Public Citizen

Larry Barnett lives in Sonoma where he was elected to three terms on the City Council and served twice as Mayor. A thirty-five-year resident, he currently serves on Sonoma's Planning Commission, where he recently was Chair for two years. Until her passing, he was married to his wife Norma for 50 years, has two daughters and three grandchildren.

Can humanity be reduced to an algorithm?

Each of us is different and in other ways we are all the same. Sameness and difference are two sides of a coin; you can’t have one without the other. In our case, sameness and difference are the products of one billion years or more... Continue

Union power reflects class power

Moments of crises for the capitalist class always reveals (to borrow a phrase from billionaire Warren Buffet) who is wearing shorts and who is bare. Right now, this is one of the least talented cohort of corporate C suite cronies in the history of modern... Continue

Dad was a farmer, not a hunter

Chapter 60: Summer 1949 • Sonora, California 1949: Abbreviated entries of Larry’s diary (age 15) Aug 31 Went to San Francisco and Sellers, Decca, Warehouseman, Dunham, Cariagan & Town were all on strike. Only had one meal, drove back in dark. Sep 2 Washed Carters... Continue

Taking care of business

While walking down a busy street the other day I felt reminded of leaf cutter ants. Leaf cutters leave their jungle nest each day and embark upon harvesting; climbing into the branches of shrubs and trees they systematically chop leaves apart and carry the bits... Continue

Greed and loathing

Last month, the California State Department of General Services (DGS) and the Grupe/Rogal partnership submitted a Builder’s Remedy (Senate Bill 330) application to Permit Sonoma for the Sonoma Developmental Center. The numbers were significantly higher than proposed: 930 housing units, a 170,000 square foot hotel,... Continue

Fire season is here: prepare and stay informed

Though we’ve experienced some cooler temperatures and even some light rain this summer, looking out at the golden hills throughout this County makes it clear that the respite we had is over, the vegetation is dry, and fire season is here. Now is the time... Continue

Beating the heat

When squirrels lay flat on tree limbs and ravens pant through their beaks, you know it is unbearably hot. I mean it’s been dangerously hot this summer for beast and man as well as for plants, soil, creeks, and the ocean. Indeed, the summer of... Continue

Should public hate speech be illegal?

Our American culture famously celebrates freedom of expression. Freedom of speech is invoked as a catch-all justification for the most hateful of sentiments; the ACLU, defender of the First Amendment, has gone to court to protect the right of Nazi’s to march publicly while displaying... Continue

Entries from my brother’s diary…

Chapter 61: 1949-1950 • Sonora, California 1949 • Larry’s diary (age 15) The month of October was about school, basketball games, orchestra, movies, books, and work November: much of the same December: same, but these few entries were of interest: Dec 22 Got Christmas tree... Continue

The Zoom convention

Imagine how difficult life would be today if, instead of tapping a cellphone to call friends or pay bills we still had to get out pen & paper, write & mail a letter; dial "the operator" to connect us to customer service on "long distance;"... Continue

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