Game ON Berkeley!
Even in Berkeley there is a ruling elite — or at least there are those who determine if someone is electable or not. The guidance of these people has led us to where we are today. We have a city leadership that supports market rate housing development, even though we have a crisis of affordability and not a housing shortage. Our City Council also continues to grow the budget of the police department, even though they committed to shrinking it. These are two of many examples of how the beacon of liberal values that Berkeley used to play on the global stage has diminished. However, don’t despair: this November, we have an extraordinary opportunity to elect leaders who have the courage to usher in a more expansive, inclusionary Berkeley!
In fact, something astonishing has already happened. Mary-Lee Smith — a progressive white woman — filed to run for City Council in District 8. After much reflection, she intentionally ended her campaign to endorse and campaign for an opponent, Mari Mendonca. Ms. Mendonca is a woman of color, a Rent Board Commissioner, a tenant and someone who is unapologetically willing to address the inequity and injustice that pervades Berkeley. If you’re wondering “what inequity and injustice?” keep asking that question! The answer will likely inspire you to help create a more equitable and just Berkeley.
Mark Humbert is also running for the D8 council seat. Endorsed by Lori Droste, the current D8 Councilmember, he is the political machine candidate.
Along with D8 residents, District 1 voters will also have an exceptional opportunity to vote for a progressive and visionary candidate. Michai Freeman, a Black woman with a physical disability, who is a health educator and a tenant is running against the pro-surveillance, pro-development incumbent, Rashi Kesarwani.
By voting in Michai Freeman and Mari Mendonca for City Council, on November 9th we will literally have the beginnings of a more equitable, just & community-centered Berkeley!
Now is when the rubber meets the road in our fair city. Will all of those “Black Lives Matter” signs displayed throughout Berkeley and our anti-racist aspirations really mean something?
What if, instead of relying on someone else’s list or endorsement, every Berkeley voter educated themselves on each candidate and chose the one they felt most aligned with and who would serve our community the best?
That would be a major victory for democracy: Berkeleyans civic engagement could be the wave that turns the tide for a more authentic democracy to be practiced in our country and around the world. May it be so!
