Why I support Efren Carrillo for 5th District Supervisor

[riverosprey]

!!!VOTE FOR EFREN CARRILLO!!!

Hello Friends and Neighbors...

Below is a challenge from Zeno Switjink as to why I support Efren Carrillo for 5th District Supervisor. I said because we need new ideas, new paradigms, new energy with some fresh perspectives to address local problems. After getting to know Efren through the course of the campaign and having known Rue for over 25 years I made a difficult decision and endorsed Efren. I believe either candidate will go through the proverbial learning curve once elected but ultimately I think Efren will become a great leader who will bring us together to solve incredibly difficult problems ahead.

We may be on the verge of a societal collapse out of which a phoenix will rise from the ashes. We are in the midst of the largest transference of wealth from younger generations to older generations in the history of any society. Gone are what demographers called the "sweet spot" of the 60's where we had massive public works projects and social programs funded by eight contributors for every one recipient of social security and medicare...today there are 3 contributors for every one recipient, soon to be only two. Our political leaders do not address the real issues.

We have huge unfunded obligations at the County with retiree medical benefits, shortly we will see this liability dwarfed by pay as you go "enhanced retirement" obligations funded by younger County workers (negotiated by older retiring County staff). In the midst of a long and deep recession with high unemployment, all of us seeing friends lose their homes and deep reductions in tax revenues, Sonoma County is giving everyone raises in salaries and benefits of 5%. These raises are funded by not rehiring those who retire while making further cuts in Human Services and Mental Health programs. We also see a gutting of funding for non-profits and volunteer organisations as well as plans for laying off younger workers, cannibalizing our county work force, eating our seed corn.

I am concerned about Preservation Ranch but I am also concerned about Preservation of a Humane Society; the social safety net in our County is an essential service funded by our tax dollars to serve the least of thee amongst us. I have friends walking the streets of Santa Rosa anorexic with matted hair due to cuts in County Mental Health Services. I see the entire budget of the Russian River Senior Center of $162,000/year equal to the individual salary and benefits of over a 1000 of the upper tier County staff. We cannot expect local government to solve all of our problems, we need to enlist and involve everyone and we don't do this by cutting funding to our non-profits and volunteers.

Over the last thirty years I have been arrested more times protecting the environment of Sonoma County than many. My commitment to the environment of Sonoma County and the future of all of us present and future is unwavering. But to me, as it should be for all my fellow environmentalists, the environment includes not only ecology but also the economy and reform of government services. Since the early eighties leaders of the environmental movement in Sonoma County have recognized the need for sustainable economic development in order to protect the environment from unsustainable practices.

To me Efren Carrillo understands more of the problems we face than any of the other candidates running in all three districts. He actually reads the 07/08 and 08/09 County budget. He is smart, honest, charismatic, caring... and anyone willing to dress up as a nun and join the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in Guerneville to call a bingo game can represent the 5th District anytime anywhere in my book ;0P.

peace and love,
Tom Lynch

www.TomLynch4Supervisor.com

https://sites.google.com/a/tomlynch4supervisor.com/sonomacounty/Home

!!!VOTE FOR EFREN CARRILLO!!!

Quote:

riverosprey wrote:
But my vote is that Efren Carrillo is going to bring new ideas, energy and enthusiam that we are lacking in the 5th District and County wide.

Dear Tom,

I demur here. Are we really lacking new ideas, energy and enthusiasm in West County?

Think Occidental Arts and Ecology Center! Think Climate Protection Campaign, formerly from Graton! Think Brenda Adelman and Russian River Watershed Protection Committee! Think Vesta Copestakes and her West County Gazette! Thinks our vibrant arts community, think ARTrails, Quick Silver Mine Company gallery in Forestville!

All groups with inspiring leaders from West County who are showing the way for Sonoma County.

In many ways the 5th districts leads the county, and the county leads the North Bay!

Where have you been since your heroic manure action?

It's not enough for an untried entity as Carrillo to promise "new ideas," and for a vote for him to be just a bet on the future, a vote for a "promising young man."

[Zeno Swijtink]

Below is a challenge from Zeno Switjink as to why I support Efren Carrillo for 5th District Supervisor. I said because we need new ideas, new paradigms, new energy with some fresh perspectives to address local problems. After getting to know Efren through the course of the campaign and having known Rue for over 25 years I made a difficult decision and endorsed Efren. I believe either candidate will go through the proverbial learning curve once elected but ultimately I think Efren will become a great leader who will bring us together to solve incredibly difficult problems ahead. (...)

To me Efren Carrillo understands more of the problems we face than any of the other candidates running in all three districts. He actually reads the 07/08 and 08/09 County budget. He is smart, honest, charismatic, caring... and anyone willing to dress up as a nun and join the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in Guerneville to call a bingo game can represent the 5th District anytime anywhere in my book ;0P.

Tom, I am perplexed. These are all serious problems. But you don't show that Efren has anything to say about them nor do you give any evidence that his career up till now has prepared him for these challenges.

You are asking us to accept this all trusting your judgment based on hanging out with Efren through the course of the campaign .

Dressing up as a nun in itself does not show one is ready to represent the 5th District. And are you suggesting that none of the other five candidates running in the three districts has read the 07/08 and 08/09 County budget? Even in your own book, are you not overreaching yourself?

[iaim2xl]

I support Efren as well. My reason is not as long and eloquent as other posts in this thread. I answered my door one evening and Efren was canvassing. I spoke with him at length about what he would do.

But mostly I "listened" to who he was and tapped into the being behind the name, the face and the issues. I like and trust this man. My 12-year-old son was present for the entire conversation, and Efren made a real point of speaking to him as well. A few days later he remembered my son at a public gathering and greeted him by name. That was impressive as well.

Efren gets my vote.

[maryr45]

bye

[Gary]

I like the idea of Efren as a Supervisor, in fact I would pick him over any of the other Supervisors of the other Districts. Then again I am not too happy with the records of the other District Supervisors, as Reilly has had the difficult job of representing the more progressive populace in the face of a very right-leaning majority on the Board. So while I like Efren's apparently more centrist positions and have better feelings about him personally than Rue, I will vote for Rue because there are too many environmental and developmental issues that need a strong stand. I just don't see Efren having the political capital to stand up to a determined Board and to current financiers. I feel like I know what to expect from Rue.

[maryr45]

bye

[dandss1]

I saw a terrible negative piece today from Rue Furch against Efren that will destroy a young mans career.

Where can I find this? I'd like to know what she said.

[maryr45]

bye

[zenekar]

Rather than react and jump to conclusions about either candidate it would be more beneficial to learn for yourself about the candidates' accomplishments and stand on issues that will effect your life and our community.

"An informed citizenry is the bulwark of a democracy…"
- Thomas Jefferson

[riverosprey]

In today's (Oct,18) Press Democrat:

Carrillo's promise

EDITOR: Efren Carrillo represents what Sonoma County should be; Rue Furch represents what it has become.

In Tom Lynch's Monday letter ("Carrillo backer"), he stated that Furch's campaign is "revolving around others fronting distortions of Carrillo's positions." At the community forum in Graton, I witnessed Carrillo giving Furch plenty of opportunity to speak the truth about his positions, and she gave no indication that she should be held accountable to that minimum set of a standards.

I have known Carrillo for two years, and he has known me for three months. It is true Carrillo has endorsements from a lot of powerful people and organizations that are often hard of hearing. He has their ear because he speaks with integrity. This man listens to his constituents and holds the powerful accountable.

I met with Bill Kortum to address the unethical campaign tactics of the candidates Sonoma County Conservation Action has endorsed. I told Kortum that, in my opinion, Carrillo is in the same league as Joe Rattigan, and his response was that "means something." What it means is that we have a unique opportunity to elect a high-caliber man with immense integrity. The question is: Do we have the wisdom?

NORMAN SHEEHAN
Santa Rosa
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Thank you Norman Sheehan for standing up and being counted. We are all the lesser for allowing lies and falsehoods to destroy one of our best and brightest.
Tom Lynch

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil
is that good men do nothing.
Edmund Burke

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