East Bay Endorsements 2012

http://www.sfbg.com/2012/10/10/east-bay-endorsements-2012

BERKELEY MAYOR:  KRISS WORTHINGTON

It would be nice to have a Berkeley person as mayor of Berkeley again.

The city's still among the most progressive outposts in the country — and Mayor Tom Bates, for all his history as one of the leading progressive voices in the state Legislature and a key part of the city's left-liberal political operation, has taken the city in a decidedly centrist direction. Bates these days is all about development. He's a big supporter of the sit-lie law (hard to imagine the old Tom Bates ever supporting an anti-homeless measure). He didn't even seek the mayoral endorsement of Berkeley Citizens Action, which he helped build, and instead hypes the Berkeley Democratic Club, which he used to fight. After ten years, we're ready for a new Berkeley mayor.

Worthington is the voice of the left on the City Council. He's an aggressive legislator who is never short of ideas. He's talking about the basics (holding separate council meetings on major issues so people who want to speak don't have to wait until midnight), to the visionary (a 21-point plan for revitalizing Telegraph Avenue). He's against sit-lie and wants developers to offer credible community benefits agreements before they build. We're with Worthington.