Leaf Blowers III

I have attended and spoke at Sonoma city council meetings supporting the ban of leaf blowers and did so again on Monday night. The reason I have done this, though not a registered voter in the city of Sonoma, is that I had hoped that the city would set an example for the rest of the county on banning leaf blowers.

After Monday’s meeting I of course came away disappointed. Not only in the ban not being voted on and passed, but disappointed in what I heard from some citizens and some council members. Of the city council members, only Laurie Gallian spoke to the reality of leaf blower use and her responsibility as a council member and person of conscience.

Some of the rhetoric used was manipulative, insincere and untruthful. This is the same type of rhetoric I see used in political campaigns run by the far right, to get voters to vote against their own best interests. In particular the assertion that banning leaf blowers is totally trivial and unimportant. The speakers stating this compared it to things like mass shootings and huge destructive wild fires. I asked myself why not just throw in the war in Syria and the refugee crisis too?

The city council of Sonoma can not stop mass shootings or natural disasters and to try to shame people into thinking quality of life matters in their own town are trivial by comparing them to these things and implying that as city council members they have more important things to do, is manipulative and dishonest. And then there is the assertion that leaf blowers are necessary and blowing leaves and dirt around has a purpose. When it comes to liability issues such as leaves on side walks being a hazard when wet and then connecting this to the statement that leaf blowers are a necessary and required tool, again this is disingenuous. Sidewalks can be swept on a regular basis and leaves can often be left in other places to naturally degrade over time. The reality is that public safety is not at risk by banning leaf blowers.

And last there is the fact that this matter will now go to a vote on the ballot next November. Then the lying and rhetoric will really go up to a new level. Money will talk and quality of life and the environment will lose. Unless of course if voters really start listening carefully to what is being said and look for the bottom line truth and not be scared or shamed into voting against their own best interests.

Josette Brose-Eichar, The Springs