In support of IOLERO
EDITOR: We were glad to see Rollie Atkinson’s editorial last week supporting Sonoma County’s Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach (IOLERO). The ACLU appeared at the Dec. 4 Board of Supervisors’ meeting to strongly support the mandate and scope of IOLERO and its Community Advisory Commission (CAC), especially at this critical juncture when the board will shortly select a new director and probably redefine that body’s mission. IOLERO’s mandate is broad, ambitious and fully justified (on its website: sonomacounty.ca.gov/iolero), but its efforts have fallen short because of a lack of promised staffing.
All five Supervisors supported the continuance of IOLERO, including James Gore, a strong supporter from the beginning, but only Susan Gorin voiced strong advocacy for finally giving the auditor the full funding that the BOS promised but never followed through on.
In our statement, we urged the board “not only to continue the existence of this valuable investigative and advisory body, but to further strengthen its mandate, procedures, independence, staff and funding.” We continued: “any restrictions placed on its staff or reductions in mission or budget … will inevitably compromise the transparency, integrity and correctness of critical procedures within the Sheriff’s Department, not to mention compromising the civil and legal rights of citizens subject to them. We believe that Director Threet’s recommendations will result in a more professional and effective Sheriff’s Office, as well in policies and procedures that more effectively than at the present reflect the expectations of the community in the area of protection of civil and Constitutional rights.”
We hope that local citizens will echo these sentiments to their Supervisor.
Dave Henderson and Patricia Morandi
Co-Chairs, the Sonoma County Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California
Feds need help with Climate disaster
EDITOR:Last weeks paper had a letter urging folks to support the Green New Deal being put forth by new liberal democrats in congress. I couldn’t agree more. Let’s do that. Urge congress to get us back more on track to meet the goals we agreed to with the rest of the world even if Trump refuses to participate. It is going to be difficult though while he is still in office. But there is lots we can do as individuals.
We can urge Assemblyman Jim Wood and Senator Mike McGuire to keep up the good work in Sacramento to reduce California’s emissions and grants to farmers to put carbon back into the soil and all the other good programs there like ending fossil fuel driven cars by 2045.
Then there are all the things we can do ourselves:
Drive less. Buy an electric vehicle and use some of that power to charge the battery. The number of charging stations is growing fast.
Insulate your home better. Heat and cool your home with a heat pump.
Start carbon gardening. Plant trees whose roots will sequester carbon deep in the soil. Use compost and mulch instead of chemical fertilizers which release nitrous oxide into the air. Plant the areas that now have no plants There is twice as much carbon in the soil as in the air and oceans combined.
Change your diet to eat less meat from animals that emit methane particularly beef and sheep that are factory farmed as opposed to organic or pasture finished animals. And eat more organic grains. When animals are grazed sustainably, carbon in the soil is increased.
Buy carbon credits to offset the emissions released flying long distances in airplanes. United and Continental will add to the ticket price.
Buy clothes made form natural fibers.
Terry Harrison
Healdsburg
