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Sebastiani announces council endorsements

Posted on October 20, 2010 by Sonoma Valley Sun


Sonoma City Councilmember August Sebastiani, who is not running for reelection, released this letter Tuesday.

Editor: As an outgoing member of the Sonoma City Council, many of my supporters have asked if I plan to make an endorsement. This year it hasn’t proven to be as easy as I’d like it to be.

As the lone Republican on the Council dais, I’ve come to believe that political alignment is quite important to the role of being a councilmember. Specifically, assuming ideologies hold true, conservative Republicans urge a smaller budget, reducing services when times get tight; whereas liberal Democrats encourage spending to meet the needs of their expectation of local government. Right, wrong, or indifferent it’s a leading indicator of how votes are cast on the dais. And it ultimately results in a balanced process through which everyone is heard and a consensus is built.

Unfortunately, I don’t see very much of that balance in this race. It’s been my observation that just about every candidate is left of center, pro business (whatever that means…), and “eager to give back.” All fine and good, but there’s seven of you folks and I can only check boxes for three.

I do, however, see all good people doing their best to improve this community and give back to society and put in serious hours to work for the greater good, and that is absolutely commendable.

My endorsement is for the following three candidates:

Fred Martin has shown to be the most conservative among challengers. He has many years of business experience across many disciplines during his career at Morgan Stanley and is the best bet to provide balance on the dais.

Ken Brown has served on the Council for 12 years, and I voted to have him for another four. Mr. Brown and I have worked well together in the past four years. He’s proven to be a man of conviction, of integrity, and significantly dedicated to this community.

And Tom Rouse. Mr. Rouse also understands managing a business, and has run a terrific campaign. But most importantly, I think he may be the hardest working candidate in the field. I’ve known Tom for some time now, he’s got a great family, and a great work ethic, and although we might differ on some issues, he’ll give everything a fair shot.



One thought on “Sebastiani announces council endorsements

  1. Thanks, Aug! We deeply appreciate your service on the City Council. You lived up to your campaign promises and you are a man of conviction. Sara and I wish you and your family the very best.

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