Article

2008-02-17 Fifth Column

Bezerkeley - Blow by Blow account between Blue Star Mothers and Code Pink

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by GolfBravoUSMC 2008-02-17 10:27|| || Front Page|| [12 views ] Top

#1 Sounds to me like we need to pull all Law Enforcement and Public Education Federal Funds from Berkley (and not just a bit of earmarks) - since they obviously are not being used for actual Law Enforcement or Education.

Posted by CrazyFool 2008-02-17 11:03|| 2008-02-17 11:03|| Front Page Top

#2 There's a good post over at floppingaces.net about what appears to be a rather substantial economic boycott going on against businesses in Berkeley.

Posted by crosspatch 2008-02-17 11:36|| 2008-02-17 11:36|| Front Page Top

#3 Berkeley - proof that Tourettes and Munchausen syndromes can be found concurrently in the same population base. I blame the "Summer of Love".

Posted by Procopius2k 2008-02-17 12:22|| 2008-02-17 12:22|| Front Page Top

#4 It's not clear to me how much leverage a boycott would have.

The main tax revenues for the town are, as the article notes, luxury car dealers whose customers are your typical Bay area wealthy liberals. The mom and pop boutiques and restaurants aren't vulnerable. Chain stores might be, if enough of a stink were made, but again they have multiyear leases and MBAs doing cold number crunching.

I suppose going after suppliers might work a little ... refuse to bid on local business at good rates. But the town is propped up so much by the university that there isn't a real economy to hit. Nor much building going on there, it's all heavily in-filled already.

Full disclosure: we own a house north of Berkeley, Mr. Lotp's boyhood home, which we are currently renting. I'm all for punishing the B, but we would be grateful if your prayers didn't extend to earthquakes and similar disasters, given that that home will (we hope) provide some security for us and our daughter in coming years.

Thanks! ;-)

Posted by lotp 2008-02-17 12:44|| 2008-02-17 12:44|| Front Page Top

#5 O.K., lotp, I won't pray for an earthquake. On the other hand, I won't pray that geology be suspended until the Berkeley children grow up.

And I will once again write to the juvinille delinquents -

mayor@ci.berkeley.ca.us, lmaio@ci.berkeley.ca.us, dmoore@ci.berkeley.ca.us, manderson@ci.berkeley.ca.us, spring@ci.berkeley.ca.us, lcapitelli@ci.berkeley.ca.us, olds@ci.berkeley.ca.us, kworthington@ci.berkeley.ca.us, gwozniak@ci.berkeley.ca.us

As well as contactSenator DeMint.

Posted by Bobby 2008-02-17 13:36|| 2008-02-17 13:36|| Front Page Top

#6 Thanks, Bobby. And ditto that on the email.

Posted by lotp 2008-02-17 13:44|| 2008-02-17 13:44|| Front Page Top

#7 actually, Worthington and Wozniak have not supported the proposals, and have sent very courteous reply emails. They don't need vitriol, they appear to be doing the right thing

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2008-02-17 13:50|| 2008-02-17 13:50|| Front Page Top

#8 Heyas lotp...always good to see a fellow Bay Area-ite. My uncle is UC Berkeley alumnus, class of '68 no less but no moonbat.

In regards to the City Council, Mr Wozniak is the only member that I'm aware of to have voted no on both resolutions from the get go..and he has received my thanks. None of the other council members who have been on the receiving end of my respectfully written bile have responded. Please note, there is also an initiative being put forth in CA State Legislature to strip Berkeley of $3 million in transportation funds - the sponsor's name escapes me at the moment. I'm sorry to say but this resolution also has my support and I'm actively involved in creating greater grassroots support. Berkeley must be made to feel real pain. My only concern is that their needs to be some parallel education regarding World Can't Wait and Code Pink. It seems that Mr. Coplan has already received his...and is probably a good place to starte. If it's possible to strip away community support for these groups - that would be the best answer. Kick out the Stalinist/Maoist groups and then stop electing freaking moonbats to represent the city.

Posted by Rex Mundi 2008-02-17 14:29|| 2008-02-17 14:29|| Front Page Top

#9 Frank G... if Worthington has indeed been opposed to this lunacy that's great, and I would need to correct myself on that regards. The info I have on the intial vote shows only one vote in opposition, that of Wozniak. My information could very well be wrong. Thanks in advance for any clarification.

Posted by Rex Mundi 2008-02-17 14:33|| 2008-02-17 14:33|| Front Page Top

#10 I realize that this isn't about Marine recruiting anymore, but throughout this controversy I've had a hard time imagining the type of young man or woman who would be motivated and patriotic enough to consider joining the Marines in time of war, but then would be deterred from doing so by people like Medea Benjamin. The Marines couldn't buy PR like this.

Posted by Matt 2008-02-17 14:50|| 2008-02-17 14:50|| Front Page Top

#11 Rex - IIUC, the vote was 7-2 and Worthington's email said initial press reports (8-1) were wrong for the first voting (last month). I do know that Worthington's done the right things since then, although I obviously have no insight on motivation, nor real info on previous voting/position history (name is Kris, and I don't even know if that's a man or woman). I would only say that Worthington doesn't appear to be one that needs "attention" :-)

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2008-02-17 14:53|| 2008-02-17 14:53|| Front Page Top

#12 I send 'em all the same e-mail, sayin' there stupid - in a respectful way, of course.

Take away ALL the Federal and State money, and let the sane ones move out. And here's hoping Toledo fails to pass the tax, and blames the Mayor.

If that were to happen, however, it might impact lotp's real estate....

Posted by Bobby 2008-02-17 16:50|| 2008-02-17 16:50|| Front Page Top

#13 Bobby, Mr. Lotp's family home is a couple towns north of Berzerkly, so we should be okay - unless Sacramento steps in. (ugh)

Posted by lotp 2008-02-17 17:17|| 2008-02-17 17:17|| Front Page Top

#14 lotp - single-family homes are the most forgiving (i.e.: least weight in the inversed pendulum effect - especially if you don't have concrete tile roofs) in earthquakes. The stucco/plaster will crack - it's supposed to (it dissipates energy). In a a big quake, the concerns are a) unreinforced masonry commercial buildings, older commercial, older multifamily, and b) all of the above with gas fires

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2008-02-17 17:53|| 2008-02-17 17:53|| Front Page Top

#15 Well, the house is on bedrock at the top of a hill, which is a plus. However, it's 55 years old and our inspection suggested it needs better bolting to the rock ... we hope to renovate and expand it in the future. (Our adult daughter collapsed with what is now clearly a longterm disabling heath condition a few years ago so we hope to upgrade the home and retire there so that she will have family in the area when we're gone.)

As I recall, the house made it okay through the 89 quake with just a few cracks and some shattered china. Am hoping that track record continues. ;-)

Posted by lotp 2008-02-17 18:23|| 2008-02-17 18:23|| Front Page Top

#16 museum wax on "falling" items is a plus - helps stickem to the shelves, etc., without damage

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2008-02-17 18:39|| 2008-02-17 18:39|| Front Page Top

#17 Seems to me that the problem was the police. $93,000 in overtime for a bunch of people that formed useless lines that people could just walk around and then they did nothing to protect the protestors from a small group of snot-nose teens who were given a green light to act bratty by WCW organizers.

What a waste of money.

Posted by Grailing and Tenille1838 2008-02-17 22:17|| 2008-02-17 22:17|| Front Page Top

#18 WCW - RICO for intimidation?

Posted by OldSpook 2008-02-17 23:00|| 2008-02-17 23:00|| Front Page Top

23:27 gorb
23:25 gorb
23:16 Lone Ranger
23:16 SteveS
23:00 OldSpook
22:53 Assistant Sock Puppet of Doom
22:51 ed
22:34 OldSpook
22:26 g(r)omgoru
22:24 phil_b
22:17 Grailing and Tenille1838
22:15 mhw
22:14 FOTSGreg
22:12 Grailing and Tenille1838
22:09 OldSpook
22:09 Grailing and Tenille1838
22:04 Grailing and Tenille1838
22:02 Grailing and Tenille1838
21:56 OldSpook
21:23 Barbara Skolaut
21:23 Frank G
21:18 Barbara Skolaut
21:14 JosephMendiola
20:58 bigjim-ky