Not Funny
I was remembering laughter just fine up to “And, speaking of women, I thought Caitlyn Jenner was actually a man?” (Letters, July 27). We are not a joke, and we are not disguising ourselves to fool anyone. We are who we are. This is transphobia, and it’s bigotry, whether intentional or not. This has no place on the pages of your nominally progressive rag. This is no more appropriate than racist humor.
Via Bohemian.com
Rubber Stamp
I hesitate to comment in the Bohemian, as it has over-edited my comments before, but I sure agree with Padi Selwyn (Open Mic, July 27). The current growth rate of permitting more wineries, especially in rural neighborhoods, needs to be reviewed more carefully. The one big industry in our county has for too long enjoyed the full support of our county supervisors. Their appointees to the planning commission have rubber stamped too many of their projects.
With a weakened Coastal Commission and more investors seeking to put wineries on our coastal hills, we need to elect a 5th District [Sonoma County] supervisor not beholden to the big moneyed interests.
Via Bohemian.com
Imbalance
This rampant overdevelopment by the wine industry impacts not only Sonoma County but our neighbors in Napa, Mendocino, Lake, and more recently, Solano counties. I enjoy wine and there are certainly many good grape growers and winemakers in our region, to which the wine industry makes important contributions. However, given that wine is a boom-and-bust product, it has become a serious threat to our economy—too many eggs in the same basket. Ninety-six percent of the veggies and fruit sold in Sonoma County are imported from outside, according to Go Local, which means that we are no longer a food-ag county. In terms of food security, this is a dangerous imbalance that must be addressed.
Via Bohemian.com
Fight Big Money
American voters agree money has too much influence in our democracy and are eager to hear candidates debate bold solutions. A democracy does not work when special-interest money drowns out the voices of everyday Americans.
But there are solutions that are already working to strengthen democracy on the state level—and a huge majority of voters agree it’s time to take them nationwide. That’s why it is so important for our candidates to tell us where they stand on the Fight Big Money agenda, a platform endorsed by over a dozen organizations committed to restoring balance to our democracy.
The agenda urges candidates to explain their stances on specific policy reforms, including creating a small-donor, citizen-funded election program, protecting the right to vote, overturning Citizens United, ensuring full disclosure of political contributions and making sure our campaign finance laws are strictly enforced.
These are commonsense solutions supported by a wide majority of Americans—Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Join me to encourage candidates to let voters know where they stand on these important issues at WhoWillFightBigMoney.org.
Santa Rosa
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