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The Scourge of Rent Stabilization
The Scourge of Rent Stabilization

Richard A. Epstein 11.03.09 WHY NOT SCRAP IT, ROOT AND BRANCH? One central libertarian tenet is that governments should not use subsidies or price controls to distort the operation of competitive markets. The soundness of that position was brought home once again in the recent decision of the New... Continue Reading

Date posted11/3/2009


Soft Story Notice to Post
Soft Story Notice to Post

Earthquake Warning: This is a soft story building with a soft, weak, or open front ground floor. You may not be safe inside or near such buildings during an earthquake. Continue Reading

Date posted04/25/2009


Soft Story Notice to Tenants
Soft Story Notice to Tenants

Notice to Tenants re: Soft Story Building This is to notify you that the building at ____________________________________, Berkeley, California is on the City of Berkeley’s Inventory of Potentially Hazardous Soft Story Buildings and may constitute a severe threat to life safety in the event... Continue Reading

Date posted04/25/2009


Bureaucratic Thugery
Bureaucratic Thugery

Berkeley Court Apartments consists of two 12-unit buildings facing each other and are perpendicular to Dwight Way . Each apartment has its own entrance off the court between the buildings. There is a mail slot near each front door. From the sidewalk to the farthest unit back is almost 300 feet.... Continue Reading

Date posted10/1/2008


Californians for Property Rights Protection
Californians for Property Rights Protection

Californians for Property Rights Protection (CPRP) is a coalition of homeowners, family farmers, small business owners, and other property owners (small and large) led by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, California Farm Bureau Federation, and The California Alliance to Protect Private... Continue Reading

Date posted10/31/2007


Where Have All the People Gone?
Where Have All the People Gone?

Editor: Albert Sukoff Because I am so inclined, I was perusing the census data for Berkeley on a website posted by the MTC-ABAG library. (That's the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of Bay Are Governments.) Therein presented was data showed comparisons between the 2000... Continue Reading

Date posted10/15/2007


Support for a Statewide Ballot Initiative
Support for a Statewide Ballot Initiative

Howard Jarvis and apartment associations around the state are asking you to support a statewide ballot initiative concerning eminent domain and rent control. If this initiative passes, rent control in Berkeley would be wiped out in few years as units become permanently decontrolled. I cannot... Continue Reading

Date posted06/10/2007


Berkeley Housing Chief Quits Amid Scandal
Berkeley Housing Chief Quits Amid Scandal

Berkeley official oversaw agency that allegedly mismanaged $25 million By Doug Oakley, MEDIANEWS STAFF Inside Bay Area Article Last Updated:06/06/2007 07:49:59 AM PDT Berkeley Housing Department director Steve Barton resigned Tuesday, the latest person to leave in the wake of a scandal that has... Continue Reading

Date posted06/5/2007


Implausible Deniability at BHA
Implausible Deniability at BHA

Editors, Daily Planet:Let me get this straight: Back in 2002, HUD said the Berkeley Housing Authority was “troubled” and needed fixing. For five years, the Mayor and Council got reports from Housing Director Steve Barton, describing how he had tried, and failed, to fix the problems.... Continue Reading

Date posted06/5/2007


The Housing Scandal: A Perfect Storm
The Housing Scandal: A Perfect Storm

By David M. Wilson (05-25-07) In separate reports, City Manager Phil Kamlarz and City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque have found gross incompetence, if not fraud, in the Berkeley Housing Authority. BHA manages a budget of $25,000,000 per year. This is supposed to provide subsidized housing for nearly... Continue Reading

Date posted06/5/2007


The Condo Conversion Initiative: Fact Sheet
The Condo Conversion Initiative: Fact Sheet

WHAT DOES THE MEASURE DO? Empowers tenants to buy their own homes at a substantial discount. Protects tenants from uncontrolled TIC conversions and Ellis Act evictions Provides new revenues to the City for maintaining and expanding its affordable housing programs. Restores balance to our City: ... Continue Reading

Date posted06/6/2006


Is This the Future of Rent Control?
Is This the Future of Rent Control?

[President's Message, September 2005] Rent control in Berkeley is a rapidly turning into a relic. With each passing day and each new vacancy, a smaller and smaller number of apartments are subject to the strictest form of control. New construction is everywhere, and not a single unit is... Continue Reading

Date posted09/1/2005