not to increase the state minimum wage and, if so, by how much. The minimum wage is currently $5.75 an hour – less than $12,000 per year for someone working 40 hours a week.  

Every day we hear and read stories of people losing or being unable to find housing in California. The news has been filled with the skyrocketing cost of utilities, most recently creating a crisis in San Diego. And we all know too well the impact of gasoline at $2 per gallon. 

It is imperative that the wealth of this state be more equitably distributed so that working families can survive and prosper. We need a living minimum wage of at least $12 an hour.  

Phyllis Willet 

Berkeley 

Thanks for including tragic story 

Editor: 

A week ago you printed a story about a 11 year old shot by a Modesto swat team. The boy, Alberto Sepulveda was killed and the police have tried to say it was a accident.  

No major newspaper ran half the story that you did. None of the major newscasts televised this important story. Thank you very much for informing the public on stories like this, and I hope this will be an ongoing part of your newspaper.  

My congratulations. Thank-you. 

Bob Torres 

Oakland 

UC must respect the historic district 

Editor:  

For many years I’ve lived very near the site of UC’s proposed Centralized Dining and Student Services Building. I care strongly about the character of my Southside neighborhood, and especially about what happens on Bowditch, which is one of Berkeley’s most vitally significant streets.  

Only four blocks long, and with strong terminal features at both ends, the Bowditch corridor is a distinct and distinctive townscape subarea. The street is almost lined with historic buildings, including ones by major architects like Bernard Maybeck and Julia Morgan. The Bowditch corridor should be officially declared as what it already in fact is: a historic district. Within it there are only a few noncontributory structures, such as UC’s tempos on the site at Bowditch and Channing.  

Surely, whatever new is built on this site, at the street’s crucial midpoint, should be highly respectful of its surroundings and should deliberately act to support and indeed strengthen the Bowditch corridor’s historic character. But the proposed CDSSB abysmally fails the test. 

When the initial CDSSD design was shown by UC to the Design Review Committee and the Landmarks Preservation Commission earlier this year, both city bodies severely criticized it. Although the new design involves moving some elements around, there is very little improvement overall. UC and its architects seem to be largely ignoring the city’s very valid and strong comments. This is appalling. 

UC has even failed to provide adequate visual simulations of its proposed design. But what I’ve seen in the latest drawings, and clumsy single photomontage, is quite bad enough.  

The graphics reveal no serious effort to truly harmonize and resonate with the project’s historic neighbors. Instead, the design seems largely to be shouting its differentness. Despite the project’s location within a special and compellingly important historic context, the architects appear largely to be doggedly and dogmatically pursuing a non-“contextual” approach.  

This contrasts oddly with some other current UC proposals, such as the College-Durant housing and the Goldman School expansion, whose design approach has been much more contextualist.  

For one example of a problem with the CDSSB, the asymmetrically curving roof which would be right next to Casa Bonita. That roof seems to willfully clash with landmarked Casa Bonita and with the landmarked Anna Head property (which is on the National Register) directly across the street, and could disrupt the stately rhythm of the Bowditch corridor in general.  

Among other related concerns are the project’s apparent palette of materials, and possible resulting colors. In particular, most of the portions closest to Bowditch would have an assertively glass-and-metal look that in itself could severely conflict with the street’s basic character.  

Another major problem is that the landmarked Fox Cottage would be eliminated. I presume that it would be demolished rather than moved to some other property, even though UC alleges that this is still undecided. Especially considering that so much of the total site area would be devoted to landscaped setbacks and a corner plaza, I’m unconvinced that this tiny cottage couldn’t be kept in place, as an attractive and humanizing element of the complex. In fact, a study 1998 study done for UC itself specifically concluded that retaining the cottage would be feasible.  

John S. English, AICP 

Berkeley 

Fire Reno for Wen Ho Lee imprisonment 

Editor: 

Given the judicial, presidential and public outcry of disgust at the prosecutorial treatment of Dr. Wen Ho Lee, in contrast to Janet Reno’s self-righteous wrong-headed view on the matter, one of the best moves Al Gore could make to win votes in November would be to publicly urge Clinton to fire the Attorney General forthwith. 

As Florida Attorney General, Reno’s partisan, injudicious gullibility regarding the tragic frameups and imprisonment, as child molesters, of Florida nursery school workers, whose convictions were later irrefutably reversed, should have made her ineligible for the federal job in the first case. After events in Texas, and the Wen Ho Lee tragedy, her tenure should certainly be terminated.  

Judith Segard Hunt 

Berkeley 

Section 8 tenants need help and housing 

Editor: 

RE: your article on Forum Advocates for Affordable Housing. 

I have lived in West Berkeley next to Section 8 neighbors. The main problem has been no recourse to the ‘absentee’ landlord and the ‘absentee’ Section 8 staff in the middle of many bad nights and weekends. 

Our Section 8 neighbors (quite marvelous people when not imbibing) had drug, alcohol and mental problems along with their much louder friends who stayed with them for weeks and sometimes months, disrespecting everyone else in the neighborhood with music blasting, screaming fights, and door knocking and talking at all hours. Our Section 8 neighbors themselves would (when coherent) try to “keep it down” – but were abused along with everyone in the neighborhood by the ‘friends.’ The police came and the police went and yes, we threatened to take the landlord to court. After four years the Section 8 people were finally gone. Thank God. 

So where are the Section 8 mediators to help both their tenants and the rest of us live together equitably and get some sleep and to see that their ‘landlords’ take some responsibility for their business of housing Section 8 tenants? The group Section 8 housing nearby on University has clear rules and is well managed. As long as these same conditions do not pertain to individual Section 8 rentals – and we, the neighbors are left to the whims of t absentee landlord, I remain, forever yours 

Sara DeWitt, NIMBY 

Berkeley 

Honor the cars, too 

Editor: 

I enjoyed your Sept. 21 article about “car-free day” and about H.H. Bliss, the first known person killed by a car. The local bicycle enthusiast who publicized the 101st anniversary of Bliss’ sad demise did a fine job of getting his message out. Just as he did in commemorating the 100th anniversary last year. (Although I have no fear that these successes will make him complacent about putting his message out again during next year’s 102nd anniversary – whatever his message is.) 

In the interest of balance, though, shouldn’t we also identify the first person whose life was saved by a motorized ambulance? After all, hitching up horse teams took a while, and they didn’t move that fast. Yet victims of heart attacks and other emergencies often need medical intervention within a few minutes if they are to survive. 

And for a more complete picture, shouldn’t we also estimate the number of lives saved since cars cleared our cities of horse poop and resulting swarms of disease-carrying flies? The “car-free” cities of the 1800s weren’t idyllic, nor were they pristine. 

In any case, after reading your article, I drove home better-informed about the whole parking-industrial-media-gasoline-prison-IMF- World Bank-anti-train, anti-fun, anti-outdoor-play conspiracy. But the next day, I read that Europeans had mostly observed the European Union’s “car-free day” by driving to work in heavy, gridlocked traffic. Maybe we really need cleaner cars and better transit, not onanistic, ineffective car-bashing? 

Tom Brown 

Berkeley 

To the Editor, 

Richard Register's declaration, "I am not a rabbit" (Letters, Sept. 22) will someday sound as hollow as Richard Nixon's similar post-Watergate protestation, "I am not a crook." 

Mr. Register is indulging in his usual obsessions (jamming 15-story buildings into Berkeley's slim downtown) and his usual tactics (viciously attacking anyone who won't follow him into his looking-glass world -- which is pretty much everyone). His target this time was Carrie Olson, a fine City Council candidate in District 5. Ms. Olson simply proposes to defend our downtown's existing, well-thought-out zoning against Mr. Register's wild schemes, which have no basis in reality and no constituency in Berkeley. 

A day earlier, Mr. Register -- or the out-of-town developers for whom he fronts -- rented most of a Daily Planet page to attack two wonderful sitting Council members, plus one of the city's most distinguished volunteer commissioners. As for the commissioner, Mr. Register has been crying "Off with his head!" for years, but still can't even spell his name correctly -- let alone understand his wisdom. 

Mr. Register should stop assailing good people, and get back in touch with his inner rabbit. It is time he recognized that Berkeley's future does not lie upward, in some hubristic Gotham City of shadowy, phallic spires. Instead, we Deep Ecologists affirm that it lies downward: in high-density underground housing projects nestled snugly in Mother Earth's womb. To paraphrase another Nixonism: Someday, Mr. Register, we shall all be rabbits. Go ask Alice. 

Thank you, 

Morlock Chaillot 

Facilitator, Deep Ecologists' Gaian Alliance 

1776 Oxford Street, lower 

Berkeley, CA 94704 

(510) 845-6717 

Editor, 

Why is there is a housing and transportation crisis in Berkeley? Perhaps it’s because the city added 10,500 new jobs since 1980, while it lost 55 housing units (source: Berkeley General Plan). 

This jobs-housing imbalance continues today, and is exacerbated by the actions of the city’s residents. For example, at a recent zoning board meeting, not a single resident complained about thedevelopment of a new office building for 200 workers (and their cars) at Fourth and Cedar streets. However, they argued vociferously against 48 units of new housing at 2700 San Pablo Avenue that might allow some of those employees to live within 2 miles of their work place. 

Berkeley’s parking, transportation and housing crisis will not be addressed unless the city approves more housing along its commercial corridors. In the spirit of compromise, the developer of the 2700 San Pablo Avenue project has offered to reduce the height of the proposed project from five stories to four stories. The resulting plan supports public transit, helps  

to revitalize vacant storefronts, and addresses the city’s housing  

crisis. Despite the complaints of neighborhood NIMBYs, the Zoning  

Adjustments Board should demonstrate leadership and approve this reasonable  

and responsible project. 

Sincerely, 

Christopher Hudson 

Berkeley 

510.527.5663 

Subject:  

AFFORDABLE - SECTION 8 HOUSING 

Date:  

Wed, 27 Sep 2000 11:48:59 -0700 

From:  

“sara dewitt”  

To:  

Editor: 

In response to the letter (8/31) from Terry Powell: 

Terry Powell from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab’s (LBNL) public relations department, operated for the Department of Energy (DOE), is just doing her job when she promotes the lab’s official line on the continuous dumping of radioactive waste from their National Tritiu Labeling Facility (NTLF) and Melvin Calvin Lab on the UC campus. 

The Lab’s boosters endlessly repeat the mantra “tritium emissions below the U.S. EPA’s National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Pollutants (NESHAPS).” Never do they address the many credible criticisms of their absurdly low estimate for radioactive tritium exposure, including those in the report by IFEU, made by independent scientists hired at local taxpayers’ expense by the City of Berkeley. 

Dumping in short bursts and a short stack actually located below the Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS) are easily understandable reasons why exposure to LHS workers and visiting children could exceed the NESHAPS standard. Just because the flawed exposure estimates concocted by LBNL remain unchallenged by the perfumed suits at the EPA and the California Department of Toxic Substances is no reason for anyone to believe them.  

All the Lab’s arguments seem like such blather when one visits the site and sees the tritium stack just 30 feet from the LHS’s fence. Common sense tells one that whatever is coming out of the stack is all over whoever is near it. In this cases it’s most of the areas children. Triatiated vapor is extremely hazardous and has been identified as a cause of leukemia, cancer, infertility and other genetic defects.  

Ms. Powell is incorrect when she states that almost all their tritium is captured and recycled. As sloppy as their records are, they do indicate large quantities missing. Even when LBNl has admittedly dumped does not support her claim.  

Also contrary to what Ms. Powell claimed, LBNL’s treatability “study” was just a scam to unload years of backlogged mixed waste without obtaining the usual permits. Mixed waste, toxic chemicals contaminated with radioactive waste, is fed into an “oxidation cell” complete with igniter plugs and exhaust vents, and can run in excess of 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. Sure sounds like an incinerator to me.  

Playing games by reclassifying the NTLF as a “non-nuclear” facility and “delisting” their mixed waste does not alter the reality that large amounts of dangerous radioactive material are stored, used and dumped there. Neither the NTLF or Calvin Lab are appropriately sited in our community and should be closed and cleaned up.  

Mark McDonald 

Berkeley