Author Archives: John C. Osborn
UC Berkeley hunger strike enters eighth day
Zolia Lara-Cea considers UC Berkeley home, and the staff and faculty in the Ethnic Studies department family.
On Tuesday, Lara-Cea, a third-year Ethnic Studies student, switched between studying material for an upcoming final and talking with joy about her long history with UC Berkeley outside of California Hall yesterday. Seven days without nourishment did little to crack her spirit, and, despite her fatigue and the speed with which her heart beat even after walking a short distance, she spoke with a clear, coherent purpose.
“Even though you’re physically hurting, you need to make sure your spirit is in good shape,” Lara-Cea said. “They’re [staff/faculty in department] part of our family. An assault on them is an assault on our family.”
Lara-Cea is one of seven people now entering their eighth day without eating to protest the controversial consolidation of Ethnic Studies with other social science programs, resulting in staff reductions and the demotion of faculty to half-time. Despite camping out on the lawn for a week, and issuing a set of demands, students have yet to reach a deal with administrators. … Continue reading »
Opinion: The beauty of industrial West Berkeley
John Osborn moved from northern California to Berkeley in the late winter of 2010 and has been surprised by what he’s found: the wonders of BART, the diversity of people, the good food. John has been reporting on the issues of Humboldt County for years and will now be reporting on Berkeley issues for Berkeleyside. He will also be writing about his impressions of our city. Here he shares some impressions of our city:
West Berkeley is not an industrial wasteland; it is beautiful. But you know the cliché: beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
The robust and thriving industrial lifeblood of America has undergone a profound change. What was once the enviable industrial base of the world, employing untold numbers of blue-collar workers with middle class wages and benefits, has since succumbed to the great race for the bottom — a consequence of unleashing our national companies into the global marketplace.
But fear not. This doesn’t herald the death of manufacturing as some are quick to tell you. There is still a spirit of resilience that permeates particular areas, including here in West Berkeley. … Continue reading »
Slim council majority for changing West Berkeley zoning
After three marathon public hearings, a narrow majority of the Berkeley City Council supports lifting protections on zoning in West Berkeley.
The council voted 5-4 Tuesday night to have staff report back on impacts within 30 days once 100,000 sq. ft. of protected warehouse and manufacturing space have been converted to new uses. Four members — Jesse Arreguin, Max Anderson, Kriss Worthington and Linda Maio — opposed the measure, seeking instead a plan that would set a cap of 100,000 sq. ft. for changes to currently protected properties. The impact study — supported by Mayor Tom Bates, Darryl Moore, Gordon Wozniak, Laurie Capitelli and Susan Wengraf — was an attempt to answer concerns about changes.
The vote last night is the first of many stages that will lead to a council vote on a final ordinance. … Continue reading »
West Berkeley: A pivotal moment [Slideshow]
Tonight the Berkeley City Council will hold a special meeting for a final public hearing on the city’s proposed West Berkeley Plan. Ahead of the debate, we bring you a photo essay of West Berkeley by John C. Osborn with explanations of some of the issues under consideration. Click through to this post to see the slideshow or click on the slideshow images above to read the captions.
Berkeley passes sunshine ordinance
In a step that may undermine a strong sunshine ordinance heading to the November 2012 ballot, the City Council on Tuesday night adopted a new set of measures that will increase its public accountability.
The new law, which will go into effect in April after a second reading of the measure on March 8, will require the city to make council documents available to the public 11 days before meetings rather than four days; provide expanded access to public records by live-streaming more city meetings; and bar confidential settlements. The new rules will set a minimum of 24 meetings a year, mandate that meetings start no later than 7 p.m., and require that public hearings not begin after 10 p.m.
The City Council also created an Open Government Commission to oversee the new rules. The committee, which would be composed of ex-officio members of the Fair Campaign Practices Commission, will try to informally settle disputes about public records violations and will make recommendations to the council about potential punitive penalties. … Continue reading »
On the table: the future of West Berkeley
The Berkeley City Council held the first of two public hearings Tuesday about proposed changes for West Berkeley that could drastically alter the landscape of the city’s economy in years to come.
The changes would relax protections that have been in place for years over what types of business the city are allowed within the West Berkeley industrial area, particularly those focused on research and development. But there are concerns that the proposed changes could lead to an expansion of residential development and could dramatically increase property values to the point of pushing out small businesses.
Citing remarks made at Berkeleyside’s Local Business Forum this week by Wired editor-in-chief Chris Anderson, Berkeley’s Mayor Tom Bates commented on the rapidly changing economic framework of the 21st century, where entire business operations can be organized online among a number of participants worldwide. He specifically talked about the need to tap the city’s greatest resources: UC Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Both institutions are churning out talented and hungry entrepreneurs who are flocking elsewhere to start up businesses. LBNL is also scouting for a second campus site with West Berkeley as an outside contender for its choice. … Continue reading »
Berkeley in landmark “keep it local” deal with unions
The Berkeley City Council unanimously voted Tuesday night to enter into a landmark agreement with a number of trade unions that would give Berkeley and Green Corridor workers top priority for most contracted city projects.
The move has garnered the support of many local union workers who see the agreement as a way to help provide local prevailing wage jobs, but it is seen by some as a distortion of the free market, where competition over projects will be less fair and more expensive.
The decision by the council to enter into what is known as a Community Workforce Agreement makes Berkeley the first city in Northern California, and the second in the state, to approve a comprehensive, citywide local labor ordinance. Both San Francisco and Oakland have similar, but less comprehensive, agreements.
Under the three-year agreement, signed by the city, the Alameda Building Trades Council and 22 other trade organizations, projects contracted out by the city worth more than $1 million must have 30% of total labor hours prioritized to Berkeley workers first — union or non-union. If Berkeley workers cannot fill the requirement, workers located within the East Bay Green Corridor gain priority; the Green Corridor was established in 2007 and takes in UC Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the cities of Berkeley, Oakland, Richmond, Emeryville, Alameda, Albany, El Cerrito and San Leandro. Finally, if no workers can be found at either of those levels, a search throughout all of Alameda County comes next before a contractor can bring in out-of-county help. … Continue reading »
Berkeley to move cautiously on marijuana grow facilities
As Berkeley prepares to form a new medical marijuana commission to draw up rules governing the growth of cannabis, it must decide whether recent threats of legal retribution by the Alameda County District Attorney will nix plans for large-scale cultivation facilities.
In December, District Attorney Nancy O’Malley sent a letter to Oakland city officials alerting them that their plans to allow large-scale growing facilities would violate state and federal laws. The warning prompted Oakland to suspend plans to issue permits for the marijuana factories until Feb. 1. Oakland is also considering modifications to its law.
Now Berkeley, too, will proceed with caution, Mayor Tom Bates said on Saturday. Although the city did not directly receive a letter from O’Malley, the one sent to Oakland left a “cold chill” for elected officials, said Bates. O’Malley’s letter suggested that that public officials could be held personally and criminally liable if they move forward to open any of the six 30,000 square foot grow facilities authorized by the November passage of Measure T.
“It put a cold stake in the hearts of elected officials,” Bates said. “I guess the downside is we go to jail.” … Continue reading »
What a refugee from Humboldt thinks about Berkeley
John Osborn moved from northern California to Berkeley in the late winter of 2010 and has been surprised by what he’s found: the wonders of BART, the diversity of people, the good food. John has been reporting on the issues of Humboldt County for years and will now be reporting on Berkeley issues for Berkeleyside. He will also be writing about his impressions of our city. Here he shares his views on his former home and his first impressions of our city:
You can call me a refugee of the Humboldt Nation.
I come to Berkeley with fresh eyes and not much background about the community. It took me a while to figure out what to write my first column on, so I figured I’d start with where I’m coming from so you can learn a pinch about me.
I lived in Arcata, a small California coastal college town, for eight years, and, even though I wasn’t born there, I consider it my hometown; it is the place that gave birth to the person I am today, and it is where my heart will forever be. It was an incubator, having given me the insight into how important it is for people to live within a warm and welcoming community full of different lifestyles — where innovative ideas are at least seriously discussed, if not embraced. And, perhaps most vitally, my time there taught me to be myself no matter the consequence.
Imagine a town dotted with old-school Victorian homes and open spaces, embraced by thick towering Redwood trees, the raging ocean, and Humboldt Bay. The focal point of the community is a block-wide plaza where festivities and farmer’s markets of fresh healthy produce abound. Local businesses take the place of sterile monotonous chain stores, adding a fresh breath of uniqueness and style – not one Starbucks anywhere in town. And the city boasts one of the country’s only wastewater treatment systems sensitively weaved into a serene wetland. … Continue reading »
Berkeley City Council tables WikiLeaks resolution
The Berkeley City Council voted last night to table a controversial resolution calling for the release of alleged military whistle blower Private Bradley Manning from military prison and to honor him as a hero if he did leak sensitive information to WikiLeaks.
Virtually all council members and Mayor Tom Bates voted to table the resolution, while District 3 Councilman Max Anderson abstained. By tabling the motion, any council member can bring the issue back for consideration at … Continue reading »
