Posted on 02/05/2008 1:18:07 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Some Berkeley business owners say they have received such a negative response from the recent City Council resolutions against the Marine Corps recruiting center in Downtown Berkeley that they may withhold city taxes in protest.
Last week the council declared that the center was "unwelcome" in Berkeley and sought to aide Code Pink, a group that organizes regular protests outside the center, by reserving a parking space for the group in front of the center, among other actions.
Since then, the resolutions have elicited a nationwide response. Last Thursday, United States Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., said he would attempt to remove funding for programs in the Berkeley area to protest the council's actions.
Ted Garrett, the CEO of the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce, said he had received at least 140 e-mails from people who said they would not do business in Berkeley in response to the council's resolutions.
"Most are threatening to never set foot in Berkeley and never have anything to do with businesses in Berkeley," he said. "I know of at least one instance now where an innkeeper has reported that one visitor has cancelled their reservation because of the council's actions."
Councilmember Darryl Moore said some of the complaints may have come from people who never planned on visiting Berkeley in the first place.
"Those people don't live anywhere near Berkeley and who's to say that they were coming to Berkeley to begin with?" he said. "I just think it would be unfortunate if the chamber did some sort of knee-jerk reaction to all of this."
At a meeting of the chamber's Government Affairs committee yesterday, some members discussed a plan to withhold business license taxes to protest the resolutions' effects on their business.
A formal plan to withhold taxes would require the approval of the chamber's executive committee or board of directors.
But Carolyn Henry Golphin, the immediate past chair of the chamber's board, said withholding taxes should only be a last resort.
"We have to do what we have to do," she said. "We do need to make a stand together if that's what we all agree on."
Liz Stevens, broker and owner of Windermere Real Estate in Berkeley, said the current controversy was part of a larger problem.
"The city has a good way of keeping people at arms length and making decisions that affect them at the same time," she said.
Mark McLeod, a member of the chamber's board and president of the Downtown Berkeley Association, said he agreed that the council should have considered the implications of its actions before voting for the resolutions.
"The council can't operate as an isolated unit-the university, council and chamber have to realize they're all members of a large, complex community and have to act with a realization of the effect of their actions on all members of the community," he said.
Good point. I will modify what I said in the post above and add that the City Council must also take steps to prevent the havoc they have created.
Senator that's a half-ass measure.
How about introducing a bill to bring back a partial draft which applies only to Berkeley City Council members, (both sexes and all ages.)
Once they've received their 3 hours of combat & airborne training drop them into the Afghanistan border area.
"The city has a good way of keeping people at arms length and making decisions that affect them at the same time," she said.
Think that's a mite patronizing, Liz???
The gutless cowards don't want to hear from ignorant outsiders.
But I saw all the info on another post, let me go find it.
Media Contacts: Ramona Joyce, (202) 263-2982; Cell (202) 445-1161; Joe March, (317) 630-1253; cell (317) 748-1926 or John Raughter (317) 630- 1350
District Incumbent Term Expires Phone & Fax E-mail Mayor Tom Bates 11/30/2008 (510) 981-7100 P (510) 981-7199 F mayor@ci.berkeley.ca.us
District 1 Linda Maio 11/30/2010 (510) 981-7110 P (510) 981-7111 F lmaio@ci.berkeley.ca.us
District 2 Darryl Moore 11/30/2008 (510) 981-7120 P (510) 981-7122 F dmoore@ci.berkeley.ca.us
District 3 Max Anderson 11/30/2008 (510) 981-7130 P (510) 981-7133 F manderson@ci.berkeley.ca.us
District 4 Dona Spring 11/30/2010 (510) 981-7140 P (510) 644-3662 F spring@ci.berkeley.ca.us
District 5 Laurie Capitelli 11/30/2008 (510) 981-7150 P (510) 981-7155 F lcapitelli@ci.berkeley.ca.us
District 6 Betty Olds 11/30/2008 (510) 981-7160 P (510) 981-7166 F olds@ci.berkeley.ca.us
District 7 Kriss Worthington 11/30/2010 (510) 981-7170 P (510) 981-7177 F kworthington@ci.berkeley.ca.us
District 8 Gordon Wozniak 11/30/2010 (510) 981-7180 P (510) 981-7188 F gwozniak@ci.berkeley.ca.us
The Mayor and all Councilmembers may be reached by mail at: 2180 Milvia Street, Berkeley, CA 94704
This is the email response I received from Gordon Wozniak:
“I apologize for not responding earlier. My office has been swamped with many phone calls and over 1500 emails. If you have received an earlier response, forgive me, since I have been overwhelmed by the correspondence.
I would note that I was the sole Councilmember who opposed both anti-marine resolutions. I apologize for the action of the remainder of the Council. As Christ said “Forgive them for they know not what they do.”
I am trying to get the Council to rescind the two anti-Marine resolutions and issue an apology to the Marines. I would suggest that you and your friends email the Council and ask that they correct this injustice.
Sincerely,
Gordon Wozniak”
And this one from Kriss Worthington
“Thanks for your email. Contrary to several newspaper reports, the City Council vote was 6-3 not 8-1.
I was one of the NO votes. I expect a correction to appear soon. Kriss W”
"Those people don't live anywhere near Berkeley and who's to say that they were coming to Berkeley to begin with?" What a maroon! This would be analogous to Toyota in 1970 saying; "Who's to say that 200 million Americans will ever buy our cars, so let's piss them off." This is a clear example of why qualifications for elected political office should require at the minimum an MBA and five plus years executive experience.
“Thanks for your email. Contrary to several newspaper reports, the City Council vote was 6-3 not 8-1.
Sommmmmebody is lying! I'd forward the first e-mail to the second e-mailer. Ask for an explanation.
Thanks for sharing those , I know the entire council is not insane.. 6-3 is a bit more positive that 8-1... altho the 6 still are deserving of a major dressing down at the polls. but this is Bezerkeley.. so don’t count on it.
assistant@berkeleychamber.com
“Thanks for your email. Contrary to several newspaper reports, the City Council vote was 6-3 not 8-1.”
Sommmmmebody is lying! I’d forward the first e-mail to the second e-mailer. Ask for an explanation.
Norm, do you know what the correct was?
Leftists don’t believe in consequences for behavior.
I am surprised that they aren’t demanding that the federal government pay them to make up for the lost business that this decision caused.
Thanks for posting the addresses. I just finished emailing them. They should be formally charged with treason. They owe their sorry butts to willingness of my relatives to fight for their freedoms since the Revolutionary War. They are traitors to this country
So boycotts can have an effect. It’s just too bad that the Berkeley businesses are the only real direct leverage that those outside of Berkeley have. Some patriotic ex-military business owner in Berkeley may be losing money because of this.
lol..
got to run out for a bit,,
I could have sworn it was 8-1 ,, but..
Shop in Emerville or Albany, ye locals, if you have any reasonable choice in the matter. (But then, if you’re reading this comment, you probably already are largely avoiding Berkeley — except, perhaps, when you have out-of-region visitors who are curious about this 1970 Time Capsule Of Stench.)
*EmerYville (typo above by me)
Dear Berkeley:
Since you hate the military, please be advised we will be moving all the Lawrence Berkeley Lab jobs to Livermore. You know, that town that calls itself the “Gateway to the RED Counties?”
Smooches
The Department of Defense
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