Stop, Drop and Roll

21 June 2007 | Alameda Community, Alameda Community Development Forum, Measure A | John Knox White

Ok, so it wasn’t an epiphany, but finally last tonight, my understanding of all these “Anti-Measure A” people was made clear. Over the past few months, it seems that almost everyone under the sun has been declared “Anti-Measure A” (AMA for short) and it’s been dawning on me that like war with Iraq, you either support it or you support the terrorists.

My theory, which I’ve tried explaining to a number of confused people who thought that civic debate was suppose to have nuance and a variety of opinions, has been that anyone who thinks that even a small change in Measure A might make it a better thing is automatically AMA. It’s the only way to square the constant crying of wolf about Anne Cook, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, and Rebecca Kohlstrand trying to destroy Measure A (and Alameda itself).

At various times, I myself have heard them wonder aloud about what might be possible is Measure A allowed such things as tearing down dilapidated eight-unit apartment buildings and rebuilding nicer six-unit ones. (That’s a reduction of two units, in case you haven’t had your coffee yet). I have heard other outrageous things like concern over the ability to take the 300 housing units planned for Alameda Landing and building them into the waterfront commercial buildings, thus giving more vibrancy to the waterfront without adding a single new house, but Measure A won’t allow it.

These outrageous statements, and plenty more, are the proof of AMA bias that Barbara Kerr, Pat Bail and friends are talking about. Last night, Ms. Bail, said so specifically on the Don Roberts show. It turns out that Ms. Kerr has been going to the Planning Department to find the tapes for the Planning Board meetings, in order to dig up these incriminating statements (thus here recent discovery that Alameda’s library doesn’t hold onto planning board tapes for very long, soon, she’ll find out that the Planning Department only hangs onto them for about 2 years as well).

What’s interesting, is that one of the constant purveyors of this argument that the planning board members are AMA, is the same letter writer who wrote to the Sunhttp://alamedasun.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1524&Itemid=11:

“Can Measure A be protected or even strengthened while providing an exception for a single project?

“I think it can.”

Thus making himself Anti-Measure A. Hilarious.

Having come to this now-confirmed understanding, I have to say everything makes sense. Just as when I listen to our Vice-President talk about people who are helping Al Qaeda by not agreeing with him. I’ll now slowly tune out the cries of “they hate Alameda, they are anti-measure a!” It is the only recourse to such a fanatical stance. Remember, you’re either with us, or your with the terrorists.