Posts Tagged ‘Berkeley’
Teens 16 and 17 get to vote in two Alameda County school board races
Candidates seeking to lead the Oakland Unified School District faced a barrage of tough questions one recent evening — an interrogation led by an enthusiastic group of new voters suddenly endowed with political power: 16- and 17-year-old high school students. In a first for California, teens in two Alameda County school districts, Berkeley and…
Read MoreHow do you register new voters? This group is using regional Mexican music
The infamous wall at the U.S.-Mexico border was visible in the distance at Joe Orduño Park in San Luis, Ariz., and the sun was just beginning to set beyond it when the organizer of the music festival climbed onto the stage on an evening in October. Esau Torres, co-founder of the group Grita. Canta.…
Read MoreThe group behind Measure J hopes Sonoma County is the start of a green movement
Kristina Garfinkel is an activist and Santa Rosa resident who said she treasures Sonoma County’s rural, farm-based culture. Still, for the past year, she’s been one of the lead organizers of an initiative that many say could upend farming in Sonoma County. Measure J is on the ballot for residents of Sonoma County and has…
Read MoreIn Kamala Harris’ childhood neighborhood, residents have differing views on rent control
Some say rent control is necessary, while others say it will hurt the economy and stifle housing construction. As Presidential candidate Kamala Harris has repeatedly talked about the high cost of housing on the campaign trail, and residents in the Berkeley neighborhood where she grew up offered mixed views on a California ballot initiative,…
Read MoreFactory farming measure could cost county hundreds of millions
But proponents of the measure say those estimates are overblown, and that measure will protect animals and the environment. “This measure is designed to ban farming in Sonoma County — period.” That is the view of Mark Weber, owner of Sunrise Farms LLC, a major poultry farm in Sonoma County and one of…
Read MoreBerkeley voters face stark choice between two opposing rent control measures
One measure is supported by tenants and another by landlords. Only one measure can become law. When Berkeley voters go to the polls Tuesday, they will be confronted with not one but two rent control measures. The measures mirror each other in many respects. Both have provisions for rent relief, and tenants rights.…
Read MoreWould Prop. 36 reduce retail theft and drug offenses, or would it just punish harshly without deterring crime?
Despite claims and counterclaims by politicians, police officials and community groups about the direction of Oakland’s crime rate, one thing is clear: Many Oakland voters say they continue to feel unsafe when they are out shopping, dining at a restaurant, or even strolling around Lake Merritt. On Tuesday, California voters will decide on a new…
Read MoreOakland voters asked to support a property tax increase to keep millions of dollars in public safety funding
Oakland voters are being asked to consider a measure on the ballot that would increase property taxes as a way to fund public safety and crime prevention programs. But to understand Measure NN, you need to know about Measure Z, the voter-approved action that has been doing this since 2015. Measure Z is set to…
Read MoreCalifornia voters to decide if forced prison work constitutes slave labor and should be prohibited
When Richmond resident Lejon “Fahim” Reese was transferred to Vacaville’s Solano State Prison in December 1993, he was just beginning to serve his time for a gang-related homicide. Then he was told how to spend that time. The Unit Classification Committee, the state body in charge of inmate work assignments, assigned him the role of…
Read MoreFor the first time in Oakland history, teens vote for school directors. So what do they want changed?
Empty toilet paper rolls. Missing bathroom stall doors. Dirty sinks and desks. Those were among the top concerns identified by Oakland Unified School District students in a survey by their peers. This year, students hope a new form of leverage will push the district to fix things: their votes. As Oakland teens prepare to cast…
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