5th District Supervisor Race 2016: Noreen Evans vs Lynda Hopkins

Striking contrast in approach on this issue.

Noreen seems disconnected from our 5th Dist. rural character when she espouses urban-centric solutions. It shows her heart and head remain in east Santa Rosa. Her proposal also appears mandate and bureaucracy heavy. I believe if Lynda made the same suggestions the opposition would howl that she was promoting increased development to repay her real estate supporters.

Lynda's proposals represent a very opposite approach where existing available assets are capitalized on, with minimal expense, that in the long run would have the side benefit of providing an additional, but modest, income stream to rural property owners. This is also affected by removing bureaucratic obstacles, yet it doesn't mandate anyone to do anything.

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Posted in reply to the post by riverosprey:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmF1...ature=youtu.be

Wow...Monte Rio Forum...Difference of Night and Day between Lynda Hopkins and Noreen Evans. ....

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Here's my campaign sign.

It sums up the 5th District Supervisor's race in a 2-word puzzle,



You can figure out what this puzzle means if you research who's paying for the campaigns.

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Posted in reply to the post by riverosprey:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmF1WmJz9AE&feature=youtu.be

Wow...Monte Rio Forum...Difference of Night and Day between Lynda Hopkins and Noreen Evans. ...

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The above video is really worth watching! Lynda has got some fresh new ideas that seem really good to me, while Noreen is talking about 2 ideas each of which has problems:

Inclusionary Zoning has been around for many years to very little effect

Using the Sonoma County Employees Retirement Fund to fund to finance affordable/workforce housing was discredited in a PD column by two very respected professionals in housing and finance.

No, money buys access pure and simple. Just look at the swings in business donations in presidential politics. Hillary gets the money now. They know she will win. If trump does all bets are off. If evans had ran for state senate business would have funded her cause she was a incumbent shoe in. Instead she quit, retired, and then moved to sebtown to run for sup. Why? Her reason, people asked me, has nothing to do with her. Still looking for an answer to why are you running from noreen.

As for which candidate can integrate best all the interests of west soco, including all that can't pontificate on wacco, i will take time. The best decision does.

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Posted in reply to the post by Goat Rock Ukulele:

... Companies and organizations make donations because either they believe a certain candidate is more inline with their interests or can be persuaded to become so.

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How you get I'm running from Evans from my posts i'm not sure. I'm leaning Evans at this point. I am still kicking the tires to some extent. I have noticed in my travels around the west county that the signs for Evans tend to be on privated homes and small apple orchards (people who I tend to share intrests with) and the Hopkins signage tends to be on vineyards and business.

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Posted in reply to the post by rossmen:

... If evans had ran for state senate business would have funded her cause she was a incumbent shoe in. Instead she quit, retired, and then moved to sebtown to run for sup. Why? Her reason, people asked me, has nothing to do with her. Still looking for an answer to why are you running from noreen...

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You want to write about gravel? Give me an invitation. I might know more than you...

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Posted in reply to the post by jenielson:

...To that add the Sonoma County Farm Bureau and Syar Industries (gravel mining company). ...

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So allow everyone to make their house into a condo is a good Hopkins plan?............oh hell no.......that would be a disaster........you would be basicly urbanizing all these little county lanes. Those county lanes don't have the infrastructure needed for a large increase of populations. If you wan't to make it cheaper to build a granny unit I'm all for that. Reasonable limitations on size of unit, lot size etc are already in effect.

And is everyone forgetting about the current Sebastopol traffic Or shall we just blow a new road over the Laguna and make Occidental Road into a freeway? Because that will be the next plan.

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Posted in reply to the post by Barry:

The above video is really worth watching! Lynda has got some fresh new ideas that seem really good to me, ...

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Road signs are just one measure. They both are common. I tried counting and lost it cause driving is more important. Waiting for my mail in ballot. So many exciting decisions, the biggest ever! And then, the collective will decides. Really, as far as the 5th, the most important choice for me, i trust both women. The rest of our choices, this is a big election. Lets write, and think, and then vote : )

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Posted in reply to the post by Goat Rock Ukulele:

... I have noticed in my travels around the west county that the signs for Evans tend to be on privated homes and small apple orchards (people who I tend to share interests with) and the Hopkins signage tends to be on vineyards and business.

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I absolutely agree with you uke, and was thinking the same just today.
Our crumbling rural roads cannot handle any additional traffic, such as would be created by adding more rural units and residents, and by more heavy construction vehicles in rural areas. Add to this the increased possibility of wildfire presented by denser rural dwellings and dwellers, many fire-unaware ex-urbanites, and for me this is a big NO WAY blue jay.

I dodge oncoming traffic on a nearly daily basis, having to decide whether to avoid collisions and thus damaging our vehicle suspension in the gynormous potholes, or saving the car but risking everyone's safety.

Further, I watch as wildlife corridors, likely used by 100 generations off deer families, become more and more constricted by more and more Grand Estate Fences, channeling the creatures onto our rural roads, to be increasingly auto-slaughtered by very important people in very expensive cars who are in very much a hurry to go sit in traffic in Sebastopol on their way elsewhere. The carnage has increased greatly in the last few years.
Where do the badgers, foxes, bobcats etc. go when a winery is scraped into existence from field or forest? but that's another story largely unexplored.

Kane

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Posted in reply to the post by Goat Rock Ukulele:

....you would be basicly urbanizing all these little county lanes. T....

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Right - city-centered growth is what our General Plan is all about. New housing should go in the city (and town) centers where services and transportation is already available.

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Posted in reply to the post by kane:

...Our crumbling rural roads cannot handle any additional traffic, ...

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Posted in reply to the post by rossmen:

You want to write about gravel? Give me an invitation. I might know more than you...

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:hearye:

You are hereby invited.

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Posted in reply to the post by scamperwillow:

Right - city-centered growth is what our General Plan is all about. New housing should go in the city (and town) centers where services and transportation is already available.

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Exactly right, that is what has kept the West County such a beautiful place. Plus we need to realize that there are still many many unbuilt parcels of land in West County that will be built on. When the economy crashed 8 years ago no one built a thing. Now I see these parcels are beginning to be developed. So that is already more cars and a greater draw on the water table before you even launch upon a make every house into a duplex idea.

https://www.waccobb.net/forums/wacco...4_15-56-29.png
Independent campaign favoring Lynda Hopkins
formed in race for Sonoma County supervisor
ANGELA HART
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT | October 1, 2016, 8:47PM

A new independent expenditure campaign has been formed to support Lynda Hopkins and oppose Noreen Evans, the two candidates vying to succeed Sonoma County Supervisor Efren Carrillo representing the west county.

The independent campaign, launched by Occidental attorney and former county supervisor Eric Koenigshofer, is the third to wade into the 5th District race. The other two were formed by labor and environmental advocates supporting Evans and have spent a total of more than $98,000 to date, including on advertising critical of Hopkins.

The new group, formed last week, aims to help rebut those attacks and put Evans on the defensive, according to Koenigshofer, who held the 5th District seat in the late 1970s and is a close political ally of Carrillo’s. Both have endorsed Hopkins.

“People are growing weary about hearing all of this misrepresentation about Lynda,” Koenigshofer said. “We’re going to weigh in and tell the other side of the story.”

The move is likely to make the high-stakes race — for the only Board of Supervisors seat up for grabs this November — increasingly more combative, with the two campaigns and their independent surrogates trading attacks in campaign mailers, online and over radio waves.

Late last month, one of the two independent campaigns supporting Evans spent more than $7,000 on a radio ad seeking to draw connections between Hopkins and those donating to her campaign, including business and real estate organizations and a gravel mining company with operations in the Russian River.

The outside campaign supporting Hopkins has yet to respond, but both sides are bracing for a negative blitz as the race enters the final five weeks before the election. Ballots for most Sonoma County voters go out Oct. 10.

“This is what big-money interests always do in county supervisor races, and this campaign looks like it’s going to be quite a nasty one, based on past experiences,” said Evans, an attorney, former state legislator and Santa Rosa councilwoman. She cited the dueling independent campaigns that have factored in recent county races, including the 2014 runoff between James Gore and Windsor Councilwoman Deb Fudge and the 2008 contest between Carrillo and Rue Furch, longtime west county planning commissioner.

Hopkins, an organic farmer making her first bid for elected office, continues to outpace Evans in campaign fundraising, according to the latest reports.

Hopkins raised $150,869 between July 1 and Sept. 24. Evans raised $103,025 over the same period.

Hopkins has brought in $392,537 since she launched her campaign last November, while Evans has raised $275,878 since she entered the race in January, campaign finance records show.

In the latest reporting period, Hopkins received maximum donations from the Sonoma County Alliance, real estate investor Larry Wassem, Silver Oak Cellars in Napa County, Williams Selyem Winery owner John Dyson, and the political fundraising arm of the Operating Engineers Local Union No. 3.

Evans received large donations from the California Nurses Association political action committee, 1st District Supervisor Susan Gorin, former 5th District Supervisor Ernie Carpenter, the Engineers and Scientists of California Local 20 and former Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, who is married to Sonoma County Regional Parks Director Caryl Hart. She also received several donations from Lucy Kortum, wife of the late environmentalist Bill Kortum.

Election law prohibits the candidates and their campaigns from coordinating with the independent groups that are advertising on their behalf.

The independent groups supporting Evans include a political arm of Service Employees International Union Local 1021, which has spent more than $81,000, and the Coalition for a Better Sonoma County, which includes labor and environmental advocates and has spent more than $17,000 in the race.

Hopkins, for her part, has stressed throughout the campaign that she would discourage her supporters from attacking Evans.

“We always encourage our supporters to maintain a positive, policy-based dialogue, but I can’t control what other people do, at the end of the day,” Hopkins said in an interview last week.

“I would say that I have been the one who has been the subject of a negative independent expenditure campaign for the past six months,” she said.

Evans, a political veteran with two decades in elected office, has been less reticent in drawing broad, often critical distinctions with her rival. She has leveled accusations that Hopkins is overly tied to business interests backing her run and has painted herself as the candidate with stronger environmental credentials and a keener interest in sustaining the middle class in Sonoma County. She has endorsements from most major environmental and labor groups, the latter contributing heavily to her campaign. She has also brushed off any notion that the criticism from her side has pushed the envelope for a local, non-partisan race.

“Right now, there is a struggle between those who want to extract profit from Sonoma County and those who want to preserve the environment, and preserve Sonoma County as a place where everybody can live — these are the facts about who is funding her campaign, yet she considers it negative and somehow unfair.”

Hopkins touts her own interest in environmental issues, evinced by related undergraduate and graduate degrees from Stanford University and her nine years running an organic farm with her husband. She offered her sharpest response to Evans and her supporters two weeks ago in a homemade video posted on Facebook in which she was shown kneeling in a pasture surrounded by cow manure and calling her rival’s claims “bullshit.”

The outside group working in her favor could add even more force to that rebuttal in the coming weeks.

“The whole characterization that you have two liberal Democrats running for the same seat and one of them is a demon, based on who supports her, is a lie,” said Koenigshofer, who considered running for his old seat this year before backing Hopkins.

“It’s a horrible way to way to frame local politics.”

I have a question for any legal scholars out there. Regional Parks Director, Caryl Hart, is an official appointed by the BOS. This is not an elected position. Is there no ethical conflict in such a person, while holding office, openly supporting and donating to the campaign of the person who will have power over deciding her future continuing in that position?

Mickey Hart is not Caryl Hart.

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Posted in reply to the post by photolite:

I have a question for any legal scholars out there. Regional Parks Director, Caryl Hart, is an official appointed by the BOS. This is not an elected position. Is there no ethical conflict in such a person, while holding office, openly supporting and donating to the campaign of the person who will have power over deciding her future continuing in that position?

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From today's Press Democrat:

CLOSE TO HOME
Three steps to address our housing crisis
By
NOREEN EVANS AND JULIE COMBS
Our need for housing in Sonoma County has reached crisis proportions. Our vacancy rate for rental housing is under 1 percent. The median house price is unaffordable for most working families. Our homeless population is impacting residents and local businesses. We need housing for everyone — from emergency homeless shelters to housing for our local workforce, including teachers, nurses and safety personnel. We know how to do this, but it takes political will and leadership to follow through. First, we must protect the housing we already have for the residents here now. Supporting people who want to remain in their homes preserves neighborhood stability and costs less than displacing tenants. That’s why we support Santa Rosa’s rent stabilization ordinance to prohibit massive rent increases and stop landlords from evicting families who cannot afford significant rent increases. That’s why we are pushing back on the efforts of big management companies and their allies to repeal rent stabilization before we even have a chance to see it implemented.

Early on, opponents of rent stabilization formed a group called Santa Rosans for Real Housing Solutions. That group includes the California Apartment Association, North Bay Association of Realtors, North Bay Leadership Council, North Coast Builders Exchange, Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce and the Sonoma County Alliance PAC. Why are these business leaders opposing common- sense housing protections for their own workers?

Second, we must produce more affordable and workforce housing. Our strong growth regulation policies encourage building in urban centers such as Santa Rosa and other municipal-ities, where public services such as sewers, water, roads, public transit and schools already exist. Public agencies can help support housing by proactively adopting specific plans so that when a proposal is submitted consistent with the specific plan, processing is expedited and development costs are reduced.

Third, we must find investors to supply the funding for both affordable and workforce housing. This is often the most difficult piece. That’s where Sonoma County’s $2.3 billion in pension assets comes in. The Sonoma County Employees Retirement Association already holds substantial investments in real estate in other communities. Legally, we have the right to invest a portion of these pension assets right here at home, either by direct investment in workforce housing or by including voter-approved affordable housing bonds as part of our pool of low-risk investments.

We should be investing in housing for Sonoma County residents and workers. Other communities are already doing this. The nation’s largest union, AFLCIO, invests its members’ pensions in housing in Oakland, Glendale, Los Angeles and San Mateo, among other communities around the country. Pensions invest in commercial and residential real estate development because it provides a steady stream of income and is a prudent part of a diversified portfolio.

We are always searching for creative ways to address our housing crisis. Investing our taxpayer money in local housing will earn income for county employees’ retirement and provide housing that those very same employees can afford. It’s a win-win for everyone. Let’s get to work.

And Caryl Hart is not Mickey Hart.

From the PD:

"She (Noreen Evans) also received donations from...Regional Parks Director Caryl Hart"

So my question stands. Is this not an ethical or legal breach? As you say, follow the money.

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Posted in reply to the post by scamperwillow:

Mickey Hart is not Caryl Hart.

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Hmmm..... the actual quote reads: "former Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, who is married to Sonoma County Regional Parks Director Caryl Hart. She also received several donations from Lucy Kortum, wife of the late environmentalist Bill Kortum."

In any case, I am not aware of any law the prohibits county employees to contribute to supervisor candidates. If anyone knows differently, please correct me.

I'm quoting an article by Angela Hart in the August 13 PD.
The quote is exactly as I wrote it. The complete sentence was:

"She also received donations from former county Supervisor Ernie Carpenter, Regional ParksDirector Caryl Hart, Rick Theis, founder of the nonprofit Leadership Institute for Ecology and the Economy in Santa Rosa and Guy R. Conner, husband of late state Sen. Pat Wiggins, who Evans succeeded in office."

https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/5...d-noreen-evans

I hope someone chimes in with a legal opinion on this.

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Posted in reply to the post by kane:

...Our crumbling rural roads cannot handle any additional traffic, such as would be created by adding more rural units and residents, and by more heavy construction vehicles in rural areas. ...

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The above quote was in response to Lynda Hopkins proposal for Jr. second units that allow an existing home with unused bedrooms to be modified to be turned into a separate unit low/no county fees.

The roads should be kept in good working order despite the marginal increased level of use.

Not all houses will use this option. In fact I think it would be a low (but meaningful percentage)
And the construction involved is very minor compared to building new housing.

Making housing more affordable is only possible through some combination of:
1) Increasing supply of housing
2) Decreasing demand for housing
3) Governmental (or other) controls that change the free market dynamics.

I think Jr. second units is one of the more promising ideas is long time. It provides additional supply at the lowest cost both to the developer (the homeowner in this case) and the environment.

:dcngbrocli:

Improving roads needs to be priority and also, Jr. Apartment suggestion, I think is brilliant by Lynda, sure, it likely was proposed previously, but if she is elected she is saying this is where she will provide a plan which, then can be implemented. Unlike the Hotel now being proposed in Sebastopol, which will really make a change in an already traffic complex area, which doesn't mean I don't think it isn't workable, it is; but, all these changes will need a thinker who has this community as her priority.

Lynda clearly can see where the money will come from and a overall building plan for each development. My point of view is to stop fighting the wave. Affordable housing is absolutely needed. Infrastructure is absolutely needed. Changes are absolutely happening and will continue to happen with an influx of people and more traffic. Lynda Hopkins is a thinker and has lived here for quite sometime and knows what is going on. I think she has the most creative, thoughtful proposals in different areas in seeing the smaller and bigger picture.

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Posted in reply to the post by Barry:

The above quote was in response to Lynda Hopkins proposal for Jr. second units that allow an existing home with unused bedrooms to be modified to be turned into a separate unit low/no county fees....

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Thank you Barry...

Our rural communities are dying, we're losing population, especially the young and those that work in our communities, who's children used to go to our schools. We are becoming gentrifying gerontocracies with our schools closing/consolidating, fewer volunteer firemen, green house gas creating commutes, and a loss of historic balance. Because of a lack of affordable housing.

Junior Second Units, just signed into law (AB 2406), unanimously by the State Senate, Assembly and Governor Brown, as urgency legislation, that allows Cities and Counties throughout the State, to draft local ordinances, that allow for their creation.

Noreen Evans solutions of creating affordable housing in new subdivisions, and borrowing money from the pension fund, is not going to provide the housing we need in our rural communities. Lynda Hopkins is spot on.

Note the census views below with the dramatic loss of population, especially the young. As former Luther Burbank Housing head John Lowery says, we are not going to increase the use of roads and infrastructure, by allowing homeowners to repurpose an empty bedroom.

So what you are saying is the tight housing market is actually happening while population is declining in the West County? That would be a neat trick. The problem with your data is the 2010 count was taken at the very bottom of the worst housing crash since the Great Depression when lots of people lost their homes and moved away. Take that census today you will get a very different result. It's my understanding my local fire department, Graton has a waiting list. When I was a volunteer with Graton way back when we had trouble finding enough people. We went on about 300 calls a year, now Graton Fire is in the 600 range. Way too many for an all volunteer department by the way.

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Posted in reply to the post by riverosprey:

...Our rural communities are dying, we're losing population, ....

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Love that "get to work" part!!
Rev. BE :heart:

I missed the Supervisor forum last night. Anybody go? What did you think?

I'm particularly interested in hearing from people who learned something new, who are undecided or changed their opinion based on the forum.

The fact that Hopkins is supported by real estate, wineries, developers etc is the final straw for me when it comes to voting as someone who has seen West County change dramatically with skyrocketing cost of living, the rapid growth of wineries etc. I don't think she will have the interests of the majority of residents in mind.

jerichsalud, Pretty much sums up the way I feel and will vote. Corporations and big money salivate when they view West County. It makes me very uncomfortable that these are the folks donating primarily to Hopkins. We have had some really good supervisors like Ernie Carpenter who have stemmed what would have been a wave as one Hopkins supporter called it and kept it a slow manageable rising tide. One of the primary missions of government is to manage growth and to do so in such a way that works for the majority. Turning many many rural residential homes into duplexes is a terrible idea considering the traffic through the town of Sebastopol. Growth primarily should occur near the 101 corridor. This decision was made decades ago by the People and Supervisors of this county. We should stick to that plan.

To answer Barry's question directly,

I came in most likely to vote for Hopkins and leave as a strong supporter of Evans.

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Posted in reply to the post by jerichsalud:

The fact that Hopkins is supported by real estate, wineries, developers etc is the final straw for me when it comes to voting as someone who has seen West County change dramatically with skyrocketing cost of living, the rapid growth of wineries etc. I don't think she will have the interests of the majority of residents in mind.

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Posted in reply to the post by Barry:

I missed the Supervisor forum last night. Anybody go? What did you think?

I'm particularly interested in hearing from people who learned something new, who are undecided or changed their opinion based on the forum.

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Video of Monday's night Supervisor forum held this past Monday. It was hosted by the Rotary Club of Sebastopol Sunrise. Runs in two segments. If hyperlink doesn't work, try copy and paste into your browser

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AneMwM3_J18

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3j8uFRYWUo

That is great. We see that happening quite often. Noreen's chances are on the upswing.

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Posted in reply to the post by Goat Rock Ukulele:

...I came in most likely to vote for Hopkins and leave as a strong supporter of Evans.

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I agree that noreen is the no growth candidate. Still deciding myself. For years a simple metric for my understanding of local land policy choices has been; go the way of marin or san jose? I always wish for a third way. On the one hand increasing economic segregation and age are hard on community. On the other hand san jose sucks and i don't want to live there.

Our government is set up to support majority rule, and we also have the bill of rights. Can west county really dodge the regional demands to share growth, affordable housing, recreation? With enough rich people maybe it can be limited. Right before the primary i drove from sebtown thru occidental, monte rio, duncans, jenner up the coast. I was struck by the distribution of 5th district signs. More exclusive and expensive, more noreen.

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Posted in reply to the post by Goat Rock Ukulele:

...One of the primary missions of government is to manage growth and to do so in such a way that works for the majority. Turning many many rural residential homes into duplexes is a terrible idea considering the traffic through the town of Sebastopol. Growth primarily should occur near the 101 corridor. This decision was made decades ago by the People and Supervisors of this county. We should stick to that plan....

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Posted in reply to the post by rossmen:

I agree that noreen is the no growth candidate....

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I wouldn't call Noreen no growth. She favors appropriate, planned, city centered growth. She totally agrees we need more housing, but we have to do it right.

No question about it when I attended a private party in Bodega Bay for Noreen, I was introduced by the person who brought me to some fairly upscale money for sure in this county - supporters of Noreen who have tracked her a long while and are doing pretty well. I say, good deal, Noreen needed this support, and so did the California Coastline! Nothing wrong with giving money and having money for right cause....this is my thinking....nobody's right and nobody's wrong...

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Posted in reply to the post by rossmen:

.... More exclusive and expensive, more noreen.

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Then there's the Noreen constituency that believes it's ok to desecrate Lynda's signage, as reported by Chris Smith this morning. Difficult attitude to reconcile. I don't mean I believe it to be representative of her supporters, but I can sure imagine some of the more strident supporters on this thread approving with a wink and a nod.

I agree with Chris Smith, the thug defacing Lynda's sign is costing Noreen more than the 1% the cretin is writing.

Also as the union hit piece continues to air on the radio, I believe more and more people are becoming more and more disgusted with Noreen's gutter campaign. Yeah, yeah, Noreen isn't responsible for the union hit slanders, but they simply mirror Noreen's entire campaign strategy of "guilt by association". No new ideas to solve our problems from Noreen, just the same old same old failed policies from the last twenty years. (Y'all know where I stand, and Barry I will not repeat :).

I AM VOTING EARLY AND OFTEN FOR LYNDA HOPKINS!!!

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Posted in reply to the post by photolite:

Then there's the Noreen constituency that believes it's ok to desecrate Lynda's signage, as reported by Chris Smith this morning. ....

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First wave of retiring baby boomers controlling the unions salivate to think how nice to have Noreen on the Board

Agreed that Ernie Carpenter was a great supervisor (retirement $18240/yr for 16 years service)---I have little doubt without Ernie’s passionate defense of the Russian River, today our River would be full of SR wastewater.

Michael,allowing homeowners in our rural villages, to repurpose an unused bedroom, for young people presently commuting through Sebastopol to work in Bodega Bay, would reduce traffic and green house gases, and allow more kids in the school districts (completely disagree with you on this one). Our schools and rural communities continue to lose the young and old who can no longer afford to live here.
p.s. I love your ukulele’s :thumbsup:!!!!

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Posted in reply to the post by Goat Rock Ukulele:

j... We have had some really good supervisors like Ernie Carpenter

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Posted in reply to the post by Goat Rock Ukulele:

... Turning many many rural residential homes into duplexes is a terrible idea considering the traffic through the town of Sebastopol. Growth primarily should occur near the 101 corridor. ...

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I agree with Tom on this. I do not support defacing political signs. It is not democratic. I continue to support Noreen, but not such tactics by some of her apparently misguided supporters.

As someone who went to school in Chicago, Tom's last paragraph brought a smile to my face, since I remember hearing it when I was a student. We need more such humor in these contests and less anti-democratic insults.

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Posted in reply to the post by riverosprey:

...I AM VOTING EARLY AND OFTEN FOR LYNDA HOPKINS!!!

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Posted in reply to the post by riverosprey:

...I AM VOTING EARLY AND OFTEN FOR LYNDA HOPKINS!!!

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Posted in reply to the post by Shepherd:

..As someone who went to school in Chicago, Tom's last paragraph brought a smile to my face, since I remember hearing it when I was a student. We need more such humor...

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I'm from Chicago too - but I always took that as literal, not a joke!

You would be wrong about the wink and nod, but its a great opportunity for Hopkins to exploit the very stupid thing someone is doing. Could be anyone including some hopkins zeolot. I hope Hopkins would not encourage fabricated stories. Lets move on, and maybe we can somehow catch the culprits who are defacing Hopkins and vandalizing and stealing Evans signs.

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Posted in reply to the post by photolite:

Then there's the Noreen constituency that believes it's ok to desecrate Lynda's signage, as reported by Chris Smith this morning. Difficult attitude to reconcile. I don't mean I believe it to be representative of her supporters, but I can sure imagine some of the more strident supporters on this thread approving with a wink and a nod.

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So? Current Efren Carrillo District Director Susan Upchurch is working for Lynda Hopkins officially as her Campaign Treasurer . She is NOT on leave and is still being paid by taxpayers to campaign for someone whom she hopes will be her new boss. Is this ok with you? It seems that hypocrisy is a hallmark of the Hopkins campaign. They attack unions and workers as "thugs and vandals' who have defaced their signs with no evidence to support this charge, all the while, whining and crying that they are 'victims' of negative campaigning.

And they attack Noreen's donors while the Hopkins' own campaign is using public tax dollars to pay the salary of Efren Carrillo's current assistant working for Lynda's campaign. I guess that Ms Hopkins learned these republican dirty tricks from her republican campaign consultant, Rob Muelrath.

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Posted in reply to the post by photolite:

From the PD:

"She (Noreen Evans) also received donations from...Regional Parks Director Caryl Hart"

So my question stands. Is this not an ethical or legal breach? As you say, follow the money.

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would say
there is such a thing as Unhealthy / Healthy; Toxic / Vibrant; Greed / Generous; Insecure / Secure; Poor / Wealthy; Negative / Positive Etc, and All the Shades InBetween. Different Strokes for Different Folks. NATURE being the True Authority, True judge of these. It's the Human Imbalances that Create the Problems, the Lessons to be Learned eventually. So yes, it is not about being Right and the other Wrong. And yet, Rights and Wrongs do exist. We learn about Right via Wrong, so yeah, Tho once one has Learned, one wants to Avoid Repetition of the Suffering Wrong Creates. In a mixture of people, a Community, the mixing goes on: mix-ups, mix togethers, mixes and matches, mixes and mismatches. This Creation. This Evolutionary Process. Millenia's of It. The ones who've figured it out, the ones in the midst of figuring it out, the ones brand new to This. We're all here together, in this School of Fish, Human School of Fish. How to Live and Let Live. Big fish eating little fish in some cases. Seems in This County there is the desire for Upgrades. And yet in the Ocean there are no fences. It's a subtle and not so subtle Navigation. Lliving asOne, Couple of Two, Family of Three, Town of Thirty Thousand, all Ages, Races, Rhymes and Reasons. ~Races: Running Against. Running For. Lots of Moments, each with a Choice Being Made. Back to the choice of Supervisor. . . . . .

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Posted in reply to the post by Roberta Llewellyn:

No question about it when I attended a private party in Bodega Bay for Noreen, I was introduced by the person who brought me to some fairly upscale money for sure in this county - supporters of Noreen who have tracked her a long while and are doing pretty well. I say, good deal, Noreen needed this support, and so did the California Coastline! Nothing wrong with giving money and having money for right cause....this is my thinking....nobody's right and nobody's wrong...

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Again. I find it really distasteful and offensive for people like Tom Lynch and others to keep attacking unions and accusing us of criminal behavior with no proof. It's even more insulting that they continue to do this all the while calling themselves victims of 'negative campaigning'. Bad behavior is not solely one campaign. as you can see from this screenshot of Hopkins' campaign manager Herman g where SEIU is attacked for 'gutter lefty politics" and ACCUSED OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR with not one iota of evidence. I would hope the moderator here would admonish that kind of attacks.

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Posted in reply to the post by Richard Nichols:

You would be wrong about the wink and nod, but its a great opportunity for Hopkins to exploit the very stupid thing someone is doing. Could be anyone including some hopkins zeolot. I hope Hopkins would not encourage fabricated stories. Lets move on, and maybe we can somehow catch the culprits who are defacing Hopkins and vandalizing and stealing Evans signs.

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I hear what you are saying that if you make duplexes of the homes say in Bodega Bay people could live and work there and would create less traffic and greenhouse gasses. But the opposite is true, most people who will live in those duplexes are going to work and drive back and forth to jobs, schools, medical, shopping near the 101 corridor,.same as most people in the West County. Traffic rushes out of the West County in the morning and back in at night not the other way around. There is no way to control where people work. They work where they can get the highest compensation as they should. Most jobs are along the 101 corridor. This is why I favor providing housing along the 101 corridor or in areas with a clean shot to that corridor. Hey maybe even that smart train will get used someday if they adjust the fares.

Thank You for the compliment on my ukes.

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Posted in reply to the post by riverosprey:

...Michael,allowing homeowners in our rural villages, to repurpose an unused bedroom, for young people presently commuting through Sebastopol to work in Bodega Bay, would reduce traffic and green house gases, ...
p.s. I love your ukulele’s :thumbsup:!!!!

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You should Google AFL-CIO Housing Investment Funds. Using working people's money to build workforce housing and provide a good local investment for pensions is not only a great idea but it has been done many times. The two 'respected professionals' are in fact Lynda Hopkins supporters and extremely ill-informed.

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Posted in reply to the post by Barry:

...Using the Sonoma County Employees Retirement Fund to fund to finance affordable/workforce housing was discredited in a PD column by two very respected professionals in housing and finance.

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Look at the large corporate wineries, Gravel Mining and real estate PACS and developers that have donated to Lynda Hopkins. This doesn't even include the Independent Expenditure Campaign by Eric Koenigshofer that will be sending out anti Evans direct mail this weekend. There is a lot of money to be made in turning the West County into Napa and Healdsburg. Of course the Sonoma Business Alliance and the Chamber of commerce and North Bay Real Estate PAC and Wineries are not stupid- they are packaging their candidate well as an 'organic progressive'. Just the same way they packaged Efren. But ask yourself why would Eric Koenigshofer (who was the lawyer/lobbyist pushing Preservation Ranch) support an environmentalist? This is greenwashing pure and simple and it's what corporate america does so well. Don't be fooled- even by those like Tom Lynch who are trying to push hate of unions (the ONLY people challenging the oligarchy right now- besides Bernie) and pension envy to help his corporate construction friends.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3cpy0yvqfl...Date.xlsx?dl=0

I couldn't have said it better myself.

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Posted in reply to the post by santoshimatajaya:

would say
there is such a thing as Unhealthy / Healthy; Toxic / Vibrant; Greed / Generous; Insecure / Secure; Poor / Wealthy; Negative / Positive Etc, and All the Shades InBetween. Different Strokes for Different Folks. . . . .

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Richard, I'd be wrong, but for the previous poster providing a literal wink:

"As a reader of the twisty plots genre, it makes perfect sense during the heat of an electoral campaign that a Hopkins supporter would deface their own signs knowing this would be guilted onto Noreen. It's called "dirty tricks." :wink2:"

and you provide the nod with your cynical insinuation that Lynda's people defaced her own signs. So do you also believe she called herself a "c**t" and sent herself a death threat?

And of course where would we be without the leader of the local public employees union reinforcing the stereotype by stating:

"They attack unions and workers as "thugs and vandals' who have defaced their signs" and "Tom Lynch and others to keep attacking unions and accusing us of criminal behavior"

I've been on this thread since at least two threads ago and so far this is the first I've heard of unions and workers being so characterized. And never have I seen them attacked by Tom Lynch.

Why so nasty, people?

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Posted in reply to the post by Richard Nichols:

You would be wrong about the wink and nod, but its a great opportunity for Hopkins to exploit the very stupid thing someone is doing. Could be anyone including some hopkins zeolot. I hope Hopkins would not encourage fabricated stories. Lets move on, and maybe we can somehow catch the culprits who are defacing Hopkins and vandalizing and stealing Evans signs.

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WHOAAAAA THERE LISA!!! Jesus, I know some have said you and I suffer from foot in mouth disease, but you take the cake … (justkidding :wink: ), but come on, I’m sure a lot of people are reading your diatribes and saying, “what a bunch of crap, SEIU needs to find someone to better represent the unions, young and old alike.”

I disagree, I think you do fine, but think you can lighten up a little and do even better. To continue to try to portray me as a "union hater", doesn't serve you, because there is no evidence to this and Fifth District voters aren't so stupid to believe your rhetoric. Your ads and Noreen's negative campaigning have cost her the election. We're tired of the half truths and histrionics, can't you just act like a rational human being and discuss real issues without name calling and slander?

Lisa, I respect your efforts but think sometimes in your passion, you miss the point, and unfairly portray others, simply wanting the first wave of retiring baby boomers such as yourself, who control the unions, to be fair to the older retiree’s (before Noreen’s 50% unfunded retroactive pension increase in 2003), or the next generation post PEPRA (whichNoreen voted for), with their retirement at 62 with 50% less, which they will never see because the system is destined for insolvency (sorry-sorry-sorry Barry :hmmm: ).

Let’s face it Lisa, the next generation of union members have their future compromised, and you rightfully feel bad about this, and in turn overcompensate with these Trumpish, sophomoric insults, trying to portray others efforts, trying to make the system fairer for older and younger union members and sustainable, “as an attack on unions’. Nothing could be further from the truth Lisa, and you know this.

How about an honest forum that you and I host? I challenge you and your fellow boomers controlling SEIU, to a forum where I bring SEIU friends who retired before Noreen approved the unfunded 50% pension increase, and SEIU friends hired after Noreen voted to reduce their pensions by 50%, to discuss how grossly unfair the new tiers and old tiers are being treated? And how these unfunded benefits to boomers, are responsible for massive cuts in services, increased tuitions, and the demise of all the things Sonoma County once provided for generations but no more.

Lisa, what do you think? ...we'll have Barry or Vesta or whomever you like, oversee a "Forum on the Future"? If you really believe I'm a union hater then let's resolve this in a public forum. Instead of all the nasty rhetoric and guilt by association campaign, that is losing Noreen the election (do you really think West County voters are swayed by this?). Would you participate in a public forum to debate the future and how our kids have been put on the hook to pay for the boomers benefits? The issue is called Intergenerational Equity...let's have a forum. What do you think :) ?

respect and kind regards,

Tom Lynch

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Posted in reply to the post by Lisa Maldonado:

Again. I find it really distasteful and offensive for people like Tom Lynch and others to keep attacking unions and accusing us of criminal behavior with no proof. It's even more insulting that they continue to do this all the while calling themselves victims of 'negative campaigning'. Bad behavior is not solely one campaign. as you can see from this screenshot of Hopkins' campaign manager Herman g where SEIU is attacked for 'gutter lefty politics" and ACCUSED OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR with not one iota of evidence. I would hope the moderator here would admonish that kind of attacks.

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I don't understand (and frankly i don't think you do either) your repeated word salad about "baby boomers' running unions ( Indeed, our union SEIU1021 is currently "run" by our members many of whom are "millennials"- including our Executive Director and Political Director.) I find your manner and words, condescending and offensive- replete with mansplaining about a subject that I am well versed in (i grew up working class and have been fighting for working class issues and in the labor movement for the past twenty years) I really think that you are ill suited to lecture me on the subject just because you are a white man and I am a Mexican woman. Perhaps you could check your privilege and stop telling me how unions and pensions work since you have no real expertise in either of them. Your patronizing tone oozes smugness and superiority and I am quite done being lectured by someone about my response and told it is incorrect and you know better. I posted the screen shot of anti union remarks on Lynda Hopkins campaign director's page because i knew you would continue to argue with me about my own experience and tell me that you know better and I am wrong. For this same reason I must decline your 'offer' to work on a forum or to receive your 'kind regards'. I don't think either of them are sincere.

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Posted in reply to the post by riverosprey:

WHOAAAAA THERE LISA!!! Jesus, I know some have said you and I suffer from foot in mouth disease, but you take the cake … (justkidding :wink: ), but come on, I’m sure a lot of people are reading your diatribes and saying, “what a bunch of crap, SEIU needs to find someone to better represent the unions, young and old alike.” ...

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Are you a troll? No. Because you have responsibility, so, respond to me, lisa Maldonado. You read like one, boring and repetitive. Your born sex and history, so what, you're here and see, what interested parties write to you, ignore, and you are the fool.

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Posted in reply to the post by Lisa Maldonado:

I find your manner and words, condescending and offensive- replete with mansplaining about a subject that I am well versed... I really think that you are ill suited to lecture me on the subject just because you are a white man and I am a Mexican woman. Perhaps you could check your privilege and stop telling me how unions and pensions work since you have no real expertise in either of them. Your patronizing tone oozes smugness and superiority and I am quite done being lectured by someone about my response and told it is incorrect and you know better....or to receive your 'kind regards'. I don't think either of them are sincere.

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To get back to Barry's question regarding undecided voters impressions of the forum videos, I watched most of them and have heard the candidates speak on other occasions. While I am not totally decided, I am leaning towards Lynda Hopkins. She speaks with energy, enthusiasm and seems to have ideas. She has history in this district and I have trouble thinking she would do anything to negatively affect the quality of life here or her livelihood. Noreen speaks and responds like a politician, citing policy, past experience and regulations. Maybe that's just what happens when you've worked in politics as long as she has. I am also not convinced that Noreen has a sincere interest in the West County. She doesn't have any skin in this game.

There has been many comments regarding the supporters of both candidates. If all candidates are solely beholden to their supporters, then that has to work both ways. If that's the case, neither will represent us. Perhaps I am naive, but I tend to think that there is no evil plot brewing on either side. I think people are supported by their friends and business associates.

Noreen, coming from the political world, is supported by friends and lobbying organizations that establish relationships with politicians. Lynda, coming from the agricultural community, is supported by others in that business. At some point, we need to take people at their word and hope for the best.

Again, I feel like, Lynda has voiced genuine interest and enthusiasm about doing positive things for our district. She has made her life here, her family is here, and she has an interest in maintaining the rural and agricultural heritage of the area. Noreen lacks that. Lynda's housing ideas seem to make sense as opposed the Noreen's idea of investing retirement funds in housing. Government has a long history of mismanaging money, so if that was MY retirement fund, I would never support that type of proposal. At the end of the day, I prefer housing to be built in towns, not in unincorporated areas anyway. I also like Lynda's willingness to address the unfunded retirement liability the county has created for itself. Again, government mismanagement of finances. Noreen doesn't seem to want to wade into those waters, but the issue needs to be dealt with or we will continue to get fewer County services as retirement costs explode.

The saddest part of this thread is how we always create polarizing and opposing positions at the extremes. Why are we always labelling people as the embodiments of evil or the harbingers of the end of the world as we know it? Can we please stop all that and the name calling that goes with it? I don't believe either of these candidates will signal the end of the world for the West County. I do believe the County is changing and our elected officials can help steer that change in a positive direction and I believe that both Noreen and Lynda will do what they think is best. For me, I prefer Lynda's thoughts on what is best.

I look forward to some more reasonable commentary.

Ted

Thank you Ted for your well-thought out and well-written response to the myriad comments of disparagement. Comments that appeared at times to lose the thread of reasonableness in seeing the candidates qualities for serving this county in it's depicting of either as medusa about to ensnare all of us into a bottomless pit.

It was truly refreshing to read your post with it's authentic analysis and caveat of reasoned clarity. I agree with everything you wrote and came to the same conclusion. Especially after viewing both candidates who each have something valuable to offer. Aren't we lucky, was my initial thinking, to have two exceptionally qualified women running for supervisor? I am nonetheless, like you, drawn to Lynda for her energy, innovative ideas, and her genuine interest in the outcome of germane issues impacting those who have made this place home, as Lynda has for some time.

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Posted in reply to the post by 1104GT:

To get back to Barry's question regarding undecided voter's impressions of the forum videos, I watched most of them and have heard the candidates speak on other occasions. While I am not totally decided, I am leaning towards Lynda Hopkins. She speaks with energy, enthusiasm and seems to have ideas. ...

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Roseland Debate video:

https://www.waccobb.net/forums/wacco...7_23-14-10.png

Vesta Copestakes My favorite quote from the video is from Nancy Polosi - inLynda Hopkins' opening statement...“Our values unify us, I see myself as a weaver, weaving together all of the diverse fibers in our society. We are only strong if we respect the differences between us.” That certainly applies during this election. And political activist John Lewis “We are one people, one family, living in the same house.”

https://vimeo.com/185985502

Run Lynda Run!!

How dirty are the tricks you belive in! 1%= 99%+. The signs are still there. Lets all participate in change. What would you add to communal communication about our electorial choice, maybe i did it to facilitate intelligence vs road signs, i wish i had the time...

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Posted in reply to the post by sealwatcher:

As a reader of the twisty plots genre, it makes perfect sense during the heat of an electoral campaign that a Hopkins supporter would deface their own signs knowing this would be guilted onto Noreen. It's called "dirty tricks." :wink2:

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from The Press Democrat, 10/8:

Audacity of housing

EDITOR: When I read the Close to Home column about Noreen Evans’ housing strategy, which would direct investment from our county pension fund into local housing projects, I was struck by the audacity of that concept (“Three steps to addressing our housing crisis,” Sunday). Investing retirement funds locally takes a potential liability and turns it into an incredible asset. I think future generations would be well served by this type of ingenuity that Evans brings, and I urge you to vote for an experienced and thoughtful public servant like Evans this November.

STEPHEN HARPER
Santa Rosa

Tom,
Your continuous harangue of Noreen around Pension benefits is not truthful. Please see the link to the 7/27/12 PD article below:

https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/2303487-181/guest-opinion-not-all-county

It's easy to make untruthful charges with nothing to back up the statements - one of the nominees running for President does it all the time. The article states that the increase in pension costs is largely due to the increasing no of mangers (and fewer employees under each mgr) who draw higher pensions. Reducing managers would bring down pension costs. Noreen worked on state pension reform as a state legislator, and in 2012 voted for the law that created a new lower benefit tier for public employees.

See: https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/5...e-with-pension

I get it that you're against unions. Unions are responsible for the gains in earnings and benefits that have accrued to the middle class - to union members and non union members, as companies thru the years gave salary increases across the board, to all employees, not just union members. These are incontestable facts. Your position against unions is an argument for the 1%. It's about class: do we want to have a middle class (supported by unions), or a society ruled by the 1% with everyone else eating the leftover crumbs.

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Posted in reply to the post by riverosprey:

WHOAAAAA THERE LISA!!! Jesus, I know some have said you and I suffer from foot in mouth disease, but you take the cake …

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I agree with Ted—strongly—that civility on both sides of the 5th District would benefit all of us in West County.

One of them, Noreen or Lynda, is going to win, and all of us are going to need to work with whomever is elected. So toning it down is a good idea and the smart way to go.

Unlike Ted, though, I do not lean towards the Hopkins candidacy for two main reasons: First Lynda has received endorsements and support from people who extract West County's natural and human resources. Noreen's record indicates that she would work to protect those resources for the benefit of all.

Second: It is indisputable that Lynda has almost no political record to substantiate her claims as to whose interests she would serve. NONE. We're left with words, promises. She is a beginner who is running for the most powerful political post in Sonoma County.

Why even my friend and neighbor Ted—who wrote the piece I am responding to—serves on Sebastopol's Design Review Board, and, because of that service has more of an in-office political record than Ms. Hopkins has. Unlike Ted, I am convinced Noreen does have skin in the game and that she holds West County dear to her heart. (In Sacramento, Noreen DID represent us—it is simply not true that she is a newcomer to West Sonoma County politics. That's a fact.)

As a final note, I think it is helpful to consider that Lynda's "New Deal" might be ephemeral. The money backing Lynda's campaign is nearly identical to the money that put Carrillo in office. The same groups of people who supported Carrillo are now supporting Hopkins. Eerily, Hopkins resembles Carrillo: young, newly-minted and coming into politics with no actual office-holding record to examine. You must depend upon her word.....

Hopkins could easily be Carrillo's third term—minus, yes, for sure, the fisticuffs in San Diego and late night escapades in West Santa Rosa.

If you liked Carrillo's vote on Dutra Asphalt, if you liked his vote to extend Syar's gravel-mining permit in our precious and fragile river for 15 years (instead of a 5 year extension), if you liked his vote on the now-defunct Best Winery site, you'll likely be happy to be with Lynda.

Please consider, though, that there is a reason Lynda has attracted so much money from resource extractors and that reason it is not because she raises organic carrots. She's got their support, I think, because she can sound so good to us on the campaign trail, and get elected. (And she most probably will not have the troubles her predecessor had to struggle through.)

I would love to be wrong about Lynda. (And, should she be elected I certainly hope I AM wrong.)

We can all agree: Lynda looks good. Lynda sounds good. Lynda is new. Lynda has ideas. Lynda is unproven. Lynda has the support of business interests.

But I implore you: vote for Noreen in November. Let's give Lynda time to show who she is in the Minor Leagues, say on the Planning Commission.

Lynda is young, smart, and articulate. What's our hurry?

We've got a Madison Bumgarner-type candidate in Noreen. Noreen is tested. Noreen is proven. She's a known quantity. She'll work for us.

This is 2016, and yes, it is the post-season even here in West County.

Go Giants!
Go Noreen!
Dan

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Posted in reply to the post by 1104GT:

...The saddest part of this thread is how we always create polarizing and opposing positions at the extremes. Why are we always labelling people as the embodiments of evil or the harbingers of the end of the world as we know it? Can we please stop all that and the name calling that goes with it?...

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Dan,

Thanks for the response and well articulated argument. This is the kind of discussion that makes people like me, who are somewhat on the fence, think a little more and carefully consider their position. I really appreciate your perspective and look forward to reading more thoughtful discussion and opinion from others in this thread.

Ted

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Posted in reply to the post by Dan Gurney:

I agree with Ted—strongly—that civility on both sides of the 5th District would benefit all of us in West County. ...

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An interesting letter from this week's Sonoma West:

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Empty chair


EDITOR: I attended a Fifth District candidate forum in Monte Rio and asked one of the first questions of Candidate Evans why she had attended only one Coastal Conservancy meeting during her four years representing us on that powerful board. She responded that she was so busy representing us in Sacramento. Hmm, I had to wonder why she didn’t let another, more interested politician have that position.
 Then I went back to the records. Not only did she miss 96 percent of the meetings, which included three phone conference meetings, she also missed meetings held in Sacramento. Finally, when Sonoma County and the Sonoma Land Trust made their record-breaking request for $10 million dollars to permanently protect Preservation Ranch, an incredibly important and large acquisition which protects coastal forestland, where was she? Absent!


I’ve lived in the Fifth District for over 14 years. Our district is very large and widespread, with diverse needs. We need a supervisor with a strong work ethic who is committed to the heavy lifting and long hours required to properly represent our underserved needs. My vote goes to Lynda Hopkins. She will show up

Paul Leland
Monte Rio

haven't been on wacco for a week--busy!
these kind of interactions make me want to not be here. perhaps you might want to deal privately, or let it go. if we can't do better here, in our own backyards, how can we expect nations & countries to succeed?
i know what it is like to be on the outside here, on many fronts, for many years.
(took me a bit to come out as an early hillary clinton supporter--the only one! at the time.)
we have to be courageous & caring, & lift each other up.

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Posted in reply to the post by rossmen:

Are you a troll? No. Because you have responsibility, so, respond to me, lisa Maldonado. You read like one, boring and repetitive. Your born sex and history, so what, you're here and see, what interested parties write to you, ignore, and you are the fool.

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Posted in reply to the post by Dan Gurney:

...But I implore you: vote for Noreen in November. Let's give Lynda time to show who she is in the Minor Leagues, say on the Planning Commission. ...

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Dan- Great points you made. I only disagree with one. She should not get on a planning commission.
Look at what Tom Lynch did with his appointment to the planning commission.
And Go Hillary!
Ken Sund.

this is the type of post that moves us forward, easier to read. lots of room for a response from a Hopkins supporter as well. thanks for the thoughtful post, & the orange & black reference.
fun to remember there are a handful of us in west county that love pro sports!

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Posted in reply to the post by Dan Gurney:

I agree with Ted—strongly—that civility on both sides of the 5th District would benefit all of us in West County.

One of them, Noreen or Lynda, is going to win, and all of us are going to need to work with whomever is ...

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If you have issues with something lynch has done on the planning commission name it. Please educate us with specific knowledge so we can be better citizens : )

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Posted in reply to the post by Ken Sund:

Dan- Great points you made. I only disagree with one. She should not get on a planning commission.
Look at what Tom Lynch did with his appointment to the planning commission....

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Have no desire to offend you. But lisa? Seems like the only way to get through. She is the biggest player now on wacco writing about the 5th district supervisor choice. I trust she has way more info than you or me. Why is the seiu so in for evans? My guess is that it is about the long term labor goal for tighter contract labor aggreements, not the no growth cred lisa continuously cites for noreen. So yes i am tring to get more honesty from the most informed person on this thread.

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Posted in reply to the post by Icssoma:

haven't been on wacco for a week--busy!
these kind of interactions make me want to not be here. perhaps you might want to deal privately, or let it go. if we can't do better here, in our own backyards, how can we expect nations & countries to succeed?
i know what it is like to be on the outside here, on many fronts, for many years.
(took me a bit to come out as an early hillary clinton supporter--the only one! at the time.)
we have to be courageous & caring, & lift each other up.

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Ok dan, lets write about gravel. You disagree with Efren's vote? 15 instead of 5? Could you give more detail? The truth is that the lower rr is choked by sediment load due to human insanity and only a discussion which includes instream mitigation, happening right now on fife creek, has any hope of improving river permaculture. Hopkins might be able to get it, evans and her supporters have yet to demonstrate such ability.

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Posted in reply to the post by Dan Gurney:

..., if you liked his vote to extend Syar's gravel-mining permit in our precious and fragile river for 15 years (instead of a 5 year extension), ...

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Tommy just because someone writes about public pension obligations doesn't mean they are against unions. Yes the county cost for pensions is spiked by managers and public safety, not seiu. Just what tom and your first cite agree on. The question is where to go from here, and toms analysis of here is spot on. Which candidate for 5th is willing to to talk about where to go?

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Posted in reply to the post by tommy:

Tom,
Your continuous harangue of Noreen around Pension benefits is not truthful. Please see the link to the 7/27/12 PD article below:
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/2...not-all-county...

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Hi Ken,

I have told Lynda this is my last year on the Planning Commission (eight years come January :).

Ken, what have I done on the Planning Commission that you are unhappy with? What did "Tom Lynch did with his appointment" that you're not satisfied with?

Thank you Ken, for all you've done to protect the Coast and Native Americans.

Tom Lynch

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Posted in reply to the post by Ken Sund:

Dan- Great points you made. I only disagree with one. She should not get on a planning commission.
Look at what Tom Lynch did with his appointment to the planning commission.
And Go Hillary!
Ken Sund.

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Quote:

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Posted in reply to the post by riverosprey:

Hi Ken,

I have told Lynda this is my last year on the Planning Commission (eight years come January :)....

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Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back

A thing that really troubles me that I have heard several times from Hopkins supporters is that there is this inevitable "wave" of population that will hit the West County and there isn't anything we can do about it so we need someone who will make the best of it. I have lived in the west county for more than 40 years. The general plan adopted by the county decades and decades ago has always been to limit growth in West County, The Sonoma Mountains, areas West of Petaluma etc and to preserve green belts between towns. I reject the idea that large waves of population should be settled anywhere in the county other than what the general plan calls for along the 101 corridor. A Sebastopol bypass will kill a hell of a lot of critters who thrive along the Laguna and there will be one hell of a fight when they go to build it. And when it does finally get built if we dramaticly increase the population of West County businesses in Sebastopol will be crying and going out of business for couple of decades just like merchants in Cloverdale.

Ernie Carpenter was a very good stewart of the West County during his time as Supervisor. Lucy Kortum wife of Bill Kortum has been a life long environmentalist. Maybe some of you have walked the Kortum trail on the costal headlands. They both support Evans and that is pretty good company.

Hi Tommy,
Welcome back to “The Thread” J…I’m assuming that your comment rejoining the conversation, as a “Barry’s Pick”,allows me to revisit the issue of unfunded pension obligations, for the retiring baby boomers, that is destroying all of the essential services once provided for generations in Sonoma County.

Tommy, I’m not anti-union…I was a union member of the United Food and Commercial Workers union in Spencer Iowa, when the management destroyed the best paying jobs in my community in 1978. I used to rent an apartment from legendary labor union organizer and IWW Wobbly Joe “One Punch” Murphy and wife Doris in Occidental. As an elected member of the Russian River Redevelopment Oversight Committee, I approved $Millions for prevailing wage jobs, creating affordable housing on the Lower Russian River.

My problem with Noreen Evans, is she’s the last of a generation of self-serving politicians, that gave the first wave of retiring baby boomers, massive unfunded retroactive retirement benefits, without funding them. So now our retiring teachers, firemen, police officers, and public servants, have to rely upon our children and grandchildren to fund these retirements, with increased taxes, fees, and major cuts in services.

The 1000’s of Sonoma County and City of Santa Rosa workers who retired before Noreen Evans voted for the retroactive increase in 2003, got nothing. The next generations of public servants, under PEPRA that Noreen supported, see their pensions reduced by 50% , along with reduced salaries and benefits, in order to fund the retirement benefits of the retiring boomers, who control the unions, the management and most elected officials. And will never see a dime in retirement as we are destined to an inevitable insolvency.

I have spent years, thousands of hours, and ran for office four times to use the electoral forum as a forum, to sound the alarm of the Malthusian meltdown ahead. It is not my style to hold back or mollycoddle those that don’t understand. I try to be diplomatic.

I am not anti-union Tommy, the rest of my life is dedicated to the struggle for “Intergenerational Equity”. The belief that one generation (my generation, the boomers), cannot obligate the next generations, with paying for massive unfunded obligations, at the expense of our children and grandchildren (and ourselves!).

Noreen Evans voted for a benefit for our public servants, without paying for it. She has no plan, zero, nada, nothing, to solve the problem. She has a 100% voting record for the first wave of retiring baby boomers, with no clue, no concept, no plan, to stop the loss of all these services that I, as a progressive Democrat support to take care of the least of thee among us.

MY VOTE IS FOR LYNDA HOPKINS…I DO LIKE WHAT SHE DOES…WE CANNOT CONTINUE THE SAME OLD SAME OLD WITH NOREEN EVANS!!!!

Respect and kind regards, Tom Lynch

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Posted in reply to the post by tommy:

Tom,
Your continuous harangue of Noreen around Pension benefits is not truthful. Please see the link to the 7/27/12 PD article below:
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/2...not-all-county....

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Posted in reply to the post by tommy:

Tom,
Your continuous harangue of Noreen around Pension benefits is not truthful. Please see the link to the 7/27/12 PD article below:

https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/2...not-all-county...

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I want to point out that the article referenced above was a guest opinion piece in the PD and was written by an SEIU member:

"(Earl Gwynne, a staff member with Service Employees International Union Local 1021, is a Sonoma County retiree who formerly owned Revelation Natural Foods Restaurant in Santa Rosa for 16 years. He lives in Healdsburg.)"

Furthermore it does not address Tom Lynch's claim "retroactive [pension] increase in 2003" that Noreen supported.

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Posted in reply to the post by Barry:

...Furthermore it does not address Tom Lynch's claim "retroactive [pension] increase in 2003" that Noreen supported.

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God Barry where are you getting this thing that Noreen supported some action by the board of supervisors in 2003?? She wasn't on the board then and had nothing to do with it. I really can't believe you are buying into this rumor mongering.

These comments by Dan are certainly among the best on this thread. They are rational and persuasive--a good example of how to influence opinion, rather than merely attack a person.

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Posted in reply to the post by Dan Gurney:

I agree with Ted—strongly—that civility on both sides of the 5th District would benefit all of us in West County. ...

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Goat, good discussion and observation on the gravel/bypass connection. As stated, the impacts of a bypass would be huge and radiate out from it in all directions. It would irrevocably alter Sebastopol, but perhaps that became inevitable with the arrival of the Barlow.

We can carry the gravel dilemma even further with consideration of the general infrastructure projects so long overdue, roads in particular. This will require a lot of gravel. Rossman made observations that problematic accumulation of such in the lower RR provides some of this. I'm sure there are many opinions about where the gravel is to come from, when needed, and if trucking it in from afar, further wearing and tearing our roads while pumping noxious diesel fumes into our air, is preferable to mining it close to home.

I was surprised by your experience of hearing about this West County "population wave" that Hopkins supporters expect. This is actually the first time I have heard of this. My impression of Hopkins proposal regarding fast track 2nd units in West County is that it would: a. legitimize something that has long been discreetly practiced, and b. provide at least a modicum of affordable housing in a region that could easily become homogenized to "rustic upscale", at the exclusion of any who haven't gotten in early or aren't well heeled. The thought of it bringing in scads of new people doesn't strike me as likely. What strikes me as more likely is that the region, promoted by Regional Parks, and facilitated by Evans, becomes overrun by urbanites in search of a wilderness experience, and consequently diminishing that which they seek by sheer volume of visitors. You needn't look too far to find lots of precedents for that.

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Posted in reply to the post by Goat Rock Ukulele:

... A Sebastopol bypass will kill a hell of a lot of critters who thrive along the Laguna and there will be one hell of a fight when they go to build it. And when it does finally get built if we dramatically increase the population of West County businesses in Sebastopol will be crying and going out of business for couple of decades just like merchants in Cloverdale.....

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I don't think we can talk about making every country home into a potential condo without talking about a Sebastopol bypass. Those converstions need to take place at the same time. I don't believe you can have the former without the latter. I'm not as worried about tourists and urbanites seeking outdoor experience. They tend to be like gamblers at a casino. The come mostly on the weekends when West County traffic is light, drop thier money and leave. What more could we ask of them?

Hmm. It strikes me that we may recognize some of the same dynamics at work but disagree largely on scope.

I haven't heard any suggestion that "every country home" be "condo-ized" before now. I read Hopkins' proposal as more a liberalization of policy and code regarding the production of some 2nd units, but never have I interpreted anything suggesting wholesale conversion of our towns and villages. If this is what you believe, I understand your bypass position. I, too, would have to agree with it, if I envisioned such a population escalation.

Regarding tourism, if you ever have lived in a serious tourist town, by which I mean population can easily triple, or quadruple, for 4 or more months a year, I think you'd likely agree that impacts can be far more dramatic than your casual description suggests.

We both are concerned with growth, development and environmental degradation, preservation of our rural lives and population growth, but we seem to see the perceived threats arriving from different quarters.

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Posted in reply to the post by Goat Rock Ukulele:

I don't think we can talk about making every country home into a potential condo without talking about a Sebastopol bypass...

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Sebastopol bypasses have been discussed off and on for more than forty years, no real plans yet and not for the foreseeable future. Yet, the county did resurface irwin! One of the many unofficial bypasses.

Let's write about a bypass that is planned, around forestville with a roundabout at 116 and mirabel. Its all about gravel (the county gets most of its gravel from the two quarries just north of forestville). Has either candidate indicated if they will carry this like carrillo or table it? You might think hopkins would support it, but she does live in the town where these plans, and quarries are deeply unpopular.

We really need numbers from those who favor the country condo idea.
First we need to know how may buildable lots are unbuilt in the West County right now
Then we need to know how many parcels as we now stand are eligible for granny units (under current rules).
Then we need a traffic study
Then a water study as the many areas in West County are water scarce.

If all this is done then we need to decide if we will recend or not current fire codes for new dwellings and especially condos. Current codes require all new dwellings to have active fire suppression. Condos need firewalls etc

After we get all these numbers and a bunch more then and only then should we the people of West County have a vote on the issue with all the pros and cons clearly laid on the table.

We should be thinking not 5 or 10 years ahead but 20, 50 or 75 years into the future.

I heard there was some sort of an informal poll at the picnic today about who is voting for whom. Anyone know how that went? Sorry i couldn't be there, had another event.

"Serious tourism" may take many forms; to me it means we will no longer attempt a trip out to Bodega Bay on a weekend for fear of traffic backup and congestion. This is a real-life impact on our quality of life. Who is promoting this traffic? Is the Sonoma County Tourism Board also at work promoting increased funding for road repairs? Yes, it's great that touristas come short-term and drop their wads of $$ here, but who benefits from that +$, and who pays the price -qol ?

Some people have no shame, can we keep our public servants out of the line of fire, and not slander them? I don't think any of our public servants from either camp, should have their integrity questioned, especially Susan Upchurch. (This from Susan Upchurch's Facebook page):

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Susan Upchurch
Sunday, October 9, 2016 at 11:19pm (from FB)

First someone came by my home tonight to tell me that politically motivated people were spreading rumors that I am growing cannabis illegally at my home. I gave them a tour of my large garage, which would be the only possible place that I could run such an operation on my property, as I have free range goats in the back and the front is open to public view. How ridiculous!

Then I see this post from Lisa Maldonado [ on WaccoBB - See quote below]. Lisa is a union boss. The below is complete slander. I work more than full time at my county job, as do all of my co-workers. It's a 7 day a week, evening, and weekend job.
First f***ing Omar Medina and his "more of the same" video - then this.

I am volunteering to help Lynda Hopkins for Supervisor in her bid for the Fifth District seat. I am not being paid to do this work, and I am not short changing the tax payers who are getting the full attention that they deserve from my role. I am volunteering for Lynda in my free time, when I am not in the office. This is complete nonsense and really, really makes me angry. Anyone in our office can attest to the fact that I am there every day, and work plenty of extra time. I will add that for the first 5 years that I held this job, I worked an average 60-70 hours per week due to short staffing. We now have clerical support - and we are really lucky to have one of the best in Irene - and that is a huge relief.

My husband David spends his free time scrubbing 1% off of our campaign signs and replacing stolen signs. He isn't paid either.

As a 32 year resident of the 5th district, I cared about and was deeply involved in my community well before I entered public service. I certainly do not think that it is OK for Evans to move into our district - having never, ever lived west of 101 or in an unincorporated area - to run to represent our community. She stated at a forum that she supports District elections for Santa Rosa - what good are they if people can move in to run who have never lived in the District? Further, she has mislead people and overstated her accomplishments.

This is more of the same - utter slander - and makes me fired up to see Lynda Hopkins as our next Supervisor

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Posted in reply to the post by Lisa Maldonado:

So? Current Efren Carrillo District Director Susan Upchurch is working for Lynda Hopkins officially as her Campaign Treasurer . She is NOT on leave and is still being paid by taxpayers to campaign for someone whom she hopes will be her new boss. Is this ok with you? It seems that hypocrisy is a hallmark of the Hopkins campaign. They attack unions and workers as "thugs and vandals' who have defaced their signs with no evidence to support this charge, all the while, whining and crying that they are 'victims' of negative campaigning.

And they attack Noreen's donors while the Hopkins' own campaign is using public tax dollars to pay the salary of Efren Carrillo's current assistant working for Lynda's campaign. I guess that Ms Hopkins learned these republican dirty tricks from her republican campaign consultant, Rob Muelrath.

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Amid the well reasoned posts by many Evans supporters there is a liberal sprinkling of hate speech by an energetic minority epitomized by Lisa's frequent outbursts. Open, even contentious, dialogue is welcomed but posts like her attacks on Susan Upchurch, and Tom Lynch, allege motives, or behaviors, that are clearly false, and only serve to escalate divisions.

When she writes to Tom,

"I find your manner and words, replete with mansplaining" and "you are ill suited to lecture me on the subject just because you are a white man and I am a Mexican woman"

she attempts to wrap herself in the flag of minority victimization while in fact she dances on the edge of racism and sexism. Tom may at times be verbose, but a review of Tom's posts reveal nothing deserving of such a public chastisement.

What I find most discouraging is that so many other Noreen supporters express "gratitude" to her posts, which further encourages her outrageous expressions.

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Posted in reply to the post by riverosprey:

Some people have no shame, can we keep our public servants out of the line of fire, and not slander them? I don't think any of our public servants from either camp, should have their integrity questioned, especially Susan Upchurch. (This from Susan Upchurch's Facebook page): ...

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I've never been aware of the SCT promoting the sort of agenda with the potential to produce an extreme tourism boom, but I've surely seen Regional Parks pursue such an agenda, although it appears shelved for the moment.

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Posted in reply to the post by kane:

"Serious tourism" may take many forms; ... Who is promoting this traffic? Is the Sonoma County Tourism Board also at work promoting increased funding for road repairs?...

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don't know why your wasting time down here in the boonies, why aren't you working for Trump! he needs people like you to rip the working folks up a little more.

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Posted in reply to the post by riverosprey:

WHOAAAAA THERE LISA!!! ...

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'your voting early and (often) for lynda- what does that even mean...
that sounds like voter fraud-lol
or is that election fraud :)

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Posted in reply to the post by riverosprey:

...I AM VOTING EARLY AND OFTEN FOR LYNDA HOPKINS!!!

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Posted in reply to the post by beshiva:

'your voting early and (often) for lynda- what does that even mean...
that sounds like voter fraud-lol
or is that election fraud :)

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From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vote_early_and_vote_often

Vote early and vote often is a generally tongue-in-cheek phrase used in relation to elections and the voting process. Though rarely considered a serious suggestion, the phrase theoretically encourages corrupt electoral activity, but is used mostly to suggest the occurrence of such corruption.

The phrase had its origins in the United States in the mid-19th century, and had an early appearance in Britain when a newspaper re-printed correspondence from an American solicitor. The phrase, however, did not find widespread use until the early 1900s when it was used in relation to the activities of organized crime figures in Chicago.

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Posted in reply to the post by Barry:

....
The phrase had its origins in the United States in the mid-19th century...The phrase, however, did not find widespread use until the early 1900s when it was used in relation to the activities of organized crime figures in Chicago.

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and we also liked to keep deceased relatives on the electoral rolls in memoriam... those were the good old days.

The PD published three good articles on the Supervisor raise yesterday, including a photo of your humble moderator on the front page of the print edition:

https://www.waccobb.net/forums/wacco...0_16-50-03.png

Pretty funny that it came out on the day of our 10th Annual WaccoBB picnic! Big Smile

The articles are well-worth a read.

Here are links to the articles on the PD website along with some highlights:

https://www.waccobb.net/forums/wacco...4_15-56-29.png
Noreen Evans stakes out return to Sonoma County politics with second bid for Board of Supervisors

See full article here

Excerpts:
...
“We could see the board turn directions,” said David McCuan, a Sonoma State University political scientist. “It comes down to one candidate who is untested and a bit Pollyannaish in terms of what she can expect when she gets into office, and another who can seem divisive and combative because of her experience and her stance on controversial issues.”

Those who know Evans and support her candidacy see strength in her reputation as a liberal firebrand unafraid to pick a fight. On the Santa Rosa City Council, where she was first elected in 1996, she established a political identity as a champion for union rights, strong environmental protections and a robust social safety net.

Supports progressive causes

In her subsequent 10 years in the state Legislature — six years in the Assembly before she was termed out and four in the Senate — she burnished her reputation as a supporter of progressive causes, including gay and women’s rights. She advocated for park funding and coastal protection, as well as laws to combat climate change, strengthen consumer financial protections and assist homeowners facing foreclosure.

“She was one of the strong women who provided leadership — her brand of politics was how to get things done, especially around issues of social justice and the environment,” said Tom Ammiano, a longtime activist for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights whose six years in the Assembly overlapped with Evans’ tenure in both houses.
Her years in Sacramento were marked as well by high-profile political defeats, including a failed proposal to fund higher education by taxing crude oil extraction in California, and legislation that would have required labeling on food that contains genetically modified organisms. She also unsuccessfully sought new taxes on sugary beverages and tobacco in an attempt to shore up revenue and stave off budget cuts during the height of the recession.

Evans was stripped of her post as chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2014, and some of her former colleagues in the Legislature said she fell short in leadership in her role as chairwoman of a budget committee, a position she held from 2008 to 2010.

One fellow Democratic legislator at the time called Evans a crusader for preserving the social safety net but faulted her for not doing more to prevent the tough budget cuts.

“Noreen presided over some of the worst budget times this state has ever seen, and it was balanced almost entirely on cuts, gimmicks and borrowing,” said the legislator, who spoke on condition of anonymity to more candidly discuss the political environment inside the Capitol at the time. Evans was “jaded and lazy in her job and she deferred almost entirely to staff,” the legislator said.

“She alienated a lot of her colleagues during her time, and frankly it seemed like she just chose not to do the work,” the legislator said.

Evans countered that her work chairing the budget committee was her “biggest achievement.”

“At the time, we needed a two-thirds vote to pass a budget, so every year our Republican friends would present us a list of demands,” Evans said. “They wanted to close state parks, slash funding for schools and reduce funding for social services like rural health care and food stamps. I called it hostage taking — it was my job to say ‘no.’” “There was a lot of chaos in the Capitol during those years,” Evans said. “I left because 10 years was enough. Remember that I served most of my time under Governor (Arnold) Schwarzenegger, who did his best to punish the Legislature.”

...

Backed by unions

While Evans has sought to tie Hopkins to some of the business, development and real estate interests funding her campaign, Hopkins and her allies have noted that a big share of Evans’ financial support comes from unions that represent county employees with a stake in the board’s decisions on pay and pension spending.

“It’s interesting that someone is attacking me for my campaign contributors and not holding themselves to the same high standards,” Hopkins said.

“I have found consistently in this race that my opponent holds me to a higher standard than she holds herself.”
Evans countered, saying the difference is that she has repeatedly taken positions that diverge with the desires of special interests that have contributed to her campaigns.

As an example, she cited her support for a 2012 bill that would have mandated overtime pay for farmworkers, which failed that year but passed this year and was recently signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown. In the campaign that preceded her vote, Evans received money from the wine industry, which opposed the legislation.

“Yes I’ve taken money from some of those groups like the wine industry, but the difference is I have a record of standing up to those same interests,” Evans said. “Voters can see I’ve championed any number of policies that have supported low-income and middle- class folks. Unlike my opponent, they don’t have to ask where my values lie — they can see it.”

Hopkins supporters say that record shows someone rigid in her ways. Hopkins’ appeal is that she is more open minded, they say.

“It’s a breath of fresh air bringing in someone who isn’t a career politician,” said John Azevedo, president of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau, which has endorsed Hopkins. “She’s totally blunt, and I see that as a strength. I think she’ll come in and listen to everybody and try and build consensus.”

But Evans said she is proud of her career in public office and will continue to run on the strength of her experience.

See full article here

It's called humor. We need a lot more of it on this thread, rather than bashing either candidate or their supporters.

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Posted in reply to the post by beshiva:

'your voting early and (often) for lynda- what does that even mean...

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https://www.waccobb.net/forums/wacco...4_15-56-29.png
From protester to political newcomer, Lynda Hopkins eyes seat on Sonoma County Board of Supervisors

see full article here
...
Excerpts:

To her critics, however, Hopkins is an untested novice with no record to show how she will address and vote on a range of county issues, from divisive land-use proposals including winery development and marijuana regulation, to county spending on roads and employee pensions.

“Maybe Lynda can take $300,000-plus for her campaign and not be influenced by those who gave it to her when she gets into office, but she would be one of the only ones I’ve ever seen who could do that,” said Mike Reilly, who held the west county seat for 12 years prior to Carrillo’s 2008 election. Reilly and his predecessor, Ernie Carpenter, have both endorsed Evans. Carrillo has endorsed Hopkins.

“There is a strong environmental ethic in the 5th District and in order to represent this area well, you’ve got to be able to stand up to other supervisors when it matters,” Reilly said. “Noreen has shown that she can be tough, and she’s got a proven, progressive track record.”
...
Hopkins said Foggy River Farm, situated on land owned by her husband’s family, takes in about $150,000 to $200,000 a year, supporting two full-time and two part-time employees. They sell produce at three farmers markets and about 85 people pay to participate in their community- supported agriculture program.

...
“When push comes to shove, the dilemma this November is going for a leap of faith with Lynda Hopkins, or the experienced candidate with NoreenEvans, who has liabilities associated with her,” said David McCuan, a Sonoma State University political scientist. “Lynda is a political novice, but that could be offset by her energy to run in a year that is fraught with peril for those with experience.

“Noreen, on the other hand, knows the players, she’s been through the historic battles over land use and quality of life issues and she understands how Sacramento has changed the landscape of county government over the past 20 years.”

Hopkins has drawn a large share of her financial support from the county’s wine industry, farming, construction and real estate interests, many of whom backed Carrillo and James Gore, who was elected to the north county supervisor seat two years ago.
...

She has put forward a number of priorities in her campaign, proposing the creation of tent villages on vacant government land across the county to provide temporary shelter for homeless people, as well as a tax on sugary beverages to fund universal preschool and scaling back fees to increase development of affordable housing.
She has also gained support for creating so-called community improvement districts in lower Russian River towns and along the coast to allow those unincorporated communities to have greater representation — a spinoff of the county’s former redevelopment areas — and retain a portion of hotel bed tax revenue to invest in services such as road repairs and emergency response. “I think Lynda is a very sharp individual with an ability to look at a wide range of issues, and adapt accordingly,” said Charlie Bone, a retired coastal deputy for the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office and president of the Bodega Bay Fire Protection District board, speaking about his personal preference. “Noreen Evans’ strong point is her experience, which is undeniable. But what I look at is potential and common sense.”
...
“When I look at the problems we’re facing, two things that come to mind are climate change and pensions,” Hopkins said. “These are things that are going to inhibit future generations’ ability to live and thrive in Sonoma County.”

see full article here

Well Sheperd, you did bash Noreen supporters regarding the 1% tagging. Not appreciated.

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Posted in reply to the post by Shepherd:

It's called humor. We need a lot more of it on this thread, rather than bashing either candidate or their supporters.

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https://www.waccobb.net/forums/wacco...4_15-56-29.png

Sonoma County 5th District issues: housing, wine, pensions
See full article here

Excerpts:

Housing affordability.
Neighborhood concerns about Sonoma County’s expanding wine industry.
Rising taxpayer costs for county employee pensions.
...
Lynda Hopkins, a political newcomer and candidate for the 5th District seat held by Efren Carrillo, says she wants to bring fresh ideas to the table. Yet she doesn’t believe, ultimately, that she and her opponent, Noreen Evans, would diverge on the most hotly contested votes.

“I honestly don’t see Noreen and myself voting differently on Tuesdays,” Hopkins said. “I see the way we spend our other six days of the week being more of the difference. I really consider myself more of a community organizer.”

However, Evans, a former state legislator and Santa Rosa councilwoman, ticked off a list of high-profile initiatives that could put daylight between the two candidates were they both voting on them today. They include proposals to spur affordable housing development, tighten winery regulations, upgrade county roads and reign in county pension costs.
...

“It’s a tough call,” said Deb Johnson, president of the Russian River Chamber of Commerce. “It’s not like the past two or three election cycles, when we all mostly knew who we were going to vote for. This year, we’re all just asking one another ‘What are you going to do?’” The two candidates have offered ambitious ideas on how to address some of the county’s most pressing problems, such as repairing its degraded road network, as well as launching new programs to assist low-income and middle-class families.

Evans wants to tax marijuana cultivation and use the revenue to fix roads and build new housing. Hopkins wants to seek a 1-cent per-ounce tax on sugary beverages to pay for early childhood education and childcare.

The Board of Supervisors next year is expected to take up potential new limits on winery development and special events at wineries, seen as a critical revenue stream for boutique businesses but an increasing nuisance for some rural residents.

Hopkins and Evans both said they support strengthening regulations for wineries, including perhaps limiting events, to address traffic and noise concerns in areas heavily visited by tourists, such as in Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma Valley and along Westside Road.

Evans said she would allocate funding to hire additional code enforcement officers to police events on nights and weekends, and said she would work to protect future winery development or vineyard planting in coastal areas.
“I’m not opposed to wineries, but the problem becomes when they start cutting down our forests and start impacting our rural neighborhoods and roads that aren’t designed to carry big tour buses,” Evans said.

Hopkins, who has taken the larger share of money from wine industry members, said she supports additional code enforcement officers, but appears to favor a more restrained approach to regulation, saying the county should “start small and scale up if needed.”

She said she’d focus on spacing out winery events, as well as other draws such as bicycle events, by appointing a task force comprised of business and wine interests as well as rural residents.

“I believe in regulation,” she said. “I’m not suggesting any anarchy — deregulation of agriculture — but it’s more how do you craft intelligent regulations rather than punish people who are doing things incorrectly, rather than overly burdening some of these really small business owners who are struggling to make ends meet?”
Vintners have voiced support for Hopkins’ approach.
...

Both candidates say addressing the housing crisis is their top priority, though their ideas on how to address it differ. Hopkins’ housing strategy focuses on streamlining the permitting process for new development and creating other incentives for developers to build new units. Her proposals include developing a program to allow homeowners to convert empty bedrooms into rental units and lowering permit fees for developers seeking to build apartments.

To address homelessness, Hopkins wants to erect temporary tent villages on county-owned land, and convert county-owned buildings into permanent housing sites, including the 117-acre former county hospital and health care complex on Chanate Road in Santa Rosa.

“It’s getting harder and harder to ignore that the new face of homelessness in Sonoma County is working men and women and families,” Hopkins said. “So let’s get people in some place safe, then we’ll have a coordinated entry point for social services and we can work on long-term solutions.”

Hopkins also voiced support for developing a program to use shipping containers and tiny houses to shelter homeless people — the latter effort already underway in the county — as well as seeking a tax increase to fund new housing development and emergency financial assistance for renters.

“If were a supervisor and I were going to ask anyone for money this November, it would be to address the affordable housing crisis and do something like the (Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District) but instead of open space, for affordable housing,” she said.

Evans said she would require developers to include on-site affordable housing in all new residential and commercial developments, expressing strong support for so-called inclusionary zoning laws intended to prevent segregating neighborhoods by race and class. She has also argued strongly in favor of rent control and other tenant protections since the beginning of her campaign, a position Hopkins did not initially endorse but now does.
...
Evans said she, too, supports temporary shelter sites for homeless people, as well as expanded social services, including mental health care and substance abuse treatment. She advocated for the county to declare a year-round state of emergency on homelessness to provide additional shelter sites and perhaps, help the county qualify for additional state and federal funding.

Evans also wants to invest a portion of the county’s $2.3 billion in pension assets to build workforce housing projects.
“It’s being done elsewhere and we can do it here,” Evans said. “The benefit would be twofold — we would get to build workforce housing locally and we earn income for county employee pensions.”

On the issue of rising pension costs for Sonoma County government workers, Evans said she would, through collective bargaining, seek greater contributions for upper-level management and she would dedicate tax revenue to pay down taxpayer pension costs, though she characterized the county’s pension costs as largely manageable.
“My opponent describes it as a crisis, but there is a plan to pay it off over time,” said Evans, who has taken a large share of her contributions from organized labor groups and been criticized for being too cozy with public employee unions. “Some people would like to do that faster.”

Hopkins favors seeking greater employee contributions toward retirement plans, and said the county should consider adopting a plan with greater shared risk, whereby employee contributions would fluctuate with the rise and fall of pension fund assets. Hopkins has a grimmer assessment of the county’s retirement spending, up more than 500 percent since 2000. “If I had to sum it up in two words, it would be ‘We’re screwed,’” Hopkins said in August at a campaign event in Bodega Bay.

Hopkins has faced heavy criticism lodged by Evans and her supporters about the campaign cash she has taken from development interests, including Napa- based Syar Industries, which for years has run a major gravel mining operation on upper Russian River near Geyserville. The company has no current proposal to expand.

“It’s a concern for anyone who cares about the river that these gravel miners want to come back,” said Ernie Carpenter, an Evans supporter and former county supervisor who represented west county for 16 years on the board. “It only takes a 3-2 vote and you can pretty much change anything.”

Hopkins said extracting gravel from the banks of the Russian River, however, could actually help restore it to a more natural state and help endangered fish species recover — an idea supported by some biologists and river advocates.

“Today, the river is stuck in a straitjacket,” said Don McEnhill, executive director of the nonprofit Russian Riverkeeper. “Most mining prior to today was done in a way that was very harmful for the river, but we are open to gravel mining if it can help the river spread out to bring down the natural floodplain.”

See full article here

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Posted in reply to the post by scamperwillow:

I heard there was some sort of an informal poll at the picnic today about who is voting for whom. Anyone know how that went? Sorry i couldn't be there, had another event.

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Yes, at the end of our community circle, I asked for a show of hands for undecided, Lynda and then Noreen. I'd say Noreen supporters outnumbered Lynda's by about 3 to 1. Maybe 15% indicated they were undecided.

Dear Neighbor Richard,
For me, it depends on the tone and intention. It was not my intention "to bash Noreen supporters." It is one thing to raise questions about who did the 1% tagging, which is not clear, at least to me. Either side may have done it. The dirty politics are certainly not only on one side. It has not been a clean campaign.

It is another thing to demonize someone, as advocates for both candidates have been doing. As you know, I have endorsed and donated to Noreen's campaign, so I think she is clearly the best candidate. I think there may be some in a silent majority who are not responding here who are making their decisions on the basis of the arguments, rather than the demonizing. For example, Dan Gurney, as I mentioned, makes persuasive arguments, which I think help Noreen. I think it is counter-productive to make mean attacks on Lynda or Noreen.

I am also concerned that such dirty politics here on Wacco makes it more difficult for younger people, especially women, to vote or run for office. It is my opinion that the tone of some of these posts dissuade people from getting involved, rather than encourage them to do so.

Both candidates and all of us love Sonoma County and will need to live together, and hopefully vote again in future elections. I am concerned about future candidates and expanding rather than limiting the people who may be willing to run and endure such gauntlets.

I am glad that the Sebastopol City Council elections have not been as vicious on Wacco as these 5th District elections, which I admit are more important.

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Posted in reply to the post by Richard Nichols:

Well Sheperd, you did bash Noreen supporters regarding the 1% tagging. Not appreciated.

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thank you for this thoughtful post.
we have to end these divisive & ugly posts on wacco. between the hospital, w. those "feeling the bern", & this supervisor race, we have gone off the rails.
we have to find ways to stop this.
we have to live together, we need to work, build & together. there are so many important things we need to do; protecting the river, addressing the corporations/hedge funds (moneyed corporate interests/hedge funds that the santa rosa city council is bringing in to supply & run our marijuana industry, housing, traffic, local health care options...
does anyone know what the landscaping park will be for the ugly CVS building?
please ask yourself "is this helpful"? does this move the dialog forward? (this is not the place to vent, or attack each other!)
the negative posts are a disservice to each other, & to Wacco as a resource.
(Dan, was that some game last nite! (sports a better place to vent, & now celebrate!) this is West county, & there is life after November 8th. find some place to be & give love.
:waccosun::waccosun::heart::heart:

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Posted in reply to the post by Shepherd:

Dear Neighbor Richard,...

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It is important to remember that your opposition has positive intent.

The other side believes that they're supporting the best candidate. With so much acrimony in national politics, remembering to assume positive intention can be hard! But I'm confident we can do better here in the West County.

Let's try to live up to the "Peacetown" nickname we've given our little town of Sebastopol.

We all chose to live here, and it would be a better place to live—by far—if we can show each other more respect for our differing views. It would be worth the effort, I think.

I want to thank the many people have expressed, both in person and online, their appreciation for my response to Ted's plea for more civil discourse. It was Ted—a voter leaning towards Lynda—who got this particular ball rolling.

So, thank you, Ted.

Dan

A fold out flyer for Lynda Hopkins was left next to my door on Sunday, including a post it note with her phone number.

My understanding is that Lynda is paying JC students to walk west county on her behalf.

Does anyone know if this is accurate?

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Posted in reply to the post by tommy:

A fold out flyer for Lynda Hopkins was left next to my door on Sunday, including a post it note with her phone number.

My understanding is that Lynda is paying JC students to walk west county on her behalf.

Does anyone know if this is accurate?

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Great question.
If I was her campaign consultant- ("former" republican) Muelrath with over $400,000. at my disposal, I would certainly hire all the paid workers I could to paper the county with her message as well as her giant signs. At last night's town meeting in Sebastopol, Hopkins could not answer the specific question as to whether or not Muelrath was a registered lobbyist. Someone must know if he is or not.

As a volunteer for Noreen Evans, I have noted that Hopkins has giant signs on the vineyards, real estate rental buildings and rental houses in west county but as you visit the neighborhoods, it's Noreen signs which are proudly displayed by homeowners. More residences display Noreen signs than do vineyards or wineries. We volunteers have also taken to hand painting many signs which are also displayed all over.
Ken Sund.

I drove all around Sebastopol yesterday. The preponderance of signs, in front of homes, were for Noreen, including homemade ones :hi5:

I have found myself stirred up by all the "talk" about not only this Sonoma county election, but of course, the national picture. There is no end to the words people can use, and we are all manipulated by media. I am voting for Lynda Hopkins.

Based on the support expressed on this thread, I'd say your numbers are consistent with the wacco demographic, which is not necessarily representative of the 5th Dist. demographic.

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Posted in reply to the post by Barry:

Yes, at the end of our community circle, I asked for a show of hands for undecided, Lynda and then Noreen. I'd say Noreen supporters outnumbered Lynda's by about 3 to 1. Maybe 15% indicated they were undecided.

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