Melanie Morgan

Assemblyman Guy Houston Will Continue To   

Hold Berkeley Accountable for Anti-Marine Actions

Houston disappointed that public resources still set aside for protesters

(Sacramento) – On Tuesday evening, the Berkeley City Council revisited its controversial actions taken against the U.S. Marine Corps.  The Council made no apologies for its anti-Marine Corp resolutions and will continue its policy to give public resources to Code Pink for obstructing Marine recruitment.  Therefore, Assemblyman Guy Houston (R-San Ramon) will move forward with his proposal to suspend $3.3 million in transportation funding to the City of Berkeley.

“The Council did not make any meaningful changes last night.  They are continuing to limit free speech while depriving people of the public right of way,” said Assemblyman Houston.  “Their publicly funded streets should not be given away to Code Pink to further its own agenda.  Therefore, I will be moving forward with my legislation to suspend Berkeley’s transportation funding.”

The Berkeley City Council voted to rescind an item calling for the city manager to send a letter to the U.S. Marine Corps calling the Corps “uninvited and unwelcome intruders” in the city but did not address other resolutions.

“Berkeley’s City Council has granted anti-military activists a public resource to assist in barricading the Marine recruitment office,” said Houston.  “The Council let stand its violation of the public trust by setting aside a public parking spot for Code Pink.”

The City of Berkeley is scheduled to receive approximately $3.3 million in transportation funding over the next two years from Proposition 1B.  The legislation will call for that funding to be suspended until Berkeley rescinds its January 29, 2008 resolution.

Assemblyman Guy Houston represents the 15^th Assembly District, which includes portions of Alameda, Contra Costa, Sacramento, and San Joaquin counties.