My letter to the Press Democrat (June 6) and Sonoma West Times and News:
I've been reading about the folks who don't want to pay a parcel tax to support Palm Drive Hospital (now Sonoma West Medical Center), and I'd like to comment. From 1975, I lived way out west of Cazadero, and Palm Drive was my hospital for everything: ruptured appendix, broken wrist-- a long list.
When I heard that Palm Drive was financial straits, I had a bake sale in downtown Cazadero. I baked for three days, sold everything, and made $85 for the hospital (always a bit naive about money).
When the parcel tax was on the ballot, I came in to Sebastopol for a couple of days to work on phoning voters. I couldn't even vote for it because I wasn't in their district, but I would have. My feeling is this: Even if I were poor again, the thought that my contribution might save one person's life (any person's) would make me happy to do it.