Let's do it! It's time to fight city hall.
In our newsletter last month, we asked who was willing to take the fight over rezoning Berkeley to the public by working on an initiative. About 5% of our membership said they were in! While that won’t ultimately be enough people to handle all the work that needs to be done, there is a silver lining:
Enough people stepped up to say they would be happy to take leadership roles!
Strong leadership is the basis of every successful movement, and this one will be no different. So, the leadership team will be meeting this Monday evening, August 18, to get the ball rolling. We expect to have an organizational structure and plan of action ready to begin implementing in September, after Labor Day, and will be able to communicate that plan to you at that time.
Note: If you signed up to be an organizer, you will be in the next group asked to meet.
We are so grateful to those of you who signed up for other roles, too! As our plans unfold, we’ll let you know how you can plug in. And for those who were waiting to see if we would actually move forward before signing up to be part of the effort, it’s definitely not too late to offer to lend a hand. Please sign up here. We can use all of you!
If you’re on the fence about whether we should sponsor an initiative or not, or whether you should work on it, consider the threat of SB 79 currently before the California legislature. Monied investors are coming at our communities from everywhere, and they are showing no signs of stopping.
We need to take a stand to try to protect our cities from the type of development that doesn’t actually solve our affordability crisis. That’s why overturning the Middle Housing ordinance the city just passed is so critical. It will allow for a by-right doubling of the population of Berkeley with huge, multistory/multi-unit developments plunked down right in the middle of our neighborhoods, with no design standards that would require the construction to be in keeping with the current feel of the neighborhoods, and with no mandate for affordability.
So, please consider doing two things:
Sign up to help on the initiative campaign, and
Call the offices of Assemblymember Buffy Wicks and Senator Jesse Arreguin RIGHT NOW!, telling them to oppose SB79. This horrible bill could be voted on at any moment, so there is no time to lose. It is standard to reach a recording rather than a person, so go ahead and leave your message by giving your name, where you live (so they know you are a constituent), and your message to oppose SB 79.
Wicks - (916) 319-2014
Arreguin - (916) 651-4007
Thank you for all you do to help preserve the livability of Berkeley – and everywhere else in the state!