LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 10-4-12

Bring sanity back to HHS
Editor: With sadness and chagrin I learned about the dismissal of Head Track Coach, Jeanne Bingham, at HHS. I have worked with Coach for over 15 years and my assessment of her abilities is that she is second to none. How many other track coaches at HHS have taken so many athletes to the State Track Meet?
In my 20 years of coaching track, I was only privileged to take one to the State Meet!  Her ability to develop hurdlers and relay teams if the envy of all the county track coaches.  
Mr. Vanden Huevel and Dr. Harding state that all personnel matters cannot be discussed in public. As I have the same Administrative Credential, I also know that sometimes decisions can be arbitrary and capricious. How do you explain losing your entire football staff?
One has only to look south to Windsor and see how well that high school has blossomed upon the departure of Mr. Huevel and Dr. Harding. It is my belief that these two gentlemen should look onward and upward and let HHS athletics return to some sort of sanity.  
Joel Kiff
HHS retired coach and teacher
Rates, explained
Editor: I am writing in response to the September 20, 2012 letter submitted by Kurt Hahn I want to ensure the public has accurate information and I wish to clarify some points he made.
City council members have worked diligently over the past four years to reduce operating expenses in all funds, including the water and wastewater utility funds. Overall utility operations have been streamlined.  There are fewer employees and expenses relating to services and supplies are kept to a minimum. The fact is, our utility rates reflect the real cost of providing quality water and related services.
A new rate structure was recently adopted by the City Council. These new water and sewer rates are based on a comprehensive analysis, prepared by an independent consultant. The consultant thoroughly examined operational expenses. What he discovered is the old rate structure was not adequate to cover the cost of operations. Factors contributing to the need for increased rates include:  mandatory directives and compliance requirements for State and regional regulatory agencies; capital investment in our new water and wastewater treatment facilities; aging infrastructure and distribution systems; and the need to meet bond debt covenants.
The consultant also evaluated the water and sewer rates in relation to State law. Our rates are fully compliant with Proposition 218, which requires the rates to not exceed the reasonable cost of providing the service.  General fund and overhead expenses have NOT been shifted to utility operations; there are no subsidies to other funds.  
It is critical to note that all decisions and actions by the Council were conducted in an open and transparent manner, with full disclosure. The consultant’s report and other documents related to the water rates are available for public review at the City’s Public Works Department.
Mayor Gary Plass
Healdsburg
My View From Here
Editor: In response to Tribune columnist Lucie Jensen’s recent “The View From Here”, I’m submitting for your consideration “My View from Here”. It’s obvious that political viewpoints on the Tribune’s editorial page lean heavily leftward. In a free speech and free market society, editorial content is certainly the prerogative of Tribune management. Furthermore, my experience indicates that conservative opinions, while mostly limited to letters-to-the-editor, are neither edited nor denied publication.
Since President Obama enjoys a 22 percent lead in California polls and his 2008 Sonoma County election margin was 49 percent, based upon readership alone, it’s not surprising to see predominantly liberal diatribes in our left-coast media.
Ms. Jensen’s befuddlement as to why self-proclaimed Obama supporters don’t plan to vote in November is readily unbefuddled. Obama’s 2008 “hope and change” promises haven’t been fulfilled. Unemployment (counting only employment seekers) has blossomed to over 8 percent. Counting those who have abandoned seeking employment, the real unemployment rate per the CBO is over 15 percent. In 3 and a half short years, our national deficit has mushroomed an unprecedented 50 percent above the total accumulated by all prior presidents to a staggering $16 trillion. Financial dependency upon government has swelled to an alarming 30 percent of our adult population.
Ms. Jensen clearly supports Obama’s use of class warfare (increasing taxes on job creators) and his Marxist income redistribution ideology (increasing entitlement programs). They both ignore the fact that only 5 percent of all taxpayers (those with $155,000+ incomes) already pay 60 percent of all federal income taxes. If 100 percent of the 5-percenter’s income were confiscated, the budget would remain unbalanced. Nearly 50 percent of all taxpayers pay zero federal income taxes. With no successes to showcase, Obama resorts to dividing America and blaming Bush. His divide and conquer strategy exploits gender politics, pits whites against other ethnic groups, poor against the so called rich, naturalists and atheists against those with religious convictions and union members against non-union.
Ms. Jensen’s claim that voter ID laws discriminate against the poor is curious at best. Since ID’s are required for air travel, passports, driver’s licenses, rental-purchase-sales agreements and doctor office visits (to name a few examples), it’s incongruous that voting, our most consequential civic duty, should not also require an ID to prove citizenship.
Ms. Jensen’s suggestion that we learn how to dissect political speeches accomplishes little. Relearning our nation’s founding principles of freedom and personal responsibility is a much more meaningful prescription.
Mel Amato
Healdsburg
No on Measure V
Editor: Healdsburg is a wonderful place to live regardless of one’s financial or social station in life. It has a very successful business environment with plenty of tax revenue that should adequately provide necessary services. However, nearly the entire general fund pays for police and fire services with little left for other community services. It has been very clear since at least 2007 that Healdsburg was headed into serious financial trouble without a long-term solution for unfunded employee pension liabilities. A situation that remains unresolved despite haphazard negotiations. Thanks to those who have brought this issue forward. We are in debt because of financial mismanagement, inability to negotiate service agreements with employee unions and political obligations to special interest groups. It appears that this administration has failed the taxpaying public because it was incapable of balancing the budget when there were viable alternatives such as using special interest set aside money and selling or developing key city owned property. The city is $800,000 under budget including a $9.5 million bond just earmarked for unfunded pension liabilities which was passed with a 3-0 vote by the retired public service employees in a guise to save $100,000 over 10 years. The budget parade has headed down hill and we all know down the momentum moves faster downhill. Measure V spawns from a manipulated public opinion poll and the very apparent interest of a select group of council members placing Healdsburg taxpayers at risk financially and jeopardizing their quality of life. As previously referenced in the Press Democrat the annual pension for the three police and fire council members is about $250,000 which, assuming average life expectancy, could be $6-7 million just for those three. There is no perception of conflict of interest when there is a blatant disregard for the overall community budget and future in favor of self interest. Retired military officers, with a couple of MBA’s and 35 years of service responsible for multi-billion dollar budgets and thousands of human lives don’t receive that amount. Even if it is a perception of conflict of interest it’s bad for the effective governance and spirit of the Healdsburg community.
A yes vote for the 8.5 percent sales tax will not solve budget problem. The funds will go to police/fire and special interests and will probably mean a 9.5 percent sales tax in two years from now because Healdsburg will be deeper in debt. This sales tax increase benefits certain groups but is paid for by all taxpayers. There is more uncertainty in the financial forecast but nothing being presented by council members that the tax will only last the proposed 10 years. We are already taxed to the limit and beginning in 2013 federal income taxes will increase and, if the state tax measures passes, it will be dramatically worse pushing citizens into dire financial straits. Vote NO to tell the town council to manage and administer on behalf of all Healdsburg residents and not just the downtown business associations and groups. The people of Healdsburg have always been supportive of local businesses but it will come to a point of why buy locally when you can go elsewhere in some cases saving thousands of dollars? Keep the sales tax rate at 8 percent.
Kevin J. McCann
Healdsburg