Who is the opposition to Measure C?
The principal opponents of Measure C are BASTA and Berkeley Can Do Better, two tiny groups that represent Berkeley’s faction of ideological conservatives (yes, they exist even in Berkeley!). These two organizations also opposed the schools parcel tax in the November 2006 election, the November 2008 branch libraries bond and emergency services parcel tax, and Measures H and I, the schools ballot measures in the November 2010 election. In all of these campaigns, they used the same empty claims — that the city has too many facilities and services, and that any needed repairs could be paid for just by “eliminating waste” in the regular city budget. All of these ballot measures wound up winning landslide victories, showing that Berkeley residents want to preserve and improve our beloved city rather than letting it crumble and wither.
