Nov 2022: Berkeley + Elected Officials + Measures

Here are my recommendations on Berkeley’s measures and elected officials:

Berkeley Measures

L - Yes to Affordable Housing, Street Repair, + Other Good Stuff Bond

M - Yes to Vacant Units Tax

N - Yes to continue to allow affordable housing

Berkeley Elected Officials

Rent Stabilization Board: Carole Marasovic, Stefan Elgstrand, Soli Alpert, Nathan Mizell, and toss-up for 5th spot among Hood, Marrero, & Mosaed 

School Board: Brown, Chang, & Lee 

City Council, District 1: Rashi Kesarwani

City Council, District 8: Mark Humbert  

City Auditor: Jenny Wong (running unopposed)

For details, read on ...

Berkeley Measures

L: Yes to Affordable Housing, Street Repair, & Other Good Stuff Bond

Measure L would provide $650 million for local infrastructure improvements: $300m for streets, sidewalks, and other traffic safety improvements, $200m for affordable housing, $150m for utility undergrounding and others. To pay for this, the measure would increase property taxes by $39/yr per $100,000 of assessed value (not market value). 

I'm voting yes because Berkeley needs these infrastructure improvements. If you don't agree, you're probably not reading my blog :-) 

Opponents have made much of the fact that there isn't a specific project list or that they feel there's insufficient oversight. As someone who has negotiated several transportation funding measures, I understand the benefits of maintaining some flexibility within guidelines. The measure makes it clear how the money should be spent. Between the new independent oversight committee, plus oversight by three standing city commissions and the City Council, there will be lots of eyes on this spending. 

Plus, in my experience, Berkeley does not suffer from inadequate community involvement in decision-making. Vote Yes on L. More info: Voter's Edge.    

M: Yes to Vacant Units Tax

Measure M would tax vacant residential units that are held off the market for more than half the year. Oakland adopted a similar measure a few years ago. The tax starts $3,000/unit for smaller buildings, $6,000/unit for larger ones, and is bigger in the 2nd and subsequent years. The goal is to push property owners to fix up their units and put them back on the market. That's a good thing. It is one of many many measures we need to pass to make our housing market work better. More info: Voter's Edge. 

N: Yes to Allow Berkeley to Build Affordable Housing

It is silly that we have to do this, but you can thank Californians from 1955. Back then, legislators concerned that California might be overrun with affordable homes put a requirement into the constitution that no city can build affordable housing without approval by the voters. So every few years, the city has to ask voters to approve an extension of this ability. To my memory, nobody ever  submits an argument against it (in Berkeley), but we have to vote anyway. Please vote Yes. More info: Voter's Edge. 

Berkeley Elected Officials

Rent Board: Marasovic, Elgstrand, Alpert, Mizell, then toss-up for 5th spot

I appreciate Berkeley's strong rent control laws and tenant protections, managed by the Rent Stablization Board (RSB). In my 25+ years here, I began by voting for the pro-tenant slate, developed every two years in a tenants' convention. In 2012, our local League of Women Voters was concerned about improprieties and unprofessional administration and urged reforms. Now I look for candidates who take the governance role seriously and who have experience navigating Berkeley's city structure. Sometimes that includes some or all of the tenant's slate. To my knowledge, the RSB only includes people nominated by the tenant slates. 

This year, there are 8 candidates. Vote for up to 5. Here's who I endorse (in order of preference): 

1. Carole Marasovic (unaffiliated), a tenant who's served on several city commissions on homelessness, mental health, status of women, and labor. I also endorsed her in 2020. 
2. Stefan Elgstrand (unaffiliated), supported by 7 councilmembers, aide to Mayor Arreguin, and has a deserved reputation for working well with people from a variety of perspectives. Bless him. 
3. Soli Alpert (tenants), incumbent who's been elected Vice Chair by his peers (gotta mean something) and does lots of local Democratic party work
4. Nathan Mizell (tenants), been on several other city boards + commissions (police review/accountability), plus is a Berkeley department of transportation enthusiast :-)

I'm not sure if I'll use my 5th vote. Remaining candidates include:

• Vanessa Danielle Marrero (tenants) also says some good things about governance, is on the rent board slate, but ... no experience in the city
• Ida Martinac (tenants) says good things about climate programs and protecting elderly/disabled tenants, but ... no experience in the city
• Wendy Saenz Hood (unaffiliated) says lots of good things about affordable housing and respecting tenant rights, but ... no experience in the city and while part of a homeowners' slate in 2020 (when she also had the last name Neufeld) she came across to me as not believing rent control should exist

YMMV. If you want to read more, see the Berkeleyside writeup.

School Board: Brown, Chang, & Lee

Vote for up to 3. I judge school board candidates on the basis of experience, familiarity with the district, and attention to equity. Here's who I endorse (and don't), in order of preference: 

1. Ka'dijah Brown: First teacher elected to the Board. Supported by all her School Boad colleagues and by teachers' union. Focused on closing the equity gap. She got my vote in 2018 and she'll get it again. 
2. Mike Chang: in 2020, he was my 3rd choice when we could only vote for 2, and he's running again. Experience as an education law attorney and on Berkeley's Police Accountability Board, as well as as a parent in schoolsThis time supported by teachers' union
3. Reichi Lee: supported by people I trust on school equity (Ka'Dijah Brown, Karen Hemphill), and my favorite councilmembers (Droste, Kesarwani, Taplin) 

The only other candidate worth your consideration is Jennifer Shanoski -- she's new to me but played a significant role in shaping and passing previous school funding measures, and she's supported by the teachers' union. 

I would NOT vote for Tatiana Guerreiro Ramos (surely well-intentioned and thoughtful, but no record in schools except as a parent, didn't get anyone to vouch for her) or perennial gadfly Norma Harrison (no record, no supporters)

City Council, District 1: Rashi Kesarwani 

This is a 2-person race. 

Rashi Kesarwani has been a stupendous councilmember -- committed, thoughtful, open-minded, tireless, and doing all of this while raising an adorable four year-old. She's had a lot of important accomplishments for her district and the city (winning $15 million to renovate the Marina, $16 million for permanent supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness). She's a wonk (how many other councilmembers talk knowledgeably about supporting 'evidence-based solutions' to homelessness). And she has done very good work on the plans to build homes on the North Berkeley BART parking lot: she forged what became a unanimous council consensus: 7 stories. I wish it were higher, but I understand how she got there and I respect her work. I just think she's great. 

Rashi is endorsed by the Mayor, 5 of 7 other Councilmembers, the Sierra Club, the Labor Council, previous D1 Councilmember Linda Maio, lotsa current + former state officials (Skinner, Wicks, Hancock, Bates), relevant BART Boardmembers (Lateefah Simon, Rebecca Saltzman), the list goes on.  

Her opponent is Planning Commissioner Elisa Mikiten, who is supported by neighbors who wish there could be fewer or no homes on that parking lot -- the anti-housing North Berkeley Neighborhood Alliance. The "Why I'm Running" on her website has subtle digs at Rashi that don't make sense or are offensive (she says she'll be a 'full-time councilmember', as if it is a problem that Rashi works part-time for a government auditing firm). Grrr. 

If you live in District 1, please vote for Rashi. 

City Council, District 8: Mark Humbert

There are five candidates on the ballot to replace Lori Droste, who is stepping down after two terms. If I lived in D8, I'd vote for Mark Humbert, who also seems like he'll win: endorsed by the Mayor and all but one councilmember. He's been on several city commissions (Transportation, Public Works, elections). And he says he wants to carry on Droste's work on housing, policing, and other issues -- that's good, 'cuz she's been great (like Rashi, Lori has been a policy wonk who really digs into issues). 

The only other candidate with any viability is RSB member Mari Mendonca, who told Berkeleyside we have a "so-called 'housing crisis'," and she reportedly opposes efforts to get more homes in Berkeley.  

Two other candidates (Wu + DuMont) have little traction, and a third (Smith) has dropped out of the race.