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

[Shepherd]

Jenner and elsewhere on the coast are full of signs for Evans. They include diverse, home-make signs, rather than the only one expensive corporation-made sign which the nearly half a million dollars that the coast developers, wine industry, New York billionaire John Dyson and others have paid for.

Yes, many signs on the coast for Evans--Jenner and Bodega Bay as well as the Russian River and Occidental.

[Ken Sund]

Jenner and elsewhere on the coast are full of signs for Evans. They include diverse, home-make signs, rather than the only one expensive corporation-made sign which the nearly half a million dollars that the coast developers, wine industry, New York billionaire John Dyson and others have paid for.

I don't know who that person is pretending to be a monkey but as many others who attack Noreen's legitimacy, they are posting to sow disinformation. Hopkins does have signs on vineyard properties, real estate rental homes and commercial business locations. We have signs on properties belonging to the 99%. The coast, both north and south are pretty well aware of what's at stake in this election. I have been helping install signs that people invite us to put at their homes. They are still up all over the coast proudly identify support for Noreen. We are not keen on seeing the westward march of vineyards, tree cutting, fencing of wildlife, proliferation of more wineries and tasting rooms on our coastal hills. It's almost over. Come on, Wacco readers who really want to help Noreen win, please go to her website, join us doing precinct walking, phone calling and sign waving. The local press has not covered one of our dozens of sign waving events. If Hopkins ever gathers a few people to wave signs I'm sure that's the picture that the Press Democrat's owners will choose to highlight.
Ken Sund.

[Willow Summer]

This is very important information to share Scamperwillow, for us all to actually understand the important work Noreen Evans has done for our county.

Also important is to note that the Sonoma County Green Party endorses Noreen Evans.
...From their website:

"The Green Party of Sonoma County endorsed the following candidates for these local races:
Noreen Evans for Sonoma County Supervisor District 5
Mariko Yamada for CA Senate District 3
Don Saylor for CA Assembly District 4"

I don't rely on the candidate's own websites or mailers much. That would be SILLY, since they can portray things any way they want!!! I rely on the wonderful work organizations such as the Green Party do to research candidates ACTUAL records, positions and donors.

For those of you who have been swayed by the rosy environmentalist picture Lynda Hopkins is painting of herself, I encourage you to look again. The powerful wine industry already has enough of a voice in this county. Money has a way of talking very loud. It is other environmental and agricultural interests (such as food, not drugs) that need a champion.

Drive a little further up the coast and you will see a ton of Evans signs. Coastal folks love Noreen - they know what she has done for them. For example:

ENVIRONMENT
AB 32 (2005) Co-authored California's groundbreaking climate change law....

[scamperwillow]

All this information is really easy to find. There is nothing untrue on her web site. These are all places to find out about Noreen's accomplishments, awards, legislation and so forth. You can do your own google search and find the same thing, but this is easier.
https://www.noreenforsupervisor.com

Or her Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/NoreenforSupervisor/?fref=ts

On the True Facts page:
https://5thdistricttruefacts.com

And here is a new video about Noreen and explaining why she is running:
https://youtu.be/wVWaoeIvMHQ

[rossmen]

Ok, i took your bait, again, just call me naive, like Lynda. ab 2849, has this ever been enforced? its a bs bee rustling law. this is Noreen's environmental record? oh yeah, can't ask questions of her supporters, they don't answer. so at your urging i met noreen, but she doesn't answer questions either. a week later i met lynda, who does. so my vote was decided. it's really not that complicated.

To anyone interested; i am willing to offer long odds on the winner, it's what i do when the answer is obvious and i am tired of the argument. please correct me by making me pay, i love to learn. lynda all the way : )

....
ENVIRONMENT
...AB 2849 (2007) Bees
...

[Sieglinde]

This information really makes me glad I voted for Lynda Hopkins. I have lost a lot of respect for the Green Party over the years.

...
"The Green Party of Sonoma County endorsed the following candidates for these local races:
Noreen Evans for Sonoma County Supervisor District 5 ...

[photolite]

Great. So now disagreeing with some of you folks equates to "posting to sow disinformation". Furthermore, you take giant leaps of logic to paint a picture of Lynda supporting an agenda she has consistently stated she opposes, i.e. vineyard expansion, coastal development, deforestation.
I find it interesting to see all the pro-Noreen self appointed voices of reason becoming increasingly shrill as this thread continues and the election nears.

I don't know who that person is pretending to be a monkey but as many others who attack Noreen's legitimacy, they are posting to sow disinformation. ... We are not keen on seeing the westward march of vineyards, tree cutting, fencing of wildlife, proliferation of more wineries and tasting rooms on our coastal hills....

[photolite]

Today's PD

An organic farmer’s vote
EDITOR: Ernie Carpenter incorrectly stated that Lynda Hopkins has received “no money … from organic farmers” in her campaign for supervisor (“Follow the money,” Letters, Oct. 24). Either Carpenter hasn’t bothered to look at her campaign contributions, or he is not familiar with organic farmers from our area.

I’m a third-generation dairy farmer in the 5th District, and one of several organic farmers supporting Hopkins. My family has put a priority on protecting our natural resources and seeking out environmentally friendly ways to raise dairy cows. I met with Hopkins early in the primary, and I was impressed that she understands the challenges and complexity of operating an organic farming business. On one hand, she’s sharp-minded, energetic and well-versed in organic farming practices and agricultural regulations. On the other hand, she’s approachable and down to earth and can relate to life on the farm. We were able to share laughs over stories about birthing calves and goat kids on our farms.

If you want a supervisor who is smart, fair and open-minded, who is passionate about the environment, who has real-life experience to help shape her view of policy, join me in voting for Lynda Hopkins.
DOUG BERETTA
Santa Rosa

[KittyW]

I'm finding it amazing how this race between 2 progressive Democrats has gotten so acrimonious. Despite that, I count my blessings to live in an area where a rabid pro-business Republican wouldn't have a snowball's chance in hell.

As I was starting to waffle between the 2 candidates, I decided to watch the Hopkins/Evans debates on YouTube. [ Here, here and here ]

It reminded me why I liked Lynda in the first place. I consistently liked her answers better. I liked her approach better. While Noreen repeatedly mentioned her experience (which is fine and respectable), Lynda repeatedly discussed points coming from her having actively listened to real people at town halls.

There were a few topics where I thought Noreen was just as good -- but I definitely don't like her approach to housing or TOT tax redistribution. And her track record on pensions shows just how far she will sell out to organized labor.

For all you "farm waif" mudslingers, I challenge you to actually watch the debates and tell me there aren't TWO -- not one -- intelligent, articulate, thoughtful, knowledgeable and well-prepared women on that stage. Maybe you like Noreen's answers better, but Lynda was no fluff in those debates.

I prefer to listen to the actual candidates and toss the flyers and ignore the dooms-day futurecasters that are convinced that Lynda is a sell-out to big business. My eyes and ears tell me it isn't so.

I agree with photolite -- it takes a giant leap of logic to completely ignore Lynda's actual words and deeds and twist her into the puppet of big business.

You could just as easily say that Noreen is a puppet of big labor.

...Furthermore, you take giant leaps of logic to paint a picture of Lynda supporting an agenda she has consistently stated she opposes, i.e. vineyard expansion, coastal development, deforestation....

[riverosprey]

Out of Hear: The Pot and the Kettle
Frank Robertson ​11/02/16

With only a few days left to worry about the Fifth DistrictSupervisors’ race some of us may feel a sense of relief at not having to think about it anymore.

It’s taken some heavy lifting to keep up with this campaign — just prying jammed-up campaign mailers out of a post office box requires daily patience and perseverance (character traits I admit I lack).

It seems apparent now that Lynda Hopkins will be elected county supervisor next Tuesday for reasons that transcend the usual campaign rhetoric. Something else is at work here, something magical and unforeseen and very West County. It’s as if she’s pulling away owing to forces having less to do with campaign promises and clever attack strategies and more to do with luck, fate and fortune.

I’m sure Noreen Evans would make a good supervisor; she’s smart, competent, seasoned, wholesome, charming and other good things, but in thisFifth District race it looks like she’s on the wrong side of history.

Just a year ago Lynda Hopkins was all but unknown, a former lowly newspaper reporter and organic farmer who sold produce at the local farmers markets.

Evans meanwhile had political name recognition up the gazoo and was anticipating a run against incumbent Supervisor Efren Carrillo, who’d been wearing a political bull’s eye on his back ever since the Great Carrillo Dating Debacle of 2013.

Evans was moving from Santa Rosa into Carrillo’s turf where she must have been licking her chops at the opportunity to bash the evil sex monster into submission just over his highly publicized problems with dating etiquette.

Now it looks like Carrillo might have been an easier foe than Hopkins, a young unknown who came out of nowhere, rolled up her sleeves and started talking to anyone who would listen or not. She had little to be criticized for other than having little to criticize. She was a woman, too, and smart. As former Fifth District Supervisor Eric Koenigshofer, one of Hopkins’ early advocates, put it several months ago, “She went to Stanford, for God’s sake.”

When you’re running for office I’m sure it also helps to be photographed wearing attractive children on your shoulders like fashion accessories. Is that infant on your head a helmet or an Easter bonnet? Probably both when you’re running for office.

Former Fifth District Supervisor Mike Reilly once said that sometimes the best candidate is not the best campaigner. I’m reminded of that in this Fifth District campaign when reading the most recent Evans’ campaign flyer in my mailbox last week. Evans has repeatedly told us that she’s a fighter, and her literature has proven she’s capable of throwing a lot of punches, but she’s having trouble making them land.

Last week’s mailer even targeted John Balletto as a face of the political enemy owing to Balletto’s support of Hopkins. John Balletto? Graduate of Sebastopol’s Analy High School? Local family farm guy who helped make the Laguna de Santa Rosa environmental trail happen on the Balletto’s Laguna farmland? Founder of Balletto Winery that makes a great pinot gris available for under $10 if you shop around? That’s the guy you want to hold up in the Fifth District and flaunt as your political adversary?

Good luck.

We seem to be getting a glimpse of desperation in the Evans campaign now, and I guess you couldn’t blame her strategists at this point. Whoever’s running the show over there may need a little professional help in assessing western Sonoma County residents’ BS detection capabilities.

I also got an e-mail from Evans’ supporters last week reiterating their constant point that Hopkins only moved into the Fifth District last year, implying that she came here for no other reason than to meet an eligibility requirement.

OK, so what? It’s not unforgiveable; the obvious problem is that so did Evans. This is known as the pot calling the kettle black.

What good will that do? We’re all waiting to see on Tuesday.

Frank Robertson is a member of the Sonoma West Times & News staff.

[mouse]

Hey, you could just watch baseball like a regular person right now and save some words for later.

Noreen is the better qualified candidate. I voted for her already. So according to my random and unscientific poll, Noreen wins by a landslide.

Out of Hear: The Pot and the Kettle
Frank Robertson ​11/02/16...

[Eileen M.]

Dear Tom Lynch,

From your post above...
"....Supervisor Efren Carrillo, who’d been wearing a political bull’s eye on his back ever since the Great Carrillo Dating Debacle of 2013.... "

"DATING DEBACLE" ! No words can express my disgust at your choice of words.

Eileen Morabito.

[scamperwillow]

Oh so Frank is making predictions now. Where do we go Wednesday to watch him eat humble pie?

[riverosprey]

Dear Eileen,

Please note they are not my choice of words, but one of my favorite columnists Frank Robertson's with Sonoma West.

Best to Thomas and thank him for lightening up on the 1% campaign...

kind regards, Tom Lynch

"DATING DEBACLE" ! No words can express my disgust at your choice of words.

[Lisa Maldonado]

No one has ever found Lynda to be the problem. She's an average smart woman, with very little job experience from San Diego who brags about going to Stanford a bit much but other than that seems like a nice person (although her hypocritical 'editorial/advertising is starting to make many of us realize she will stoop to conquer)

The issue has always been her big money backers and their dreams of development on the coast and turning the Russian River into Napa.. Since those folks have outed themselves with a breathtakingly obscene amount of money, many of her former supporters who thought she was 'just a farmgirl' have woken up and are voting for the real environmental candidate who is Noreen Evans. Noreen has the record and experience to back up every campaign promise . Unlike Lynda who has never even had a real job, Noreen has taken actual votes and has had to stand up against supporter for a principle and she has done it. I know this personally because when our labor unions were supporting the Graton Casino and pressuring her to vote yes on the casino because it was built union and we thought it was a great development, she told us no and she voted her conscience.

It was a contentious and fractious meeting but Noreen stayed firm and didn't betray her principles. (even though she was wrong about the casino) Contrast that with Lynda who can't even speak up against the half million in dirty money pouring in from Erick Koenigshofer, gravel minining and real estate- If she can't speak up against them now, why should we believe she is going to find a backbone once she gets into office?

Obviously the developers backing Lynda are scared of their polling results. Their campaign has lost momentum as Lynda's backers are unmasked and those of us walking precincts hear about it at the door every day. THAT"S why they are going so negative and spending so much money filling up your mailbox with wasteful trash straight from the republican playbook.

Oh and one other thing- this Frank Robertson guy and Tom Lynch are both so horrifyingly clueless and the fact that they could even think of characterizing Efren's predatory, stalking CRIMINAL behavior as nothing but a 'dating debacle' really disgusts me and tells me that there are still a lot of dirty old men out there who don't take male violence and rape culture seriously and they are absolutely part of the reason women are afarid to speak up. And personally I would be ASHAMED to have the three of them (Efren, Tom and Frank) as supporters. Yuk.

I'm finding it amazing how this race between 2 progressive Democrats has gotten so acrimonious. ...

[Shepherd]

Correction: Lynda's funding is now apparently over half a million, much of it from Big Wine.

As an organic food farmer for the last 24 years, my biggest fear is that we are losing our county to the wine barons and tourists. For more information on this, go to the Wine and Water Watch website (www.winewaterwatch.org)

One of the many consequences of the purchase of wineries and transforming them into event centers--often bought by people living in Asia, New York, and elsewhere--is that young people and others can no longer afford buying or even renting good ag. land for food. Locals are losing control of SoCo's famous ag.

Go Local reports that 96% of the veggies & fruits sold in Sonoma County are imported from outside. At a time of mounting food security issues, this is not a good situation. I like wine, but one cannot live by it alone. We all need water and food.

[Lisa Maldonado]

Tom you endorsed his misogyinstic choice of words when you published it on this website with no explanations or caveats and prasied him for his expression. Your constant toadying and pandering and kissing up to Efren Carrillo speaks for itself.

Call me all the names you like. As my grandpa used to say "if the rock didn't hit ya- don't holler"

Oh and believe me- I know you are "proud" to stand alongside Lynda Hopkins with Frank Robertson and Efren Carrillo and Erick Koenigshofer and that rich wine oligarch Dyson who used to work for Giuliani and called Noreen "Nasty"- You have all mentioned Lynda's 'youth' and 'fresh face' many, many times.... the question is whether she is proud of this caliber and quality of supporters and what they represent. As I said earlier- "YUK"

Please note they are not my choice of words, but one of my favorite columnists Frank Robertson's with Sonoma West.

[Lisa Maldonado]

Noreen has already PROVEN she can oppose her supporters. She did it in the state legislaure when those of us in the labor movement lobbied her HARD to support the Graton Casino which was built wall to wall union. She was concerned about environmental impacts and water and she told us to our face she wouldnt support it and she didnt. Contrast that with Lynda Hopkins who has NO RECORD and can't even stand up to the huge dirty mailings and online ads from her supporters Erick Koenigshofer and Mike Martini and all the other rich wineries and real estate developers. If she can't even summon the spine to call them out now what makes you think she will grow a spine AFTER they spent 500K to get her elected?

You can bet your booty Noreen will vote the way HER campaign donors [such as the SEIU] want her to.

[Barry]

Thank you, Patrick. I stand corrected. Erik's ignoble PAC appears to be the largest single player followed by the SEIU.

Expand

I'm going to take this back. Where's Eric PAC (or more correctly IEC - Independant Expenditure Committee) has the largest block of money to spend, again it comes from and is in support of diverse interests, albeit from a small handful of industries (but each with several distinct interests).

However, IMO, the SEIU is still the largest single interest giving money, with nearly $81,000 independant expenditure plus and additional $20,250 direct contributions (see attachment) for a combined total of $100,000, along with countless volunteer hours.

[Lisa Maldonado]

And then there is this:

not saying she is or she isn't but being an organic farmer isn't much evidence as such. An organic farm is a business whose product is organic produce and/or meat. Doesn't directly have anything to do with coastal or open-space protection, which to many in this county is what's meant by being a 'steward of the environment'. Instead, it has to do with labeling of your product. Some of the complaints about her revolve around her ties to other businesses, because it's not obvious that any of them have ties to the land preservationist movement.

[Lisa Maldonado]

Interesting math and analysis- I guess you are not counting the free advertisement and editorials that Lynda has gotten from the crony capitalists and plutocrats who own the Press Democrat? Care to factor that in...? All our volunteers walk as volunteers- we have a lot of members in the 5th district. But the Press Democrat which has given Hopkins THOUSANDS in free advertising like yesterdays embarrasing 'editorial' are using their newspaper to push their own business and real estate interests. Pretty convenient to own a newspaper when you are trying to buy Supervisor.

...However, IMO, the SEIU is still the largest single interest giving money, with nearly $81,000 independant expenditure plus and additional $20,250 direct contributions (see attachment) for a combined total of $100,000, along with countless volunteer hours.

[scamperwillow]

...But the Press Democrat which has given Hopkins THOUSANDS in free advertising like yesterdays embarrasing 'editorial' are using their newspaper to push their own business and real estate interests. ....

And then there is JOHN Dyson, New York financier and Guliani appointee who has invested nearly $50,000 into Lynda's and the IE campaigns. That's ONE person.

[Lisa Maldonado]

Wow Good old anti-union republican talking points- is that what led you to support Erick Koenigshofer and Dyson and Russian river gravel miners?

Wow, that's some negative old-school future-casting. Is that what led Noreen to this pension mess -- lunches with public employee unions?

[Lisa Maldonado]

No Hopkins is in bed with Gravel Mining, Real Estate developers and Big Corporate wineries and Erick Koenigshofer, and Rob Muelrath- the local lobbyists for the oligarchy- is that so much better? Wow, Barry you are pretty anti -union for a "progressive".

Two main reasons:

1) Next generation innovative leadership. I find her to be a creative thinker, including her stances on affordable housing and TOT tax distribution.

2) She is not in bed with the SEIU.

[jenielson]

Surely a campaign that is strongly environmental would not be inundating the area with scads of expensive dirty tricks to defeat a candidate with fully demonstrated legislative abilities and a strong environmental record? If Hopkins were honest she would have to be appalled by this being done in her name.

My examples of dirty tricks includes mailers that imply an untruth with highly selected facts; highly negative online ads that sort to the top when someone googles Noreen's website, so that Vote No on Noreen" ad site comes up; full page Hopkins ads in the PD (more than $5K a pop for those -- maybe $10K??)

This, to me is the best example of what is at stake. Truly, major anti-enviro forces are trying to buy this election. Hopkins may not be in charge of this, but she has not objected as far as I can tell.

[Lisa Maldonado]

There are plenty of others who question Lynda's "farm friendly" credentials

[Barry]

...My examples of dirty tricks includes mailers that imply an untruth with highly selected facts; highly negative online ads that sort to the top when someone googles Noreen's website, so that Vote No on Noreen" ad site comes up; full page Hopkins ads in the PD (more than $5K a pop for those -- maybe $10K??.

The actions you site were promulgated by Eric the K's Independent Expenditure Committee, and as such, Lynda is prohibited by law to control them or in any become "material involved".

...Hopkins may not be in charge of this, but she has not objected as far as I can tell...

Lynda addressed her disapproval on her recently posted comments, including: "Do I approve of these ads? No. Do I support them? No."

[Shepherd]

Yet Lynda benefits from those who seem to be pulling her strings. If she does not approve, why does she not do a serious criticism of Eric the K.? This is a hollow "disapproval"--not enough.

Meanwhile, the PD & Bosco Boys endorse her and allow her to write a Close to Home. How about giving Noreen Evans equal time? That would be real democracy.

The actions you site were promulgated by Eric the K's Independent Expenditure Committee, and as such, Lynda is prohibited by law to control them or in any become "material involved".


Lynda addressed her disapproval on her recently posted comments, including: "Do I approve of these ads? No. Do I support them? No."

[jenielson]

She certainly cannot have any say in how the money is used. But she certainly could make a public statement about the false and misleading content being put out and the positioning online.

[KittyW]

I've been wondering why the SEIU and unions are throwing such vast sums of money at Noreen. They are painting Lynda as the devil incarnate, the ultimate environmental apocalypse candidate.

and then it hit me...

PENSIONS.

I googled and read a lot of the history of Sonoma County's pension burden, the spiking, the perks, the sweet deals that are draining resources... and Noreen's track record and comments.

Noreen has been the Patron Saint of Pensions.

I'm not against pensions by any means, but there are some pretty sweet deals going on.

And they need Noreen as a Supervisor to tip the Board in their favor and ensure that the gravy train keeps on chugging along unimpeded.

So they paint Lynda Hopkins as a puppet of big business and fear monger the ruination of the environment to keep the public's eye off the prize.

Oh my, this is a very interesting election indeed.

Not to say that Noreen hasn't done some good things. She has. But I think we know where her priorities lie when it comes to the hundreds of millions of dollars at stake in the pension debate.

For all the acrimony in this election, equal parts are coming from both sides.

From their supporters, not necessarily the candidate herself.

Both candidates have big money interests funding her campaign, along with grassroots support.

But can the candidates be bought?

This remains to be seen. Whoever wins, keep your eye on her.

No Hopkins is in bed with Gravel Mining, Real Estate developers and Big Corporate wineries and Erick Koenigshofer, and Rob Muelrath- the local lobbyists for the oligarchy- is that so much better? Wow, Barry you are pretty anti -union for a "progressive".