It’s all about the money

Editor:

As I look at many of the things going on in the city of Sonoma and all of Sonoma County, I can’t help but feel money is the driving force at work.

Here in Sonoma, I see “Rich Tourist Complex” underlying why our beautiful area is being destroyed. There is a lot of spin and lip service coming from our elected officials about things like affordable housing and the environment. But, mostly it is just talk to shut up the “Slow Growth” contingent. If these people with all this money really want to help with affordable housing, why don’t they use some of their own vast wealth and all the TOT money for that, instead of advertising to bring more rich tourists and build more infrastructure for them? Why are they supporting businesses using leaf blowers instead of environmental interests?

As for vacation rentals, I have stated before that this is a “Red Herring” to cover up the desire to build a lot of big resorts and hotels. Right now the County has come up with the following way to regulate vacation rentals: Issue no more permits in R1 zones. Why don’t they just cap the numbers of permits they issue, restrict density, crack down on unpermitted rentals, and find a way to enforce noise and disturbance issues across the board whenever they occur. It seems this is just too difficult.

I can’t help but see money and sheer hypocrisy at work here. Let’s consider building some gigantic equestrian center for the wealthy on SDC land, but let’s make sure every middle class person who rents out a house to other middle class tourists will lose their permit. Why have the County supervisors not addressed using vacation rental TOT, and for that matter, all TOT, to subsidize and build affordable housing? Why? Because it will not benefit big money supporters, or make the County into a destination exclusively for the wealthy.

Josette Brose-Eichar
Boyes Hot Springs