Berkeley City Council

Berkeley City Council
My council district is not up this time around, but I've still got opinions. Remember, it's ranked-choice voting, so you can vote for up to 3 people. I plan to only vote for people I would like to have in the position. For several races I'd only cast a first vote, for some I'd vote a 2nd and 3rd choice. For the most part, I'll quote my friend Nathan Landau (whose full endorsements I've also re-posted), with a few added comments from me.

District 1 (Northwest Berkeley): Linda Maio
"Maio played a useful role in forging some Downtown plan compromises, even if she doesn’t own up to it in her candidate statement. She tepidly supported Bus Rapid Transit—which could have been the greatest transit improvement in Berkeley in over 50 years. The polite word for Merrilie Mitchell is gadfly, it’s often simply hard to make any sense of what she says at the numerous public meetings she attends. Anthony Di Donato didn’t name a single supporter in his candidate statement, so he’s clearly not a serious candidate. The very young Jasper Kingeter thinks that Pacific Steel Castings—where against all odds some 300 working class men manage to hang to on to decent jobs—is the biggest threat facing Berkeley." -- Nathan Landau

District 4 (Downtown): Jim Novosel (1st), Eric Panzer (2nd)
Nathan writes ... "Incumbent Jesse Arreguin should be replaced—he has consistently fought against more housing in his Downtown Berkeley district, the best place for it (and of course he was against that terrible BRT menace). Among challengers, Bernt Wahl seems to have a lot of interesting experience at the national/international level, but seems to be pretty detached from the petty struggles of Berkeley (and can only muster a half dozen supporters to list out of the twenty permitted). Architect Jim Novosel and environmental analyst Eric Panzer have many of the same supporters, mostly drawn from Berkeley’s liberal and moderate leadership, both put forward a positive vision of living in an urban downtown. I’d vote Novosel—sometimes a difficult character—first for greater city government experience." -- Nathan Landau

I'd add that I am not super enthusiastic about any of these candidates. I have a hard time stomaching Arreguin's claim to being an "environmentalist" given his opposition to Berkeley's best opportunity in decades to improve its transit system (the BRT project). I also understand that he's very difficult to work with. At the same time, I'm not excited about Novosel (some people like historic preservation, some don't). Some of Panzer's endorsers worry me (George Beier!). But on balance, I'll go with Nathan's recommendation: Novosel first, Panzer second.

District 7 (Southside): Ces Rosales only
Here I'll start with my opinion: I handed out literature to support Kriss Worthington's first campaign. He said he would not compromise, and that we should call him on it if he stopped holding to the progressive principles he espoused. I'm taking him at his word and calling him out. Here's some of my friend Nathan's comments: "Incumbent Kriss Worthington was once a progressive hero, but too many votes against housing developments, too many zigs and zags on all kinds of issues (most notably his attack on Nancy Skinner from the right in the Democratic Assembly primary) have un-bloomed that rose. Meanwhile George Beier has run against Worthington from the Berkeley right wing position—homeowner fears of crime are what matter, better bus service (BRT) that might actually get people on the bus is a demon from hell—and ran well enough to scare the Councilman. Enter political newcomer Ces Rosales, backed by Loni Hancock, Tom Bates, and Nancy Skinner."

I know and respect Rosales from her involvement in the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club -- she's responsible, a sharp thinker, and (I hear) works well with others. If you want to cast a second vote, please don't vote for Beier. Worthington is less bad than Beier.

District 8 (Southside): Write in your neighbor
Gordon Wozniak is highly likely to win re-election here, but I wouldn't support him. Unfortunately, his challengers are worse. My friend Nathan writes "... Incumbent Gordon Wozniak has not simply been an opponent of Bus Rapid Transit but a sarcastic and contemptuous one, as if bus riders were beneath his contempt. Wozniak does favor smart growth—as long as it’s at a place like downtown, a safe remove from his district. But challengers Stewart Jones and Jacquelyn McCormack are vying to be even more NIMBY, extending their hostility to needed new homes into the downtown." Maybe next time someone reasonable will run.