2000 Allston Way
Berkeley, CA 94704
USA
“Compassion is not religious business, it is human business, it is not luxury, it is essential for our own peace and mental stability, it is essential for human survival.”
A Conscious Commons Festival
As you may know, the US Postal Service is trying to sell and privatize Berkeley’s Downtown Post Office. Community members continue to mobilize to save our commons in what has become a national effort. We are involved in spreading the word through festivals and action and by participating in judicial and political efforts to let public officials, developers and buyers know that the people are defending our public resources and do not want post offices sold.
Activities hosted at the Post Office will include:
- Invocation, and meditation
- Information sharing on: postal banking, postal jobs and direct action defense of commons
- letter writing, and art
Come join us! Bring your friends! Bring your lunch!
Sponsored by Berkeley Post Office Defense
http://berkeleypostofficedefenders.wordpress.com/
Our Concerns
Self-professed Buddhist’ Richard Blum is chairman of the CBRE board of directors–the agent for the sale of US post offices. The sale of our constitutionally guaranteed post offices promote the transfer of public commons and resources to private corporations which brings higher prices, worse quality of services, higher profits and non union lower paid jobs without benefits. Now, US postal services have been shifted into {84} private US Staples stores including Berkeley and San Francisco.
The Berkeley Post Office and post offices all over the US are under threat of being sold by questionable means. (For example: Goldman Sachs is one of the largest shareholders with CBRE, which has been involved in both selling and purchasing postal property and numerous sale prices appear to be below documented value. Please see: Going Postal: U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein’s husband sells post offices to his friends, cheap by Peter Byrne.
From: The Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Thupten Gyatso
During his exile in India, the Dalai Lama was fascinated by the modern world and he introduced the first Tibetan currency notes and coins. On 13 February 1913, he made public the five-point statement reasserting Tibet’s Independence. Also, in 1913 he established the first post office in Tibet
“it is not enough to be compassionate, we must act.”