Looks like the thunderstorm last Sunday pretty much cancelled the Springs Festival we had been all looking forward to. The first half an hour before the rain looked promising, and it was so good to see friends and talk to people in the booths. Hope... Continue
Letters To The Editor
Our thriving economy depend on workers. It is a tragedy that there is not affordable housing for the workers who staff our tourist businesses. This is why I urge the Sonoma City Council not to approve the big new hotel project adjacent to the Plaza... Continue
For decades, it has been nearly impossible for ordinary citizens to pierce the veil of legislative secrecy in our state capital. Of course, California is not unique — legislative bodies have sought to conceal their activity for millennia. This is inherent in the differences between... Continue
Last week I was among the many who were surprised to learn that the nearly century-old fig tree behind Adele Harrison Middle School was slated for removal to make room for an artificial turf field. Nowhere in any of the news articles or public forums... Continue
After the Legislature imposed billions of dollars in new car and gas taxes on Californians last month, a friend emailed me to register his disappointment and disgust: “It’s like we live in an apartheid society where the politically powerful live in luxury and laugh at... Continue
On April 28, Governor Brown signed SB1 into law. This new California law is a fuel tax that will be placed on diesel fuel and gasoline. Starting November 1st 2017, diesel fuel will go up by $0.20 per gallon and gasoline will go up by... Continue
What kind of a society penalizes its sick, poor and elderly? According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, our own -- if the Trump/Ryan AHCA is enacted into law. The CBO estimates that health premiums for the average 60 year old would skyrocket to $16,000... Continue
I am a 43-year resident of Sonoma Valley. I’ve worked at Sonoma Valley Hospital for five years and with Sutter Health for 18 years in Administration as well as directly with patients and their families. I strongly support Sonoma Valley Hospital. However, I do not... Continue
Before the ink on the governor’s signature has dried on the largest gas tax increase in California history, Sacramento Democrats are fully intending to break their promise to dedicate the new revenue to fixing our crumbling roads. In the upcoming budget, there is a proposal... Continue
California’s already overburdened taxpayers are, once again, being blamed for being the problem, now that Gov. Jerry Brown has labeled those who object to his new $5.2 billion gas and car tax as “freeloaders.” Taxpayers have become accustomed to being insulted by those who want... Continue