Letters to the Editor 5-26-16

Running fast and loose
EDITOR: Noreen Evans and her supporters seem to be running fast and loose with the facts on campaign supporters, campaign contributors and the direction our county’s headed. Evans and her supporters continue to take aim at real estate interests who’ve supported Lynda Hopkins. She’s asked voters to follow the money, pointing squarely at the California Real Estate PAC, which has donated to Hopkins’ campaign.
Interestingly enough, Noreen Evans herself accepted $3,200 from the same real estate PAC, more money than was provided to Lynda Hopkins by the same PAC.
Evans and her supporters have long run against “the Old Boy” network here in Sonoma County. But ironically they seem to have no problem using the same sort tactics they so often deplore as to their opponents. It’s easy to run a smear campaign when you only tell part of a story. That more complete story includes the fact that Lynda Hopkins has received contributions over 400 separate contributions with an average contribution under $200.
Noreen Evans is a professional politician who seems ready to say anything to get elected. Let’s not let Donald Trump-style political tactics enter Sonoma County’s political fray, and vote for Lynda Hopkins, a candidate who demonstrates independence and runs a clean, and positive campaign.
Richard  Power
Sebastopol
There is a difference
EDITOR: I am a supporter of SHARP. I live on a small lane off Pleasant Hill Road. My husband and I have one acre with old apple trees. We do NOT use pesticide. We are retired and have lived here thirty years. I was part of the presentation to the City Council at their May 3rd meeting because I do feel passionately about the hills I live in and I oppose the tower. The arguments put forth by SHARP are my arguments as well as many others. I am part of a group of people who spent hours of time to study the issues surrounding the 65-70 foot tower. I worked hard to understand CEQA arguments, FCC rules for tower locations, EMF dangers and collocation issues. I gave money to offset the costs of having a land specialist and an attorney look at our arguments and write opinions. I am not slick but I am concerned! My time and money are proof of that. Also I am a neighbor with a different point of view from those who want a tower. I am not the enemy of KOWS radio. I am against the tower. I hope we all can realize there is a difference.
Janice Belding
Sebastopol
Can’t be bought
EDITOR: I wonder how many voters in the Fifth District will look at Lynda Hopkins’ website and campaign materials, react to the first thing they see mentioned -organic farmer- and take no time out of their busy lives to investigate further? This is definitely a case of the candidate hoping the voters will pay no attention to who’s behind the curtain (or hiding under that pile of organic fertilizer.)

Hopkins wants us to believe, just because she says so, that campaign contributions totaling many thousands of dollars from entities like the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce, the Sonoma County Alliance, the California Real Estate PAC, and the Northern California Engineering Contractors Associations, to name just a few, will have no influence on the decisions she makes if she’s elected. But really, how dumb does she think we are? None of us just fell off that organic turnip truck yesterday. And now, Ernie Carpenter informs us about the $15,000 contribution from Syar Industries to Lynda Hopkins campaign (May 11, 2016.)
It will be very difficult for Hopkins to argue convincingly that $15,000 is coming from a gravel mining and gravel supplying industry that expects nothing for it in return, but is just donating out of the goodness of their hearts. In contrast, here is how Noreen Evans responded to the question about her campaign funding, at the Sebastopol candidates forum,
“I’m very pleased about my support,” she said. “I didn’t seek support from people whose values I don’t share. It’s very important to see who supports us.”
You won’t see contributions from Syar to Noreen Evans, because they know she can’t be bought. It’s just that simple.
Alice Chan
Sebastopol
Greater public good
EDITOR: I am a KOWS programmer with a monthly two-hour show called “Growing an Elder Culture” which is of importance to Sebastopol because we interview people live, locally, nationally and internationally via telephone, on topics of concern and breaking new information useful to aging in general. Sebastopol has quite a large population of people 50 and older, many confined to home as they age, so having access to this information expands their and all our information about safety, capacity, medical research, emotional and other factors of well-being in an aging body. Some do not have Internet access. Many KOWS programmers provide information and entertainment useful to this growing portion of our local population. All are volunteer workers.
My exploration of the resistance group’s website startled me with the narrowness of their vision and the slant toward personal preference and property values, but even more their misinformation about radio frequency emissions and their apparent intention to degrade the character of KOWS personnel and purpose.
I found a tower erected for residential use that conforms closely to the KOWS tower, on the Joe Rodota Trail on the south east corner of Hurlbut and East Hurlbut. I stopped people walking by and asked them if the tower was bothersome One said he rather enjoyed the break in the view and didn’t mind it. We estimated it at 60 feet high. None of them found it disturbing or disruptive.
My conclusion is that, while I am in favor of the KOWS tower as a programmer, I am also an environmentalist and prefer a low profile on industrial imagery. Nevertheless I would fall heavily on the side of the greater public good in this case. I really believe that it will not end up being an eyesore for residents. I am a member of a neighborhood group called Bloomfield/LonePine/Cunningham near the SHARP group area —all but one of whom is in favor of the tower. I believe the SHARP group is convened specifically to defend perceived property values and that they will be surprised by how little they are actually affected in the end.
Alexandra Hart
Sebastopol