Letters to the Editor 11-22-12

Thanks to the voters
Editor: I would like to express my thanks to all the voters in Healdsburg who believed in me on election day. Special gratitude also goes out to those who helped distribute my campaign flyers, donated money, wrote letters, hosted signs and placed magnets on their cars. I could not have done it without you. I would also like to congratulate Gary and Tom on their success and I look forward to working with them for the next four years. 
Shaun McCaffery
Healdsburg
Keep it local
Editor: As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods — merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor. This year can be different. This year, Americans should give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer the excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Yes there is! It is time to think outside the box people. Who says a gift needs to fit inside a shoe box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper. Everyone — yes everyone gets their hair cut.  How about a gift certificate from your local American hair salon or barber? — Gym membership? It’s appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health movement. — Who wouldn’t appreciate getting their car detailed? Small American owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate. Are you an extravagant giver who thinks nothing of plonking down the dollars on a Chinese-made flat screen? Perhaps the grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed or lawn mowed for the summer, or games at the local golf course. There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants all offering gift certificates. And if your intended isn’t the fancy eatery sort, what about a half-dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, this isn’t about big national chains — this is about supporting your home town American’s with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.
How many people couldn’t use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop owned and run by the American working guy. Thinking about a heart-felt gift for mom? Mom would love the services of a local cleaning lady for a day. My computer needs a tune-up, and I know I can find some young guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running. Ok, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts-people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, pottery and beautiful wooden boxes. Go to a local owner operated restaurant, and leave your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theater. Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.
Honestly, do you really need to buy another ten thousand Chinese lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of lights, about fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those kids of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, paperboy, trash guy, or babysitter a nice BIG tip.
You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about us, encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away to follow their dreams. And when we care about other Americans, we care about our own communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn’t imagine. Remember, the job you save may be your own.
Jim Bald
Healdsburg
What’s the agenda?
Editor: Thank you for last week’s excellent editorial, “Get back to work,” which urged us all, now that the elections are over and we are still staring at the same societal challenges, to shoulder the burden of an assignment to community and country.
We can usually notice concrete activity in this regard on the levels of town and county government, which are fairly close to us, but where I find a deafening silence is from our State representatives, in the case at hand from Senator Noreen Evans and Assemblyman Wes Chesbro. It’s not that they don’t have agendas, it’s just that we, their constituents, can’t find out what those agendas and priorities are. Maybe they want to keep their ideas secret, or just don’t have a program.
As an example, both reps have constituent e-newsletters, which seems like a fine conduit of information, but the last one from Chesbro was in March 2012 and from Evans June-July 2011 (sic!). That doesn’t evince much dedication to communicating with constituents, but it probably accurately reflects what they think of us. Further, in Chesbro’s case, I know he spoke at SRJC recently, but I don’t think he gets to these parts very much, one of the reasons I voted for his opponent.  
I’m wondering if local newspapers could play a role here. Now that campaign promise time is over, why not ask at least some of them for a concise, concrete, ranked agenda of what they hope/plan to accomplish in this term? It would be harder for them to brush off specific questions posed by a local newspaper, and the answers would give us some idea of what their realistic agenda is, as opposed to promises thrown out in the heat of the campaign. Silence would be eloquent, too, and we could make note of that.  
Dave Henderson
Healdsburg