Berkeley Pirate Party Endorsements

The Pirate Party is still young (building membership to gain official acceptance by the election process), as such there are no Pirate Party Candidate on the ballot. However there are individuals and ideas which can be viewed through a Pirate Party lens.

MAYOR 3 Rank Choices (Listed in alphabetical order, not any particular rank order):

Jacquelyn McCormick, RunningWolf, Mark Schwartz (Write-In Candidate)

These 3 candidates all support making Berkeley a model for a green economy. The candidates recognize the same old Berkeley politics cannot solve the challenges faced during global environmental crisis and economic downturn. These candidates support jobs based on environmental protection and food security, as well as investing in true green tech - intelligent technology that works with the the environment instead of re-engineering nature.

McCormick is an advocate of the SunShine Measure U, making local government more open. A transparent government fosters civic engagement, making it easier for individuals to get involved. McCormick advocates for open discussion between activist movements and government; as mayor McCormick would dialogue with the Occupy movement, which no member of Berkeley government has done. McCormick is the founder of http://www.berkeleycouncilwatch.com/, an online resource for city meeting schedules and notes, as well as a resources for explanation on proposals, ordinances.

RunningWolf is a local activist and Green Party candidate. A former Peace and Justice Commissioner and current Occupier, RunningWolf is an example that protest and politics need not be separate fields. Cleaner streams and a cleaner bay, an increase of urban agriculture, and less dependency on cars are part of this candidates platform. As is revitalizing Telegraph by shutting down traffic from Dwight to Bancroft with a pedestrian open-market and promenade. The candidate supports a bike sharing program to reduce the city costs related to roads and driving.

Mark Schwartz is dedicated to stopping Measure S (as are the other two endorsements), having protested against the San Francisco sitting ordinance. Mark is a write in candidate, and not listed on the ballot. Another Occupy candidate, Mark Schwartz is a poet and an advocate in the neuro-diversity movement. This candidate also suggest an open promenade on Telegraph from People's Park to campus. The candidate supports green transit, a solar powered trolly system for Berkeley to reduce traffic and emissions related to driving.

YES ON U: Measure U is a SunShine ordinance which make city government more transparent. Opponents argue that this measure will cost the city money to implement; however the proposal is mainly a culture shift less than it is an infrastructure shift. It would not take much to make the City website easier to navigate; it is a one time reorganization which becomes more pressing as the webpage becomes more antiquated. There is little cost other than time for city staff to respond to public information requests. Concerns that the city would be flooded by frivolous requests are an unfounded. Measure U allows city staff to hold on filling requests, so long as a legitimate reason is stated; if a city office or staffer is legitimately busy with requests, the measure allows for city staff to state that a request is delayed due to high work volume. Measure U is not as restrictive to city staff as opponents argue, and is not as costly.

NO ON S: Which has been explained through endless media and debate. There are enough laws on the books; they simply are not enforced. The no smoking law should be enforced; cleaner air is an actual issue that is being ignored. Sitting on the sidewalk is a non-issue designed to scare off the poor.

NO ON T: There are not enough safeguards in this West Berkeley/Waterside against bio-research. Bio-engineering by the bay's edge, and adjacent to an important roosting space is dicey. A rising waterline due to climate change is not taken into account in this proposal. As well building heights will block the view of many people. The plan mixes zone usage, putting industrial and residential in conflict.

[Why not Kriss Worthington? Kriss Worthington is against Measure U, and has vocally came out against the Occupy protest movement in Berkeley. Worthington has been in politics for quite sometime, and in a sense is an incumbent candidate like Mayor Bates. Berkeley needs a change greater than what Worthington can offer. As well, the conflict between Bates and Worthington is a 2 way street; Berkeley needs to veer from combative politics.]