"The Redwood Empire Fights Back (against) Trump"--Bohemian cover article

[Shepherd]

Don’t miss this week’s cover article in the Bohemian:

The Redwood Empire Fights Back, Looking for silver linings in the coming age of Trump
BY TOM GOGOLA, STETT HOLBROOK AND CHARLIE SWANSON

https://www.bohemian.com/northbay/th...nt?oid=3067913

Of particular note is the section “Fightin’ Lynda Hopkins," the recently elected 5^th District Supervisor. It describes her as having “come out swinging against Trump,” whom she describes as having “essentially declared war on progressivism.”

Hopkins advocates that we not play “nice,” but that we should “move aggressively against the next president.” She is especially troubled “by Trump's positions on immigration and climate change.” Hopkins advocates that we “fight Trump-led deportation should it come to pass.” This section of the article follows.

FIGHTIN' LYNDA HOPKINS
Sonoma County supervisor-elect Lynda Hopkins has come out swinging against Trump.

"I do think we need to pick a fight, because this isn't about Democrats or Republicans," she says. "He has essentially declared war on progressivism. He has declared war on environmentalism. He has declared war on labor."

During her hard-fought campaign against Noreen Evans, she jokingly wondered if she could move to Canada if she and Trump both won. But she's staying put and says she wants to move aggressively against the next president.

"I don't think we can reach our hands across the aisle and say, 'Let's be nice,'" she says. "Because that's not the strategy he is using. This is not an administration you can necessarily work with, in all the signals we have seen thus far."

She was heartened by state Kevin de León's "California values" legislation and says talk of secession and CalExit are misguided.

"We need to lead the country in the right direction. If we just secede, which is probably not even legally possible, then what happens to the rest of the country? I want to see us as the progressive beacon and a leader to a more progressive future. I don't want to just abandon the middle of the country."

Hopkins says she is most troubled by Trump's positions on immigration and climate change. On the immigration front, she is working with outgoing Supervisor Efren Carrillo, immigration attorney and Sonoma County Commission on Human Rights member Christopher Kerosky, state Sen. Mike Thompson and the county counsel's office to create a local effort to fight Trump-led deportation should it come to pass. One idea she mentioned is creating a conduit of resources for those fighting deportation proceedings.
"I think this is something we need to look at sooner rather than later," she says.

While Hopkins is not interested in breaking bread with Trump, she says she does want to reach out to his supporters, many of whom live in the 5th District, a region she says is a microcosm of America.—S.H.