About Barbara Gilbert Barbara Gilbert, a thirty-five year resident of Berkeley, has been active in Berkeley public life for several years and has been engaged in public policy research, analysis, and advocacy since 1987. For the past six years, Barbara has immersed herself in local issues, attending hundreds of meetings, reading thousands of pages of public documents, authoring numerous articles, playing a leadership role in local civic organizations, serving as a mayoral aide, and advocating for major City policy changes. Her particular areas of interest are City finances and taxation, land use, public safety, Downtown and commercial revitalization, and good government. In her various capacities as author, consultant, mayoral aide, and citizen activist, Barbara Gilbert’s work has been motivated by her desire to analyze and assess both the costs and benefits of a variety of social policies, within the framework of her larger commitment to a fair, diverse, and strong community and nation. In the groundbreaking book, The Enabling State: Modern Welfare Capitalism in America, Oxford University Press (co-authored by Barbara Gilbert and Neil Gilbert), the Gilberts created a model for understanding the transformation of the social welfare state and the complex web of public and private interactions and financial provisions that make up its components. According to the journal Society, “…a thorough, sophisticated account of the transformation of the welfare state…the most mature effort available…a sober assessment…” Barbara holds a BA degree from Mount Holyoke College, a MSW from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Paralegal Certificate from St. Mary’s College. In her younger days, Barbara was an anti-poverty warrior and subsequently a land use paralegal. She is divorced and the parent of two grown children. Barbara currently serves in leadership roles on the Council of Neighborhood Associations, the Berkeley Alliance of Neighborhood Associations, the Berkeley Budget Oversight Committee, the Thousand Oaks Neighborhood Association, and the City’s Commission on Labor, and has previously been active with several other civic organizations By Barbara Gilbert: “In-Law Units Are Coming to Your Neighborhood”, Berkeley Daily Planet, 2/24/03 “Eleven Ways to Remove Rudeness from Berkeley Civic Life”, Berkeley Daily Planet, 4/11-4/14/03 “Wake Up: We’re in Budget Trouble”, Berkeley Daily Planet, 4/29-5/1/03 “The Sacred Cow of the City Budget”, Berkeley Daily Planet, 6/13/03 “Berkeley Library”, Letter to Council, 6/16/03 “City Council Relapses, Excludes Residents from Public Process”, Berkeley Daily Planet, 6/24/03 “Salary Hikes for City Staff Must Wait for Better Times”, Berkeley Daily Planet, 7/18-7/21/03 “City Labor Contracts Can and Should Be Changed”, Berkeley Daily Planet, 9/2-9/4/03 Letter to Council, October 1, 2003 “Spread Tax Burden and Help Homeowners”, Berkeley Daily Planet, 10/14-10/16/03 “Connecting the Dots to City Budget Deficit”, Berkeley Daily Planet, 11/11/03 Presentation to Council, November 18, 2003 “The City of Berkeley’s Budget Crisis”, Keynote Address to Berkeley Property Owners Association Annual Dinner, December 10, 2003. “Downtown Berkeley: Who’s Minding the Shop?”, Berkeley Daily Planet, 2/10/04 “Why I Am Opposed to Proposition 56”, Presentation to Berkeley Democratic Club, February, 2004 “City Should Follow John Kerry’s Lead on Middle Class Taxation”, Berkeley Daily Planet, 4/20/04 Letter to Council, May 19, 2004 “Candidate Launches Salvo in Council Race”, The Daily Californian, 7/12/04 “Letter to the Editor: Council Candidate”, Berkeley Daily Planet, July 13, 2004 “About the Issues”, Berkeley Voice, 7/16/04 “SB 744 is One More Attack on Community Control of Land Use”, Berkeley Daily Planet, 7/29/04 Additional Recent Civic Contributions by Barbara Gilbert: Co-authored comprehensive City budget factsheet and powerpoint presentation for dissemination to interested residents and community groups. Researched and exposed the City’s non-collection of real property taxes from several large developers, thereby enabling the proper collection of several hundred thousand dollars annually. Keynote Speaker, Berkeley Property Owners Association Annual Dinner, December, 2003, “The City of Berkeley’s Budget Crisis”. Guest Speaker, Berkeley Democratic Club Forum, February, 2004, “Why I Am Opposed to Proposition 56”. Panelist, Berkeley Property Owners Association Monthly Board Meeting, June, 2004. “Proposed November 2004 Tax Measures.” As aide to former Mayor Shirley Dean, researched hundreds of local, regional, and national issues and prepared briefing papers and drafts for use in Mayor’s legislative items. Managed ceremonial schedule, researched and wrote hundreds of ceremonial proclamations, and was primary contact person for mayoral and City honorees. Coordinated several mayoral task forces and working groups. What They Are Saying About Barbara Gilbert: “Rent Board”, Michael Wilson, Berkeley Daily Planet, 5/2-5/5/03 “Property Tax Inequity”, Richard Brooks, Berkeley Daily Planet, 5/6/03 “Fiscal Leaders Needed”, Michael Wilson, Berkeley Daily Planet, 7/22-7/24/03 “Two Kennedy Buildings Pay No Berkeley Tax”, J. Douglas Allen-Taylor, Berkeley Daily Planet, 10/24/03 “Berkeley Council Readies Tax Hike: Measure Projected for March Ballot Aims at Dealing with $16 Million Budget Deficit”, Ben Barron, Oakland Tribune, 11/3/03 “Finance Department Looks to Close Escaped Tax Loopholes, J. Douglas Allen-Taylor, Berkeley Daily Planet, 2/24/04 Berkeley Property Owners Association Bulletin, 6/30/04 “Gilbert Jumps into District 5 City Council Race”, Matthew Artz, Berkely Daily Planet, 7/6/04 “City Council Critic Enters District 5 Race”, Martin Snapp, Berkeley Voice, 7/9/04 “Editorial: Lively Race Expected”, Berkeley Voice, 7/9/04 “Editorial: The Dog Days in Berkeley”, Berkeley Daily Planet, 7/23/04 “State Legislation to Override Local Land Use Controls Yanked”, Council of Neighborhood Associations Newsletter, July-August, 2004 “Crime, Money Top Council Hopefuls Platforms”, Elysha Tenenbaum, The Daily Californian, 8/12/04 “Four Seats Up for Grabs in Berkeley”, Kristin Bender, Alameda Times Star, 8/13/04