Letters to the Editor 12-22-16

Alternate perspective to Aita

EDITOR: I want to offer an alternate perspective to the spiteful tone in Mr. Aita’s letter last week regarding the city council service of Mr. Eder and Mr. Jacobs. I would like to offer thanks to both of these men for their service to our community. Clearly it is a thankless job and one fraught with complex decision making. I believe that these men represented the many residents who have a vision of Sebastopol that does not include a CVS at the entrance to the town. Even setting that one issue aside, I appreciate the fact that they gave the community four years of meetings and stressful days and nights. I don’t see an abundance of residents lining up to take on the job and I appreciate these retiring city council members as well as the new and ongoing members. I am grateful that you are willing to give your best effort to create a healthy and vibrant community.

JT O’Neill, Sebastopol

Way to act tangibly

EDITOR: I appreciated the recent opinion pieces from both Mr. Music (Peace on earth, goodwill to all) and Bob Jones (Keeping the faith, ‘Tis the season to be wary). In different ways, they each spoke to the cognitive dissonance and inner turmoil many of us are experiencing — how do we reconcile our values and our highest intentions for community, nation and world in the light of recent events. This inner turmoil becomes especially pronounced at the holiday season. How do we honor the hopefulness of the season when we can look around and find so many reasons for despair? If this struggle resonates with you, I would encourage you to research and consider joining the Citizen’s Climate Lobby. The Citizen’s Climate Lobby is an organization founded on respect, dialogue, and non-partisan political will-building. Board members include climate scientists, former Republican politicians, evangelicals and liberal climate activists all working together to pass a revenue-neutral carbon fee and dividend. When we’re successful, CO2 emissions will drop dramatically and more than 2 million jobs will be created. A revenue-neutral carbon fee and dividend has the chance for broad bipartisan appeal because it takes effective, swift action to reduce CO2 emissions, without growing the size of government or adding a single EPA regulation. Supporting Citizen’s Climate Lobby’s revenue-neutral carbon fee and dividend is a way to act tangibly on our best intentions for unity, sustainability, and health in these tumultuous times.

Park Guthrie, Sebastopol

Merry Christmas to the P.O.

EDITOR: A note of appreciation is obviously necessary at this busiest, and likely most stressful time of year for all of the employees at our local post office. We make daily trips to the post office to pick up the mail from our post office box and, much as everyone else does, have made several trips to send holiday packages to our friends and family. Our experiences have always been positive. The employees at the desk are universally helpful and personable. When you consider the volume of mail and packages coming in and going out, it is extraordinary that they maintain such good humor. The mail is almost always delivered on time and correctly to our post office box. Our mail carrier has run up and down the stairs in front of our house many times to deliver purchases and gifts. If he sees us, he always takes the time to smile and say hello. During this time of year, we expect to stand in line to mail our packages. We know that it’s going to be busy. We try to plan ahead and allow for extra time. Is it a bother? Not if you realize that the post office employees are doing their very best to complete your transaction. Sometimes I even have pleasant conversations with others who are waiting patiently. Is the post office perfect? Are any of us? All we can ask is that people do their best, and, as far as I can see, everyone at our local post office is doing just that. I am never met with negativity or indifference. I never feel rushed, even at this time of year. Those who help us get our holiday business done also deserve not to feel pressured. They should not be made to feel that they are somehow less important than any of us on the other side of the counter, or that the job they do is less worthy than the jobs that any of us do. Perhaps we get back what we put forth. Merry Christmas and holiday wishes to all of our friends at the post office. Thank you very much for all that you do. 

Christine Cablk, Healdsburg 

Way to act tangibly

EDITOR: I’m proud of New York City for being a sanctuary city. Let’s be proud of Sebastopol by joining the hundreds of cities willing to defend those whom the president elect threatens.

It is not enough that our wonderful current Police Chief Jeff Weaver would do the right thing and not cooperate with Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE). The word on the street is that he may retire, which would be a great loss. We do not know who the next chief would be. Furthermore, the sheriff also operates here, and he has been known to promote a deputy who recently killed the innocent teenager Andy Lopez.

We deserve a policy commitment from our city leaders, which welcomes hard-working non-criminals, regardless of their country of origin, race, ethnicity or documentation. The word sanctuary means a “sacred place.” For many of us, Sebastopol is sacred. Now let’s prove that. As the editorial board says “Bring it on.”

It’s time to start fighting back for the great American values that are being threatened.

Shepherd Bliss, Sebastopol