Phoebe Sorgen's 2012 write-in candidacy has thus far received organizational endorsements from Berkeley Citizen's Action and the Berkeley Green Party. Most of her 2008 District 6 candidacy endorsers will endorse in 2012. Click here to view Phoebe's 2008 campaign endorsements.
This is a partial list of endorsers. There were many more, for which we are grateful.
We urge you to write in Phoebe Sorgen!
Berkeley Citizens Action Berkeley Green Party Berkeley Daily Planet Pepper Spray Times BERKELEY OFFICIALS [*former] City Councilmember Kriss Worthington City Councilmember Max Anderson [*former Berkeley mayor Gus Newport] Commissioners: Alecia Nelson [*Ann Fagan Ginger, Esq.] Asa Dodsworth Dave Blake Diana Bohn Edith Hallberg George Lippman Igor Tregub Jesse Townley John Henry Judy Shelton Katherine Harr Kim Nemirow Michael Sherman [*Nancy Carleton] Patrick Sheahan Wendy Kenin COMMUNITY LEADERS: *3 term U.S. Senator Mike Gravel Abbot Foote Andy Jamieson Rev. Barbara Hamilton-Holway Becky O'Malley Rev. Ben Meyers Rev. Bill Hamilton-Holway Boona Cheema Carol Amour Carol Denney Carol S. Wolman, MD. Carolyn Scarr Christina Trucillo Cynthia Johnson Darien De Lu Don Goldmacher Edie Hartshorne Eleanor Walden Gael Alcock Gail Penso Hali Hammer Holly Harwood Ilse Hadda Jacquelyn McCormick Jeff Kaplan Jeff Ritterman Joey Shemuel Joyce Kawahata, Esq. Kaylia Bravo Maryanne Robinson Meaveen O’Connor Michael Parenti Nicholas Galloro Nick Thabit Nicole Milner Patricia E. Wall, Esq. Rafael Jesús González Richard Tamm Roya Sakhai, Ph.D. Sharon Maldonado Vivien Feyer Walter Riley, Esq. DISTRICT SIX VOTERS: Adelle Lemon Annalee Rejhon, Ph.D. Bari Nelson Cynthia Larson Clare Ullman Dina Angel-Wing Ingrid Kepler May Laura X Laverda O. Allen Leah Mazel Lezlie Kinyon, Ph.D. Linda Franklin Marc Pilisuk, Ph.D. Matt Cantor Maureen Daggett Michael Sorgen, Esq. Nancy Feinberg Nancy Lemon, Esq. Patricia Lutke Paul Gee Richard Hiersch Rozalina Gutman Sally Francis, Ph.D. Virginia Hollins-Davidson, Esq. & many more
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From the bottom of my heart, thank you to all who supported my campaign.
If you see one of my signs, please let me know where so we may retrieve it, or take it and let me know where to pick it up.
We have much to celebrate from the historic 2012 election, and much work to do.
I'm content to have run a campaign that accomplished enormous good by informing District 6 voters about fabulous candidates and measures that were hugely outspent:
1. Three out of four of our affordable housing Rent Board candidates won. My volunteers and I distributed their literature everywhere we distributed my own, and posted yard signs.
2. Ditto for Measures S and T. My campaign helped tremendously in the effort to defeat those misguided efforts supported by my opponent. I was able to convince four out of five voters who discussed it with me to vote NO on unconstitutional Measure S which would criminalize poverty. It was already illegal to lie on commercial sidewalks during business hours, soil them, harass, block a doorway, impede passage, etc. The Obama administration warned against criminalizing "acts of living" such as sidewalk sitting. It would not help business, was an utter failure in SF and has been overturned by the ACLU elsewhere. S would impede free speech also, by requiring a permit (and probable fee) to sit on a folding chair for political tabling. It is a tribute to Berkeley that so many voters saw through the expensive glossies and the lies promulgated by that campaign. It proves that Berkeley's well-funded but less progressive elected "representatives" are out of touch with We the People.
3. My opponent was the only City Councilmember who did not endorse Measures O and N which would save lives of disabled people who need a warm pool. We helped that campaign by dropping literature on doorsteps of at least 3/4 of the homes in this hilly district and delivering yard signs.
4. We helped several marvelous mayoral candidates who are in touch with Berkeley values. (The Community Campaign Center where we shared space exemplifies an exciting, innovative collaboration that is part of the answer, moving forward.)
More than 40 hours after the polls closed, the Registrar of Voters finally posted my name on the Alameda County Registrar of Voters website and admitted that I had won some of the votes thusfar counted. The Registrar apologized to me after I sent this: "Voters are generally more interested in an accurate vote count, even if it is slow and laborious, than in a speedy vote number, but--meanwhile--the Registrar of Voters website should immediately reflect that there is a Berkeley District 6 qualified write-in candidate whose votes will be tallied and reported eventually, instead of incorrectly showing my opponent as unopposed with 100% of the vote. Placing trust in the RoV website, newspapers and local blogs have irresponsibly parroted the erroneous info, so please send out a press release correcting that misinformation as soon as time allows."
It is a question of principle. I knew that a qualified write-in candidate who does not invest in a mass mailing will not win more than a few dozen votes because most voters will not recall their name nor even that there is a write in option without the "write in" prompt (which was in fine print on ballots in previous years.)
Especially due to the great people who participated, my campaign was rewarding and so much fun! A few highlights:
1. A Berkeley Citizens Action member clued me into bromelain for arthritis, an enzyme which enabled me to once again skip up and down stairs. I walked for 14 hours on election eve singing "The Hills are Alive, With the Sound of Justice!"
2. I loved connecting with amazing people throughout the district and at the cooperative Community Campaign Center.
3. A supporter whom I met on election day later helped me retrieve yard signs in her electric Zencar and transfer them to my electric Gemcar.
4. A write-in candidate poses no threat to a secure incumbent, so it was hilarious to feel stalked by the incumbent, wearing a white brimmed hat pulled low on her forehead, driving her navy blue Volvo station wagon to many polling places on Tuesday. We played deMOCKracy cat and mouse. I put up yard signs on the routes to polling places (exceeding the legally required distance.) When I returned, the signs had been torn or pushed over, so I replaced them, because a write-in candidate's biggest challenge is letting the voters know there is an alternative option.
5. I dozed during the election night party, exhausted and feeling serene/secure in the company of so many good people.
As exhilarating as it was exhausting, this educational experience made me a better person. For caring people who value democracy, and yet who hold few illusions re democracy, I highly recommend running for public office. It is a fine fitness program, a fun way to meet wonderful people, and an effective way to improve important matters. I look forward to supporting you when you/yours run. Please keep up the good fight and stay in touch. To help keep Berkeley progressive, please join Berkeley Citizens Action: http://berkeleycitizensaction.org/?page_id=2
Thanks again to all who helped, in small ways or large. You rock!
In closing, I'll share this bit of creativity which tickles me, the campaign ditty composed/performed by my son: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anDLJh_nbH0&feature=plcp
Campaign 2012:
The big news is that Phoebe Sorgen has been convinced to run again, this time as a write-in candidate. Needing to tend to practical matters, she had hesitated to run in 2012, and you the voters persuaded her to give voters an alternative. What a whirlwind! She completed the red tape and qualified as an official write-in candidate on October 10, meaning that her votes will eventually be counted.
The rest of this page is from the 2008 campaign, much of which is still relevant.
Update:
Responding strongly to District 6 concerns, Phoebe has published a clear statement on emerging campaign issues. Please take this link to "Issues & Goals" to view this information.
Phoebe has been getting the word out via public forums and interviews. Here is one you can view on television and the Internet.
View video of Phoebe:
• The Transportation, Housing, Land Use and Environment Forum is available to watch/listen online. Scroll down to see Phoebe here: http://bfbc.org/issues/forum
The District 6 portion airs too rarely on local cable TV. Please ask Berkeley Community Media to air it frequently.
Official Candidate Statement:
Please view Phoebe's official candidate statement published in the Berkeley Daily Planet: Candidate Statement.
Update:
The Berkeley Daily Planet, the SF Bay Guardian, and the Bay Area Reporter have all endorsed Phoebe's candidacy.
Please contact her if you have questions, because a quick explanation can often clear up reservations caused by other media in which she has sometimes been unfairly mischaracterized or misquoted. For example, Phoebe asserts that a Councilmember's first priority is to address the practical needs of residents, and believes Berkeley may also continue speaking out on broader issues, when doing so does not cost the City time or money because volunteer Commissioners do the research and writing. One paper left out everything following the last comma in the last sentence. Of course, Phoebe is committed to fiscal responsibility.
In the home of the Free Speech Movement, free speech is sometimes suppressed. Hundreds of dollars of yard signs have been stolen within 24 hours of placing. One volunteer was frustrated enough to consider reciprocating. Don't! Phoebe's Dad often says, "Two wrongs don't make a right." We are running a campaign of integrity, leading by example. Berkeley has a proud history of leading by example.
Phoebe's opponent said Berkeley should stick to potholes and fire stations. Phoebe is an idealistic pragmatist who says "Safety first, absolutely!" which includes both potholes and fire stations, and Berkeley is not isolated but needs to be considered in the larger context. Right wingers and war mongers would be tickled if Berkeley shut up. Many positive innovations start in Berkeley and ripple out, such as helping homeowners finance solar panels.
Phoebe was the only candidate to be endorsed in absentia by Berkeley Citizens Action!
Tune into the Environmental Candidate Forum:
The riveting Environmental Candidate forum for Berkeley City Council Districts 2, 5 & 6 will air on local cable TV Channel 33 at these times:
Channel 33
Berkeley Community Media.
Thirteen environmental organizations arranged this forum.