'We've Had Enough of Families & Bikes,
Thank You'
Thank You'
After five long years on the Emeryville City Council forwarding contentious policy, including a bait and switch drive he led to subvert a citizen ballot initiative to remove a regressive business tax cap, Councilman Kurt Brinkman finally stepped down Tuesday night. But not before he took the chance to engage in one last incoherent Brinkmanesque diatribe: "We talk about friendly family [sic] we also have to remember there's lots of people without families and they to need to feel like they're involved" the retiring Councilman said. An interesting take given Emeryville has been building virtually nothing but housing for singles for years now leading to a crisis for the schools because of a lack of family friendly housing identified in the City's own documents.
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| Young Council hopeful Kurt Brinkman |
We're not sure which is more outrageous, Mr Brinkman's tone deaf comments warning Emeryville residents that the town must be made safe for singles or his colleague's insistence that Councilman Brinkman has worked diligently during his term to provide lots of family housing.
Tuesday's farewell served as a curious bookend to City Council candidate Brinkman's interview with The Secret News five years ago, wherein he explained he would be a family friendly Council member if elected, and that building family friendly housing is critical in Emeryville.
Kurt went on to remind everyone that bicyclists are persona non grata in Emeryville, "We need to have a town where you can walk to work and walk home at night", again sentiments backed up by his (anti-bike) actions on the Council.
While it would have been audacious, given his record, if Councilman Brinkman had stated bicycling should be an acceptable way of commuting to work in Emeryville along with walking, we find it bizarre that the Councilman, as he takes his leave, is so willing to have his final swan song be that 'we've had quite enough of bikes and families in Emeryville thank you'.
I've been reading your blog for about a year now and I think it can be summed up this way: The people that run the town tell us they want stuff that residents want but it's untrue. What they want is to help business. But don't you think by helping business they're helping us? I mean why would they be against the resident when they're residents themselves? They just have a different way of doing it from how you want to do it. Same goal, different angles.
ReplyDeleteThat's the 'trickle down' idea Republicans are so fond of.
DeleteOne of the problems with Brinkman is that when I was an employee at the school district and he was a school board member, he only had interest in projects that would direct funds to companies he owned.
DeleteHe doesn't care about the average citizen, just what the city can do to increase his revenue.
Please give an example. Or please contact me at sophbeau@yahoo.com. I'd love to talk with you about this.
DeleteLet's also find out how many businesses in Emeryville have security provided by Intrepid Electronics since he became School Board Member and City Council member.
ReplyDelete