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Why recall the Mayor of Berkeley?

Mayor Tom Bates...


  • does not listen to the constituents of Berkeley

  • suppresses the concerns of citizens to satisfy developers

  • takes federal HUD Section 8 money (that should be used to help qualified tenants with rents) and slots it for developers so they can build high-density, modern apartment buildings in the heart of downtown, that will either remain empty, or be filled with students and young professionals. ( They are primarily filled w/ individuals NOT from Berkeley-- you might also want to know how units were left unfilled once people had died and the City continued to pay the developers rent on behalf of the deceased.)

  • Uses the "Green" movement as a pretext to overdevelop town, cut down trees, and transfer city, state, and federal funds to developers.

  • voted to rid Berkeley of Iceland, a landmark skating rink.

  • Does not notify the public in advance of important meetings

  • Provides no evidence for the claims he makes

  • No accommodation of those who wish to express dissent

  • Says, "Let's focus on obtaining federal/state funds now, and we'll worry about the final plans later," whether he's talking about procuring funding for the Ashby transit village or the BRT

  • On the Warm water pool--he should be supporting adaptive reuse and sustainability--the City's own letter to the BUSD stated that the building should be saved. Bates could apply for federal and State dollars to develop a preservation program vs using City GF dollars. He looks to us to carry the entire burden vs leveraging our dollars
  • another recall site is: http://berkeleyrecall.com/

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Warm Water Pool Ignored by Council and Sc. Bd


Despite continuous lobbying from Council Member Dona Spring and many other handicapped warm water pool users, and despite voter passage of a bond messure years ago, the Mayor, the Council, and the School Board seem determined to tear down its landmarked building and run a $14 million bond issue to replace the pool on a small lot without parking for the users. The building could be fixed up for an estimated $3 million.

Several citizens have succeeded in landmarking the historic buildings on the South end of the High School property not only within Berkeley, but with a State Landmark designation too. They hope to stop the school board determination to demolish this beautiful facility.

You will remember that the Mayor tried to destroy the Landmark Preservation Ordinance and failed when citizens obtained enough signatures on a petition to block his developer friendly replacement ordinance.
Where is the Mayor on preservation, adaptive re-use and building a sustainable future for our community? He is ignoring his own "Green--Measure G Rhetoric".

Thus is government in Berkeley these days, a continuous struggle to right the wrongs of the Mayor and Council by concerned citizens.
Photo Credit: Jakob Schiller, The Berkeley Daily Planet


Related entries:
Letters to the Editor, Warm Pools, 11.20.2007
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