I am helping to coordinate the Kamala Nevada effort on the ground in Reno. We have one more week before election day. Below, you will see four options for helping out. -more-

The recent Israeli airstrikes on Beit Lahia, Gaza, have killed dozens, including children, in what U.S. State Department officials have called “a horrifying incident with a horrifying result.” While Gazan officials report that at least 93 people died in the attack, including 25 children, where is the international outrage? If Russia had inflicted this level of destruction on Ukrainian civilians—decimating homes, hospitals, and schools, and blocking essential aid—the response would be widespread condemnation. Yet, for Gaza, the outcry remains silent. -more-

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War Drum Conundrums: The Overkill Calamity -more-

After two terms, I get the impression that Buffy Wicks doesn't want to represent me, or District 14. Yet she is so confident of keeping her state Assembly seat that yard signs, speechmaking (beyond select audiences) and appearing on the same stage as her opponent, i.e. acting the part, are plumb unnecessary. The 'check incumbent' box is enough for the un-wary who affect every key election.

Her series of triumphant Draconian housing legislation suggests she represents some other locale, perhaps in Trump Country. Rather than community or constituency, she overtly serves YIMBY ideology, and its purposeful smothering of opposition, forcing inappropriate development on now-defenseless communities, under its grand master Sen. Scott Wiener. Gutting a health bill (AB 598) to become a support for BAHFA intrigues tells me she doesn't fear sneezing. Thank your higher PG&E rates on her killing AB1999. As for the UC-'I Love Noise' (AB 1307) success, please note her own quiet neighborhood.

So, why should we trust someone over 30 to replace her? Margot Smith is a longtime resident of Berkeley, with a UC PhD in Public Health. She didn't suddenly appear, as if on assignment. She says, "I'm running because I object to the laws the Buffy Wicks votes for", and exemplifies what might be called Berkeley Values: Housing for all incomes, not by developer diktat; Support of environmental laws, not their evisceration; Public schools, not charters; Support of newsprint media, not social-media gloss-overs; Fixing Prop 13, and the return to our communities the right to their own voices -more-

In case you are wondering who I am voting for in the local elections, it is Kate Harrison for Mayor, Margot Smith for State Assembly, Jovanka Beckles for State Senate, Nikki Fortunato Bas for Alameda County Supervisor. If I lived in District 6 I would vote for Andy Katz, District 5 Shoshana O’Keefe, in District 3 I would rank only Chip Moore and Ben Bartlett. I am voting for Fix the Streets – Measure EE, Parks – Measure Y, and Libraries – Measure X. I haven’t decided on BUSD or finalized my vote on the rest of the ballot initiatives. -more-

Stream-Dreaming: Voting for Visions

With all the concerns that would burden the candidates for Berkeley's next mayor—roads, schools, housing, policing—there's one would-be mayor who offers a refreshing take on how to deal with the city's overlooked amenities. As candidate Naomi D. Pete posits in the "Development" section of her official mayoral statement:
“I would like to see Berkeley get a fresh new look along with all those new apartments being built. Paint the City Hall building, Berkeley High School and also paint the Police Station building [Presumably with colorful, artistic murals?—GS]. And how about a waterfall in the park behind the City Hall.” -more-

Most of my friends and online acquaintances, as well as the progressive pundits I read or hear in the media, insist everyone must vote for Kamala Harris because Trump is so terrible. A smaller group – mostly Palestine-solidarity activists and people who have worked with third parties in the past - says “No way!” Everyone who’s truly progressive, they argue, should refuse to back an establishment candidate like Harris, in particular because of her support for Israeli genocide, and should instead vote for a third-party radical, most often Green Party candidate Jill Stein.

I understand the concerns of both groups, but I agree with neither. To me, thanks to the absurdity of our Electoral College system, how progressives should vote depends on the state where they’re going to vote. If you live in what’s known as a “swing state” – one of the seven states (Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin) where recent polling and past presidential election results suggest either Trump or Harris could win – I say hold your nose and vote for Harris. -more-

Landlord and Real Estate Money at Work

A new low in hit pieces can be seen in a mailer attacking Nikki Fortunato Bas, candidate for County supervisor, with an image of her holding a sign saying “Defund the Police”. There’s an asterisk for a footnote in smaller print at the bottom that says “This image has been manipulated.”

So, apparently, hit pieces can include fake images as long as they acknowledge doing so with a footnote. Who is paying for this? The California Real Estate Independent Expenditure Committee with funding from real estate industry groups. They probably don’t like Nikki Bas’ positions on rent control, tenant protections and support for affordable housing. -more-

Taking full advantage of Vice President Harris’s preoccupation with the U.S. elections and a perceived weakness in her leadership, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has intensified his campaign in Gaza, showing no regard for Palestinian lives. He has now issued a “surrender or starve” ultimatum to the entire population—evoking memories of the worst excesses of the Third Reich—all amid the deafening silence of the Biden-Harris administration. -more-

Weather Woes: Can the Vote Float?
The intersection of presidential elections and the consequences of severe climate change could lead to an unprecedented Constitutional crisis. -more-

WHEREAS, the Peace and Justice Commission advises the City Council on all matters
relating to the City of Berkeley’s role in issues of peace and social justice (Berkeley
Municipal Code Chapter 3.68.070); 1 and

WHEREAS, the Commission’s mandate finds that “the wealth that could be spent to
help the poor, heal the sick, house the homeless, educate the children, and care for the
elderly is now spent on ever more costly weapons of mass destruction;” and -more-

Berkeley Measure GG is the most exciting and impactful local climate policy on offer in California, if not the nation. A citizens’ ballot measure supported by community and workers, GG will tax wealthy owners of the largest (>15,000 sqft), most polluting buildings for their methane use, and invest the money in all-electric home and building upgrades averaging $15,000 for EVERY Berkeley homeowner/renter household. By cleaning up our local air and buildings, it will improve quality of life for all, while reducing Berkeley’s greenhouse gas emissions by over a third! -more-

As supported by the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club, the Berkeley Tenants Union, Our Revolution East Bay, some by the California Democratic Party (CADEM), and ACLU. Your Voters Guide has all the supporters and opposers of the propositions and measures for your review. If Jarvis is for it, vote against it. All they think about is $$, not the common good. -more-

For years, our little city has endured the audacious arrogance of Sacramento incumbents who’ve been invisible to constituents here, while working against our interests (and working hard for the likes of PG&E and corporate developers). This election offers unusual chances to send a message: we can vote for alternatives to the arrogant, the incompetent, and the unqualified heirs-apparent crowned by big money.

Please consider these a-la-carte suggestions, mix and match, do your own research, and decide for yourself. I address mostly races that are realistically contested, and/or controversial, in our precincts. Please forward – but anywhere I say “we,” I mean I or the consensus of the Cinque family, not any publication hosting this. -more-

We’ve entered the final of three stages of the Kamala Harris presidential campaign. The first stage began on July 21st when Joe Biden decided not to run for President and endorsed Kamala. In this stage, Harris had to reintroduce herself to voters and prepare for the Democratic convention. The second stage began with the September 10th Harris-Trump debate. In this stage, Kamala had to elaborate her policy positions. Now we’ve reached the third stage: the race to the November 5th finish line: getting out the vote. -more-

Update:

The misbegotten rule change described below was postponed iuntil next Tuesday, Novenber 12. A good crowd showed up to complain about it at the previous council meeting where it was discussed, but now the same crowd needs to show up on Tuesday to do it again. -more-

These days there’s no shortage of long, literate comments offered to the Berkeley Daily Planet. They are about a variety of topics, but sooner or later almost all gravitate toward the same area: the writer’s shock and horror about the way Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies are trying to turn the nation of Israel into a terrorist war machine.

Most of us here in Berkeley know many people with connections to Israel. Most of these self-identify as Jewish based on religion, genetics, ethnicity, culture, and/or all of the above.

Some grew up in Israel. Some of these are former Israelis who no longer believe in the mission.

Others have family members who went to Israel as adults to build a new life. Two of my own friends are grandmothers whose children, raised in Berkeley, have married and established families in Israel. And we have Jewish friends in the anti-Zionist category, people who emphatically don’t believe that creating a state where not all the residents are equal is mandated by Judaism—who believe that the state of Israel is not “good for the Jews.”

Just about all of these people are passionate about what they believe. After the horrendous October 7 invasion by the Gaza-based Hamas, Berkeleyans of all opinions asserted Israel’s right to defend itself from such attacks. However no one in my acquaintance claimed that Israel was entitled to the forty-to-one kill ratio against the Palestinians of Gaza, a majority of whom were non-combatants. And now slaughter goes on in Lebanon. -more-

Today marks the first anniversary of the tragic events of October 7th, when Hamas’s military wing breached the Israeli-constructed barrier fencing in the Gaza Strip. The initial conflict led to the loss of around 1,200 lives, with 250 individuals taken hostage to push for the release of thousands of Palestinian political prisoners held by Israel. While over half of the hostages have since been released through negotiated deals, Israel’s main response was to launch a full-scale assault on the already besieged Gaza Strip. The human cost of this conflict has been staggering—conservative estimates place the number of Palestinians killed at over 41,000, while recent projections suggest the toll could reach hundreds of thousands. -more-

We write to you today as former and current deans of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the American University of Beirut (AUB) in Lebanon, with a profound sense of urgency regarding the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Lebanon. As public health professionals, educators, and advocates for justice, we are all too familiar with the devastating effects of conflict on human lives and societal well-being. Lebanon now stands on the brink of a nationwide humanitarian catastrophe, and we urgently reach out to you– our colleagues, peers, and friends from academic Public Health institutions and health bodies worldwide. We need you to amplify our voice. -more-

Supporters of Israel insist opponents should stop calling Israel an apartheid and genocidal state. They pretend we make this up and are anti-Jewish (though they know many Palestine supporters are Jews).

Former US president Jimmy Carter long ago wrote about Israel’s apartheid. Moreover, every day now the Israel-US massacres and terrorism in Palestine and Lebanon prove those labels are apt—adding to the South African government’s case and the International Court of Justice’s provisional decision saying so. The reason that lovers of Israeli apartheid work so hard to try to stop this language is not because they think it’s untrue. They must crush accurate language about Israel or their narrative that this barbarity is all a response to Hamas, to terrorism and October 7, 2023 will collapse.

They must block people from learning that this full on genocide culminates 76 years of US-backed Israeli apartheid terrorism. Now they say the same about Hezbollah, the most popular political organization in Lebanon. Hezbollah’s head Nasrallah made clear that Hezbollah would stop shooting missiles into Israel as soon as Netanyahu agrees to a ceasefire on Gaza.

Israel’s response was to murder Nasrallah, killing a messenger proposing peace. -more-

Measure EE or "Fix the Streets" is a well-crafted tax measure that focuses like a laser on three things: Street repaving, fixing sidewalks and pathways, and improving bike boulevards. It will pave all streets in Berkeley, bringing them all up to a "good" condition defined as a Pavement Condition Index of 70. -more-

It seems like the national news media is hanging in anxious anticipation for that “October Surprise” event, revelation, or catastrophe that will swing the Presidential election one way or the other. -more-

Israeli airstrikes and targeted raids in southern Lebanon have already killed over a thousand civilians and displaced over a million more. Now, Israel is claiming to have launched a ground invasion, though Hezbollah and U.N. peacekeepers deny that such an incursion has yet begun.

The chaos is escalating, and while President Biden has called for a ceasefire, the mixed signals coming from the U.S. government are troubling. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s conversation with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reinforced U.S. support for Israel’s actions along the Lebanese border. Meanwhile, the targeted assassinations and bombings suggest that Israel's true aim is to provoke a broader conflict involving the U.S..

Hezbollah’s media sources confirm that while Israeli forces attempted to enter southern Lebanon, they were forced to retreat under heavy firepower. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears more concerned with rehabilitating his shattered image after October 7 than with any sincere pursuit of peace. His government has continually sidelined the Gaza front and opted to expand the war into Lebanon, perhaps believing that escalation will rewrite history in his favor. However, this reckless expansion of conflict is not only undermining Israel’s standing in the region but is also a direct threat to U.S. interests in the Middle East. Jordan’s Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, said it clearly: peace is within reach, but only if Israel ends its occupation and allows for the establishment of a Palestinian state. -more-

LETTER 1:September 4, 2024 Dear Councilman Tregub:

Today, I am writing to you as a second generation Jew, mother of two, and grandmother of five. Seven blessings in my life, which qualify me to speak about humanity's responsibility to protect the rights of civilians in conflict, and especially the rights of children to live and thrive. There is even a UN Charter on the Rights of Children, which if you haven't read, I'm glad to send you a copy. In it, you will find a list of rights that entitle children to safety, shelter, healthcare, education, and LIFE! I believe that Berkeley's City Council adopted a Resolution to officially support this Charter.

To say that I was shocked at your dismissal of Diana Bohn from the Peace & Justice Commission is an understatement. Shock followed by dismay. There is some terrible calculus going on with the City Council, who, during the last 11 months, have refused to host an open discussion about the genocide in Palestine. The calculus is that the lives of one group are more valued and valuable, that is, more entitled to life than other groups. The lame excuse is that a discussion would exacerbate divisiveness. Yes, the community is divided, but hiding from division only creates more anxiety, more reactiveness, more hostility. -more-

As Israel expands its attacks on Lebanon, acclaimed writer Ta-Nehisi Coates speaks out. His new book, The Message, is partly inspired by his visit last year to Israel and the occupied West Bank, where he observed a system of segregation and oppression reminiscent of Jim Crow in the United States. “It was revelatory,” Coates states. “I don’t think the average American has a real sense of what we’re doing over there — and I emphasize 'what we're doing' because it’s not possible without American support.” -more-

Some admire trump, thinking he's a "tough-guy" who can control the world's dictators. How is a tough-guy different from a bully? A bully intimidates timid weaklings, like Kevin McCarthy and Mike Johnson, but easily folds when confronted by real tough-guys. Trump yielded to Putin, publically, saying he believed Putin over our national security agencies, in Helsinki, July 2018. -more-

Much of the East Bay Area adjacent to San Francisco is known for being relatively low in crime. With some exceptions, we aren't living in areas where we must fear for our lives. Yet even in "nice" areas, living in low-income apartments is often a challenge. -more-

On Sunday, I filed a complaint against Sophie Hahn, Mayoral candidate in Berkeley, with the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC).

The complaint states that Ms. Hahn failed to disclose her family’s income and stock holdings as required by law.

My 6 page complaint, accompanied by 24 exhibits, shows that since 2020, Ms. Hahn failed to disclose both her share of her husband’s income which exceeded over $500,000 per year as well as family stock holdings that exceed $4 million.

Both of these disclosures are required by California law. The purpose of these laws is to allow California citizens to know the financial interests, and potential conflicts of interest, of those we elect. -more-

There is a proposal on the Berkeley City Council’s consent calendar for October 15th to exempt the taxation of businesses that receive research and development grants. -more-

On the evening of October 10, someone forwarded to me an email from Kate Harrison’s mayoral campaign, signed by Harrison and asking recipients to protest a proposal on the council’s October 15 consent calendar that would “exempt the taxation of businesses that receive research and development [R&D] grants.” [bold in original] -more-

Monday, September 30, 2024 was the long overdue meeting of the Peace and Justice Commission on a “Resolution for an Immediate and Permanent Ceasefire in Gaza, and an End to U.S. Military Aid to Israel, and Support for Palestinian Self-Determination”.

You probably know by now that the resolution passed with an 8 to 7 vote. But there is a lot more to what happened. -more-

Biden the All-Powerful
Much has been made (and rightly) of Joe Biden's shuffling walk and bumbling speech but he could now be seen as one of the most powerful leaders on Earth. All thanks to the Supreme Court.

Much has been made (and far-rightly) of the Court majority's lack of concern for women's reproductive rights but the court's political appointees (appointed for life) may have transformed an enfeebled Biden into an unprecedented SuperPrez endowed with quasi-dictatorial super powers.

When did this happen, you ask? The fulcrum of justice hit the floor when the Supreme majority of Trump-appointed/Trump-friendly jurists ruled that the Former President and Multiple Felony Perpetrator was immune from prosecution for any executive acts committed during his tenure as a serving president. In short: A President is Above the Law.'

But hold your ponies, jurists. Trump is not president at the moment: Biden is. So the court's ruling confers these extraordinary powers on Joe Biden. In his closing days in the Oval Office, Joe could, if if he wished, rule that Trump's criminal convictions justify the Former President's immediate incarceration. Trump has claimed that, if he were re-elected, he would become a dictator "on day one."

It looks like Trump's appointees on the High Court have empowered Joe Biden with dictatorial powers for the remainder of his term in office. Thinking bigly, Biden could even order the removal of the Trumpist jurors on the court and call for their seats to be filled by members of The Squad. -more-

Your brain is the most important organ in your body. And you already know that because your brain says so. If people didn't have good brains, we would not be at the top of the food chain, we would not have technology, and we would not have civilization. It is our brains that make us think we are at the top--and there is a lot of reality to that thinking. Other creatures have good brains as well. But humans have opposable thumbs, and that gives us the advantage. -more-

Athena: "They used to call us 'The Gods,' but times have changed. That name doesn't mean as much anymore. We had to modernize, to redefine our role in your secular, digital society ... You know, we gods like to mingle and merge." -more-

This month I have six mystery/thriller novels to recommend. -more-

Athena: "They used to call us 'The Gods,' but times have changed. That name doesn't mean as much anymore. We had to modernize, to redefine our role in your secular, digital society ... You know, we gods like to mingle and merge." -more-

Worth Noting: -more-

Worth Noting: -more-

Worth Noting: -more-

Worth Noting:

Yom Kippur Jewish Holiday begins at sundown Friday, October 11 and ends at nightfall on Saturday, October 12.

The next City Council meeting is October 15 at 6 pm. The agenda is available for review and comment and follows the list of city meetings.

BNC – Berkeley Neighborhoods Council is rescheduled to October 19 at 10 am

• Monday, October 7, 2024:
  • At 10 am the Land Use Committee meets in the hybrid format.
  • At 3 pm the 4 x 4 Committee meets in the hybrid format.
  • At 6:30 pm the Landmarks Preservation Commission meets in person.
• Tuesday, October 8, 2024:
  • At 11 am the Solano Business Improvement District meets in person.
  • From 6 – 7:30 pm the Community Meeting on Dreamland at Aquatic Park capital improvement plan meets on ZOOM.
• Wednesday, October 9, 2024:
  • at 2:30 pm FITES meets in the hybrid format.
  • At 6 pm the Planning Commission holds a hearing on Middle Housing General Plan Amendments.
  • At 6:30 pm the PAB meets in the hybrid format.
  • At 6:30 pm BOLT meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Homeless Services Panel of Experts meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Parks Recreation and Waterfront Commission meets in person.
• Thursday, October 10, 2024:
  • At 10 am the budget Committee meets in the hybrid format.
  • From 6 – 7 pm the James Kenney Community Center holds an open house.
  • At 6:15 pm the Transportation and Infrastructure Commission meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Housing Advisory Committee meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the ZAB meets in the hybrid format.
• Friday, October 11, 2024:
  • From 5 – 9 pm is Teen Night After Spot.
  • At 7:30 pm the doors open for Live Oaks Laughs LOL Comedy Show.
• Saturday, October 12, 2024: At 9 am is volunteer day at the Ohlone Dog Park.

Please take advantage of checking the City website for any surprises and meetings posted on short notice at https://berkeleyca.gov



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BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS -more-