Editor’s Note: Printed below are all of the letters to the editor that The Healdsburg Tribune had received regarding the resignation of Leah Gold as of press time for this week’s print issue.
Too far
EDITOR: I believe that the lead critic of Mayor Gold went too far and was too strident in her petition calling for Gold’s resignation and recall. Mayor Gold had a right to state her opinion about police use of force, and three other council members agreed with Gold at that time. Also, the issues of racism and discrimination were not what Councilmember Joe Naujokas requested to be put on the future council agenda. Yet the critics made charges and put these additional topics into their petition. Mayor Gold along with other council members made amends due to public pressure, and an update on use of police force was put on the next city council agenda.
In the meantime, Gold issued numerous statements in support of BLM and her positions on racism and discrimination. She met with BLM organizers for dialogue in the Plaza despite rude anti-Gold chanting chanting around her. Over a two-week period she gave responsible and transparent responses to true and untrue charges that had been leveled at her.
Her 28-year civic record has shown strong support for affordable housing issues, rent control and supporting issues of lower income residents. But in the end, her responses and record were ignored by her critics who continued to press and hound her to resign. What a shame. This was not necessary and did not have to elevate to a petition call for resignation. On June 15 the public was presented with a detailed update by the police chief on policy and procedures of his department. That was what Naujokas had originally requested.
Bruce Abramson
Healdsburg
When do shamers become bullies?
EDITOR: On June 11, in spite of concerns with gatherings during the COVID pandemic, I attended the Healdsburg Peace Project rally in the Plaza. On display were testimonials from members of the community about experiences of discrimination and prejudice in Healdsburg. Scheduled an hour before the anti-racism rally the tone was somber and reflective as people walked around reading the statements. Having lived in Healdsburg for nearly 30 years, I thought we had made considerable progress towards an integrated community, but after witnessing these statements, I knew we had a long way to go.
After extensive media reporting on what Mayor Leah Gold did or didn’t say, and the endless vitriol on social media, I was curious about how this paper would report on the attack leveled at Mayor Gold during this rally. Very little print was dedicated to this shocking display of aggression. In addition to being a demonstration against racism and police violence, the event turned into a rally to oust Mayor Gold. One protestor held a sign depicting her as the devil. I was reprimanded by a lead activist for not joining in the chanting, “This is no picnic here.” When the mayor stepped aside to speak to a fellow council member, a leader with a megaphone demanded she return to the gazebo. She approached him and requested that he stop bullying her, which only escalated his fervor. An angry crowd circled around her, screaming and shouting. To see her treated this way was hard to witness. She did her best to stay engaged and, fortunately, was soon joined by fellow council members.
I thought public shaming in the town square ended in the 19th century. You expect it on social media, but at what point do the “shamers” become bullies? I fully support reforms to address racism and discrimination in our town and our nation. The anger is justifiable but it is no excuse for the mob mentality Mayor Gold was subjected to.
Leah Gold was twice elected by the citizens of Healdsburg. After being subjected to a relentless attack, she has chosen to resign, ending her term prematurely. Serving on the council 2000-04, and 2017-20, she has worked tirelessly and effectively for seven years to improve the quality of living conditions for Healdsburg citizens. I thank her for her service.
Rhonda Bellmer
Healdsburg
The problem is us
EDITOR: While attending the event at the Healdsburg Plaza Thursday afternoon, I spent time reading the string of letters community members displayed. It is hard to be misunderstood and slurred because of your race, your sex, your handicap, or anything else you were born with. I know we are one of thousands of towns across our “United” States experiencing this.
One thing I noticed in these writings, was that 99% of the victims experienced racism from fellow community citizens, and not from electeds or police. It is us. One example was a mother and daughter speaking Spanish to each other in the grocery store line, and another person meanly told them to go back to where they came from. The mood among those of us that were at the demonstration was one of listening and learning, and respect. Our mayor moved through the socially distanced crowd also listening and sharing ideas for change. Gradually, about a 100 mostly young people arrived with their signs. An activist with them began skateboarding and started a call and response of the now familiar rally calls. All good. Then the incitement accelerated and shifted to demonizing our mayor and soon they were all chanting angrily for her ouster. One young woman had a sign that depicted a devil and said “Leah Gold must go.” I talked to her and it was clear she didn’t even know her. This bridge-building rally was sabotaged by people looking for a white authority figure to scapegoat locally as they raged because of the national tragedies we were all reeling from. I get that. Unfortunately, they burned the bridge that would have been one of our best assets to collaborate for significant changes at the city level.
Were the protesters even conscious that their venom was perpetuating division …what they wanted to change in the big picture? Not to mention the bullying of their victim in the public square?
I think recognizing the many Healdsburg employers, community leaders, restaurants, winery owners, housing advocates, health services, prevalent among us that support Latinx in major ways, would help as a base to start a new chapter, building on and strengthening our town to embrace the right of equality for all. I’d also like to say, defund ICE.
Bonnie Berkeley
Healdsburg
Good luck, Healdsburg
EDITOR: I’m unhappy about the way Leah Gold has been treated recently at the protests and city hall. I imagine many of these people are ignorant about the work Leah has done for Healdsburg. She never said there was no racism problem. What she said, regarding police violence, was “We don’t have that issue in our town.”
In the last six years there have been 65 use-of-force arrests in Healdsburg, with no shootings or deaths and very few complaints. Mayor Gold signed the Mayor’s Pledge (Obama.org/mayor-pledge/) to investigate and reform police use-of-force policies and has been proceeding with those steps. She has also worked on reforming the growth management ordinance, on creating and preserving affordable housing, and on limiting the development of hospitality projects in the downtown core. Leah has taken time to study Spanish and supports the Corazón organization in Healdsburg. So for those of you who let rage and frustration blind you to a person of integrity and progressive action, shame on you. Maybe what Leah said about the police in Healdsburg was impolitic, but to attack a person who has done so much for the community is ignorant and hateful.
Good luck to Healdsburg. It won’t be easy to find someone with Leah’s progressive outlook, real understanding of the issues facing the town, and willingness to sacrifice her time to make progress. Outrage is facile and, I suppose emotionally satisfying. Progress takes hard work, humility, and the ability to not treat a potential ally like an enemy, characteristics not much in evidence in Healdsburg recently.
MaryAnn Ciavonne
Healdsburg
Seeking permanent change
EDITOR: Racism is endemic in America. It is real here and woven into all of Healdsburg’s groups, systems and organizations. Daily active anti-racist practices by all of us are a necessity in order to undo what is wrong here. It is correct to be surprised by Healdsburg mayor Leah Gold’s puzzling lapse of judgement when she appeared insensitive to the urgent public sentiment to end racism in police departments. But it was not OK to subject her to a public condemnation of character on the Plaza.
The art installation was co-opted by a hostile group who used Gold’s presence there to taunt and demonize her through a bullhorn in response to her by now retracted remarks. This was the wrong way to respond. While her record shows a council member fully engaged in anti-racist policy, she publicly admitted to mishandling the moment and apologized. Confronted by the angry group on the Plaza, she took it on the chin, listening openly and calmly while they aimed their rage at her. It was astonishing and deeply discouraging to watch the aggression play itself out. Anyone who hoped to divert the misplaced rage was accused of white fragility and told to go home.
The truth of the matter is that all of us are outraged, that is certain. Our country’s police departments have engaged in a long-term, slow-motion, racist, murderous rampage. We are showing up for Black Lives Matter in Healdsburg, taking to the streets, demanding that active anti-racist change begin in every walk of life now. It is still Martin Luther King, Jr. today who shows us how to do it: with non-violent methods. We want permanent change. Hostility will prevent it.
King wrote that non-violence seeks to defeat injustice, not people; it results in redemption and reconciliation; its goal is friendship with the opponent. I wish that King’s Six Principles of Nonviolence and the Six Steps of Non-Violent Social Change were engraved in the Plaza to remind us of these, our highest human goals, when we meet to sort things out at the commons.
Kate Foley-Beining
Healdsburg
A loss for Healdsburg
EDITOR: I’m a Healdsburg resident who campaigned for Leah Gold in her bids for city council in 2016 and 2018. Leah was urged to run in 2016 by residents who wanted a council member with a progressive viewpoint to advocate for affordable housing, improved quality of life for Healdsburg residents, and balance between the interests of Healdsburg residents and the tourism and building industries. In 2016 the city council consisted of four men and one woman, and we celebrated when Leah’s election improved the ratio to three men and two women. Mayor Gold has served tirelessly and effectively for a pittance: it’s not well known that Healdsburg City council members, including the Mayor, are paid $150 per month plus the cost of health insurance, for what can be close to a full time job.
I appreciate Ms. Gold’s hard work on the city council, and congratulate her on extricating herself from a thankless no-win situation. Healdsburg has lost a dedicated public servant.
Jan Morgan
Healdsburg
Saddened by resignation
EDITOR: We are saddened to hear that Leah Gold is resigning from the city council. While we agree with critics that the council made a mistake in putting off a review of the Healdsburg Police use-of-force policies, the reasonable correction was to reverse that decision, which the council promptly did. Insisting on Gold’s removal (just one of four errant councilors), was somewhat perverse. It seems much of the opposition to Gold was based on a rumor that Gold had said something like “racism is not a problem in Healdsburg.” We’ve just watched the video of the city council meeting on the city website. Gold says she thinks police misuse of force is not currently a problem in this city. She and other members express their gratitude for the positive attitude of police chief Kevin Burke, which has been much better than that in the average police department. There is no hint she thinks racism is not a problem here.
As Healdsburgers who sometimes attend city council meetings (some 40 or 50 in recent years), we are aware that Gold is one of the most progressive city councilors on many issues. Consider one example. A huge factor in our lack of low-income housing has been the recent conversion of many houses — once homes of lower income Healdsburgers — into rarely used weekend homes, and entirely vacant billionaire investments. Gold pushed the council to look for a way to arrest this conversion. When she proposed the city should make an inventory of vacant houses, the council didn’t agree. The city doesn’t know just how big the problem is, so it remains easier to continue doing nothing.
We wonder what result Gold’s detractors expect. Gold said she hopes to be replaced by someone of color. We hope so too. However, the historical reality is that Healdsburg, with a majority of liberal democrats, has frequently had a city council with a conservative republican majority. One reason: Serving as a city councilor is a more than half-time job, with monthly pay of $150. Working class and many middle-class people can’t afford to take the position. Wealthy people can. We’d have been better off to retain Gold, and try to add more good councilors.
Robert Nuese and Heidi Marino
Healdsburg
Admirable behavior
EDITOR: Despite Leah Gold’s rather tone deaf response to the concerns people have regarding policing in Healdsburg, I think she was in the process of accepting that she had made a serious error in judgment. to the point that she was willing to engage her critics at the Thursday night Plaza vigil. I found her behavior as admirable as it is rare in a politician and it’s unfortunate that folks were not willing to participate in what could have been a fruitful discussion about the issues of police and race in our town. Instead it seemed to me that righteous indignation carried the day and we lost a councilwoman who very likely holds the same views on most issues as her critics.
Hank Skewis
Healdsburg
Short-term fix
EDITOR: For the short-term fix of a political moment, the people who shouted down and insulted Leah Gold in Healdsburg betrayed two terms worth of work for the local community, including particularly firm, sustained , effective effort on behalf of the town’s most vulnerable residents, thus combining bad manners with spoor citizenship.
John Vanderzee
Healdsburg
