5th District choices: a reality check with less hyperbole

[Eukaryote]

I’ll say at the start that I have been Rue’s partner for many years, so I am not neutral. For that reason, I’m going to weight in with some basic facts and observations, rather than just throw out my opinion vs. someone else. The rhetorical and theatrical back-and-forth is obscuring some basic truths.

The west county is so progressive that to be something else as a candidate is political suicide. Do you think any candidate is going to run on a platform of repealing the UGBs? How about supporting increased river discharge or allowing more Russian River terrace gravel mining? How many WaccoBB readers expect to see a candidate out here support massive clearcutting for luxury estates? Or lots of fill in the Laguna? Or reducing our recycling efforts so we can ship our garbage on freight cars to fill a Nevada pit mine? A show of hands for repealing the minimum wage or banning gay marriage? I think you see the point.

If you compared Sharon Wright’s positions with Efren’s, there would be a lot of similar positions. Which is not a criticism of Efren (sit down Tom, wait until I’m done), but more a reflection that all candidates try to respond to the politics of the place and the moment. Some candidates mean it, some don’t. Efren may genuinely believe everything he claims.

But we don’t KNOW that, and he doesn’t have a right to be taken at face value, not when he has no track record at all west of the Laguna, and he chooses to be guided and driven around to meetings and debates by a gravel lobbiest and a Preservation Ranch lobbiest.

So how do you judge candidates who seem to say all the right things? You look at a track record and you look to groups or people who know track records and values to recognize the difference.

Rue has been endorsed by the Sierra Club, Conservation Action, West Sonoma County Rural Alliance, Brenda Adelman, and the Green Party of Sonoma County, to name a few.

Efren has been endorsed by the Sonoma County Alliance, the North Coast Builders Exchange, and the Engineering Contractors Association.

Those groups have picked the candidates they think will most reflect their outlook on Sonoma County’s future, and they think the distinction is clear. So decide which set of organizations reflects your philosophy and align yourself accordingly.

Someone earlier noted that both Efren and Rue were Democrats, which is true. But again, Efren has no track record of support for or participation in the local Democratic party and its efforts. Rue has worked with the Democratic Central Committee for many years on organizing, education, and events. Both Efren and Rue sought the endorsement of local Democratic groups. In the end, Rue got the support of the Sonoma County Democratic Party, the Progressive Democrats, the Sonoma County Young Democrats, and the Sonoma County Latino Democratic Club. Again, these groups and leaders weighed the two candidates, and their experience and contributions, and all went with Rue. Doesnt mean Efren is a bad Democrat, just that he hasnt shown that the Democratic party is important to him.

So the issue isn’t so much that Efren is bad or bought, but that all those organizations have more confidence and trust in Rue, and know she is the only one prepared to do the job.

One more indication that the business/development community have their own perspective. On Monday, September 15, the Builders Exchange and Engineering Contractors hosted a “Rally and Fundraiser” for Sharon Wright, Valerie Brown, and Efren Carrillo combined. They solicited $1,000 donations for these three candidates who they describe as “very critical to the future of the construction industry”. And their community responded, with +75% of Efren’s $1000 donations for the entire summer pouring in during the two weeks following that event. So irrespective of what Furch or Carrillo supporters say, the key pro-development groups have themselves made it very clear that they already believe Efren will take better care of them.

With a little help from Barry, I will try to figure out how to post the unedited Builders Exchange flyer, so you can see for yourself.

Scot Stegeman

[Barry]

The Builders Exchange flyer that Scott mention is attached below. Click on the link and the .pdf will open.

[riverosprey]

!!!VOTE FOR EFREN CARRILLO!!!

Dear Scott and Barry...

For what shall it profit a man,
if he shall gain the whole world,
and lose his own soul?
Luke 9:23-25

(I like the quote...mind you I'm not a very religious person with a daughter that is Jewish, Catholic and Russian Orthodox ;0)

The harder and dirtier Rue's campaign tries to hit Efren Carrillo with the lies and distortions of the orchestrated "Follow the Money" campaign, the more votes Rue loses and the more bereft her efforts become.

The voters of the 5th district will see through the $100,000 public employee funded hit pieces. Voters do not support Rue giving everyone raises in the midst of a recession by shutting down all of our Human Services and Mental Health programs and gutting funding for all our nonprofits and volunteer organisations. Workers at the County know that there will be more jobs and more secure benefits with Efren as Supervisor than Rue.

Read the following article and quote from the Wall Street Journal:

"...But aging radicals and old scandals don't tap today's fears, which may be why they haven't resonated. "Arguing about personal associations pales in comparison" to the current grim economic news, says Dr. West."

OCTOBER 16, 2008 Ready, Aim, Backfire: Nasty Political Ads Fall Flat

https://online.wsj.com/article/SB122...googlenews_wsj

Peace and Love,
Tom Lynch

!!!VOTE FOR EFREN CARRILLO!!!

[zenekar]

Tom,

Did I miss something? Is "Rue giving everyone raises in the midst of a recession by shutting down all of our Human Services and Mental Health programs and gutting funding for all our nonprofits and volunteer organizations."?? Hmmm. And you speak about hyperbole??!! Comparing Rue with McCain is a bit of a stretch, No? It's sad to witness your obvious desperation in defense of Efren and his backers.

Yes, follow the money and the influence of the carpetbagger developers after the election (and throw some manure at THEIR doorstep).

Attila
---

!!!VOTE FOR EFREN CARRILLO!!!

Dear Scott and Barry...

For what shall it profit a man,
if he shall gain the whole world,
and lose his own soul?
Luke 9:23-25

(I like the quote...mind you I'm not a very religious person with a daughter that is Jewish, Catholic and Russian Orthodox ;0)

The harder and dirtier Rue's campaign tries to hit Efren Carrillo with the lies and distortions of the orchestrated "Follow the Money" campaign, the more votes Rue loses and the more bereft her efforts become.

The voters of the 5th district will see through the $100,000 public employee funded hit pieces. Voters do not support Rue giving everyone raises in the midst of a recession by shutting down all of our Human Services and Mental Health programs and gutting funding for all our nonprofits and volunteer organisations. Workers at the County know that there will be more jobs and more secure benefits with Efren as Supervisor than Rue.

Read the following article and quote from the Wall Street Journal:

"...But aging radicals and old scandals don't tap today's fears, which may be why they haven't resonated. "Arguing about personal associations pales in comparison" to the current grim economic news, says Dr. West."

OCTOBER 16, 2008 Ready, Aim, Backfire: Nasty Political Ads Fall Flat

https://online.wsj.com/article/SB122...googlenews_wsj

Peace and Love,
Tom Lynch

!!!VOTE FOR EFREN CARRILLO!!!

[Moon]

Nice handle. What a coincidence--i'm eukaryotic, too!
Rationality in politics; maybe we really are living in a New Age.

The rhetorical and theatrical back-and-forth is obscuring some basic truths.
The west county is so progressive that to be something else as a candidate is political suicide.
If you compared Sharon Wright’s positions with Efren’s, there would be a lot of similar positions. But we don’t KNOW that, and he doesn’t have a right to be taken at face value, not when he has no track record at all west of the Laguna, and he chooses to be guided and driven around to meetings and debates by a gravel lobbyist and a Preservation Ranch lobbyist.
Efren has been endorsed by the Sonoma County Alliance, the North Coast Builders Exchange, and the Engineering Contractors Association.
Those groups have picked the candidates they think will most reflect their outlook on Sonoma County’s future, and they think the distinction is clear. So decide which set of organizations reflects your philosophy and align yourself accordingly.
Someone earlier noted that both Efren and Rue were Democrats, which is true.
So irrespective of what Furch or Carrillo supporters say, the key pro-development groups have themselves made it very clear that they already believe Efren will take better care of them.
Scot Stegeman