Scared Berkeley Mayor Tries To Apologize, Prevent $ Yanked
NBC:
And Barbara Boxer comes to Berkeley’s defense…
BERKELEY, Calif. — As six Republican senators devised a plan to yank $2.3 million in federal funding for Berkeley programs, the mayor of the famously liberal city apologized Wednesday for his hard stance against a Marine recruiting center.
Two City Council members vowed to soften their stance as well.
At their Tuesday council meeting, leaders will discuss scrapping a letter that might be perceived as targeting the center or the Marines.
The letter said that the recruiting center was not welcome on Shattuck Avenue and that the Marines were uninvited and unwelcome intruders.
“That letter will probably be pulled back and maybe more moderate language will be put in place which is appropriate I think,” said Berkeley mayor Tom Bates.
“Subtly stated in the resolution is perhaps an impugning of the soldiers fighting for us in Iraq and other places,” Berkeley City Councilman Laurie Capitelli. “And that was never the intention but that really needs to be cleared up. As I walked to my car that night I realized I regretted it and I had made a mistake.”
Tom Bates
Bates said the city didn’t mean to offend anyone in the armed forces and the focus should have been on the war not the troops.
“There’s really no correlation between federal funds for schools, water ferries and police communications systems and the council’s actions, for God’s sake,” said Bates, a retired U.S. Army captain. “We apologize for any offense to any families of anyone who may serve in Iraq. We want them to come home and be safe at home.”
The letter was originally approved in January and has not been sent.
City officials said they got a flood of e-mails, many asking them to reconsider their position.
Councilmembers have said they would replace the “intruder item” with words expressing their support for the troops but not the war in Iraq.
The Republican plan would give the funds, intended for a school lunch program, UC Berkeley and ferry service, to the Marines instead.
“Patriotic American taxpayers won’t sit quietly while Berkeley insults our brave Marines,” said one of the senators.
The recruiting center opened about a year ago and quickly became a target of anti-war protesters including the group Code Pink.
Last week the council passed resolutions giving Code Pink a place to park out front. Some have said that meant the city giving was giving the group a place to continuously protest the Marines.
“What we’re doing is we’re announcing a bill that we intend to get on the floor to strip transportation from the city of Berkeley,” said East Bay Republican Assemblyman Guy Houston. “What they have done in Berkeley is they have set aside a parking spot and in my opinion a public right of way, a public transportation corridor, specifically for a private organization — in this case Code Pink — to harass and annoy the United States Marine Corps and their recruiting efforts. We think that playing around and having an agenda with the public right of way is subject to ramifications. There is $2.3 million in proposition 1B transportation dollars. We think that should be in jeopardy.”
Others on the Berkeley City Council seemed quite firm on their stance, NBC11’s Christie Smith reported.
Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Barbara Lee said they plan to fight the Republican bill.
Code Pink announced they would have what they called a “24-hour peace-in” leading up to Tuesday’s city council meeting. They will be camping out but will have a lot of company. A group of pro-troop protesters will also be there.
“I was under the impression that we have the right of free speech,” said Xanne Joi of Code Pink. “To me, I thought free speech meant you get to say what you want without recrimination.”
Group members have made their organization infamous by intentionally getting arrested at protests and congressional hearings.
An Olive Branch
Berkeley City Councilman Gordon Wozniak extended an olive branch to the Marines. He went to breakfast with a recruiter Thursday morning.
“Berkeley is supposed to celebrate diversity and free speech and we welcome homeless people here. We welcome illegal immigrants. We give them sanctuary. We should welcome the Marines. I mean they’re basically dedicating their lives to protect their country.”
Wozniak said he does not support the harsh language of the letter to the Marines originally authorized by the city.
Ann Cooper with the Berkeley Unified School District wants both sides to play nice.
“Senators sitting 3,000 miles away are trying to take food away from the children of Berkeley,” said Cooper. “Why? Because the Marines and the city aren’t playing nice — and that’s just not OK.”
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510.981.7100 - The idiot mayor’s voice mail . . .
February 7th, 2008 at 9:44 pmEnough bull-shit…yank the damn funding. They’ve been asking for it long enough now. It’s time conservatives flexed a little muscle.
February 7th, 2008 at 10:48 pmDe-fund em.
February 7th, 2008 at 11:19 pm“Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Barbara Lee”
Me
Worried these will be the conservatives in the year 2030.
February 8th, 2008 at 12:24 amf*&k’em!! PULL THE FUNDING!!
February 8th, 2008 at 12:55 amAs they continue to wallow with Code Punk in the groupmind joys of pusillunanimity.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:05 amA pussy mayor of a pussy town being scared? LOL
Gee and Boxer Klinton and “Little Pee-Pee” Lee come to the rescue. Why am I not surprised.
Yank the funding. Take down the campus as well. Love to see Jerkley Gomorrah become a nice new gunnery range.
February 8th, 2008 at 3:23 ama perfect example of these stains,
‘Ann Cooper with the Berkeley Unified School District wants both sides to play nice.
“Senators sitting 3,000 miles away are trying to take food away from the children of Berkeley,” said Cooper. “Why? Because the Marines and the city aren’t playing nice — and that’s just not OK.”’
>> play nice? this is not a game, I wonder how she would talk after she has her clit removed and is wearing a burka
February 8th, 2008 at 4:51 amApologize! I say punish them by taking the funding away for 3 months and if they ever pull a stunt like that again then take the fed funding away for two years! San Francisco city you are next! your mistreatments of recruiters, JROTC/ROTC, and the mistreatment of the Marines when you deny them to film their commercial at the Golden Gate Bridge!! The same punishment will be applied so be warn People Republic of Kalifornia, you have been warned!!
February 8th, 2008 at 5:37 am“Bates said the city didn’t mean to offend anyone in the armed forces…”
I call bullshit! There’s no way you get something THAT fucking wrong, even if you are a puke simpleton like Tom Bates.
No funding! I’ve written my senators and representatives… have you?
February 8th, 2008 at 5:52 amYou reap what you sow, liberal commie bitches.
And, last time I checked, Marines do play fair…
When it absolutely, positively must be destroyed overnight, call the Marines. I wonder if a training exercise in the area can go awry…
February 8th, 2008 at 5:53 amsaid Xanne Joi of Code Pink. “To me, I thought free speech meant you get to say what you want without recrimination.”
This is it right here folks–the core disconnect between normal people and those people. The Constitution guarantees freedom of speech. It does NOT guarantee freedom to say what you want without consequence. That’s what these idiots still don’t get. They think they can make accusations, grandstand, and point fingers, but when the backlash comes, they have the nerve to act hurt and offended.
February 8th, 2008 at 6:29 am“I was under the impression that we have the right of free speech,” said Xanne Joi of Code Pink. “To me, I thought free speech meant you get to say what you want without recrimination.”
—No, ma’am. Free speech is merely the freedom to say what you desire without fear of arrest or prosecution. It does not protect you from the opinions and legal recriminations of everyone you have offended.
February 8th, 2008 at 7:12 amAw, Doc. You beat me to it.
February 8th, 2008 at 7:13 amThey should pull the funding AND the recruiting office.
Those poor Marines shouldn’t be forced to sit and listen to those idiots and their ilk rambling on outside of their office all day. It could cause PTSD to those finely tuned kiilling machines
February 8th, 2008 at 7:22 amSen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Barbara Lee NEED TO BE VOTED OUT OF OFFICE!
February 8th, 2008 at 9:05 am@ doc and big:
Exactly. Although, I’m sure she doesn’t think that applies to opinions she disagrees with. Reciprocity is a concept few, if any, liberals have ever heard of.
BTW, Bates is a RETIRED Army captain? After twenty years, shouldn’t he have been a lt. colonel, or at least a major? Or did he get out after his first hitch?
February 8th, 2008 at 6:11 pmTime to yank the funds! Since all homeless and illegals are welcome in Berkeley, why not round them all up and give them a home! Long live this liberal sanctuary!
February 8th, 2008 at 8:37 pm