Today's Letter to The Berkeley City Council (and Chamber of Commerce):

April 3, 2008
To the City Council:

I was sent this item from the Daily Cal this morning. Please have your staff read it to you, and pay careful attention to the tone in the quotes from Dona Spring, and to a lesser extent Ted Garrett. Both are dismissive of the reasons given for one more business leaving Berkeley. How can they be so unprofessional?

[editor's note: the italics are mine - please compare Spring's quote to Medea's in the prior post]

In Dona Spring's case, she's also wrong both times she is quoted. 1) "(Police) involved in the Marine recruiting center demonstrations are overtime, it's not the regular crew" -- Unless Berkeley is bringing in a separate police force for the CodePINK protests the Berkeley Police are being stretched and stressed; community policing is effected. Being compensated for their time isn't the same as being relieved and rested. 2) "... I don't see how the businesses in that square can sustain the kind of controversy that the Marine recruiting center has had on that locale."-- Regardless Ms. Spring, or anyone's, personal opinion about the USMC OSO staying in Berkeley, the controversy here rest on the shoulders of CodePINK. The OSO was in Shattuck Square for 9 months before CodePINK (or pretty much anyone) noticed. All the Police overtime and bad publicity date from AFTER CodePINK noticed the Office. As of April 1st CodePINK is even creating their own news to generate publicity.

Here's the Video:

http://www.dailycal.org/article/101127/local_company_to_leave_berkeley_due_to_protests