Nancy Skinner for Assembly District 14

Loni Hancock is termed out, so four candidates are vying for this open seat. Whoever becomes the Democratic nominee on June 3 will win in November; there isn't even a candidate in the Republican primary.

I have nothing but good things to say about Nancy Skinner. She's an East Bay Regional Parks Boardmember, where she represents a swath of the East Bay (including both Berkeley and Richmond). She was on the Berkeley City Council for 8 years (84-92), and then she founded ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, an international non-profit that helps cities become environmental leaders. ICLEI has been a prescient and crucial resource for cities around the world. Nancy is one of the reasons that cities are some of the most progressive forces combating global warming. She would be an excellent idea generator in the Assembly, particularly on how to address climate change. And she's good on budget, health care, and education issues too (as are Worthington and Thurmond, for that matter).

I'm voting for Nancy because she has more experience at a broader range of levels than any other candidate, because I am so impressed by her environmental work, and because her experience working with local governments around the world have given her an understanding of how to make political change happen.

Tony Thurmond is a Richmond City Councilmember whose star appears to be rising. He was appointed to his seat in 2005, then elected in 2006. He runs a non-profit group that helps former foster youth transition into living independently. And he won endorsements from the San Francisco Chronicle, Contra Costa Times, and East Bay Express. Interestingly, each of those endorsements mention that the seat has usually been represented by somone from Berkeley, and they think it is Richmond's turn. I'm not sure how valid that is, but then - I live in Berkeley too :-). More importantly to me, however, 2005 appears to have been Thurmond's first year in politics. And given how little time (no more than 6 years) people have in the Assembly, I want someone who knows his or her way around a little better.

Kriss Worthington has been a Berkeley City Councilmember for 11 years. I volunteered a little with his first campaign. He's been very progressive, he's willing to take strong and sometimes lonely stances, he's very ethical, and he understands how politics works. He's also truly interested in the details; on the county-level boards I've seen him operate in, he actually reads the agenda packets and thinks about how to get incremental improvements on every item. He used to be a Green (as was I), but is now a Democrat to have a chance at higher office. He has been mostly good on transportation issues, where I've worked with him on issues. Oh, and he rides a bicycle - how cool is that?

But I have developed two criticisms of Kriss from my work: First, he has opposed some good proposals for new homes along transit corridors in Berkeley. The second is on the Bus Rapid Transit project in Berkeley, Oakland, and San Leandro. While he has supported funding for it at the county level (good!), he has put roadblocks in front of the project in Berkeley that threaten to kill it. In both cases, my concern is that he is giving too much weight to opposition by change-averse neighbors and not enough weight to the social and environmental benefits these changes would bring. He's letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. I don't want to just vote my issue, but it is very hard for me to vote for someone, even someone I respect as much as I've respected Kriss, when he's getting a key issue so wrong.

Being a doctor appears to be Dr. Phil Polakoff's main claim to this seat. That doesn't cut it with me.