LETTERS TO TH EDITOR – 2-9-12

Shame to the community
Editor: Sebastopol Planning commissioner Clare Najarian’s statement
at the recent City Council meeting to Supervisor Efren Carrillo
that he was not welcome at the meeting brings shame on our
community and on the City Council. I assume that this does not
represent Council policy; so since they appointed her they need to
take responsibility for her behavior. They need to call for her to
apologize to Supervisor Carrillo and to the public; if she does not
they need to ask for her resignation. It is beyond appalling that
an appointed member of local government should take it on herself
to decide who has the right to attend a public meeting.
This incident, however outrageous, is also indicative of what too
often passes for public discourse in Sebastopol. Whatever your
political beliefs and whatever damage you believe will result from
the Council’s approval or denial of the CVS project, the greater
damage to our community comes from how we talk to, at or about each
other.
We need to learn how to tolerate differing perspectives, to listen
to each other and to learn from each other. But we should never
tolerate abusive and bullying behavior.
Larry Robinson
Sebastopol
Who’s legacy?
Editor: The letter published on Feb. 2 titled, “A Sad Legacy,”
characterized supporters of the CVS/Chase project as “either senior
or near senior citizens,” who are creating an affluent “grey-haired
ghetto” in Sebastopol. He continued that, “long after these current
supporters are deceased, in a nursing home or living elsewhere with
their adult children” … “the residents remaining here will be
left to deal with the effects of the sad legacy they seek to leave
behind.”
I would suggest that some people opposing the CVS/Chase development
often are the ones leaving a sad legacy behind … notice I didn’t
throw everyone “under the bus” like the author of “A Sad Legacy”
did. What happened to having different opinions but being civil and
respectful while disagreeing?
A sad legacy of buildings that we might not care for is one thing,
a legacy of disrespect and lack of civility for all those watching
us, including those in neighboring towns, our children and our
grandchildren. That is indeed the saddest legacy of all.
Cie Cary
Sebastopol
Year of the Dragon
Editor: The West County has its own version of obstructionist Tea
Baggers “progresso style”: the two-headed dragon of Shane/Altman.
Under the pretense and pretext of saving the Downtown, they have
attempted to split constituents with any malicious, irrational
method, from lawsuits to tantrums.
Moderation, reason and compromise elude them, as these virtues
elude obsessive narcissists with inflexible, rigid belief systems.
The issue just happens to be the Pellini property. The underlying
issues are not about corporations, the Occupy movement, the 99
percent, the dispossessed or good versus evil, though the
attention-seeking fringe unprogressives would like to bundle all
these to control our community.
The malignancy is the angry style of their dragon party and how
they want to split, demonize and personify the intolerance and
negativity and project the same on pro-Pellini advocates. And these
are progressives?
Sounds more like the Tea Party in the Year of the Dragon.
Paul T. Pera
Sebastopol
Balancing act
Editor: I recognize that the Pellini family has economic rights to
sell their property for millions of dollars. But it is the job of
government to balance individual rights with community rights. Like
a majority of Sebastopolians, I feel a big box store at our
crossroads would be inappropriate. Moreover, I am deeply concerned
about the effect of the carbon monoxide increase from hundreds more
cars idling on Bodega Highway west of the crossing, and the impact
this pollution will have on the adjoining downtown streets.
I am equally concerned about the unethical actions Councilmember
Kathleen Shaffer took by organizing and agitating members of our
community “under the radar” (her words) to turn out in support of
CVS. Ms. Shaffer took similar actions in organizing opposition to
any leaf blower restrictions earlier in the year. Despite appeals
by dozens of seniors at Burbank homes and dozens of residents of
Petaluma homes for a compromise that would limit blowers on the
walkways and parking areas of multi-unit homes and large commercial
properties, Ms. Shaffer insisted that any form of regulation would
be “bad for business.”
If Ms. Shaffer insists on acting as a lobbyist for her wealthy
friends (large real estate owners and managers) she ought to do so
after she leaves office. Given her anti-environmentalist,
anti-public health positions, I hope this comes after – and not
before – we replace her in the next election. 
Jonathan Greenberg
Sebastopol
Slander and vitriol
Editor: It is one thing to have Helen Shane and the opposition
become vitriolic in their public statements. They have a vested
interest, due to their lawsuit against the City of Sebastopol and
councilmembers. But when you have the City Planning and Design
Review Board members making slanderous statements in public
meetings and in the press, it is long overdue for sensitivity
training; i.e. how to behave in public and the parameters of
decision-making according to City of Sebastopol laws and
ordinances.
But more than anything, I am very concerned that all of this
vitriolic messaging takes away from the real issue at hand. The
City Councilmembers are responsible for the economic health of
Sebastopol. How can we understand or make decisions affecting
business and employment in our city without this context? What
exactly has been cut from city services to balance the budget? An
agenda item to compare current and past two years would force a
dialogue from the councilmembers regarding generating tax revenue
for the city and dealing with the threats that face Sebastopol with
the continuing economic downturn. With no redevelopment money, the
absence of public discussion regarding our economic future is not
acceptable.
I also take exception to the comments that I was one of 250
citizens who was “invited” to the Jan. 23 council meeting. I may
not attend every meeting but I know when important issues are at
stake that will effect the community I love. It is not the vocal
minority that city councilmembers should be listening to but the
interests of the 7,000-plus citizens of Sebastopol that they
represent.
Linda J. Johnson
Sebastopol
Where is the love?
Editor: What makes people so elitist that they can point to our
neighboring community with scorn and point to successful businesses
as corporate criminals? The facts support neither. Some people
living in Rohnert Park think it beautiful. Are we their evil sister
city? Maybe that should go up on the city sign as we welcome guests
to our town? CVS/Longs has been a longtime resident pharmacy
providing needed services while donating millions to those in need
throughout the U.S. via Extreme Makeover Home Edition and many
other venues.
Who are we Sebastopol residents? A “graying ghetto” as stated by
some? Why do we spend so much time and effort on a project like CVS
and let our public schools deteriorate? Why not redirect the energy
generated by this project to revitalize the Sebastopol Public
Schools?
What is with the anger expressed by people under the guise of city
spirit? Is collaboration a dirty word? Do private property rights
account for nothing when you follow every rule in the book? Somehow
a small group has decided that CVS is evil and needs to be taught a
lesson. The anger expressed by these folks is scary. It’s hard to
imagine that they could eventually file a suit on behalf of the
residents of Sebastopol (?) that could cost the city tens of
thousands of dollars to defend. Is that how you treat a community
you supposedly “love”?
Collaboration means letting go of some of your own ideas to make
changes that express the whole community. CVS has worked hard to
follow the city general plan and to listen to and implement
conflicting community members’ ideas. They might have created a
“camel” (an animal designed by a committee) but collaboration has
taken place.
We have lived here for 30 plus years, raised a family and now have
grandchildren growing up here. We too love this town and have
donated time and money in the spirit of making it better. We
support infill and measured growth in Sebastopol and specifically
the design and location for the CVS project.
Pat, Craig and Nate Boblitt
Sebastopol