Bad roads, Mon Dieu!

One of the most common complaints your readers have is the potholed state of our roads, and what to do about them. Unfortunately, their state is part of “planned obsolescence,’ whereby engineers, contractors and union workers get paid to patch and rebuild poorly-designed roads time... Continue

Sonoma residents use too much water

April water use for City of Sonoma residents averages 121 gallons, while the nearby Valley of the Moon Water District residents each use 59 gallons. The state-wide average is 83 gallons per person. Is that because of the more affluent residents using city water? Is it... Continue

Disneyland for drunks

Try living in a community in decline due to the conversion of housing to these short-term tourist rental businesses! Glen Ellen’s population has dropped by more than 40 percent since 2000 (Census data, not just my pissed-off take on things). We no longer have a... Continue

Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement is tool of the capitalist elite

The Op-Ed published in The Press Democrat June 16, “Congress Undermines U.S.’s Global Standing,” is misleading propaganda in support of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and richest people in the world. The author, Mohamed El-Erian, is the chief economic advisor for Allianz, the third largest asset management firm in... Continue

Kudos for SV Hospital care

Dear Editor, I would like to express yet again appreciation to the citizens of Sonoma for a service I received at the Sonoma Valley Hospital and its Emergency Room. On May 31st I visited it for the fifth time in two–and-one-half years. Each visit was for a... Continue

Leaf blowers and the Peter Principle

Dear Editor, In college I was introduced to the "Peter Principle,” where a person is promoted to their level of incompetence. So let's apply this concept to leaf blowers, as they have been utilized to a state of "incompetence -- not only are they noisy... Continue

SV Hospital expense account is out of line

(These comments were initially made to the Sonoma Valley Health District Board of Directors at its recent public meeting). My name is Brian Johnson and I represent a group called svhtransparency.com. Using the Public Records Act, I made several requests for hospital financial records. These... Continue

Hospital expenses — ‘Enough is enough’

(These comments were initially made to the Sonoma Valley Health District Board of Directors at its recent public meeting.) Hello my name is Linda Siemer. I am speaking here tonight on behalf of svhtransparency.com. This group obtained some information utilizing the California Public Records Act... Continue

Get with it Sonoma County – we’re a vacation hotspot

(This letter is in response to Supervisor Susan Gorin's recent column.) Let’s face it — Sonoma County is growing. It is one of the TOP vacation destinations in the WORLD. We should all be happy that we live in such a wonderful, and yes, growing... Continue

Vacation rentals impact good faith neighbors

(This letter is in response to Supervisor Susan Gorin's recent column) Dear Supervisor Gorin, I appreciate your stance but one severe negative impact that seems to be lumped in with the impact on a community or neighborhood as a whole is the plight of the... Continue

Letters To The Editor