It’s easy to become numb to warnings about the future, these days. Every minute of every day the mainstream media bombards us with shrieks about some new “crisis” or another “war on…” whatever, to the point of exhaustion. However, every once in a while, the fire drill is for real.

This week, I watched an extraordinary analysis of two new California housing laws coming up for a vote in Sacramento: SB-9 and SB-10. The presentation was the work of Maria and Jeff Kalban, the founders of United Neighbors in Sherman Oaks, California. It would be an understatement to say that, if passed, this legislation will bring about the biggest changes to zoning law and city planning in California, in the past 100 years… and none of it for the better. -more-

Please help save People's Park! Please sign the open letter below! (And if you'd like to read a short history of People's Park in the 1960s, please see: Unforgettable Change: 1960s: People’s Park Fights UC Land Use Policy; One Dead, Thousands Tear Gassed | Picture This (museumca.org) ).

So, if you're okay with signing, please let the People's Park Committee know by emailing them ASAP, at: peoplesparkhxdist@gmail.comPlease include your "affiliation" -- and if you're a Berkeley resident, UC alumnus, or hold an advanced degree, please include that too. Also, if you can forward this message to others who might consider signing, that will also be a great help! (Especially Berkeley residents, those who hold advanced degrees, and UC alumni or faculty). -more-

When Joe Biden called Putin a killer, it brought back memories of the Vietnam War. On arriving to the US in 1967 I was swept up in the drama of the mandatory draft and rioting on college campuses opposing the war. I must confess I was puzzled why America declared war on Vietnam which was just recovering from the yoke of French colonialism. In the communist hysteria at the time this struggle was interpreted by the American political elite as Vietnam’s embrace of communism and therefore presented an existential threat to the US and its allies. This was an easy sell to most Americans except many college students and the Rev. King who spoke eloquently against the war.

In attempting to bring a speedy conclusion to the war the US military, and the CIA used everything in its arsenal with no concern of the enormous collateral damage that would occur to the Vietnamese peasants, American soldiers and later to the people of Laos and Cambodia. B52 bombers continued their saturation bombing around the clock. Cluster munitions and chemical weapons, such as the dioxin Agent Orange, and napalm were used in large quantities on a predominately civilian population raising the spectre of war crimes and genocide. -more-

For millions of disabled Americans who do not file tax returns because we live on disability benefits, the third stimulus payment hasn't yet arrived in our bank accounts.

The federal government under the Biden-Harris Administration is in its early stages of being put together. They've probably had to rebuild many, many things from the ground up--this is because the Trump was too busy golfing and trying to stage a coup to attend to running the U.S. Government.

However, it was a relatively simple task for the Social Security Administration to hand over records to the IRS, so that the payments for disabled and seniors, which happen to be those in the most fragile positions, so that we could be paid. The one-month delay, when we were essentially promised otherwise, could have devastating effects on many, who may have banked on getting this much needed money.

I borrowed eighty dollars from my brother, and that's the limit of it. This is because I had my doubts of whether things would transpire as promised. Yet, there could be thousands of people living on Social Security and/or SSI who believed the government would deliver what was promised, when it was promised, and who may have banked on this. This could lead to falling out the bottom trapdoor built into society, a door that leads to homelessness and/or incarceration, and/or death. Is there an ulterior motive? It would be paranoid to believe that. But is there?

Our system seems to be designed with some built in boobytraps. For example, overdraft on bank accounts. If you do not keep a hawk's eye on banking, and if you are poor, it becomes a real possibility that your account could become overdrawn, leaving you without enough money to pay rent. This is because any overdraft invokes massive fees.

A generalized example: not knowing and following the various laws that can get you in trouble. As soon as you have an arrest record, you are unable to do a number of things. This is partial exclusion, and it may prevent being able to secure adequate employment.

There are many ways that society has for ejecting people. The one-month delay in the stimulus money qualifies as one of those ways. -more-

A recent Gallup Poll found that Americans, in general, are happy with the Biden Administration. Except for Republicans. Another poll indicated that most of us want to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Except Republicans. What's wrong with the GOP? -more-

Emerging from depression is an uphill battle. After a bout with psychosis, often a patient will experience depression. We may mistakenly believe the symptoms of depression are caused by being medicated with antipsychotics. However, this is mostly not so. When we return to tracking reality, the brain needs an extended recovery period, and part of that may include being depressed. The reader should realize that this depression will eventually clear up. -more-

Teachable Moments at Trader Joe's -more-

From the week that is just ending, the big event was Thursday and not much else mattered. -more-

Worth Noting:

City Council spring recess starts March 31 and extends through April 19.

Sunday – 2 pm rally for Asian Americans at Aquatic Park organized by 7^th graders. The Equity Summit is at 7 pm.

Monday – Deadline is at 5 pm to submit an application to be considered for the Police Accountability Board.

Tuesday – The Regular City Council meeting is at 6 pm. The last item on the agenda is The Rights of Nature.

Wednesday – The Homeless Commission meets at 6 pm. The South Berkeley Community safety Town Hall is at 7 pm.

Thursday – The UC Berkeley Long Range Development Plan is on the agenda at the Landmarks Commission. The Public Works Commission Agenda is not available until after Monday.

If you have a meeting you would like included in the summary of meetings, please send a notice to kellyhammargren@gmail.com by noon on the Friday of the preceding week.

Sunday, March 28, 2021 -more-