Berkeley Surrenders
The mayor of Berkeley and two members of the city council appear to be backing away from their anti-Marine stance.
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."
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.
I would submit that there certainly is a correlation and that the city council has found that out the hard way. The city council and the mayor voted to insult one of the very organizations that enable it to speak out freely. But, as they have so many times in their history, the Marines have triumphed. From the Halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Berkeley….
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Sister Toldjah — February 8, 2008 @ 9:25 am
By feeblemind, February 8, 2008 @ 8:52 am
What do you know, money is more important than principle to the Left.
By Jonn Lilyea, February 8, 2008 @ 9:47 am
That’s interesting how they worded their response in this article so that the whole entire world seems to have read the letter wrong. And if they didn’t intend it to harm the troops, why would Code Pink get the idea that they could throw Marines to the ground in front of the station?
By Kathy, February 8, 2008 @ 9:56 am
The city council and the mayor voted to insult one of the very organizations that enable it to speak out freely.
If it’s the Marines that enable Berkeley’s city council and mayor to speak freely, how come they were threatened with a cutoff of funds for essential services when they exercised it?
By ted goldman, February 8, 2008 @ 10:13 am
Congress should withhold these funds, regardless of any inauthentic “changes” claimed by the Berkeley City council.
By Maggie, February 8, 2008 @ 11:30 am
Now it’s time to hit those “anti-military recruiters” on the college campuses with the funding axe.
By Kathy, February 8, 2008 @ 12:47 pm
Congress should withhold these funds, regardless of any inauthentic “changes” claimed by the Berkeley City council.
Congress probably won’t do that, but if they did, it sure would give the council and mayor the perfect incentive to return to their original position. Why not, if Congress defunds them no matter what they do? Might as well stand up for their right not to have a Marine recruiting center in their city if they don’t want to have a Marine recruiting center in their city.
By kidrob, February 9, 2008 @ 8:14 am
“as i walked to my car that night i realized i regretted it and had made a mistake” “YA THINK” maybe the marines should come in and quarantine the city. sounds like they have a serious infection!