Letters to the Editor 3-26-15

Support the Living Peace Wall
Editor: The following was sent to Sebastopol City Council:
Dear Councilmembers,
I am Alan Horn, the owner of Alan Horn Insurance Services, LLC, and I live and work inside the City limits, although none of that should matter to you.
I am also an Honorably Discharged United States military veteran who has been trained to kill people with many different kinds of weapons including nuclear weapons, biological weapons and chemical weapons, in addition to the conventional weapons of handguns, knives, rifles, machine guns and bigger guns.
Within 15 minutes of receiving my National Defense Service Medal upon my discharge, I took a solemn oath before God and myself that I would never use this knowledge or training in war-making again. And if I could use this deadly knowledge to help humanity, then I would do that.
Therefore, I humbly request that you now honor all the victims of war, violence and rape by erecting the proposed Living Peace Wall across from the Plaza in front of our theater as proposed by Michael Gillotti.
As John Lennon and Yoko Ono sang so many times, “War is Over, if you want it.” I want to see the end of war during my lifetime. I believe that at least 95 percent of Sebastopudlians and Earthlings want an end to war. Imagine Earth with no more war! Imagine the people of Earth with all their human needs being met, such as having enough food, medicine, housing, jobs, clothing, etc.
By honoring our peacemakers, you will be adding greatly to your own legacies for peace on Earth.
Alan Horn
Sebastopol
Hospital a luxury
Editor: To begin with, let me say that in years past I have used and was glad to have Palm Drive Hospital as an option for emergency medical treatment. I went there to have glass removed from my arm and receive stitches after running through a plate glass window. That was 37 years ago. I took my daughter to have a barbed fishhook removed from her thumb 13 years ago. For those of you counting at home, that is twice in the last 37 years.
I have paid thousands of dollars through property taxes to keep this option open, against my wishes. To me, this hospital is a luxury, not a necessity. As a single father of four daughters, I can scarcely afford luxuries, especially those that benefit an already affluent community. I work full-time and more to take care of my responsibilities and this hospital is not one of them. A town that can support its own police service can, if they really want it, support their own hospital.
I live in West County and it takes approximately 30 minutes to get to Palm Drive or Sutter; the latter of which happens to be a real, well-staffed and equipped hospital. Which would you go to? If you live in Sebastopol you might like the option of walking to your hospital. That is your right, your hospital and your responsibility to maintain and pay for. I, and many like me, do not want or need it and haven’t for quite some time. It is unfair and unjust to force people to spend their hard-earned dollars for something that does not benefit them in the slightest.
At a recent meeting discussing “detachment,” a speaker said “the anti-tax argument, ‘I don’t use it, I don’t want to pay for it,’ is something that I found morally reprehensible.’” I might remind that Sebastopol resident that this is not a school we are talking about here: this is a non-essential and obviously non-sustainable project. I think many Americans wanted no part of bailing out the banks; we were forced to do so. The Federal government is a much bigger beast to reign in than local government. We as a community should have more say in how our local money is spent. The speaker went on to state that he believes those who favor detachment represent a small segment of the Russian River corridor, not the majority. When you include the whole River corridor, this may be true, when you include most points west of Sebastopol, not so true. If it is, in fact, a small segment of taxpayers, that individual and those of his mindset should have no problem taking over our portion of the payments; I believe it would only amount to cents on their property tax. That is my two cents and all I am willing to pitch in on this sinking ship.
Robert K. Andersen
Monte Rio
Paying for civilization
Editor: I wonder how many people who are against the parcel tax for Sonoma West Medical Center have kids who attend public or charter schools?
I’d like them to know that I, who am childless, uncomplainingly pay my taxes in support of their children’s education.
Just as my tax dollars help pay for police and fire departments, even though I don’t go around breaking laws and practicing pyromania.
Education, public safety and health care are fundamental needs of a civilized society; if you plan to live in one, you’d better help support it.
Complaining about taxes is understandable given the misguided uses our tax money is often used for (like funding oil wars and unregulated bank bailouts), and for what it’s not used for (like paving the road I live on more than once every 50 years). We all benefit from the necessities of urban/suburban life even if some of us shortsightedly don’t think so.
Diana Napoli
Sebastopol