On Saturday the Berkeley Neighborhood Council sponsored a public forum, Can Berkeley be a Livable City for All?, which featured Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin and Berkeley Planning Director Timothy Burroughs explaining their current thinking and actions in the key field of land use, followed by an open no-holds-barred opportunity for participants to question and address them on all kinds of topics. The meeting was the best possible illustration of how the city’s public meetings, which typically limit citizen comments to meaningless one minute soundbytes, serve little or no purpose in informing officials, both hired and elected, about what’s happening on the ground in Berkeley.

This gathering, which was held in the community center in South West Berkeley’s San Pablo Park, gave the city’s many articulate thinkers as long as they needed to talk about what’s right and what’s wrong with the way the city is being run these days, at least in matters which involve land use. Thanks to volunteer videographer Christine Schwartz, there’s an excellent public record of what was said, and it’s worth the time to watch the whole three hours of it. (Yes, that’s what I said, three hours!).

It can be found on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/307RuIpEgkQ

It would be great if someone, a reader perhaps, could create an index to highlight particularly cogent comments—any volunteers? A transcription or summary of high points would also be good—I might try that myself later in the week.

Meanwhile, take the time to take a look. Mayor Arreguin’s summary, very early in the video, of all the activity in Sacramento aimed at usurping local control over land use, would be a good place to start. -more-

Why does it matter if warming is limited to 1.5°C above pre-industrial climate? If the planet warms to 2°C or above, how much worse could it be? Or at 3°C? We would be lucky to stop at 3°C. If all current climate pledges (including California's) are fulfilled - and we are not on track for even that much emissions reduction - at least 3°C warming will occur. -more-

“Berkeley Must Advocate for Housing Affordability”, so says an op ed in the Feb 12 Daily Cal. The article praises student protestors for showing up at the Berkeley City Council meeting to advocate for the development of an 18-story housing complex in downtown Berkeley and to denounce the residents who opposed the building on the basis of its interference with views of the Bay Area. The op ed goes on, “But one thing they (students) failed to do was demand affordability". ……”The development of new market rate housing merely contributes to the gentrification of Berkeley, exacerbating the lack of affordable housing for local residents.” ??????
So, after the project gets approved by the council the student newspaper says what a lot of Berkeley residents have been thinking.

Views aside, the project will not after all have any “affordable” apartments. Were the students aware of that before they put on their demonstration?

There seems to be a pattern here. Yet another big box corporate monster apartment building gets proposed and the shock troops (students,YIMBYs and media) show up to bully, deride and attribute motives to Berkeley citizens who have real concerns. Council is emboldened to stick with their marching orders and spit in the face of their tax paying constituents.

Could we please talk about the “Plan Bay Area”, drawn up and approved illegitimately by ABAG/MTC (now called MTC) in July of 2013, which mandates cities to build, build, build this type of housing. It used to be called “Smart Growth”. Now it’s called “affordable” housing, but it really isn’t . The MTC redevelopment machine cloaks itself in a righteous cause to perpetuate its con on the Bay Area -more-

It appears that President Trump thinks he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize just like President Obama's one. A misspelling of Nobel - Noble gives one of the qualities often associated with most Laureates. The Nobel should go to only the best of the best although sometimes hindsight adds more to the story. -more-

The Berkeley City Council once had sterling awareness about secondhand smoke's health effects. But on Tuesday night, February 19, 2019, they punched a hole so big in Berkeley's smokefree policy that any progress we've made in working toward a smokefree generation is effectively over. -more-

Progressives are immensely troubled by the Berkeley City Council's decision to approve an 18 story, high rental 274 unit residential building. Another 18 story residential building, called Harold Way, was approved by the previous City Council. Other pricey buildings are being constructed and more are being planned. However, the Council's record for developing an adequate supply of affordable housing and protecting the homeless from being harassed are very disappointing. In the last Council election, Berkeley voters replaced a conservative with a progressive majority. Understandably, many progressives are feeling betrayed. -more-

It's a remarkable testimony to these times that while Donald Trump has declared a "national emergency" because of politically inspired "border security" concerns, he has chosen to ignore the true national emergency caused by global climate change. The bad news is that Trump is playing to his base, most of whom don't believe in climate change. The good news is that because of the "Green New Deal," climate change is going to be a major issue in the 2020 election. -more-

In 1982-83, I was a young adult, and I had newly been diagnosed with Schizophrenia, Paranoid-type. I didn't agree with the diagnosis, and I believed that I had created the illness on my own, through mishandling of my thinking. And I also believed there were additional reasons that I became ill. I didn't buy the assertion that something was wrong with my brain. I thought that I'd mal-programmed myself. -more-

n his State of the Union address, President Trump decried socialism stating, “Toni, we resolve that America will never be a socialist country.” I bet Trump could not explain what socialism is, nor for that matter, could many Americans. -more-

Sunday, February 24, 2019

No city meetings or events found

Monday, February 25, 2019

Agenda and Rules Committee, Monday, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm, 2180 Milvia, 6^th Floor Redwood Conf Room, Agenda Planning for March 12 City Council Meeting, #8. Referral – Updated Policy for Emergency Standby Officers, Consent Calendar #1. Living Wage, #2. YMCA Early Childhood Trauma dn Resiliency Project, #4. Update to EveryOne Home Plan to End Homelessness, #5. Contract CA Homelessness Emergency Aid Program (HEAP), #6. Agreement to Operate Pathways Project, #7. Shelter Plus Care Program Renewal Grants, #8. MOU Planning Phase Viability of Ferry Service and Public Recreation Pier at Marina, #9. Reward of up to $50,000 fo info in Criminal Investigation, #10. Add 2700 block Belrose to Street Sweeping, #11. Measure O Oversight and Measure P Homeless Services Panel, #12. Authorize public meeting with Housing Advisory Commission and Affordable Housing Organizations, #14. Letter requesting Barbara Lee to support repeal of FCC regulation limits on 5G, Action: #16. 2701 Shattuck Appeal of 5-story, 62-foot, mixed-use building, #17. Cannabis Ordinance Revisions, #18. Density Bonus Ordinance Revisions, #19. Janitorial Services Contract, #20. Presentation Mosquito Abatement, #21. Ordinance to Prohibit Natural Gas Infrastructure in New Buildings, 22. Adopt Gender Inclusive Language, #23 Affirm Support of People of Tibet, Information Items #24. Audit Construction Permits, #25. Audit Strategic Plan, #26. Audit Zero Waste, #27. Amending Contracts with Eviction Defense Center (EDC) and East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC) -more-