Beans Head For Berkeley Ballot

Some strange ideas have come out of Berkeley. The latest, an initiative calling for only politically correct coffee to be sold inside the city limits. Attorney Rick Young turned in three thousand signatures at City Hall yesterday. The signatures support an initiative allowing coffee brewed for sale to be made only from organic, shade-grown or Fair Trade certified beans. To qualify his measure for the November ballot, just over two thousand of those signatures must be valid. City Council member Kriss Worthington says he doesn´t think residents are going to give up the freedom to choose from among a wide variety of coffees. Young says he knows his plan won´t win universal approval, but adds, “if we get 51%, that´s good enough.”

If the measure is approved, retailers will have three months to comply. Violators could be punished by up to six months in jail and a $100.00 fine.