Early as possible every day, I look at what amazing feats you-all perform east of the Sierras, especially in my home state of Indiana. I can't make it before the holidays, so I do what I can for an outstanding candidate for the Berkeley City Council, Jesse Arreguin, to fill the remaining two years of the term of the late Dona Spring, a Green Party progressive who succumbed to ill health in July.
Jesse Arreguin is the accomplished and able President of our elected Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board, and a key member of our City Housing Advisory Commission (where some want the pro-developer majority of the Council to donate funds intended for low-income housing by non-profit developers to market-rate housing by for-profit developers).
To volunteer please stop by Jesse's campaign office today, tomorrow or anytime Tuesday at 2030 University Avenue, between Shattuck and Milvia in Berkeley, (just two blocks north of BART, one-half block from 51, 18, 9, and 7 buses). You can also contact the campaign at (510) 848-8745 or by email at jesse@jessearreguin.com.
Jesse, the son and grandson of Central Valley farmwokers, worked with Dolores Huerta of the United Farmworkers while still in high school, is a Cal graduate, legislative assistant to progressive Councilmember Kriss Worthington, and is one of the most disciplined, conscientious and caring activists I have known.
JESSE HAS THE PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS, PUBLIC EMPLOYEES, THE SIERRA CLUB AND THE GREENS, three alternative weekly papers (SF Bay Guardian, East Bay Express, and the editor of the Berkeley Daily Planet) plus that of the bi-weekly Daily Californian (integrity of our rent control law is vital to students). Boosted by a record number of $250-maximum contributions from Berkeleey progressives, Jesse is financially competitive with his main, developer-favored rival, but it's about TURNOUT down-ticket in this hugely pro-Obama city.
Jesse's main rival, Terry Doran, a former school-board member with some progressive cred, is backed by our developer-friendly Mayor, so he has the developer money. And there are two other candidates for this seat -- L.A. Wood and Asa Dodsworth -- who may siphon off enough votes from Jesse to force a runoff during finals week at the University. (In Berkeley the candidate with the most votes over 40% in the November election is by law the winner, denying developer-backed candidates a second shot while progressives are handicapped.)
A personal note: Jesse has given recylers valuable support and advice for our campaigns for Zero Waste planning and funding in the Bay Area, against a cut-rate landfill that undermine ramped-up recycling programs.