EDITOR: This letter is a rebuttal to Will Shonbrun’s letter. Mr. Shonbrun is, as usual, promoting a socialist utopia by expressing the need for absolute government interference in business!
Government does have a necessary role in some aspects of our personal and business lives. California government is excessively invasive in both areas. As an example, why is it government finds it in the best interest of “the people” to monitor my privately funded and privately maintained, on private property, water well? It doesn’t belong to “the people,” it belongs to the private property owner or business! Why is it that government takes 18 months to issue a use permit for a business to operate? Business can’t wait 18 months to expand or relocate to a larger facility, to provide more jobs and more tax revenue!
These are just two examples of what business has to put up with in dealing with invasive government control. For what? For the “people”? I don’t think so. It’s all about “control”!
Progressive (socialist) government wants to control, as absolutely as they can, both business and the people.
I caution the “people” of Sonoma County and California, that same government wants to control your daily activities and, consequently, you! A liberal and progressive government has taken over the Sonoma government and California government.
The result is that over the past 20 years, 1,000 business per year have left California, and this exodus continues! Those businesses provided middle class manufacturing jobs that can be done anywhere in the USA or even China, where many have gone. What’s left are local businesses and service industries that simply raise their prices in concert with their competitors to meet the demands of government.
The march toward a $15 “living wage” is an example of government trying to socially and economically engineer the business community. Interestingly, a living wage in Sonoma is $35 an hour. Most businesses simply cannot stay in business, if they had to pay that kind of wage for a non-skilled, inexperienced worker. Progressives will not stop at $15 an hour!
The net result is that those businesses who chose to be here, but can operate elsewhere, move! That is why, after 87 years in California and 70 years in Sonoma Valley, Price Pump is moving to a business friendly state, Idaho. It’s not only business friendly, it’s employee friendly! To make that point over half of our employees are relocating with us! Many, who could not afford to buy a home here, have already purchased homes in our new location.
Mr. Shonbrun’s and his friends,’ progressive (socialist) ideals and imposed actions are destroying this state, In fact, it may already be too late to recover. California has $2 trillion in debt and is taking more on with social entitlements, such as “free” healthcare for all. It’s sanctuary city policy and legalized recreational cannabis are placing an undue liability on business, which it would take too long to explain here. I’m not sure socialists would get it anyway. You could look to Puerto Rico and Venezuela as a peek into California’s future.
The first three moving trucks left Saturday for our new location in Idaho. Thirty-six well-paying jobs, with full benefits, will be leaving with them before the month is over. This business and jobs exodus will continue and intensify, as you elect more and more socialists to government.
Wake up California, perhaps you should listen to the David Cook’s rather than the Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s in government!
— Bob Piazza, Sonoma
While your points have some merit I must confess I’ve lived in Idaho for a number of years. Couldn’t wait to get back to CA. you’ll find that only the business climate according to you personal insights will be short lived. Good luck. PS. Did you wonder why you didn’t get 100% of your employees to move?
I for one would love to hear from some of the employees who did not move, on how they feel about losing their jobs and looking for new ones. It would also be of interest to hear from those who do relocate after a year or so, what they think of life in Idaho. I love visiting my family and friends in Minnesota, but would not move back there. While Minnesota is filled with “socialists”, with all are welcome signs on every other lawn, houses are cheap, the weather is horrible. I do not miss 25 below and shoveling snow. I think Idaho may have all the negatives of Minnesota with none of the “socialist” positives.
Bob Piazza’s head is going to explode when he learns that Idaho is more dependent on Federal aid and that a higher percentage of Idaho residents are on SNAP than California residents. It’s easy to keep taxes low when the FedGov is your Sugar Daddy.
Sad to see Business owners will move out of state to avoid paying a living wage. Thank goodness in Petaluma we have so many business owners who correctly find Petaluma a great place to run a business.
That sound we just heard is the door hitting him.
I am among the many who have left California. It was the best decision I ever made! https://www.farewellcalifornia.com/
Your former neighbors agree: They are 100% happy you finally left California. As more people — particularly Republicans — leave the state, traffic will improve, housing prices will modify and jobs will become even more plentiful and wages will rise as employers will have to compete for help. Nevada, on the other hand, is in for some rough times.
I don’t believe you know what socialist means.
Yes, people are leaving, mostly the undereducated, but that is more than balanced by the educated people moving to California and the birthrate the state has.
It’s expensive here because of the demand for land is so high. The demand is so high because it’s glorious here!
Please check back with us in a year and let us know how many of the employees that moved to Idaho moved back to California after one winter. The winters in Idaho are horrible. There is a reason there are so few people there.