The Sonoma City Council and the rest of the world

The late Tip O’Neil Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives was famous for saying, “All politics is local.” He believed it is at the local level that laws and regulations are passed that most directly impact our daily lives, such as safeguarding our water supply, insuring a quality education for our children, funding and training police and fire responders. Those issues that we often take for granted but are so vital in our daily lives are placed in the hands of those we elect. We must vote and do so mindfully to insure a safe and prosperous city.

Which leads me to this question: to what extent should Americans concern themselves with state, county and perhaps, more importantly, federal issues? Too often, we feel powerless to affect change at these higher levels of government; it feels like results come too slowly. Change does come slowly, but actions taken by state and federal elected leaders can, ultimately, have profound impact on each of us – wars, job outsourcing, voter suppression, corporate welfare, and on.

Given the undeniable fact that all entities of government have an impact on the lives of the local citizenry, local governments are weighing in. Is it time for the Sonoma City Council to consider resolutions in support of, or against, actions taken by county, state and federal governments?

Increasingly states and city councils are becoming more active participants in national and international affairs. Davis declared itself a Nuclear Free Zone and other cities followed thereafter, including Berkeley, CA. In 2012 the city council of Yonkers, NY, passed two resolutions. One states the opposition to restrictive voter ID laws and another opposes the Supreme Court’s decision allowing corporations to contribute unlimited amounts to so-called independent political groups. In June of this year the Oakland City Council supported a resolution to oppose transporting hazardous materials along rail lines in the East Bay. In August, Fullerton passed a resolution recognizing the global problem of human trafficking.

Which leads me to more questions. How interested are Sonomans in supporting such issues? Should the Council pass resolutions in support of legislative actions taken by the County Board of Supervisors and the State legislative body that directly impact the daily lives of our citizens? What about actions taken (or not) by the Congress of the United States as in the bombings against ISISL in Iraq and Syria? Should the Council declare itself as the representatives of Sonomans regarding such matters? In October of 2002, Barack Obama, then State Senator declared himself against the invasion of Iraq; It became a major issue in his race against Senator Hilary Clinton for the Presidency of the United States in 2008.

In keeping with this theme, during a period of two weeks in 2014 I asked City Council candidates on my Thursday afternoon radio show to express their views on the role of the council. The answers were interesting to say the least, and no, I will not reveal the names of those who spoke. However here are some of their responses.

I asked if they would support a resolution passed by the Council opposing the war against ISISL. One response was that this didn’t seem to be an issue of local importance; for another it was, “Are you serious, what does that have to do with being a member of the city council?”. A third seemed to be at a loss for words and finally suggested it was not something the Council should address since there are far more import local issues to deal with; another suggested he/she would think about it and review it with some of the city residents, since any resolution of this kind would have to be reflective to the opinions of the citizens of Sonoma.

It was on December 1, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama that Rosa Parks, an African American woman, refused to give up her seat in the front of the bus which was designated for “whites only.” Her refusal and subsequent arrest ignited the Civil Rights Movement, one the most significant movements in the history of this country.

Sometimes it doesn’t take much to plant a seed of change in the minds of the average American. Maybe an anti-war resolution passed by the City Council of Sonoma, CA could be that spark that ignites a call for a more just and peaceful world.