Reports have been verified via The Absurd Report of the letter from Brian Dennard of Meridian Development Group, LLC.
MDG is a mega developer with high dollar developments in Baja, California under way. And he let the Mayor know, in no uncertain terms, that Berkeley would not see a dime of his company's money.
In that you and your city have chosen to gravely insult the brave men and women, who have indeed bought you that right with their blood, I am informing you that my company will no longer do business with any of our current suppliers located in the Berkeley, California metro area.
In that my company is in international resort real estate development, and do business with and am associated with, developers and investors worldwide, I am informing all of my contacts, associates and patrons that we will no longer do any business of any sort with anyone living in the Berkeley area.
In that we/MDG Resorts are currently building a state of the art mega-yacht marina, all of the suppliers of Marina equipment, all owners of Yachts , all suppliers of Yacht materials & supplies, all yacht brokers and all tangential yacht business purveyors will likewise be informed that we will not do any business whatsoever with anyone from the Berkeley area.
Likewise all suppliers of building materials, both interior and exterior, currently associated with any of our several resort developments (Brisamar 300+ villas and 200+ condos: Porto Hussong, www.portohussong.com 500+ condos, 180 slip mega-yacht marina) both of which I might add have international recognition by virtue of glowing reports in Robb Report, Wall Street Journal, Yacht World, Forbes.
I will likewise inform all of our investors, most of whom are very wealthy yacht owners, casino owners, high net worth international businessmen, of our decision to essentially boycott all products and providers located in, or associated with in any way whatsoever, Berkeley, Ca.
Trust me when I say that having been in the real estate development business for over 35 years, our list of contacts and associates is long and very, very impressive. We, and I personally, are going to recomend that they ALL along with us boycott your city, its purveyors, suppliers, and businesses and CHARITIES of every kind.
You have every right to choose to take the obnoxious anti-military stance you have taken, and as stated, that right was bought for you with the blood of better men than you.
I too have every right to do all that I can to insure that your city suffers consequences arising from that obnoxious, sickening stance.
Dennard... no doubt one Code Pink would classify as a "capitalist pig"... is a citizen hero. The letter made the rounds quietly on the Internet via emails - unpublished in the media public domain - as he sought no attentions for him or his firm. But it has been yet one more crosshair trained on the anti-military community. And the result is that the calvary is enroute to Berkeley - ground zero - for their Tuesday council meeting.
Hundreds of protesters from across the country and the political spectrum are expected to descend on City Hall with bullhorns, drums, banners and plenty of vitriol in anticipation of the City Council's debate over the Marines' recruiting station in town.
The ruckus started last week when the council voted to send a letter to the Marines, calling them "unwanted intruders" for opening the recruiting center on Shattuck Avenue last year. At the same time, the council granted Code Pink a parking space and a sound permit to make it easier for the peace group to conduct protests outside the center.
On Monday, Councilwomen Betty Olds and Laurie Capitelli introduced an item for this week's meeting, asking the city to retract its statements about the Marines and clarify that the city is against the war, not against the armed forces.
"We're starting to get people coming in from all over the U.S.," said Catherine Moy, executive director of Move America Forward, one of several pro-military groups planning an all-day protest Tuesday at Maudelle Shirek City Hall. "People are pretty upset. We want to avoid clashes, but it could be really, really big. We don't really know what's going to happen."
Peace groups, disgusted that the council would cave in to pressure from the pro-military groups, plan to host their own rally, an "emergency 24-hour peace-in vigil," complete with singing, drums and dialogue.
"We want to protect our city from the onslaught of the right wing," said Code Pink spokeswoman Zanne Joi. "We're facing people who are willing to kill or send other people's children to kill to get what they want. We understand the reality of that, and we're prepared to face that in a nonviolent way."
Too late now, Berkeley. Try as you will, your actions belie that "not against the troops" crap. You laid your cards on the table one too many times. Your Mayor has publicly proclaimed he supports Code Pink's agenda - a world without a US military. And now patriots, such as Dennard, are willing to penalize you where you will feel it the most - in your city's wallet.
Then you have some simple minded Berkeley'ites trying to come up with other sale'able reasons as to why they think the recruiting office should be moved out of the city. For the most part, responses to Debra Saunder's column on Feb 5th were surprisingly in favor of telling the council that they were way out of line.
But then you get comments from poster, Sahajyoga who patiently tries to explain that the whole bru'ha'ha has nothing to do with hating the military, but is really a legit power under the guise of city zoning ordinances and the types of businesses that were allowable... .... thereby aptly demonstrating that during her/his yoga sessions, he/she has clearly spent far too much time with the blood rushing to the head.
The USMC recruiting office is located near University Ave and Shattuck... a few blocks from the campus. Now while general zoning ordinances may nail some specific businesses as being inappropriate near a campus... i.e. perhaps sex shops, liquor stores, half-way houses for predators... it's highly unlikely any court in the nation could find their way to calling a career option business inappropriate for the region. Afterall, what is a university but a place filled with youth who are looking for their future paths?
As if one absurd suggestion wasn't enough to prove damaged brain cells, the same poster then compounded it with another desperate grasp of straws - stating it was the perogative of the owner of the property. Sahajyoga obviously was clueless that it wasn't the property owner kicking the Marines out - it was the city council. Quite frankly, if I were the landlord, I'd be downright pissed at the council for interfering with a solid paying tenant and sweet lease agreement.
It's almost absurd they think of ways to defend the city council's actions. The council has no right to exercise "free speech" for others, so it can't be a 1st Amendment issue. They have rightly allowed Code Pink to protest. However Code Pink has broken sundry laws by subverting others' individual rights with physically blocking doorways... and never been prosecuted for such, of course. As is usual in Berkeley attitudes, the only free speech allowed is that of the progressive liberal voice. God help they'd respect one's right to decide to enlist.
Dennard's simple letter, DeMint's Semper Fi Act requesting Berkeley federal funds be diverted to the USMC instead, and even countless liberal anti-war Berkeley residents who are appalled at the council actions, have inspired a host of folks to travel to California's "foreign soil" for the upcoming council meeting. The fact is, all the drums, dialogue and chanting in the world is not going to stop Code Pink's private and sacred nirvana from being shaken to the core. The "silent minority" is heading their way.... silent no more.
And it's about bloody time!
1 comment:
Quoth the jarhead,..
Hoo-ah!
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