I have dispatched the following letter to the Sonoma County Democratic Party at [email protected]. I received most of it as a model drafted by a large group of 5th District activists. I suggest you or groups that you are involved with consider sending such a letter, by Monday, since the SCDP will meet on Tuesday to consider how to proceed. You could use the following as a model, eliminating at least the last paragraph. Your letter could also be a much briefer letter.
August 8, 2013
Dear Sonoma County Democratic Party,
The 5th District no longer has a supervisor representing us. This is an unfortunate situation. We need one as soon as possible. Could you help the voters of Sonoma County get a person who would be responsible. An important next step would be to ask for the immediate resignation of Supervisor Efren Carrillo.
Since Supervisor Efren Carrillo was arrested in the early morning hours of July 13 for attempting to break into a woman's home, Sonoma County's Fifth District has been without representation. This is the second time that Mr. Carrillo has been arrested for a violent act in less than a year. This latest arrest occurred after Mr. Carrillo apparently frightened a woman so badly that she called the police twice. Whether he is charged or not, we are deeply disturbed and offended by his actions, and by his spokespeople's insufficient explanations.
Supervisor Carrillo was catapulted into the highest elected County office at a young age and at first seemed bright and able to meet the heavy burdens of office. In addition, it was certainly time for Sonoma County's Latino community to have representation on the Board of Supervisors. But it now seems sadly clear that Mr. Carrillo had not matured enough to handle the pressures of high office.
Supervisor Carrillo's disorderly and aggressive conduct has brought great discredit and embarrassment not only to the Board of Supervisors, but to the whole County. Any other employee of the County would likely be terminated for such misconduct. As Mr. Carrillo stated when he personally fired Agricultural Commissioner Kathy Neville for a lesser transgression: “You fail to comprehend the depth of the problem or the liability your conduct poses the county.”
If Supervisor Carrillo does have a drug dependency, we support his taking time to address it. Unfortunately, he was removed to rehab without an apology or explanation for his behavior. Conspicuously missing is an apology to the woman he had threatened, or to his constituents. We cannot accept that behavior, which looks more like a cover-up than a road to recovery.
If he really intends to seek rehabilitation, Mr. Carrillo will be absent for more than a month, and unable to participate in decisions having importance to his District and the County, leaving his constituents unrepresented. Until truly rehabilitated, he can no longer be a role model for any citizen.
Even before his current problems, Mr. Carrillo had not been as responsive to his constituency as had previous supervisors during my 20 years as a resident here. I am one of a number of citizens who have been concerned about the apple orchard to vineyard conversion on Watertrough Rd. in the Sebastopol countryside near five schools with around 700 students. We tried many times to meet with Mr. Carrillo for over two months. He was never available, perhaps because he was spending so much time in Sacramento. So we ended up going to the Board of Supervisors at least half a dozen times to plead our case. We need a supervisor responsive to citizens as soon as possible.
Thanks for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Shepherd Bliss, Apple Roots Group
P.O. Box 474, Sebastopol, CA. 95473