Progressive Sebastopol November 2016 Voter Guide: Local Candidates
Palm Drive Health Care District Board Gail Thomas & Rob Cary
This is by far the most important local contest of the 2016 election! Progressive Sebastopol urges you to vote only for Gail Thomas and Rob Cary as though your life depends upon it—because the lives of some of us in West County will depend on whether the Sonoma West Medical Center (SWMC) and its emergency room remain open. Shockingly, a slate of three other candidates led by Jim Horn are running on the platform of closing our hospital, selling the building, and illegally diverting our tax revenue to other health services (run by their political allies) that do not include emergency care. Yes, it remains a struggle to sustain SWMC in this day of institutionalized insurance consortiums controlling our choices. But we pay the same tax whether the hospital remains open or closed. There is no reason to vote anyone onto this Board who does not stand for keeping our hospital open and helping it thrive.
Sebastopol City Council Jonathan Greenberg & Michael Carnacchi
Jonathan Greenberg, a founder of Progressive Sebastopol, recused himself from this vote, but our other members are unanimous in this endorsement. Jonathan has been one of the city’s most effective leaders in reopening our hospital, and he correctly believes that our City Council needs to take an actively supportive role to help secure governmental grants and programs. We see no issue more important than keeping a life-saving emergency room open for our families and neighbors, and Jonathan is the only candidate with the endorsement of Palm Drive Board members Powers and Colthurst (the “Doc and the Cop”), as well as Dr. Jim Gude. Jonathan is an experienced policy expert with real solutions for addressing our housing crisis, restoring library hours, and adding zero-emission electric trucks for our city parks.
Michael Carnacchi does not believe in seeking endorsements, but through his dedication, integrity, and independent creative thinking, he has earned ours. As an artisanal bootmaker and public-interest champion of small businesses, Michael has remained a political outsider while heading the Sebastopol Downtown Chamber of Commerce. We endorse Michael because he, like Jonathan, brings fresh, politically independent insight to empower our City Council.
County Supervisor 5th District Neutral/No endorsement
Our 5th District is blessed that Noreen Evans and Lynda Hopkins are both extremely hard working, caring, intelligent, and capable progressive Democrats. During last June’s primary, Progressive Sebastopol endorsed Lynda Hopkins. For the November election, after reviewing both candidates’ responses to short questionnaires and receiving too many mailers from an anti-Evans PAC, we choose to remain neutral.
Both candidates have their advantages. Evans has a proven, reliable track record as an environmentalist and brings far more experience in government. She also supports some funding for restoring library hours should Measure Y fail. Yet, experience cuts both ways. Entrenched political insiders like Evans are less likely to reassess their failed policies, such as our County’s inadequate response to the housing crisis and out-of-control pension costs.
We like that Hopkins is an organic farmer and brings a fresh and responsive approach to challenging local issues like County pensions and attainably priced housing. On the other hand, we have become increasingly concerned about her funders and the negative PAC campaign attacking Evans’ solid record as an environmentalist. We were also disappointed at Hopkins’ unwillingness to commit to County co-funding to restore library hours should Measure Y fail.
Progressive Sebastopol 2016 Voter Guide: Ballot Measures
Local Ballot Measures
Measure K YES
We would have preferred that this initiative contained an exemption for affordable housing, but in general support maintaining green belts around our cities.
Measure L YES
Raises county revenue by raising tourist tax from 9 to 12%; more in line with other counties.
Measure M YES
A GMO-free Sonoma County that protects our thriving organic farms and dairies from GMO contamination can be ours on January 1. Monsanto and its allies are pouring mountains of cash into a campaign to misinform the public. Stick with our grassroots neighbors and vote YES to join surrounding counties in creating a GMO-free Northern California coastal zone.
*Measure Y YES
This tiny 1/8 of 1% sales tax will reopen our precious libraries on Mondays and evenings, and resolve the worst library funding crisis in County history. It needs a challenging 66.7% of the vote to pass, so please vote YES and spread the word
State Ballot Propositions (we are listing only those we take a position on)
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Prop 55 YES Extends the tax on very wealthy to fund education.
Prop 56 YES $2 a pack cigarette tax to fund research and education.
Prop 57 YES Reforms state’s unjust juvenile trial and parole system.
Prop 58 YES Repeals the ban on bilingual education.
Prop 59 YES Overturn Citizens United? Big YES!
Prop 60 NO This absurd bill would appoint its author to monitor all porn production in the state. This is not what our initiative process was created for.
Prop 61 YES Requires CA to pay less for pharmaceutical drugs.
Prop 62 YES Repeals the death penalty.
Prop 63 YES Strengthens background checks and safety systems for guns.
Prop 64 YES Legalizes recreational use of marijuana: We strongly support treating marijuana like alcohol & eliminating the racist prohibition racket.
Prop 65 NO Overturns state ban on plastic bags: no to this anti-enviro scam law.
Prop 66 NO Speeds up the death penalty: increases chance of executing the innocent.
Prop 67 YES Implements the 2014 initiative to ban plastic bags in state.
Who we are: Progressive Sebastopol (www.ProgressiveSebastopol.com) Founded to create voter guides during the 2010 election, Progressive Sebastopol is an independent group of citizens, seniors, parents and young voters. We are dedicated to responsive, transparent local government, a sustainable green future, public services (especially parks, hospitals and libraries), attainably priced housing as well as innovative solutions that serve the public interest. Our current members are: Andrea Culbertson, Jonathan Greenberg, Kai Lewis, Lynda McDaniel, Jim McGreen, and Jaime Mustacich.
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