Tuesday Voice: Faces of Berkeley Politics 2014

By Tom Lowe

For my latest photo project, I took my camera to the Kriss Worthington campaign kickoff on Berkeley's City Hall steps.

    Worthington is seeking reelection to a fifth term on the City Council. His district represents much of the University of California, Berkeley's student housing, as well as the Telegraph Avenue student shopping district. Generally, he has been one of the voices for people-oriented city government.

That would be Jesse Arreguin and Kriss Worthington, policy wonks both, who make numerous enemies by closely reading all the documents in their packets and bringing to light inconvenient truths that the conservative majority would like to sweep under the rug.” –Becky O’Malley, Berkeley Daily Planet

    The people at the event included students, seniors, and activists – just like any college town. Two of the Council members, Jesse Arreguin and Max Anderson, turned out, as did several of Kriss's commissioners and student interns (from UC Berkeley and Berkeley City College). In Berkeley, “All commissions are advisory to the City Council. Boards and Commissions have nine citizen members, one appointed for each Councilmember.” [–City of Berkeley website] So the mixture was broad and articulate about their concerns and how Kriss has served them.

    The issues of the Fall campaign will be affordable housing for students, seniors, and working folks; preserving local businesses; and slowing down housing speculators' continuing attempts at "Gentryfuckation"– to use the publisher of Poor Magazine Lisa Grey Garcia's apt term. Also on the ballot will be measures to place a one cent per ounce tax on high sugar beverages; another to tighten the green zoning standards in the main business district; and one undoing the Mayor and Council majority's (6 to 3) gerrymander of council districts last winter, which was done in the name of better student representation but mainly targeted votes for Kriss and Jessie. A fun time should be had by all.

Copyright © 2014 by Tom Lowe