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"Sustainable Sebastopol" Hit Piece Email
Robert Jacob and I were targeted by a "hit piece" email that was sent out to Sebastopol voters last evening by the real estate and developer front group that has co-opted the name "Sustainable Sebastopol". It contained numerous attempts to twist or falsely link "facts", or take them out of context to create a false conclusion.
Their allegations regarding me and my responses to them are shown below. Please forward this information to as many of your friends as you can to help defeat this disinformation campaign. Thank you.
The real facts:
Allegation:
As a Cotati City Council member, Mr. Eder backed Measure F that allowed retail stores up to 43,000 square feet, higher than Sebastopol's 35,000 sq. ft limit. The ordinance passed and was later exempted to allow building of a 116,000 sq. ft. Lowe’s in Cotati. Now Mr. Eder is a staunch opponent of the 14,000 sq. ft CVS pharmacy relocation project.
Facts:
As a Cotati citizen, I led the successful 1997 campaign for Measure F that limited retail stores in Cotati to a maximum of 43,000 square feet. Prior to that, there was no limit on the size of retail stores there. This prevented the building of a proposed 67,000 square foot Lucky “superstore” at one of Cotati’s busiest intersections. This occurred prior to my election to the City Council in 1998. On November 4, 2003 (three years after I left the Cotati City Council), Cotati voters narrowly approved (in a developer-funded election) Measure B, granting an exception to this ordinance so that the Lowe's Home Improvement store could be built on the west side of U.S. 101. I would have never approved this project. I am not “a staunch opponent of the 14,000 sq. ft CVS pharmacy relocation project” due to its size, but because it is a mediocre, inappropriate project for downtown Sebastopol. The attempt to link these disconnected “facts” is laughable.
Allegation:
Mr. Eder quit the Cotati City Council after 22 months of a four year term, citing "business conflicts". One supporter in a letter to a Cotati paper wrote: “If anyone should be ashamed of himself it should be John Eder, who betrayed his supporters and constituents when he decided to resign as an elected member of the Cotati City Council... I was deeply disappointed. I know I never received an apology, nor was I aware of any instance when Mr. Eder expressed any remorse publicly”. Now he is running for office while in the same business, same position-salesman.
Facts:
I resigned from the Cotati City Council in 2000, after completing 22 months of a four year term. My employment at that time required my daily presence for face to face interactions with both my clients and the employees that I supervised. My council-related absences created delays and additional costs. To resolve this conflict, I had to make my livelihood my first priority. I am proud of my accomplishments while in office, and I enjoy the endorsement of many current and former Cotati elected officials. Fast forward twelve years and two employers later, I now work at home, dealing over the internet with remote customers, and set my own schedule. My work primarily involves data- not people. My work still involves firetrucks, but that is the only similarity between then and now. The letter to a Cotati paper from a “supporter” that is referenced dates from late 2011, and responded to a letter that I wrote criticizing Oliver’s Market (the letter writer’s former employer) for bullying Cotati, much like Lucky did, after they purchased the proposed Lucky’s site. The letter writer's "deep disappointment" regarding my resignation is indicative of the wide support that existed for me and my decisions while serving on the Cotati City Council.
Allegation:
At a recent public forum in Sebastopol, Mr. Eder was asked to address the issue regarding the record rate of marijuana use in our high school. He responded that it was not any more of a problem than teen "sexting”, that marijuana issue at Analy is just a “smoke screen” and should not be an issue for city council candidates.
Facts:
This allegation actually has a kernel of truth to it. I saw this question as a not-so-veiled attack on candidate Robert Jacob. As such, I did feel as if it was a “smokescreen”, and to address it would only lend legitimacy to its obscured purpose. I believe that this is an issue for our schools, law enforcement, students and parents to resolve. I see no role for the City Council in this matter. I brought up “sexting” as an example of another dangerous teenage behavior that was equally irrelevant to that evening’s discussion. It, too, is a matter that, while detrimental, is beyond the prevue of the City Council, just like childhood obesity, overuse of electronics, or academic failure. Once again, disconnected and twisted “facts” are being used to create a trumped-up fake election issue.
