This page is from my 2010 campaign and has been retired.
Eric Panzer for Berkeley City Council
Photo courtesy of Charlie Nguyen
My Candidacy
I am running because I want to be a practical, progressive voice on the council. I will champion positive change and work to:
- Encourage economic and housing development
to provide jobs, homes, and revenue for the city - Help Berkeley meet its environmental goals
and improve public transit - Preserve Berkeley’s neighborhoods and
enhance the quality of public spaces
With your help, I will bring vision, passion, pragmatism, and a spirit of cooperation to the Berkeley City Council.
Biography
I was born and raised in the liberal oasis of Austin, where I became a self-taught progressive democrat. Learning from the late, great Ann Richards and Molly Ivins, I quickly became a rabble-rousing Texas liberal. In the run up to the Iraq war I was a noisy and frequent protester, as well as a co-facilitator in my high school’s Student Coalition for Peace. I remain delighted and honored to have drawn the ire of my highly-conservative neighborhood association for chalking my own driveway with political messages.
After graduating from the public Liberal Arts and Science Academy of Austin, I came to California to study environmental science and city planning at UC Berkeley. While at Cal, I was an active member of Cal Dems, and served as the organization’s publicity director and as the graphics editor of the Smart Ass. More recently, I volunteered for the No On 8 and Obama campaigns.
Since graduating in 2007, I have worked as a GIS analyst at a Berkeley-based environmental consulting firm. I have been living in Downtown Berkeley for five years now and I am no stranger to speaking out on local issues. I am thrilled to have this opportunity to make a positive difference for Berkeley and I would feel very privileged to represent you on the Berkeley City Council.
Candidate statement:
Berkeley needs to embrace positive change. District 4 needs new leadership. Let’s work together to improve housing, jobs, transit, and traffic and parking management. Collaboratively, we can create a safe, welcoming, and vibrant downtown and ensure that neighborhoods are protected from development. These things are not only good for residents and local businesses, they are green choices.
I am a UC graduate in environmental science and city planning and I have lived in Downtown Berkeley for the past five years. Working at an environmental firm, I enjoy being able to walk everywhere and I love living downtown, but its promise is nonetheless much greater. I want to give more people the opportunity to share in this and build a more sustainable and vital Berkeley.
My principles, my pragmatism, my knowledge, and most importantly, your input, will guide me to represent the true progressive values of our community. I will work to create coalitions to find common-sense solutions for Berkeley. I support open and honest government and will be accessible, accountable and responsive to my constituents. I will champion rather than curb positive change. It’s time to act. Let’s have Berkeley live up to its potential.
A message from the Panzers' driveway:
