Every day is Earth Day

Unless you've got a secret hide-away on Mars, this planet is all you've got, and all that any of us has got. Given that fact, the Earth has given us, meaning human beings, a grand opportunity that's also an enormous responsibility, namely "don't screw things up.”... Continue

Why do we plan?

One of the common refrains we hear around town is that "things are changing." Some say this with enthusiasm, while others sound mournful and discouraged. What some call "progress" others call "failure." What's missed by both sides of this argument is their agreement; things are... Continue

The business of government

Local government was constituted to serve the interests of the citizens, interests expressed by democratically elected representatives. Those elected are legislative policy makers; the actual day-to-day work of government is performed by government employees. The money required to pay these employees is generated through taxes,... Continue

The nature of NIMBYism

NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) is a pejorative term used to describe neighbors who don’t want change. In public land use policy just about any proposed project or changed use is going to generate public opinion against it. This is to be expected. All... Continue

Fake news in the post-truth era

The proliferation of social media - Facebook, Twitter and the like - has unleashed a torrent of opinion from tens of millions of people daily. Sorting through all the information that comes our way each day is impossible; no sooner have we read one article... Continue

Support for Measure A – Sonoma County’s cannabis tax

Last year The Sun provided some perspective on the "Potconomy," the coming of the legalization of marijuana. In that article, we noted that one pot dispensary in the City of Sebastopol contributes $250,000/yr. in sales taxes to that city's coffers, and that the City of... Continue

Trump vs. the undocumented

Donald Trump is now the President of the United States. Normally, we would not devote our editorial to matters of national import, but in this case we're making an exception. For many months Mr. Trump waged a vigorous campaign against, among others, undocumented immigrants, particularly... Continue

Opinion: In support of the upcoming women’s march

On January 21st, the day after Inauguration Day, people all over America are marching in support of women's rights, health, and safety. Here in Sonoma, there is a gathering planned as well, beginning Saturday at 11AM in front of City Hall in the Sonoma Plaza.... Continue

Pimping Sonoma

We hate sounding harsh, but find it difficult to mince words when it comes to exploiting Sonoma's charm and reputation for money. Fact is, trading on Sonoma's name is now so commonplace it almost feels normal, but it is anything but. Don't get us wrong;... Continue

Time for an Ethics Policy for Sonoma’s City Council?

The conduct of City Council members is a blend of law and convention. Laws define the actions that council members cannot take while holding public office, and the requirements they must meet in order to take and hold office. Convention, the established norms of behavior... Continue

Editorials