Letters to the Editor 10-1-15

Focus on roads
EDITOR: While I supported Measure A because our roads need fixing now, the voters spoke loudly to the supervisors that they did not want a general sales tax measure to fund the roads fix.  Why?  Because the “No” voters felt tax revenue might be redirected to new programs, unfunded public pension liability, or hiring new County employees.   The county already collects enough tax money to fix our roads. Supervisors should focus on roads, as they have told us they would.
Susan Gorin said at a BOS meeting (June 15, 2015):  “we need to let our community know that we have heard from them loudly and clearly that roads are a priority and we are going to focus on them in the near term.”
In October of 2015, supes will decide whether to budget additional dollars to fix our roads, or instead, whether to spend it on more new programs, more wage and benefit increases for county workers and adding more staff to the county payroll.  
This voter knows that some of our supervisors have trouble having their actions follow their rhetoric. The voters want to have our roads fixed at no additional tax costs to us. It’s time to focus.
John Bly
Executive Vice President
Northern California Engineering Contractors Association
Santa Rosa
Speed limit?
EDITOR: Hey, Sebastopol drivers:  it means paying attention to those yellow signs that say 25 mph and SLOWING DOWN.  Check your speedometer.  You’ll be surprised how fast you are going.
Living on Bodega Avenue, between Nelson and Jewell, having to walk along the Avenue to get to a quiet street is like Russian Roulette…kids on their way to Park Side School, seniors walking from Burbank Heights to the library, dog walkers on their way to Ives Park, families walking to town for an ice cream cone….all are at risk more often than not.
The 25 mph signs are rarely respected.  A policeman on a motorcycle, parked in a drive way, may slow drivers down untill he is out of sight.  Residents trying to pull out from their driveways onto Bodega are always at risk of a speeding driver.  Cars regularly crash into yards, telephone poles, fences along the curve.
The Police Department recently did a study to determine the percentage of drivers going over the speed limit…a lot of them.  You can request a copy of the report from the Police Department.
Bodega Avenue is a road through a neighborhood.  Please keep the walkers, bikers, other drivers and yourself safe.  25 mph means 25 mph.
Carol Otis
Sebastopol
Conspicuous
EDITOR: Conspicuously absent from the intensities surrounding the current state of exorbitant rent increases with either rent control or new housing developments as the only solution is the ever-ignored, elephant-in-the-room of population growth, as well as its growing negative impact upon our lifestyles and the increasingly desperate need for its control.
Our incomprehensible, collective denial of this awesome issue exists primarily as a result of our childlike unwillingness to confront the “unpleasant” side effects of our historically cherished and deeply flawed economic system (essentially a covert ponzu scheme) and its absurd commitment to an illusion of perpetual growth.
At this late date, any action we might choose to meaningfully address the situation certainly a reasonable endeavor will not be without a need to radically modify our currently euphoric, wine-soaked lifestyles. It will be an excruciating experience, with a possibility of the collapse of our social order as we currently know it.
Conversely, choosing to continue unchanged, our current head-in-the-sand behavior, will not let us off the hook. Nature, with all of its indifferent, pragmatic fury, will confront it for us and unleash a calamity that could very well see the demise of our species. It is our choice, either way, with consequences worsening as time progresses.
Bob Beachamp
Sebastopol
Dismayed with delay
EDITOR: I am a lifelong resident of Sonoma County and have lived in Sebastopol the past twelve years. My wife and I quickly fell in love with the lifestyle and “vibe” of Sebastopol. It is truly a lovely place in which to live.
I am, however, dismayed at the ongoing saga regarding the closed Palm Drive Hospital. Frankly I am wondering how much longer the delayed opening, mounting financial obligations, and lack of financial management oversight can be allowed to continue.
There are good investments and there are bad investments. The hospital is an example of a bad investment. Perhaps the hospital Board of Directors should look into partnering with, or selling to another medical group that could, not only open the hospital but also operate it as a viable facility.
I don’t know about you, but if I had $70,000 in my bank account and owed in excess of $10,000,000 to former employees and vendors, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night. It’s time to stop spending good money on a bad investment.
Dennis Magatelli
Sebastopol
Thank you
EDITOR: Friends and Neighbors, thank you all for coming out to our Valley Fire Benefit Concert last Sunday the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center. It was a magical afternoon of loving and giving, created by our fantastic community. This event was put together in less than ten days and was a roaring success because everyone said , “Yes” to helping our neighbors displaced by the Valley Fire.
 At the front end of the event the Sebastopol Community Center provided the venue at no cost; Sprint Copy Center printed posters and flyers for free; all the bands agreed to play music at the event and West County Sound provided two PA Systems and engineers for the event. This was followed by a huge outpouring of gifts, gift cards and items for our silent auction and raffle.
Whole Foods, Pacific Market and the Sebastopol Firefighters donated food and the Kiwanis Club came up with $500 to make 400 pounds of lasagna that was created by Bree Ann Leighton Catering. Strauss Ice Cream, Comet Corn, The Waffle King and Gabriel Diaz’s Taco Truck all donated their proceeds to the cause. As usual Lagunitas provided their cold beer, Taylor Maid Coffee and The Rental Place helped out too. The event was staffed by volunteers from the Love Choir, who also sang at the event.  Other volunteers came out in droves to attend to the silent auction and raffle and to do what they could to make the afternoon successful.
 The Valley Fire Benefit was a free event, which allowed folks to show up and demonstrate their generosity for our friends and neighbors. And you all showed up with generous giving hearts. At the height of the day there were 1,200 people and it was estimated that over 2,000 of you folks showed up to give. It all resulted in over $30,000 being raised in the space of a six-hour event. The topper was viewing the lunar eclipse that evening. It put the cherry on the top of a magical day of generous giving from our community. What it proved to me once again, was that love works. Thank You, thank you, thank you. Keep giving your love.
Jim Corbett
Sebastopol