Letters to the Editort 12-12-13

Gurney is a champion
Editor: The Sonoma West Times quoted Sarah Gurney as saying during the Sebastopol City Council meeting, “I want to make sure the [General Plan] consultant has autonomy and be sure it is not translated or impacted by our own staff or steered in any way by staff or Council.”
Larry Robinson in his letter called this request “deplorable … pandering … gratuitous.” I call it reasonable, courageous and principled.
Sebastopol is spending a sizable chunk of its budget on the new General Plan and it’s important to ensure that the planners feel free to assess the Plan without outside pressures.
Whether it be on the General Plan, restoring library hours, creating bike lanes, reining in CVS, or protecting the Laguna and the quality of life in Sebastopol, Sarah Gurney has consistently been a champion of the progressive and environmental values that so many Sebastopol residents hold dear. She has done nothing to deserve the insults Robinson has thrown at her. While he is entitled to his opinion, such inflammatory rhetoric is uncalled for. It is divisive and does nothing to further civic discourse.
Peggy Karp
Sebastopol
What is a hospital for?
Editor: In anticipation of the Affordable Healthcare Act, hospitals and insurance companies nationwide have begun to cutback services. In California, Kaiser nurses recently reported that “over the last year Kaiser has been making it harder for patients to be admitted for hospital care when sick or injured, and is sending patients home when they should still be under hospital care.”
Another key local example is Sutter’s new Santa Rosa hospital which will have reduced inpatient capacity from its current level. Now we learn that our hospital, Palm Drive, is following suit by reducing the number of beds from 37 to 14. As West County nurses, we wish to express concern over these decisions and ask you to question, “What is a hospital for?”
Considering our growing population with its aging demographics, it is vital to reflect on the effects of hospital restructuring. Health care experts and hospital officials alike cite many factors in this “national trend”: further drops in Medicare and insurer reimbursements, declining inpatient admissions with increasing outpatient services, and “competition”. They also acknowledge “uncertainty” surrounding Obamacare, so it appears restructuring plans are evolving around unknowns.
We question whether the restructuring may be precipitous and how it may impact patient safety. With beds and services reduced, where will we bed the acutely ill and will decisions in hospital stays be guided by sound clinical judgment over profit? What care can properly be managed in outpatient settings? If beds are pre-scheduled for surgical patients, what criteria will be used for admissions in remaining beds? Who or what will determine who gets admitted vs. transported – possibly great distances? What exactly do insurers mean when they speak of “more choices” and what do hospitals mean when proclaiming “excellent patient care?”
Hoping to raise awareness and promote discourse, we encourage all to ask these same questions. Our choice to work at Palm Drive is driven by our commitment to community, and as community nurses, we are first and foremost patient advocates. We believe equal access to health care is the right of every individual.
K.A. Baker, RN
John Finnigan, RN
Debra Hurst, RN
Palm Drive Hospital Nurses
Sebastopol
Listen carefully
Editor: As a former City Council member and one time Mayor of Sebastopol, I want to express my gratitude to the amazing, thoughtful, and qualified city staff. They bring continuity and wisdom to the governance process that transcends the political ebbs and flow of the City Council.  
Especially during significant updates to the City’˙s General Plan, the contributions and professional experience of staff should be thoughtfully considered. It is not the job of the council to agree with staff recommendations, but it is the council’s job to listen carefully.  
Sam Spooner
North San Juan, CA.
It’s polling, not pandering
Editor: Contrary to the “Myopia” letter in last week’s Sonoma West, there has been no attempt by anyone to deprive the General Plan Advisory Committee of the expertise and advice of the Planning Director whose job it is to oversee the timeline and budget for the General Plan update. Staff’s responsibility is also to see that the final document fulfills the State of California requirements for a legal General Plan. That’s where staff’s role ends. Its function is not to interpret or influence the tenor or scope of the community input.
The General Plan expresses the community members’ wishes, expectation and desires. It’s what they want their community to be for the next 20 years. It is a bottom up process. The public GP update meetings are led by the paid consultant, whose only agenda is to put their input into formal language. The results are then sent to the Planning Commission, which in turn holds public hearings. Subsequently the vetted document goes to the City Council, which too holds public hearings before approving the final update.  The Planning Commission and subsequently the City Council must receive the unfiltered conclusions of the community.
A recent letter writer says that the council “panders to a small, vocal organized minority that works diligently to elect individuals who will cater to their myopic agenda.” The writer apparently fails to recognize that in the final analysis the voters cast their ballots for those whom they believe will carry out their wishes. Elections have consequences, no matter how vigorous the campaigns.
Helen Shane
Sebastopol
Working together
EDITOR: This is an exciting time to be a part of our community. The council and many of our citizens are busy gearing up for our new General Plan Update process, and we just had an invaluable and unique opportunity to hear from the community at the recent Cittaslow Sebastopol Eco-Tourism workshop.
At the core of these engagements is collaborative participation. As we move through a transformative time in Sebastopol’s existence, we need input to ensure all members of our community are heard.
This may mean, as it often does from some members of the community, criticism. Criticism is good – all democracies need feedback to stay the right course. I encourage a healthy approach – where respect and honesty are cornerstones of communication and the intended outcome is for our town’s best interest.
In our interest is how we address economic development, create affordable housing, create a walkable and bikeable community. What does tourism look like?  How do we maintain our character and brand tourism in our own, unique way? How do the Barlow and downtown, top-of-town and south of town integrate?
We have the most to gain by coming together and working toward common solutions. I look forward to this next year of doing just that.
Mayor Robert Jacob
Sebastopol