Letters to the Editor 9-25-14

Chamber funding
Editor: While I agree wholeheartedly with the title of this past week’s commentary from Denise Hunt and Merrilyn Joyce “ Let’s Ask the Right Questions,” I have to disagree with their comments regarding funds directed to the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce from the City of Healdsburg. In the commentary they ask “will the city continue to direct $600,000 to the Chamber of Commerce to promote tourism?” In the past the city’s Redevelopment Agency did direct funds to the Chamber to help promote revitalization and to stimulate business in the downtown redevelopment area. This was an allowable use of Redevelopment Agency funds.  Redevelopment agencies were abolished in California over three years ago and the City of Healdsburg Redevelopment Agency was abolished as well at that time. In 2012 in anticipation of the loss of redevelopment funding, the downtown lodging properties formed a Business Improvement District to continue promoting Healdsburg as a destination. Business Improvement Districts are governed under California state law. A 2 percent assessment is added to all hotel bills and distributed to the lodging properties to spend for promotion. They can also spend the money for downtown beautification and for grants to other local organizations, as they did this year with a grant to the Healdsburg Jazz Festival.
I have been the Executive Director of the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center since August 2012 and since the disbanding of the Redevelopment Agency, we have received no money from the City of Healdsburg for promotion of tourism. The Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce represents the business community in Healdsburg and is dedicated to supporting, growing and sustaining existing businesses in Healdsburg, as well as attracting new businesses to Healdsburg. I believe firmly that a strong and vital community is the direct reflection of a strong, diverse and vital business community.  
Carla Howell
Executive Director
Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau
Cutting back
Editor: I felt proud to live in the first city in Sonoma County to approve water conservation measures. The Trib’s front page report on water reduction measures and the failure of our town to meet the 20 percent reduction is alarming. So how is it that even with state- and city-wide efforts to conserve water in severe drought conditions, last May Californians used 1 percent more water than the previous year?
Cities and public places such as schools and churches should be held to the same standard as residences. Here at West Side School we were stunned to learn that a one-acre playing field requires on average 97,748 gallons of water per month and 162,914 gallons in the month of July. Our school’s water comes from a well and many of our neighbors were running out of household water last year.  We stopped irrigating our playing fields and converted lawn-areas to other uses. Yes, it’s brown and we miss the green, but we must teach our students, by example, to conserve water for drinking and food.
Water is life. When it comes out of a municipal pipe people lose the connection between underground water tables and the faucet or garden hose. Just one look at the farmlands in Central California should be the only wake-up call any of us needs.
Rhonda Bellmer
Healdsburg
Political mud
Editor: Well, I just got my first nice, slimy ball of political mud in my mailbox, “James Gore’s Inconvenient Truth,” from Debora Fudge … I mean from the sleazy organizations that are hoping to benefit from her win in the November supervisorial race.
What a vicious, distorted hit piece! It bears all of the now-standard slight-of-hand language classic to the political-carnage media experts, starting with the newly-minted name for the hit organization, “Working Families and Environmentalists for A better Sonoma County…” I especially like that “Working Families” thing. If this is how they’re going to better our county, we’ve got a rough road ahead, folks.
A high-school freshman could have fun with the whoppers that these working families invent. As just one example, the mailer claims that “Gore’s graduate degree is from a Washington DC school for political consultants,” conjuring up images of a quickie certificate from the Jack Abramoff School of Flacks, Pols, and Lobbyists, but no, it turns out to be, courtesy of the resume of Gore’s website, a Master’s degree in Political Management, from George Washington University, a fine degree from a world-respected institution.
That cute little smear is typical of the entire mailer, once you actually access the documents they footnote (“Oh honey, it’s got footnote numbers! It must be correct”).
Our campaign laws, and freedom of speech, allow the SEIU, Electrical Workers Union, North Bay Labor Council — the “Working Families” — to issue such shameful garbage, and yes, I’m sure that Deb Fudge didn’t know a blessed thing about it (wink wink, nudge nudge), but she does now, and if she’s not big enough and principled enough to immediately, publically, and specifically dissociate herself from these political low-lifes, then she’s right in the mud-hole with those good working families. Welcome to Sonoma County dirty politics.
Dave Henderson
Healdsburg
Stable hospital
Editor: Thank you, Rollie Atkinson, for your thoughtful and articulate “Crystal Ball” editorial (September 11, 2014) on the state of community-based hospitals and their importance to the people and businesses of our neighborhoods.
We are pleased to report that — despite the pressures on many local hospitals today — Healdsburg District Hospital is well positioned to not only survive the current challenges, but maintain a stable positive cash flow while providing excellent care to our local residents.
Evidence across the country shows that the two most important factors in a rural hospital’s success are community support and effective management. And there can be no doubt — our community supports the Healdsburg District Hospital! In fact, it was the forward-thinking act of many generous Capital Campaign supporters that gave the hospital the infusion it needed to continue its vital role in the community. The ongoing support of community donors keeps the hospital at the cutting edge of technology, equipment, and medical care. In fact, the prestigious Kalmanovitz Foundation is currently partnering with our foundation on a matching campaign for technology upgrades.
Our hospital is now stable and steadily improving under effective management practices. For the first time in many years, the hospital is reporting months of positive cash flow, with projections to be operating in the black by year-end. New executive leadership throughout the organization is bringing fresh ideas to the challenges faced by community hospitals. The hospital has created strong financial controls, improved billing and collections, and embraced the new trend to increase outpatient services. It continues to make smart investments in technology funded by the Healthcare Foundation with community support. This technology increases revenues while providing the best in quality care.
Every one of us in this community benefits from having a strong local hospital. We hear stories from friends, neighbors and patients of the care received and the comfort taken from having our state-of-the-art emergency room and hospital services so close at hand. And we know the economic revenue that comes from 340 hospital employees and the thousands of visitors and patients who shop and frequent our local restaurants and businesses.
We are committed to keeping our hospital healthy, vital and strong. Yes, there are outside pressures, and yes, it’s going to take hard work. But we are already well on our way, and we’ll continue to strengthen the operations and systems of this important community resource.
We are so grateful for the community’s support and ask you to stand with us to say “Yes!” to keeping our hospital and local healthcare the highest quality we deserve.
Nancy Schmid, CEO, Healdsburg District Hospital
Pat Callahan, Northern Sonoma County Healthcare Foundation
Yes for Ziedrich and Civian
Editor: As most of you know we have a City Council election coming up this fall with two open seats. I am happy to say that there are two highly qualified candidates; Eric Ziedrich and Jeff Civian. Eric has served two stints on the Healdsburg City Council; six of those years overlapped with my time on the Planning Commission.   I was always impressed with Eric’s availability to discuss matters before the City, his grasp of the issues, and his common sense.  Eric is not one to simply accept recommendations from staff; he probes and demands a full examination of the matter at hand. Prior to Eric’s two terms on the council he served on the Planning Commission and School Board, he owns a local business and raised his family here. Eric knows Healdsburg.  Jeff Civian moved to Healdsburg six years ago and within two years he applied for and was selected to serve on the Planning Commission. Jeff has a history of serving his community; prior to moving to Healdsburg he served on the Santa Rosa Design Review board and the Planning Commissions in Windsor and the County.  I served with Jeff on the Healdsburg Planning Commission for two years.  He was always prepared, he studied the staff reports in detail and he displayed thoughtful judgment.  He would often be the one to craft conditions to projects that summarized commissioners’ concerns. Jeff’s experience as a Civil Engineer came in very handy with his understanding of Zoning Codes and General Plan issues. He looked at projects with a critical eye, was not afraid to ask staff difficult questions, and always pushed for high quality projects.  We didn’t always agree but I always respected his position.  
There are two other candidates, but from what I can gather neither has served the City on any boards or commissions; they have no track record.  I think this is an important prerequisite for a council position as one gains experience in how the City works and also provides the community with a chance to see the candidate in action and see how they vote.   
It is critical that our policy makers hit the ground running, understand the issues our community faces, understand the boards and commissions that make recommendations to the council, and have experience working with City staff.   We need leaders that listen to the community but can make the hard choices based on what is best for Healdsburg.  Jeff Civian and Eric Ziedrich are two such candidates and I hope you will join me voting for them come Election Day.
Alan Cohen
Healdsburg
No on Measure P
Editor: Healdsburg should be proud we are revisiting the highly controversial issue of fluoridation. An excellent forum was held Saturday reviewing some of each side of the controversy.  
Individual freedom of choice, health and money are at issue in Measure P. Ever increasing amounts of fluoride are in foods as pesticides, medications, and dental products.  Many are ingesting too much fluoride and being harmed.  A “NO” vote on measure P will give people the freedom to reduce the amount of fluoride they are getting and preserve the right to ingest fluoride from other sources, such as fluoride toothpaste, if they want.  
Studies on the effectiveness of fluoride to prevent dental caries are mixed and none are high quality.
Studies on the cessation of fluoridation find no increase in dental caries. Dental decay will not increase in Healdsburg with a “NO” vote on measure P.  
Studies on measured cost effectiveness for the general public do not find a reduction in dental expense.  Proponents base their claims of cost savings on estimates and assumptions rather than actual measured expenses.  Dental expenses will not increase in Healdsburg with a “NO” vote on P.
Studies on risk, especially to the brain, IQ and thyroid are of serious concern.  A “NO” vote on P will protect the developing brain.
Most developed countries, their health departments, courts and dentists, do not support fluoridate public water and their dental caries rates are similar to the USA.   
Last month after careful deliberation, Israel banned fluoridation.   
Most samples of mother’s milk have no detectable fluoride.  A “NO” vote on measure P will protect infants on formula made with Healdsburg water.
A “NO” vote on measure P is a vote for freedom and health.
Bill Osmunson DDS, MPH
Washington