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

[Barry]

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

You are hereby invited.

[Goat Rock Ukulele]

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.

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.

[Barry]

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.”

[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?

[scamperwillow]

Mickey Hart is not Caryl Hart.

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?

[scamperwillow]

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.

[photolite]

And Caryl Hart is not Mickey Hart.

From the PD:

Lynda Hopkins, Noreen Evans spar over campaign contributors in Sonoma County supervisor race

"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.

Mickey Hart is not Caryl Hart.

[scamperwillow]

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.

[photolite]

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.

[Barry]

...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. ...

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.

[Roberta Llewellyn]

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.

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....

[riverosprey]

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.

[Goat Rock Ukulele]

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.

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

[Allorrah Be]

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

[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.

[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.

[Goat Rock Ukulele]

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.

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.

[Sebastopol Senior Center]

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.

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

[Richard Nichols]

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

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

[rossmen]

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.

...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....

[scamperwillow]

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

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.

[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...

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

[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.

[riverosprey]

Expand

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!!!

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

[riverosprey]

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 !!!!

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

... 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. ...

[Shepherd]

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.

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

[podfish]

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

..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...

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

[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.

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.

[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.

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.

[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. 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. . . . . .

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...