Public Safety
Economic Development/Small Business
Including Left-Out Groups
Fiscal Responsibility
An Effective Environmental Advocate
Pro-Tenant, Pro-Affordable Housing
Pro-Women, Pro- Feminist, Pro-Choice
Pro-Union, Pro-Worker
Kriss Worthington Is So Gay!
Kriss on API Issues
PUBLIC SAFETY
(All of these proposals were publicly voted on by City Council.)
1. Restoring the principles and practice of Community Involved Policing (5/8/07).
2. Better BPD and UCPD coordination (12/15/09).
3. City response to Campus Area Assaults (12/15/09).
4. Expanding Neighborhood Watch programs & assisting low income folks to get set up (9/19/06).
5. Violence Prevention and Response Plan (12/18/07 & 12/8/08).
6. Bringing back cops on bikes (5/16/06).
7. Getting officers walking the beat (5/8/07) in CIP item and (12/18/07) in VPRP item.
8. Proposal to reestablish East Bay Public Safety Corridor Partnership (3/25/08).
9. Public Ceremony for Police Promotions to give recognition for positive achievements (12/15/09).
10. Official Telegraph Area Crime Watch and Prevention pamphlet (6/22/10).
Read More About Kriss’s Involvement With Public Safety (PDF Links)
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT/ SMALL BUSINESS
1. Speeded up Permit process for small-sized businesses, so they are faster in Telegraph area than rest of City. (We should actually do this for the whole City!)
2. Lease renewals: Assisted in keeping leases, and in keeping rents closer to reasonable.
3. Getting commercial landlords to do needed maintenance and capital repairs.
4. Short-term parking for laundry, ATMs, and used book drop-off (1/19/10).
5. Convinced City Council to restore dozens of parking spaces removed by City staff (2/21/06).
6. City funding for Last Sundays (6/22/10); World Music Fest (6/1/10); & Telegraph Ave Holiday Fair (11/7/09).
7. New hours for letting food carts load/unload to reduce traffic impacts (9/21/10 & 9/28/10).
8. Advocated for free ECO-PASSES for all employees of Telegraph & Downtown businesses, including UC and Sutter/Alta Bates.
9. Voted against bad version of BRT proposal, in defense of concerns of residents, street vendors, and small businesses, and proposed practical, cost-effective alternative to achieve link to San Pablo Rapid, Amtrak, and possible new Ferry. Sponsored item to transfer millions to avoid service cuts (10/13/09).
10. Created Quarterly Work Sessions on Economic Development (9/19/06).
Read More About Kriss’s Involvement With Economic Development (PDF Links)
INCLUDING LEFT-OUT GROUPS
1. Veterans: Worked with veterans’ groups for the radical notion that Veterans Services and Veterans Groups get to regularly use Veterans Memorial Building (2/26/08).
2. Minority Appointments, Hires, Contracts: Appointed the highest numbers of Asians, Latinos, and Women of any Councilmember, and pushed for full inclusiveness (ongoing).
3. Holocaust Survivors: Created and chaired for 8 years the official City of Berkeley Holocaust Remembrance Day. These are emotionally and artistically compelling programs bringing together people of very different political opinions to say NEVER AGAIN.
Read More About Kriss’s Involvement With Left Out and Groups (PDF Links)
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
1. The Rainy Day Fund Kriss proposed captured departmental salary and benefit and program savings to set aside millions in preparation for a bad economy. (6/24/03). Who knew then how incredibly soon this would be needed! Perhaps the most important accomplishment of Kriss’s career. Those millions saved the City from dire choices and drastic cuts in the face of the economic downturn.
2. Captured corporate overcharges of $289,000: When some pooh-poohed the complaint as sour grapes by a local business that had lost a bid, Berkeley got our money back, and this contributed to state and national changes, when others found out they were overcharged too. This advocacy helped save over a quarter of a million dollars! (4/21/09).
3. Kriss has consistently been a leader for fiscal responsibility and fiscal accountability so we can do more with less and continue to provide resources for the neediest among us.
Read More About Kriss’s Involvement With Fiscal Responsibility (PDF Links)
AN EFFECTIVE ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATE
Testimonials for a Lifetime Enviro and “Wildlife Hero”
(*Organizations for identification purposes only)
“We are fortunate to have a leader like Kriss, a true advocate for the environment.” (10/98)
— David Brower, Founder of the Sierra Club Foundation, Friends of the Earth, League of Conservation Voters, and the Earth Island Institute
“Dear Kriss, Thank you so much for the outstanding work you did at the Berkeley Transfer Center. Without your help, the changes to the overhead fishing line would not have been made and many more gulls would have experienced painful deaths. I certainly will never forget your timely response and follow-through. You are a wildlife hero.”
— Jean Shirley, a Volunteer at Lindsay Wildlife Hospital and IBRRC-International Bird Rescue Research Center (Unsolicited letter 2010)
“Just this year, with the city of Berkeley facing difficult budget situations, City Management proposed controversial cuts that could have hurt Public Works employees, and the multiple nonprofit groups providing the infrastructure for effective enviro policies and practices, Kriss worked tirelessly with his budgetary knowledge and strategic and tactical skills to protect both the union jobs and the important nonprofits. The result was a combination of temporary adjustments that enabled us to avoid most of the negatives and bought us time to create long-term solutions.”
— David Tam (Zero Waste Commission Chair)
“When others proclaimed a false dichotomy pitting environmentalists against advocates for playing fields for youth, Kriss was the first to say ‘We can and should do both.’ He took the political heat for opposing the original proposed location in Berkeley and Albany that was interfering with bird habitat. Kriss consistently advocated for both the birds and the youth. We ended up with more playing fields, a short distance away, without damaging the birds. This is just one of many issues where his willingness to look beyond the proposal under consideration and suggest holistic solutions benefited everyone involved.”
— Norman LaForce, Sierra Club, S.F Bay Chapter Chair
PRO-TENANT, PRO -AFFORDABLE HOUSING
- Kriss is still a tenant himself. In his years living and working at Rochdale Village, he helped hundreds of tenants have safe, clean, happy, cooperative homes.
- Kriss has many years of experience strongly and actively supporting Rent Control and creating and defending pro-tenant policies.
- Kriss successfully sponsored Measure Y to protect seniors and disabled residents.
- In response to a student tenant’s death in a fire, Kriss successfully sponsored creation of a Rental Housing Safety Inspection program.
- Kriss actively opposed Vacancy Decontrol and Costa Hawkins, and similar anti-tenant acts.
- Kriss supports creation of a Vacancy Tax on empty buildings and limits to excessive tenant application screening fees.
- Kriss captured money from sale of city property for affordable housing. He successfully advocated for two affordable projects when others thought only one possible.
- The landlord lobby (BPOA) newsletter praises the other guy running!
- Kriss and his office staff have assisted dozens of tenants and connected them to administrative and legal help to fight evictions, and to fix habitability issues.
- Kriss is supported by 8 out of 9 current Rent Board Commissioners and ALL 6 candidates selected by the Pro-Tenant Convention: Lisa StephenS, Asa DodswortH, Dave BlakE, Pam WebsteR, Kathy HarR & Jesse TownleY. Vote SHERRY!
PRO-WOMEN, PRO- FEMINIST, PRO-CHOICE
- Kriss has appointed the highest number & percentage of WOMEN COMMISSIONERS. Also highest percent of ASIANS, LATINOS, and STUDENTS! (all year long).
- First and only man honored by COSOW (Commission on the Status of Women) for Outstanding Service to and for the Women of Berkeley.
- Proclamation recognizing FABLED-ASP (Fabulous Activist Lesbians with Disabilities, A Storytelling Project) (5/18/10).
- Item supporting ratification of CEDAW (Commission for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women) and praising Obama administration for moving forward on this (3/23/10).
- Item supporting Dawn Johnsen’s nomination to US Office of legal Counsel (2/23/10).
- Item opposing anti-choice bill and having CITY of Berkeley officially mail coat hangers to Democratic Congressmembers who supported Stupak Pitts Amendment (12/8/09).
- Prevent Violence against Abortion providers by supporting Senate resolution 187 (7/14/09).
- Item supporting the Women’s Equality Amendment (New E.R.A.) (5/8/07).
- Sponsored Berkeley City Council FIRST in U.S. to support MARRIAGE EQUALITY.
- Goal to achieve parity for women in City hiring. We need to work for more women in Police, Fire, and Public Works Departments and higher-paid upper management positions.
PRO-WORKER, PRO-UNION
“Kriss Worthington has been standing up for working people and social justice ever since I met him in the 1970s, when he was a volunteer for the United Farm Workers.”
— Dolores Huerta, Co-Founder, United Farm Workers of America
1. Walked hundreds of picket lines, participated in delegations, phone calls, and meetings, fighting to support workers organizing to get a union or get contracts.
2. Supported all UC employee unions and worked to build effective coalitions.
3. Actively supported City employees in effective tactics for fair wages and benefits, including coalition building with nonprofit community groups.
4. Sponsored and passed pro-labor laws, including Living Wage Ordinance, and Corporate Responsibility of new Hotels Ordinance.
5. Appointed pro-labor advocates and the highest numbers of Women, Asians, Latinos, Native Americans, and students to City commissions.
6. Worked with City unions to advocate for individual employees, to the extent legally allowed to do so.
7. Gained more money for public transit from transportation agencies, and sponsored item that created FREE ECO-PASS for City employees.
8. Opposed contracting out parking attendants, security, and janitorial jobs, and recently opposed opponent’s proposal to take away employee benefit of Y memberships.
9. Supported Community Benefits Agreements and Project Labor Agreements policy to potentially transform land-use votes into real gains for important priorities.
10. Winner, UNION HERO AWARD: “In recognition of your incredible efforts to win justice for hotel workers. Your commitment to building a strong union movement for low-wage workers is an inspiration to us all.”
KRISS WORTHINGTON IS SO GAY!
- First openly gay person elected to the Berkeley City Council. First openly Gay Vice Mayor.
- First City Councilmember in the country to get a City to endorse MARRIAGE EQUALITY.
- First man ever honored by Commission on the Status of Women for Outstanding Service to and for Women in Berkeley.
- Sponsored First City in World with LGBT sensitivity training for every member of the Police Department.
- First to appoint highest numbers of Women, Asians, Latinos, Native Americans, and Students to City commissions.
- First City Council National Coming Out Day proclamation.
- Supports ENDA that includes a T!
- Created LGBT liaison in Berkeley Police Department.
- Passed Equal Benefits Ordinance.
- Winner, “Absolutely Fabulous Individual Float” Award in S.F Pride Parade.
