Sonoma County Democrats endorses Kathleen Shaffer?!?!?

According to the article below, the Sonoma County Democratic Party has endorsed Robert Jacob and Kathleen Schaffer for the Sebastopol City Council. Kathleen Schaffer??? Huhh? :hmmm: This would be instead of John Eder??

Anybody have any idea how that happened?? While you are welcome to post your cynical projections of back room deals and payoffs, I'm more interested in a rational explanation of this, along with any real information about their decision process.

And, what do you think about this???

I'm less familiar with the other candidates. Any other surprises in the other endorsements??

Barry


https://img194.imageshack.us/img194/...1206081330.png
Sonoma County Democrats issue endorsements in local races
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/articl...p=all&tc=pgall

By BRETT WILKISON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Saturday, September 15, 2012 at 3:10 p.m.

If you’re looking for a way to tell blue from red this November among candidates for local, non-partisan offices, the first key to party preferences came in a list of endorsements issued this week.

The Sonoma County Democratic Party threw its support behind more than 20 candidates in races for local office and announced the party’s stance on some local ballot measures.

Among the local races, the top-of-the-ballot endorsement — for the 1st District county supervisor’s seat — went to Santa Rosa Councilwoman Susan Gorin. She is facing off against rival Santa Rosa councilmember John Sawyer in a closely watched contest for the seat held by retiring Supervisor Valerie Brown.

The endorsement means Gorin’s campaign will get $1,000 from the party, be able to use the party logo in her mailers and posters and be able to take advantage of canvassing and logistical support from the party headquarters in Santa Rosa.

The same support extends to those endorsed in city government races, though party contributions to their campaigns top out at $100.

The party reported endorsements in six cities, excluding Rohnert Park, Windsor and Petaluma. Democratic officials said they expect to make endorsements for the Petaluma City Council later this month, after completion of candidate interviews. Races in Rohnert Park and Windsor were uncontested, so the cities canceled those elections.

For Santa Rosa City Council, the party backed incumbent Gary Wysocky and newcomers Caroline Banuelos, Erin Carlstrom and Julie Combs.

In Cotati, endorsements went to incumbents John Dell’Osso and Susan Harvey and challenger Wendy Skillman.

In Sebastopol, the party endorsed Councilwoman Kathleen Schaffer and Robert Jacob, a medical marijuana dispensary operator making his first bid for elected office.

In Sonoma, the party backed Councilwoman Laurie Gallian and candidate Madolyn Agrimonti. In Healdsburg it endorsed Councilman Tom Chambers and in Cloverdale it backed Mary Ann Brigham, a former councilwoman.

Party leaders also handed out endorsements for Democratic incumbents in four state races and backed frontrunners in the two congressional races, although those moves only mirror decisions made by the state party.

The endorsements went to state Assembly incumbents Michael Allen, Wes Chesbro and Mariko Yamada and to state Sen. Lois Wolk.

In one congressional race, the party backed Rep. Mike Thompson for re-election. In the other, to replace retiring Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, it supported Jared Huffman, the state assemblyman making a bid to represent a newly formed North Coast district.

The party backed incumbents Laura Gonzalez and Larry Haenel and candidate Jenni Klose for board seats overseeing Santa Rosa City Schools.

Other school district endorsements included: incumbents Yvone Kennedy and Debra Mills (Bellevue Union School District); incumbent Ed Gilardi (Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District); Matt O’Donnell (Oak Grove Union School District); and Cheryl Scholar (Sonoma County Board of Education).

The party backed three local ballot measures: Measure Q, the Santa Rosa initiative in favor of district elections; Measure V, the Healdsburg sales tax increase; and Measure X, the Petaluma parcel tax proposal to support park and recreation projects.

It recommended a no vote on Measure U, the Cotati initiative to ban traffic roundabouts.

The Sonoma County Republican Party is set to issue its endorsements next week.

My first thought is that Democrats are familiar with Kathleen Shaffer. She supports many objectives of the local Democratic party, and works hard. Remember that informative and civil reception for Jared Huffman at the Senior Center?

The Demoncratic party is not exactly a champion of Cittaslow, Green, small town business, and endangered habitat, nor is it a brilliant adversary of corporate domination. John Eder expresses our progressive values, not the agenda of the Democratic party, local or otherwise. Plus, he's new, no local track record of scratching important backs.

I think the Sonoma County Democratic Party lacks our aversion to CVS/Chase, and is simply rewarding Kathleen Shaffer for what looks to them like solid civil service. Robert Jacob's community service visibility is probably what got him on their roster with her.

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Posted in reply to the post by Barry:

According to the article below, the Sonoma County Democratic Party has endorsed Robert Jacob and Kathleen Schaffer for the Sebastopol City Council. Kathleen Schaffer??? Huhh? :hmmm: This would be instead of John Eder??

Anybody have any idea how that happened?? While you are welcome to post your cynical projections of back room deals and payoffs, I'm more interested in a rational explanation of this, along with any real information about their decision process.

And, what do you think about this???

I'm less familiar with the other candidates. Any other surprises in the other endorsements??

Barry


https://img194.imageshack.us/img194/...1206081330.png
Sonoma County Democrats issue endorsements in local races
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/articl...p=all&tc=pgall

By BRETT WILKISON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Saturday, September 15, 2012 at 3:10 p.m.

If you’re looking for a way to tell blue from red this November among candidates for local, non-partisan offices, the first key to party preferences came in a list of endorsements issued this week............


......The Sonoma County Republican Party is set to issue its endorsements next week.

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Barry, why is this such a shocker? I realize that Schaffer has been pilloried in this bulletin board over the CVS/Chase matter, but she is truly intelligent and hard-working, beyond generous with her time in the community, and contrary to the scuttlebutt, not in anyone's pocket. I don't think the party automatically picks the most left-leaning or idealistic candidates. They probably assess who can do the work, lead effectively, and build bridges in his/her community. Knowing both Kathleen and Robert, I have to say that the County Democratic Party picked the best candidates.

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Posted in reply to the post by Barry:

According to the article below, the Sonoma County Democratic Party has endorsed Robert Jacob and Kathleen Schaffer for the Sebastopol City Council. Kathleen Schaffer??? Huhh? :hmmm: This would be instead of John Eder??

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https://www.facebook.com/SebastopolT...49838098393074

Kathleen Shaffer has been telling voters as she walks door to door that she opposed CVS/Chase, but had no choice to approve it. In fact, she has been a leading supporter of CVS/Chase

• At the very first hearing at the Council on July 5, 2011, she fought to overturn the Planning Commission’s denial of the project. She led the vote to grant Council approval of CVS/Chase.

• When pointed out that the resulting traffic would violate Sebastopol’s General Plan guidelines, she tried to convince the Council that the General Plan was “only aspirational”.

• At meetings of the Design Review Board, she was invariably sitting with the developer’s supporters and conferring with the developer after the meetings.

• When the town rallied to oppose the design, she organized supporters to turn out and to write letters of support for the developer.

• She sent an email that she was “… working ‘under the radar’ to help Linda Johnson rally the community to express support for the project.”

• When the Design Review Board twice refused to approve the mall design of the project, she voted every time to grant the project by overturning the findings of the Design Review Board.

• When Vice Mayor Kyes and Councilwoman Gurney attempted to mandate solar panels on the giant CVS building, she voted against even this accommodation to our solar Sebastopol!

• Now she claims to have opposed the project, but says that she was forced to vote for it. That is unbelievable. We should have the election debate about this. For her to claim that she opposed the project but was forced to vote for it is an attempt to deceive our community.

Sonoma County Conservation Action has endorsed Robert Jacob for Sebastopol City Council (along with John Eder).

Democratic Party endorses Kathleen Schaffer.....THANK YOU....BUT....NO THANK YOU.!!!!

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Posted in reply to the post by Barry:

According to the article below, the Sonoma County Democratic Party has endorsed Robert Jacob and Kathleen Schaffer for the Sebastopol City Council. Kathleen Schaffer??? Huhh? :hmmm: This would be instead of John Eder??

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I asked here about CVS when she came to our door about a month ago and she was clearly for the project.

I would appreciate further confirmation from people who Kathleen Shaffer has visited , that she has clearly stated that she was against CVS . As Sambacat posted , this is truely deceitful and dis-honest , imo . CVS and Chase are
dis-honest enough ; we don't want/need our representatives to be equally immoral . This would be shameful and completely out of character for our village of Sebastopol . Please post {OR E-MAIL ME } if she came to your house and told you this . thank you .
{i find it so hard to believe that this could happen here .} This is so contrary to our standards .

I have remained silent on this topic until now. As the election approaches, it appears that Kathleen Shaffer is attempting to distance herself from her previous advocacy of the CVS/Chase project. She has apparently forgotten her "under the radar" email and consistent votes in favor of this development.

I am encouraged that so many Sebastopol voters have taken note of this attempt to cloud her record on this issue. I have had people state to me that she claimed, "I did not want CVS/Chase- but they followed all of the rules- what could I do?" Elected officials are often called upon to make tough decisions. Once made, they should stand by them.

In my campaigning, I have had success at correcting false perceptions concerning this issue merely by telling people the truth and citing the record. Some people feel that they were misled. I have had people tell me of "pushy" behavior, and an insistence on placing a sign in their yard. Now, as the truth is disseminated, some of those signs are coming down. Allegiances are changing.

Be an informed voter. Ask tough questions and get the facts.

I find this portrayal of Kathleen to be accurate. I dealt with her as a Board member of the Senior Center, while I was employed there. I found her going along with who ever was standing next to her. A consummate politician. I learned that I could not trust her.

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Posted in reply to the post by John Eder:

I have remained silent on this topic until now. As the election approaches, it appears that Kathleen Shaffer is attempting to distance herself from her previous advocacy of the CVS/Chase project. She has apparently forgotten her "under the radar" email and consistent votes in favor of this development.

I am encouraged that so many Sebastopol voters have taken note of this attempt to cloud her record on this issue. I have had people state to me that she claimed, "I did not want CVS/Chase- but they followed all of the rules- what could I do?" Elected officials are often called upon to make tough decisions. Once made, they should stand by them.

In my campaigning, I have had success at correcting false perceptions concerning this issue merely by telling people the truth and citing the record. Some people feel that they were misled. I have had people tell me of "pushy" behavior, and an insistence on placing a sign in their yard. Now, as the truth is disseminated, some of those signs are coming down. Allegiances are changing.

Be an informed voter. Ask tough questions and get the facts.

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