Cliff Berkowitz Will Run For 1st District Supervisor on Values Issues

Cliff Berkowitz  [Photo provided by the candidate.]

Cliff Berkowitz, an original founder of KHUM Radio and its figurehead for 23 years, says he is ready to take his community building to the next level. He plans to run for the 1st District seat on the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors which is currently held by Rex Bohn.

Although he sold the station to Lost Coast Communications, Berkowitz remains the Program Director and has manned the morning “drive time” slot at KHUM for these last two and a half decades. The station has always operated under the motto, “Radio without the rules” which tends to cause Berkowitz to come to mind anytime Tom Petty’s “There Goes the Last DJ” plays.

Berkowitz based KHUM on the original Federal Communications Act concepts that radio waves are public assets and that stations have a responsibility to serve their broadcast community. Despite being a for-profit station, under Berkowitz’s leadership, KHUM has supported community causes of a wide variety including raising funds on location for Food for People, hosting Stop the Violence, Start the Healing discussions for three weeks every fall, airing the Kinetic Sculpture Race live for almost 20 years and providing community updates during natural disasters and other critical times.

Berkowitz described his desire to run for Supervisor as an extension of the community building work he has consistently done at KHUM. He said he has been thinking about taking on the responsibility for several years, and he explained,

My goal here, ever since we started the station, was to do positive things for Humboldt County. I think I’ve [done that.] I think people know that is really what I stand for, and I thought this would be the next logical step to try and do good for the community.

When asked what the biggest issues are for the First District which includes Cutten to the north, as well as Ferndale and Loleta and the Lost Coast down through Petrolia, Berkowitz said he will be walking the neighborhoods and holding meetings to hear what the biggest needs are in the eyes of the residents. However, he personally sees a need for greater transparency in the County’s decision making process, especially with regard to land use decisions. He said,

For me, what’s really important is that the Supervisor is there for all the people of Humboldt County, not just the rich and powerful and well connected to make sure that future development and land use decisions are made with transparency based on what’s best for the community as a whole.

Berkowitz said the Brown Act and the rules of governance are “there for a reason and that following the process is needed.”

Berkowitz continued,

We need to look at all our decisions through the lens of protecting our forests, rivers, ag land, water and air. I don’t think that’s always being done. I think that needs to be done.

Another issue Berkowitz is thinking about is housing and homelessness. He notes that the average rent is around $1,500 a month and that the median income is so low that many cannot afford that amount, adding, “Almost no one can afford to buy a home here. 70% of Humboldt residents cannot afford to buy their home.” Continuing the thought, he explained,

There are lots of things that can be done to make more rentals available. We can ease restrictions on ‘mother-in-law’ units which is being looked at. We can develop a tiny house village. We need to amend zoning regulations for that. We can rehabilitate substandard housing stock. And we can increase our mixed use which is also important. And when there is new construction, we can say that there needs to be affordable housing that goes with it. That’s just a start.

With regard to people that are homeless, Berkowitz said when he was in Thailand he saw homeless communities that were actual communities and that it impressed him.  He said he feels the County needs to start treating homeless people with dignity and work to identify areas that are appropriate for people to camp legally. Once that has been accomplished, the camping areas need showers, toilets, and security so campers are safe. He said such accommodations will make it easier for social services to make contact and support people moving back into housing. And he said it will decrease the friction with the rest of the community that occurs under the current circumstances.

Berkowitz realizes that finding these camping areas will not be easy, but says he is an optimist.

“No one wants it next door, but we have areas with space. We have to agree where it will work.” He went on to say that it is not his plan to merely “shunt them off out of view.” He envisions communities where homeless people feel safe and included.

When asked about the controversy involving Rex Bohn’s controversial joke this past spring in which Bohn said some Mexican food had been good enough to “make you want to go out and steal hubcaps,” Berkowitz clearly felt a little awkward. He said,

There is no place for racism. Period. I will not be talking about Rex’s remark on the campaign trail. I want to keep focused on the issues. However, since you asked directly, I will respond directly. Couching racism in a joke is still racism. Rex missed the opportunity to fully apologize and say it was wrong. By saying, ‘if anyone was offended then I apologize,’ is not an apology, nor is it a condemnation of racism. Some people call this political correctness. I call it decency. We are no longer in the 1950’s.

Berkowitz went on to say that he’s spoken with people who don’t feel safe in Humboldt County, adding,

I think everyone needs to feel safe. Problems of racism are systemic. They cannot be swept under the rug. We have to address it head on.”

He said open dialogue is an important tool in that regard.

When asked about the County’s Abatement program  launched last summer with 10,000 a day fines for any people growing marijuana without a permit, Berkowitz described it as “terrible.” He went on to say he feels it’s a “punitive” approach. He added,

We are in a time of transition, and it’s unfair to be hammering the people who have really built the economy of Humboldt County for many, many, many years.

He proposed a summit where all the parties come together to find a transition solution that works for everyone.

After asking him if the County should be working to support the Cannabis farming industry, Berkowitz said,

Whether we like it or not, Humboldt County has built its economy on the backs of the Cannabis Industry. It would be insane now that [its legal] to turn our back on that….It’s a big part of Humboldt County, and going forward, we need to make some smart decisions that encourage smaller, family oriented growing instead of big, large agribusiness, because I don’t think that will preserve the uniqueness of Humboldt County.

His answers to specific policy questions and goals indicate a long learning curve ahead of the candidate. He acknowledged this saying, “I’ve asked myself, ‘Who am I to try to take on this responsibility?’” He said supporters have reminded him, “[The incumbent] didn’t know everything either [when he began.] You gain the knowledge as you go.” He said he is watching the Supervisor’s meetings and learning the issues. He also said he is a person who does his homework, and will not be a Supervisor who comes to meetings without having read and digested his packet beforehand.

[Correction 8/13/19:  Berkowitz said he will begin campaigning after he resigns his position at KHUM this fall and formally files for the election.  This was a misunderstanding on my part.  I regret the error.]