Good news and bad news at State of the Valley breakfast

California State Assemblymember Jared Huffman reported that the governor had proposed a “provocative opening solution” to the current budget crisis, cutting expenditures 10 percent across the board, in the process closing 48 state parks and beaches and cutting a half million dollars out of the schools’ budgets. Huffman said he could not accept such cuts to valuable programs, which were already under-funded. “To his credit,” he said, “the governor has said this proposal has been laid out to ‘rattle the cage.’”
He continued, “I’m going to fight like heck to make sure we’re not cutting too deeply into our school system.” He spoke of having visited Sonoma’s schools in December and having been pleased and inspired by what he’d seen.
On another front, Huffman said he is currently proposing an agriculture bill which would prevent large manufacturers of genetically modified (GM) plants from suing farmers on whose lands GM plants have sprung up, their seeds having drifted there by the wind.
Superintendent Valerie Brown expressed concern for the school budget cuts too, and said the problem reflected the larger economic picture. “I believe every single one of you in your businesses are experiencing the same thing. It’s happening to everyone.” She steered away from the obvious bad news and mentioned the good work being done on Highway 12. “We had about 45 properties on which we had to get easements, but for some, the only parking they had was right in front of the building. We have only eight properties left where we have to find parking spaces, and those property owners are trying to help us to come up with solutions.” She said the sidewalk project will create better entrance into Sonoma. “Watch for it – we’re going to see it in our lifetime!”
Then she talked about crime. Of the recent survey, 87 percent in Sonoma County and 82 percent in Sonoma Valley consider crime and gang activity their top concern. Much of this activity is fed by methamphetamines, which, she pointed out, is not the “speed” people might have known or heard about in the 70s, but a much more damaging drug whose main attraction is that it’s cheap and available. She made a point of saying also that parents can be fooled, thinking their kids are acting strangely just because they’re teenagers. “Pay attention,” she said, “We’re living in a whole new world. This particular drug is one part of the gang, crime, drugs which make up a perfect storm.”
Mayor Joanne Sanders, who had to rush through her presentation so she could go to a meeting at the Golden Gate Transportation Authority to vote against having North Bay commuters pay for the proposed Doyle Drive renovation, praised the city’s consciousness of green business, water conservation, historic preservation and support for the hospital. Contrary to the economic situation of the state, she said, the city’s finances are not shaky. “For the short term, we’re in really good shape.”
Sanders mentioned that the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), Sonoma’s top revenue source, was growing at a rate of nine percent, although sales tax was flat. She did note that as unemployment increases overall, we might see a fall in tourism. She mentioned, too, that the city council had supported the building of a bigger municipal well. “It’s a pretty tricky situation,” she said. “We don’t have enough water to serve our needs today. Digging wells is not what you want for the city. We want to save groundwater for agriculture.” But in the summer, the city still will need to draw water from the wells. She mentioned the new city manager, Linda Kelly, and said that with her experience managing Fairfax during the 2006 flood, she’ll be well qualified to work on improving Sonoma’s disaster preparedness plan.
Sanders concluded by saying she understands that people in the unincorporated areas feel they don’t have voice in policy and she would welcome talks about joining the Springs into the city’s jurisdiction.
Finally, Bob Flores, a former gang member, who is working with local groups to help bring an alternative to youth who might otherwise, drift toward gangs, spoke about how to help kids stay out of gangs. He said kids need mentors to help teach them how to get “from A to B” in the world of work. He appealed to businesses and interested individuals to get involved by helping mentor kids, and guiding them into the world of work.