Vote Yes on Oakland’s Measure Z and No on Berkeley’s Measure R 

East Bay Express, October 22, 2014

We’re also urging “yes” votes on Berkeley Measures S and F, and we’re endorsing Gilmore, Oddie, and Matarrese in Alameda; Eng, Senn, and Almanzor for Oakland school board; and Raburn for the BART board.

Finally, we think the BART board District Four race presents one of the most difficult choices in this year's election. Incumbent Robert Raburn is an environmentalist and transportation wonk, who, like us, opposes transportation projects that spur suburban sprawl. However, he disappointed us last year when he voted to hire union-busting negotiator Thomas Hock — a move that directly led to two BART strikes. Moreover, his challenger, Alameda Councilmember Lena Tam, is much better than he is on labor issues and has strong union backing. But having said that, we're concerned about Tam's dedication to the job — organized labor had to recruit her to run. And Raburn now admits that his vote to hire Hock was a mistake. For that reason, and because he's far more knowledgeable about transportation issues, we're endorsing Raburn for reelection.

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