Election Update October 22, 2012
By now, most of you have seen the slick 4-color flyer circulated by Kathy Austin and the one paid for by Sustainable Sebastopol praising both Ms Austin and Ms Shaffer.
They’ve tried to bury in the past the matter of the two-year battle for domination of our downtown core by CVS/Chase and of course, their under and over the radar support of CVS/Chase. The votes by Ms Shaffer and Ms Austin’s Sonoma West opinion piece and her public testimony urging approval of the project are all part of the record. Kathy Austin also voted against approval of our Urban Growth Boundary back in the 90’s.Subsequently, the UGB was approved by a vote of 69% of Sebastopol citizens.
Everyone knows the CVS/Chase move can still happen, but only with a City Council majority who will support them.
Now comes this alert
Kathleen Shaffer’s husband/campaign treasurer Bob Green told people at the Firefighters’ Pancake Breakfast that candidates Jacob and Eder “may be ahead now, but wait until next week”.
One must wonder if mud is to be slung at which candidate, and by whom. Will it be the Kathleen and Bob campaign itself or will it be some Independent Expenditure committee known to Mr. Green?
The campaign financial disclosures of both Ms Austin and Ms Shaffer reveal that the L.A. based California Real Estate Pac has so far contributed $1500 to each of them as of 9/30. Who knows how much more will be dumped into our local election before Election Day by these pro-development factions?
The election should be contested on the basis of who can be trusted to guide the future path of Sebastopol, who shares the values of our unique town. Candidates “under the radar” Shaffer and Austin seem to want growth no matter how incompatible with our unique small town. They are apparently willing to “recharacterize events” to reach their goals and are supported by the same tunnel-vision group who claim that Sebastopol is anti-business. They ignore the inconvenient truth that the Barlow development in progress is the second largest private project in Sonoma County. And more than a dozen independent businesses are already committed to open there
Barlow’s new Kosta-Brown winery will itself generate more that a half million dollars in new sales taxes, with little traffic impact. The business is mostly mail order.
Eder and Jacob support The Barlow that will provide jobs and generate sales tax for our City. That means more new businesses and revenues with much less traffic than the 2000 daily trips of CVS/Chase!
These thoughtful City Council candidates, John Eder and Robert Jacob, are independent business people, working for and committed to a balanced pro-local business and pro-environment small town. They are endorsed by Sonoma County Conservation Action, the Sierra Club, the Progressive Democrats, and hundreds more!
Don't vote for the Shaffer/Austin duo and their recipe for gridlock at one of our premier downtown corners.
Keep in mind as we are voting on the future of Sebastopol.
Vote for the truth.
John Eder and
Robert Jacob
johneder2012.weebly.com Jacob4council.com
for Sebastopol City Council