PROGRESSIVE SEBASTOPOL 2014 VOTER'S GUIDE LOCAL and STATE

[Kai Daniel]

​Hi Wacco! I recently joined Progressive Sebastopol, a small group of Sebastopol/West Sonoma county community members who are interested in helping to create a sustainable and forward-moving future for the City of Sebastopol, County of Sonoma, and the state of California. Progressive Sebastopol gathers together as a group representing a diversity of ages and political views.We then distribute the guide in our community. Our current roster includes: Jonathan Greenberg, Kai Harris, Peggy Karp, Kai Lewis, Jim McGreen, David Mendez, Stuart Mitchell, and Harvey Sherman.



Progressive Sebastopol Voter Guide, November 2014 (BELOW AND ATTACHED)

Founded to create voter guides since the 2010 election, Progressive Sebastopol is a small independent group of seniors, citizens, and parents with young children. We are dedicated to a sustainable green future and responsive, transparent local government. More about us and a downloadable pdf version of guide for sharing at ProgressiveSebastopol.com.

SEBASTOPOL

Sebastopol City Council Jonathan Greenberg, Una Glass, & Sarah Gurney
Jonathan Greenberg, a founder of Progressive Sebastopol, is an effective public interest advocate who led the campaign to restore library hours. Now helping effort to reopen hospital emergency room, he is committed to greater transparency, reducing traffic and overdue budgeting for bike lanes and electric vehicles for city fleet.
Sarah Gurney record shows she has remained true to the progressive values of our community.
Una Glass is a lifelong progressive environmentalist and experienced organizational administrator.

SONOMA COUNTY

Palm Drive Health Care District Richard Powers & Dennis Colthurst
Reopening Palm Drive Hospital's life-saving emergency room will require a District Board majority that is willing to allow the Foundation plan to proceed. This means Powers and Colthurst, instead of their opponent Jim Horn.

Measure H YES
This measure will allow our County’s jewel of higher education to remain world class, hopefully freeing funds to reduce class size and hire more full-time employees.

*Measure M YES
This tiny sales tax will reopen the library Mondays and evenings and resolve the library funding crisis.

Measure R NO
Like the Press Democrat, we would have supported extending the existing UUT tax, but four new taxes (3.75% on landline, cell phone, cable, and garbage) without a transparent demonstration of need is unacceptable.

Schools Sonoma County Junior College District Jordan Burns
Union High School District David Stecher, Kellie Noe, & Lori Bruhner

STATEWIDE:

Governor Jerry Brown
Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newson
Secretary of State Alex Padilla
Controller Betty T. Yee
Treasurer John Chiang
Attorney General Kamala D. Harris
Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones
State Board of Equalization Fiona Ma
United States Representative Jared Huffman
Senate, 2^nd District Mike McGuire
Member of State Assembly Marc Levine
ALSO Santa Rosa City Council Curtis Byrd
Fourth District Supervisor Deb Fudge

Proposition 1 – State Water Bond NO
Measuring and pricing water-guzzling farms is
needed, not more dams.

Proposition 2 – State Budget Reserves YES
Allows flexibility in event of a downturn.

Proposition 45 – Health Insurance Regulation YES
We agree with Cal Nurses Association over insurance
industry on this tough question

Proposition 46 –Medical Malpractice awards NO
More drug testing and lawsuits? No way!

Proposition 47 – Criminal Sentences YES
CA must reduce our incarceration rate.

Proposition 48 – Gaming/Casinos NO
Location venue shopping sets a bad precedent.


-------------------------------------

Progressive Sebastopol’s Top Local Issues For 2014

To Open Our Hospital: Elect Powers and Colthurst

Progressive Sebastopol supports longtime community doctor Richard Powers and retired police officer Dennis Colthurst for the important Palm Drive District Board election this November.

Powers and Colthurst are running to create a Board majority that is committed to reopening Palm Drive with a financially sustainable model that includes its life-saving emergency room. The hospital parcel tax continues with or without an emergency room. The “Doc and Cop” are running against incumbent Jim Horn. Horn, who deceptively overstates the cost of reopening, has emerged as the leading opponent of re-opening an emergency room. Horn speaks of supporting an “urgent care” alternative to an ER, but urgent care cannot, by law, accept ambulances or provide critically needed ER services that have saved lives in our community for generations.

An impressive team of business and medical experts in West Sonoma County has been working for months to create a bold new financially sustainable hospital with an emergency room, as well as an expanded governance model. Palm Drive Hospital was rated by Consumer Reports as the safest hospital in the entire state of California. Our community deserves a District Board and a City Council that is fully committed to reopening it.

Vote YES on Measure M To Save Our Libraries!

Sebastopol’s beloved library, and the entire Sonoma County Library system, is now four years into their worst funding crisis in history. Due to an unprecedented 25% cutback in hours, libraries have been closed on Mondays and evenings for the fist time in a century, locking out thousands of children, teens, and seniors from this valuable public service. Sonoma County now spends just one third per capita what Marin and San Francisco spend on their libraries. Measure M is a 1/8 of 1% sales tax that will cost just 12 cents for every $100 of taxable purchases. It will raise $10 million per year to restore and enhance hours, programs, and collections. Progressive Sebastopol urges everyone to vote yes on Measure M!

Greenberg for a More Transparent and Responsive City Council

Jonathan is an effective public interest advocate who created and led the campaign to restore library hours in Sonoma County. He is committed to empowering local citizens through greater transparency, which included exposing the faulty CVS traffic report. He is a leader in the effort to reopen Palm Drive Hospital with an emergency room. His progressive vision includes a green Sebastopol that budgets (not just talks about) bike lanes and electric vehicles for the city’s fleet.

[John Eder]

Support Jim Horn

Editor: I am writing to strongly endorse Jim Horn for the Palm Drive Healthcare District board. This continues to be a challenging time for the health care district and I am very encouraged that Jim Horn is actively involved as a positive, forward thinking influence, intelligently looking for realistic health care opportunities for the entire community. Jim is not a cheerleader for a cause, does not have his head-in-the-sand about the changes in health care and is not connected to any group or benefactor. Jim was never part of the negative energy in the community surrounding the closure of the hospital, he was always looking to be a positive force in a difficult situation. Jim owns a local engineering company and brings his “engineers” mind to the process, looking for the possible but making sure it makes sense. He has integrity, he is always respectful and professional, he does his homework, he speaks his mind, and he is tenacious. I do not know what the future of health care will be in the West County, but I am confident that it will be a better future with Jim Horn on the district board.

Chris Dawson
Sebastopol

(Reprinted from Sonoma West Times and News)

[John Eder]

Horn for Palm Drive

Editor: I’ve been involved with Palm Drive since 1998 when we first took over the hospital for the community, and have served on the board two times for a total of seven years. I would love to see our hospital reopened as much as any of you. However I am concerned by the popularity campaign being waged by Open Our Hospital.

Reopening the hospital is not an emotional decision, it is a financial decision. It would be tragic to reopen the hospital only to have it close again with another bankruptcy. This is why I am supporting Jim Horn for director of the Palm Drive Healthcare District in this election.

Jim can set aside the emotions and make this critical decision on the fundamentals and merits of the proposal put forth by the Open our Hospital group. We need that kind of rational thinking on the board. Please join me and my friends in voting for Jim Horn.

Frank Mayhew
Graton

(Reprinted from Sonoma West Times and News)

[John Eder]

Editor:

I’ve been active in local politics for many years. As a practice, I support candidates I believe have the best interests of our town at heart, and have the skills, experience and stamina to take the steps that good governance demands. I also put my money where my mouth is.

Now I need to speak of someone I am not endorsing, and give the reasons why.

Jonathan Greenberg is a very clever man. He has nominated himself as the progressive voice that the Council needs to fulfill its role of successful leadership of our community. He is very ambitious and enterprising; he does not hesitate to use hyperbole when pursuing his apparent need to aggrandize his talent and capabilities for service in the public arena.

At his request, John Kramer and I met with him a few years ago when the job of City Manager opened. He asked that we support his application for the job. We told him we would not. We were frankly astonished. As politely as we could, we told him he was not qualified for the job.

Jonathan again approached me to ask if I would support him in his application for the job of Community Outreach, a new consultant position created a couple of years ago. I told him I would not support him over Holly Hansen, who was hired and whom I think does a fine job, quietly and without fanfare.

Jonathan recently tried to tout himself as having a leadership role in the challenge to CVS. I have stated publicly that it is simply his fiction. It is the world according to Jonathan. He is one of many people who spoke at Council meetings and wrote letters. The research he apparently conducted regarding the traffic study was interesting, but he unearthed no new or useful information and did not contribute to the case in any way. A number of community members contributed to the cost of waging the legal battle; Jonathan, who says actions speak louder than words, did not.

Now he has declared himself to be more fit as a Councilperson than incumbent Pat Slayter. I emphatically reject that.

Pat Slayter did at first support the CVS application, as did Councilmembers Michael Kyes, Guy Wilson and Kathleen Shaffer. Kyes soon regretted his vote, and worked hard. He joined the challenge to the application the following month and with Sarah Gurney he voted to uphold the DRB’s rejection of the design.

Pat believed, as did the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary members and Sebastopol Citizens, that it would benefit our town. Over the past couple of years, however, he has changed his mind. He introduced the Council resolution for a ban on drive thrus. That was a major step in bringing CVS to the bargaining table. Pat’s professional skill and experience as an architect has contributed to the Council’s grasp and understanding of a number of specific issues in the negotiations with CVS. He is, I believe, politically more moderate than others on the Council. His influence balances Council discussions and decisions. He is not flamboyant or vociferous. He just does the job quietly and with dignity.

I endorse and support Pat Slayter, Una Glass and Sarah Gurney for Sebastopol City Council. They can be trusted to govern our city and represent our entire community with honesty and firsthand knowledge of what’s been happening.

As for CVS, they’ve found a way to repair, if not cure, the mis-steps of the Council that was in place in 2011, when we were sucked into the CVS debacle we’re now, at long last, resolving.

The present Council has grown into a cooperative, constructive governing body. They do not make claims of leadership that do not hold up under the light of day. We can put our trust in them.

I join Craig Boblitt, Craig Litwin, Lynn Deedler and Sandra DeBella Bodley and endorse incumbent Jim Horn for the Palm Drive Hospital Board. He brings knowledge, experience and common sense to a very complicated, trying situation.

Please join me and vote for all of them.

Helen Shane

[Peacetown Jonathan]

Helen Shane’s post suggests that my claim to “having a leadership role in the challenge to CVS” is “simply his fiction.”

In response to Ms. Shane’s strange interest in maligning me, I will present the documentable facts of the case, and let the reader see which of us is concocting fiction.

[ This post continues here on WaccoBB - Barry]

[peggykarp]

I have to say, this is a great voter guide, even if I did play a small part in crafting it :). No-nonense, honest progressive assessments of the candidates and issues. I hope it gets a wide circulation.

[Nina Carson]

Thank you for posting these recommendations. While I agree with most of them it's hard for me to trust an organization that mixes up the propositions ie 45 and 46. The single payer folks have come out in favor of prop 45 because, although it's true covered California has plenty of problems already, The insurance companies need to be regulated more than ever!

Proposition 45 – Medical Malpractice Awards NO
More drug testing and lawsuits? No way!

Proposition 46 – Health Insurance Regulation NO
Implementing Covered California is challenging
enough as it is.

Proposition 47 – Criminal Sentences YES
CA must reduce our incarceration rate.

Proposition 48 – Gaming/Casinos NO
Location venue shopping sets a bad precedent.

[jene]

Thank you.

I have to say, this is a great voter guide, even if I did play a small part in crafting it :). No-nonense, honest progressive assessments of the candidates and issues. I hope it gets a wide circulation.

[scamperwillow]

You have your propositions mixed up!
Prop 45 is the insurance rates
Prop 46 is the malpractice.

I agree with No on both of them though.

Proposition 45 – Medical Malpractice Awards NO
More drug testing and lawsuits? No way!

Proposition 46 – Health Insurance Regulation NO
Implementing Covered California is challenging
enough as it is...

[haammer]

Thanks for this voter guide! It's concise and practical.

[JimHorn]

So let me get this straight...

According to your website, ProgressiveSebastopol.com, you are a "grassroots effort" that is "independent of any campaign, organization, corporation or PAC." Yet your website is hosted by Progressive Communications, a company whose CEO is Jonathan Greenberg. Mr. Greenberg is a member of your small group and is listed as the author of your voter guide (see "Document Properties" of your attached PDF). And, in a shocking turn of events, your guide endorses... Jonathan Greenberg!

You folks have given me an idea. My dogs, Cookie and Cocoa, also would like to issue a voter guide and endorse me for the Palm Drive board. They were particularly supportive of my campaign when I fed them supper last night. Unfortunately, neither one can type worth a damn...

[Kai Daniel]

Thank you for pointing out the mix-up of props 45 and 46, that was a mistake, corrections have been made.

Please note: Progressive Sebastopol has changed its position on Prop 45, we are now in favor of voting "yes".

- Kai

[Richard Nichols]

It only makes me wonder if Progressive Sebastopol is running on all cylinders

Opps, Progressive Sebastopol has changed its' mind. It is now in favor of Prop 45. Oh dear, what is a poor uninformed voter to do?

Thank you for pointing out the mix-up of props 45 and 46, that was a mistake, corrections have been made.

Please note: Progressive Sebastopol has changed its position on Prop 45, we are now in favor of voting "yes".

[Kai Daniel]

Progressive Sebastopol runs on all-electric, pure acceleration, none of the messy gear changing and pollution involved with cylinders, BUT if Progressive Sebastopol were a combustion engine it would be running on all cylinders, thank you very much. I will return to the car analogy in a moment.

Election time is confusing for all of us. It is probably the least confusing for the uninformed voter. They are blissfully ignorant and have none of the back and forth pro and con arguments to contend with. The informed voter has to deal with two very convincing opposing arguments. In the course of hearing the extensive debate surrounding the issues, is it not understandable that we change our minds?

As we drive down the road, we don’t always know what lane to be in. Even with our smart phone GPS giving us “smart” directions we still have to make sudden last-second lane changes when we realize where we actually need to be. This is not a sign of fault, but of humanity – a fault we all share. It is also a blessing, and we should be focusing on that aspect.

[Peacetown Jonathan]

Thanks, Kai, for making the changes.

Laying out a voter's guide is challenging, with the columns and fitting it all into a handy one page printout. In the process, we mixed up Prop 45 and Prop 46. Our group was focused on the issues and copy editing, but we got our 45 and 46 mixed up. Hard to keep track without a score card….which is why we do a voter's guide!

The Prop 45 change to YES was not the result of a mixup, but of additional input from a few articulate progressives in the community who provided their heartfelt feedback right after we went public. We were convinced and changed our minds before the guide had been out for long. Prop 45 is a real tough call for anyone to make. The SEIU Union, which is among the most progressive large unions out there, is urging a NO vote, as are dozens of organizations, like the CA NAACP and all the doctors associations. On the other side, for the YES vote, are Consumer Watchdog and the California Nurse's Association. CA Nurses is the most committed and effective pro-single payer advocate in the country. Their arguments,(read them here) on closer examination, make a lot of sense. And the fact that Kaiser is spending $15M to defeat this does not endear the No vote to us. So we switched.

As for the Progressive Sebastopol website, the one that Jim Horn referred to was from two years ago, when I was not running for office. It took us time to update it. None of us are paid for this work, and we are not professional politicians either. We don't spend tens of thousands of dollars on PR pros and multinational consultants and hundreds of thousands on slick deceptive attorneys whose law firms happen to also represent Palm Drive Bondholder Wells Fargo Bank, like Jim Horn's Palm Drive District Board has been spending since they …uh…ran out of money and chose to close the hospital six months ago. No, we don't have that kind of budget to make everything perfect the first time on our voter's guide. We do have a small group of local volunteers, though, who are parents and seniors and citizens, and who want to do our part to make Sebastopol a more progressive, caring community.

If you like our fourth voter guide, please email or share it with your friends, and consider it when you review your ballot.

As for Jim Horn's dog, give me a biscuit and ten minutes alone with him and he may be barking a different tune….

[Valley Oak]

`
woof!

as for jim horn's dog, give me a biscuit and ten minutes alone with him and he may be barking a different tune….

[JimHorn]

Uhm, I was actually talking about the absurdity of a candidate creating his own self-promoting voter guide, not any particular errors that guide might contain.

And I'm not clear what the alleged misdeeds of the Palm Drive District, which supposedly occurred several months before I was appointed to the District board, have to do with my response.

Finally, I wouldn't mess with Cookie or Cocoa if I were you--they're pretty good ratters...

[pamelaL]

Isn't this what many candidates do so people know exactly where they stand? If not, it should be. Transparency at it's best if you ask me (which you didn't)

[Barry]

...The Prop 45 change to YES was not the result of a mixup, but of additional input from a few articulate progressives in the community who provided their heartfelt feedback right after we went public. We were convinced and changed our minds before the guide had been out for long...

I want to commend Progressive Sebastopol for their excellent voter's guide and for their integrity and bravery to change their mind.

I think it is quite unfortunate that politicians are routinely skewered as a flip-flopper or worse if their understanding of an issue evolves. It's true the may be unseemly reasons for the change of "heart", though clearly not in this case, that warrant skepticism, but just the notion that someone is able to change their mind should be appreciated rather than scorned.

[John Eder]

"Uhm, I was actually talking about the absurdity of a candidate creating his own self-promoting voter guide,..."

Sort of like the "BP Guide to Environmental Responsibility"?

[Richard Nichols]

According to the green JG flyer attacking Slayter, Progressive Sebastopol has endorsed its CEO Jonathan Greenberg and other endorsements include "hundreds of Sebastopol parents, seniors and people like you". Let me tell you, to paraphrase Woody Allen, "I would never vote for someone that would accept my endorsement."

All right, just a bad joke, but when I vote, one thing I do is look to see who is endorsing who, and in looking at Jonathans election website, I see not even one endorsement, much les hundreds. Kind of hard to know what to do when a candidates major endorsement seems to be himself. He also lists Dan Smith and Dr. Gude on the flyer.

Uhm, I was actually talking about the absurdity of a candidate creating his own self-promoting voter guide, not any particular errors that guide might contain.

And I'm not clear what the alleged misdeeds of the Palm Drive District, which supposedly occurred several months before I was appointed to the District board, have to do with my response.

Finally, I wouldn't mess with Cookie or Cocoa if I were you--they're pretty good ratters...

[Peacetown Jonathan]

Richard, in your zeal to elect Jim Horn to make sure that Palm Drive's emergency room remains closed, you seem to have very little regard for the facts. Or the compelling public interest of the many of us in this community who want to restore that life saving services of an emergency room for our families and neighbors, especially the elders among us.

I am not the CEO of Progressive Sebastopol. It is a volunteer community group. One that is more interested in supporting our common public interest and public health than our political and personal friends.

I am the CEO of Progressive Source Communications. People can see the work that we do at www.ProgressiveSource.com.

According to the green JG flyer attacking Slayter, Progressive Sebastopol has endorsed its CEO Jonathan Greenberg and other endorsements include "hundreds of Sebastopol parents, seniors and people like you". Let me tell you, to paraphrase Woody Allen, "I would never vote for someone that would accept my endorsement."

All right, just a bad joke, but when I vote, one thing I do is look to see who is endorsing who, and in looking at Jonathans election website, I see not even one endorsement, much les hundreds. Kind of hard to know what to do when a candidates major endorsement seems to be himself. He also lists Dan Smith and Dr. Gude on the flyer.

[Richard Nichols]

Please not again Jon, with the inflammatory BS. But you will target anyone who disagrees with your zealous positions.
You can say that we don't want the ER open, but you can't back it up. Jim Horn is a good Board member, and you know damn well he is not against opening the hospital.

I stand corrected on the CEO. You are the head of Progressive Sebastopol, which endorsed you. Hey, that's handy.
Did your volunteer community group vote as a whole to endorse you? Or was it an executive decision? Are these folks endorsing you as individuals?

Congratulations, a short response for a change.

Richard, in you zeal to elect Jim Horn to make sure that Palm Drive's emergency room remains closed, you seem to have very little regard for the facts. Or the compelling public interest of the many of us in this community who want to restore that life saving services of an emergency room for our families and neighbors, especially the elders among us.

I am not the CEO of Progressive Sebastopol. It is a volunteer community group. One that is more interested in supporting our common public interest and public health than our political and personal friends.

I am the CEO of Progressive Source Communications. People can see the work that we do at www.ProgressiveSource.com.

[Peacetown Jonathan]

What I do know Richard is that our community will not get an emergency room back if Horn is elected instead of Colthurst and Powers. To me, this is the most important vote in this election. I'll be elaborating more on why soon and providing plenty of back up material and facts.

I was the founder of Progressive Sebastopol; four years ago-- this is our fourth voter guide, and the only one that we have done in which one of our group has run for office. The election two years ago might not have swung the way it did had we not been strong supporters of both Eder and Jacob. Although I disagree with John on the hospital a lot, and think he really ought to recuse himself like he said he would, and object to his snarky remarks and hostility to my candidacy, I think he has been excellent on a number of issues, especially CVS and local funding of libraries. I do not regret our endorsements in the last Council race at all, when I think of the alternatives.

Progressive Sebastopol makes endorsements by consensus. Yes, the group voted to endorse me and one member wrote that endorsement.

Please not again Jon, with the inflammatory BS. But you will target anyone who disagrees with your zealous positions.

You can say that we don't want the ER open, but you can't back it up. Jim Horn is a good Board member, and you know damn well he is not against opening the hospital.

I stand corrected on the CEO. You are the head of Progressive Sebastopol, which endorsed you. Hey, that's handy.
Did your volunteer community group vote as a whole to endorse you? Or was it an executive decision? Are these folks endorsing you as individuals?

Congratulations, a short response for a change.

[Richard Nichols]

Jonathan, thanks for the more moderate response. At least it wasn't "your zeal to keep the hospital closed" (a paraphrase), in the last message. You know that to be false, or at least you can't factually prove it.

I had no idea you were an important part of getting Robert and Jon elected. My wife and I were right in the middle of that effort. We were on Eders Kitchen Committee, and I put up hundreds of sign, and Brenda walked many precincts.

...The election two years ago might not have swung the way it did had we not been strong supporters of both Eder and Jacob....

[Peacetown Jonathan]

Regarding the last election--and this one, Richard:

Below is Progressive Sebastopol's voter guide for 2012; which focused on electing Eder and Jacob as the central local issue in that election. We gave out hundreds of these guides at schools and the town square, and hundreds of other people downloaded them from this and our website and read about it here on Wacco. I also spoke publicly and often, and wrote letters and commentary about CVS and Ms. Shaffer's role in it; here and in other local media. In addition, after the election, I wrote and spoke in support of Michael and Sarah's actions in the election, when they were unfairly attacked about their important role in helping Jacob and Eder; I am pasting that below as well.

How many votes did Progressive Sebastopol's strong endorsement and voter guide distribution influence? It certainly helped both of them, and may have made a critical difference in John's tight margin of victory.

Did we play an important role? Was my role larger than yours, for instance, Richard?

This is an absurd comparison. the only reason we are having it is your continued effort on behalf of Patrick Slayter and Jim Horn, to diminish my political record of effective public interest advocacy. And the effectiveness of the truth telling I have been doing, and will continue to do, about reopening an emergency room at Palm Drive Hospital.

You, Richard, have joined Helen Shane and a few others as Sebastopol's attack dogs of negative campaigning. You are attacking my character and credibility because your political loyalty leaves you unable to contest the facts, or even face the facts, of what this election is all about:

Whether our political representatives reopen an emergency room at Palm Drive Hospital, or not?

Whether we will have transparency and more responsive government, or not?

Whether our Council, for the sake of "collegiality," remains disempowered and overly deferential to unelected City staff to dictate how our taxes will be raised, and spent, and what core policies we implement, or not?

Whether we finally actually budget and paint and build bike lanes, and purchase electric vehicles for our city's fleet, or not?

Whether our City initiates a citizen survey system for feedback on critical budgetary issues and policy priorities, or not?

These are core issues that I intend to address as an independent, experienced, and capable advocate for the people of our community, and or public interest.


And here's what we wrote during the last election in 2012:

https://www.waccobb.net/forums/newre...reply&p=184569

Progressive Sebastopol (www.ProgressiveSebastopol.com) is a grassroots effort to advise electoral choices that benefit the highest good for our community, nation and planet. I am pleased to coordinate this small, volunteer group of Sebastopol-based citizens.
​
Progressive Sebastopol is independent of any campaign, organization, corporation, or PAC.
You can find a downloadable pdf here, or on our website

We strongly endorse Robert Jabob and John Eder for City Council; an editorial below explains why.

Comments as replies to this post are MOST WELCOME. Thank you!

Progressive Sebastopol 2012 Voter Guide: Candidates

United States President Barack Obama
United States Senate Diane Feinstein
U.S. Representative Jared Huffman
State Assembly Michael Allen

Sebastopol City Council Robert Jacob & John Eder

This City Council race provides a critical opportunity to vote for two candidates who represent a truly local, green future for our unique city. In their experience as community and business leaders who actively opposed the unpopular CVS development at the crossroads of our community, Robert Jacob and John Eder argued articulately against the ill-advised overturning of our City’s Design Review Board.

Through their actions on CVS and leaf blowers, opposing candidates Kathleen Shaffer and Kathy Austin have shown themselves to be unduly influenced by mega-corporations, developers, and large landowners, at the expense of Sebastopol’s citizens and ecology. Progressive Sebastopol believes that the vision that Robert Jacob and John Eder have for our city’s future is better suited for a thriving, locally sustainable economy.


Peacetown Jonathan - 12-07-2012, 06:08 PM

This was my letter which appeared in this week's Sonoma West responding to Larry Robinson's recent commentary, ironically called "Leadership." in which me maligned two of our finest City Council members for their leadership during the recent election...

Progressive Leadership

Editor: I agree with Larry Robinson’s recent Guest Commentary (“Leadership,” Nov. 15) that a post election “winner take all approach” will not serve Sebastopol. Dialog, civility, and dedication are essential values shared by nearly everyone attracted to our extraordinary community.

But I feel that Mr. Robinson confuses civility with deference to power and the status quo. This election provided a very clear political choice to voters, between Councilmember Kathleen Shaffer and former Mayor Kathy Austin, who actively supported the CVS development and Robert Jacob and John Eder, who opposed it.

Fifty-six percent of voters supported Jacob and Eder and anti-CVS Colleen Fernald (2 percent), while only 44 percent voted for Shaffer and Austin. We, the people of Sebastopol, voted for change.

I especially disagree with Mr. Robinson’s assertion that Councilmember Sarah Gurney and Vice Mayor Michael Kyes engaged in the “most appalling mudslinging and character assassination that I have ever seen in a local election.”

Mr. Robinson conflates truth telling with mudslinging. In doing so, ironically, he slings mud at two dedicated Council leaders who exercised what I consider to be courageous truth telling.

Ms. Gurney and Mr. Kyes performed a service to our community when they went public with Councilmember Shaffer’s voting record, and actions, in her “under the radar” support of the CVS Development. This was especially important because, according to a number of my friends who spoke to Ms. Shaffer during her door-knocking campaign, Ms. Shaffer “ran from her record” and told people that she did not like the CVS Development either, but was forced, by law, to reluctantly vote for it.

As for drawing attention to the decision by a realtor PAC to donate money to both the Shaffer and Austin campaigns, this, too was a service to our community. It is important to publicize PAC donations from parties with large vested financial interest in our City government’s decisions.

I agree with Mr. Robinson that selecting a new city manager will be an important decision for the new City Council. But his complaint that “petty infighting” led to former City Manager Jack Griffin being “driven away” is another example of confusing deference to power with actual leadership. In my opinion, through (Griffin’s) actions and words, he objected to the pervasive green, progressive values that a majority of people support here in Sebastopol.

Deference to the powerful city staff of Sebastopol, in my view, is not council leadership, but an abrogation of the democratic duties of our elected officials.

Real leadership means pushing back, not rubber stamping power grabs by city staff who are paid to carry out, not make, the political decisions of our elected official​s.

We, the people of Sebastopol, are going to have a majority progressive, green City Council that truly reflects our values. Now that’s leadership.

Jonathan Greenberg
Sebastopol

Jonathan, thanks for the more moderate response. At least it wasn't "your zeal to keep the hospital closed" (a paraphrase), in the last message. You know that to be false, or at least you can't factually prove it.

I had no idea you were an important part of getting Robert and Jon elected. My wife and I were right in the middle of that effort. We were on Eders Kitchen Committee, and I put up hundreds of sign, and Brenda walked many precincts.

[Richard Nichols]

Jonathan, thanks. I've never been called "attack dog" before. Is that an attack on my character?
In the case of Helen, who is 80, has a broken hip, and still has a fire in her belly, I say yeah, go, attack dog Helen.

I'm sorry you feel so maligned. I commend you for running for office. I'm so thin skinned that I couldn't do it. You write and speak so much that it's not to hard to find a number of factual errors. Maybe they are simple mistakes, maybe they are purposeful. I don't know. For instance, when you said at the candidates forum that the general plan consultant cost was $850,000, when in fact it is something like $380,000, was that just a mistake, or were you trying to make a point that the City Council spends too much on consultants, as you have stated. Anyway, you should correct the record on that one.

I didn't make any "absurd comparison". I was simply saying that I wasn't aware of your role. My wife and I played a role in the last election, but others did much more. Hey, maybe your efforts did swing the vote, but how can anyone know?

Regardless of the outcome, we all want the good community that we have, and we can always work to make it better.

In the meantime, only 12 days left. I hope Fudge wins, I hope the Dems don't lose the senate, and I hope the hospital opens. speaking of which, somebody told me that "urgent care" is almost as good, and much less to open, than an ER. What do you think?

Regarding the last election--and this one, Richard:
...

[pamelaL]

Speaking as a seasoned RN, I can tell you unequivocally an urgent care center does not equate with an emergency room. I have been following this thread with interest and as an aside, reading text in bold feels like e-shouting to me, although it felt appropriate to write the issues themselves in bold text...

[scamperwillow]

Haha - you guys crack me up! Regarding Palm Drive, I'm curious how many supporters of opening the emergency room actually go there rather than Kaiser, Sutter or Memorial. I mean that's what it all comes down to - financial support in a big way. Pretty much everyone I know in West County goes to those other hospitals. I'm sure there are occasional emergencies that need even more immediate response, but wouldn't a critical care or triage center work about as well to stabilize urgent patients before getting them to an emergency room? And of course a lot of stabilizing goes on in the ambulance too.

Hi Jonathan, thanks. I've never been called "attack dog" before. Is that an attack on my character?...

[Barry]

...Regarding Palm Drive, I'm curious how many supporters of opening the emergency room actually go there rather than Kaiser, Sutter or Memorial. I mean that's what it all comes down to - financial support in a big way. Pretty much everyone I know in West County goes to those other hospitals. ....

Guilty as charged. And i've been there many times over the years.