Public Comment

During this interregnum period, we can hope for a more positive and progressive political future. Summing up the massive ethical lapses of the past federal administration is critical to never forgetting how our democracy was nearly shredded.

If Trumpism proves anything, it shows what happens when you take the individualism and greed inherent in neoliberal public policy to its logical and inevitable conclusion. Yes, Trump has been an aberration, but at the same time you can follow a thread back to the Powell Memo to see Trump represents, in brutally cartoonish form, the enforced austerity of predatory corporate ideology that has guided Republican and Democratic administrations since the entrance of Ronald Reagan into the political arena.

How does this affect the City of Berkeley and its major public institution, the University of California? The impact of austerity and now the COVID cuts have reduced the state’s contribution to UC’s budget, which has in turn led to increased student fees and tuition and to a groveling for cash from individuals and the private sector. While UC actively pursues public-private partnerships and the monetization of public resources, it remains a public institution in name but is increasingly becoming a private institution in behavior.

What's needed is a significant state tax on large corporations and wealthy individuals, the proceeds of which would specifically go to support the university. This way UC would get the money it needs from the rich without having to sell its soul. If the university was being funded primarily by public money, it might be a lot more influenced by public interest and a lot more dedicated to the public good. 

UC would do itself and Californians a great service by promoting basic education throughout the state on the difference between regressive and progressive taxation. This could then begin to empower voters to redress the issue of UC now getting only 13% of its funding from the state, rather than the 50% it used to receive. 

Meanwhile, the Black Lives Matter movement has finally ratcheted up the public conversation on race to a point where we may finally dig deeply in exploring both the roots of racism and actual policies that deal with institutional and structural barriers to social equity. 

Rhetoric from UC Berkeley sounds like it has taken this seriously. In December 2019, Chancellor Christ stated, “Berkeley must do all it can to assure that it reflects a diverse population. But demographic change is not enough, Christ said, and she called on the campus community to do more to make its entire culture welcoming and supportive of all people. (Edward Lempinen, Berkeley News, 12/19/20, online). 

Earlier Christ had said, “[T]he campus will continue to support a wide range of existing initiatives that advance diversity and inclusion for our graduate students… We are committed to keeping the campus informed and engaged as this essential work unfolds. I am both confident and optimistic that we are well positioned to build a campus community that truly reflects the diversity — and the very highest ideals — of the public we serve” (Public Affairs, UCB, 9/27/19, online). 

However she also recognized “that some members of our community feel we talk a good game about improving diversity, but haven’t backed up our words with appropriate actions” (Nanette Asimov, San Francisco Chronicle, 9/2/19). 

Yes, Chancellor Christ, we do. Witness the recent announcement of the proposed closure of the Institute for the Study of Societal Issues (ISSI) by the end of the 2020-2021 academic year - the only institute on campus currently scheduled for closing. The research institute, which was founded decades ago, was the first in the UC system devoted to the study of race, stratification and social change. ISSI also provides office space to graduate students in the landmarked Anna Head Building (across the street from People’s Park) for their work, meetings and interdisciplinary dialogue with other students of color. 

Dr. Lawrence Rosenthal, chair of the Center for Right-Wing Studies, was quoted in a Bay Cities News Foundation article that ISSI closing is “indicative of a larger pattern of universities on one hand rushing to form committees and issue statements in support of Black Lives Matter, while in this case, on the other hand, actually taking action that diminishes campus resources dedicated to racial justice.” A Daily Cal article reported that allegedly the “campus administration did not adequately communicate with ISSI or attempt a ‘collaborative approach’ before announcing the closure.” 

The historic Anna Head Building is also threatened with destruction because of the cost of repairs. This absence of care is similar to the UCB’s lack of concern for the cultural and historic legacy of People’s Park and the other historic and landmarked architecture that surrounds it. 

January 20, 2021 will mark the end of a political nightmare and hopefully the beginning of a reckoning that starts to deal with the structural deficits that led to the creation of our current chaos. UC Berkeley needs to take this to heart. 

Let’s demand that UC Berkeley seek a new vision more in line with its motto “Fiat Lux” – Let There Be Light. Let there be the light of truth, transparency, and ethics. Let that light guide the way to principled behavior and the respect for diversity, culture and history. Let that light banish the increasingly corporate behavior exhibited by the university. 

Harvey Smith is a board member of People's Park Historic District Advocacy Group. Go to peoplesparkhxdist.org to see an alternative that would bring the city, the university, and the South Campus community together to preserve and improve the park as both an important historical site and an important neighborhood open space.