r/elcerrito

I am really enjoying the conversations on this sub about the election. I think that, yes, this subreddit tends to lean one direction, but I also find the conversations here more substantive than other venues. So I want to focus on the conversation on a particular topic that’s running through the whole campaign: change.

Out front, of course Wally and Kimberly are the votes for change in this election. It’s their campaign slogan, they are running to beat incumbents, they are going to listen, which, they say, the current council doesn’t.

But there are 6 candidates, only two are incumbents. The Wally/Kimberly supporters say all the other challengers are more of the same.

But what are Wally and Kimberly known for? Campaigning—very successfully—to kill Measure C. The Yes on C campaign was not listening to voters and the result demonstrates that.

But when I start listening to folks who do not like the current council, what I hear most are the following:

1. We don’t want to subsidize the TOD developer.
2. We don’t want a Richmond Street bike lane.
3. We don’t want TOD taking away our parking lot at Plaza BART.
4. Council ended senior services—they said the transfer tax would fund senior services and senior services ended.

What is the common thread here? “We don’t want things to change and the current City Council is changing them without listening to our objections.”

I will say that it certainly seems to me that Wally and Kimberly are going to win. And I’m even more confident that the incumbents are going to lose. And I’m trying to forecast what will happen if they do. But the only things I see Wally/Kimberly are very clear about doing is stopping change. They are listening to the people who were angry that change was happening.

What I’m hoping to get going with this thread is: what am I missing? Yes, Wally and Kimberly will be new but I just don’t see them changing things—they want to preserve the status quo. Why am I wrong? I’d love to hear thoughts on this and I’m genuinely interested in hearing thoughts where I am not characterizing this correctly.

I live in El Cerrito and we need our community to fight for change. The billionaire donor class has purposefully muddied this ballot to confuse and divide voters. We can’t let their lies, greed and threats win!

A yes on 40 will only tax billionaires. The money’s destination is clear: 90% of these tax revenues for health care, 10% for food assistance or education-related programs.
This will save lives and protect children.

A No on 41 and 42 are required because these propositions were put in place BY BILLIONAIRES to make your yes on 40 not count!

Do your part to help our community, protect our children, and become part of the history that saves our democracy from the oligarchy.