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Articles by Terry Taplin
Opinion: Vote Yes on Measure V to prevent cuts to first responders and critical public services
In the face of federal cuts and tight state budgets, it’s up to us in Berkeley to raise the revenue we need to preserve key city and emergency services. Measure V’s proposed half-cent sales tax would bring Berkeley’s total sales tax in line with neighboring cities like Albany and Oakland. Without the $10 million that Measure V would generate locally, Berkeley faces dire cuts to fire fighters, 911 dispatch and other crucial city services.
Opinion: Measure Z would tax Berkeley residents to create a public bank benefitting other cities
We urge you to vote No on Measure Z. There is little that demands greater precision or public trust than running a bank. Unfortunately, this tax measure and its out-of-town backers have failed to show they can deliver on either. Measure Z was written without adequate safeguards, specifics, or consultation with city officials. And now proponents are misrepresenting how it would work and who supports it. Berkeley can do better than Measure Z. Please vote No on this half-baked plan.
Vote Yes on Measure Y to support Berkeley parks
There can be no end to the argument about how to deliver the most effective and efficient government services in Berkeley, but it’s doubtful that anyone would disagree with the simple proposition that “parks are equity in action.” Berkeley needs and deserves first-rate parks, landscaping that supports natural and local biodiversity, and a renewed urban forest that brings joy to everyone.
Opinion: Re-elect President emeritus Laura Babitt to the School Board, whose motto is Kids First, Always
Laura Babitt is a fearless leader who works especially hard on behalf of underserved students. She knows how to shift resources and priorities to match the district’s stated goals and values, creating change. Laura never hesitates to speak up and break through entrenched, status quo thinking and assumptions.
Opinion: Vote for Jen Corn, an experienced public education leader, for Berkeley School Board
We have served or are currently serving in elected leadership positions in Berkeley. We have a keen sense of the rare combination of experience, communication skills, emotional intelligence and progressive vision that is necessary to get things done, improve complicated systems, and deliver desired outcomes. Jen Corn has all of these qualities, and we are thrilled to endorse her for the Berkeley School Board.
Making streets safe for everyone
On Halloween, a 7-year-old boy was struck by a hit-and-run driver in Berkeley, leaving him with a broken leg. The next day, my mother was taken to the emergency room at Alta Bates after suffering a stroke. Again, I am reminded that safe streets and emergency vehicle access are not mutually exclusive. When I was at Berkeley High, my mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and later diabetes.
Opinion: Berkeley moving closer toward ferry service
Our beautiful city sits exactly opposite the Golden Gate Bridge, founded here for its unique position along the San Francisco Bay. Our gateway to the bay, the Berkeley Marina, has struggled for years with crumbling infrastructure and a deficient Marina Fund. But thanks to community advocacy, new investment from our City Council, and $15 million in state support, we have weathered the storm and are steadying the ship.
Opinion: Budget restraints put visions of seismic retrofits, ADA upgrades, new pool out of reach
Some have claimed that progressives “ruin” cities. We must prove them wrong. When I ran for the City Council District 2 seat, I committed to a vision of a revitalized, rejuvenated West Berkeley: seismic retrofits and ADA upgrades to the Frances Albrier Community Center, a new swimming pool and freshly-paved streets with improvements needed to slow traffic for neighbors of all ages and abilities.
Opinion: Vision Zero in the era of reimagining policing
Opinion: Restore AC Transit Line 80 along Ashby Avenue This month, AC Transit will review whether or not to revive the Ashby-Sixth Street Line 80 bus route. Unfortunately, based on my previous experience of these meetings, it’ll probably be a very close vote, as many AC Transit Board members do not see the importance of Line 80’s restoration.
Opinion: Vision Zero in the era of reimagining policing
The killing of Tyre Nichols underscores the violence involved in traffic stops. He joins Sandra Bland, Daunte Wright, Philando Castile and many others who were killed Driving While Black. In 2022, U.S. police killed 86 people in traffic stops and over 600 – predominantly Black – since 2017, according to MappingPoliceViolence.us.
Opinion: Restore AC Transit Line 80 along Ashby Avenue
This month, AC Transit will review whether or not to revive the Ashby-Sixth Street Line 80 bus route. Unfortunately, based on my previous experience of these meetings, it’ll probably be a very close vote, as many AC Transit Board members do not see the importance of Line 80’s restoration. Moreover, the lack of civic engagement by bus riders and local community members with the district often mutes the public interest in this line’s return, which is why we’re writing this op-ed.
Opinion: Public safety means investing in public wellness
By now, most of us are familiar with the adage that “nothing stops a bullet like a job.” But that is easier said than done, and as deadly gun violence escalates in our community, it is more important than ever to make sure this is done effectively.
Opinion: Rashi Kesarwani for Berkeley City Council District 1
Over the last four years, we have served alongside Councilmember Rashi Kesarwani, and we have seen how she listens to stakeholders with diverse viewpoints, pays attention to details, and builds consensus for cost-effective policies. We partnered with Rashi to fix our city’s street paving budget and reinstate police positions to ensure community safety.
Opinion: Bayer agreement provides a beacon for prosperity, equity
Thirty years ago, the city of Berkeley and Miles Inc., now Bayer, signed an unprecedented development agreement securing decades of investment in the West Berkeley community and city at-large. Now, the time has come to build up, strengthen, and expand on our historic partnership by extending the Development Agreement (DA). Anyone who spends time in West Berkeley will understand our passion and pride in the city’s manufacturing and innovation sectors.
Opinion: Could cameras make Berkeley safer? Can we increase security and maintain privacy?
Public safety means different things to different people. The city’s reimagining public safety process is explicitly designed to steer us through Scylla and Charybdis into a more peaceful future. So when I asked my appointee to the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force, what the task force’s conversations around gun violence had been like I was surprised to learn that there hadn’t been much considering this year’s 36 shootings (up from 26 at this time last year).
Opinion: Why Berkeley’s newest street name should honor an Asian American
A newspaper clipping includes a photograph of Kala Baigai with a child. Photo: Courtesy Anirvan Chatterjee Asian Americans have been in Berkeley for over a century, and make up 20% of the city. But you would never know it if you saw the names on our streets, parks and schools. Berkeley is renaming a tiny downtown street, and this might be the perfect opportunity for the city to start to honor its Asian American heritage. Who to nominate?
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