Posted by Michael Haran on Nov 24, 2013
Published Healdsburg Tribune 11/21/2013
On a day dialed up by the Point Arena Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell, came, saw and listened. I attended Friday’s environmental love fest on behalf of Sonoma County Supervisor Mike McGuire who is running for the 2nd District Senate seat in which the beautiful 1,664 acre Stornetta Public Lands is being considered for a land inclusion into the California Coastal National Monument. McGuire’s time is now limited as he is speaking to the Kiwanis, Rotarians and special interest groups times the seven counties in the district.
But this day belonged to Point Arena, Mendocino County and the California’s north coast. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, who accompanied Jewel, was complimented several times for getting the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a resolution to add the land to the Monument. A bill sponsored by Sens. Barbara Boxer and Diana Feinstein is currently stalled. “There’s a lot of uncertainty in the legislative process,” Huffman said. Having Secretary Jewell visit the area “is basically sending a message that we’re going to make it happen one way or another.”
Secretary Jewell told the crowd of over 200 people that by her presence she was confirming President Obama’s commitment to land preservation for future generations. “I wouldn’t be out here if it wasn’t a high priority,” she said. The twelve mile stretch of land is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and is open to the public.
The get-together was as folksy as you’d expect in a small town. A group of about 50 elementary students sang “This Land is Your Land,” read environmental poems to the Secretary and gave her framed copies. Dressed in native costume a few of the Manchester Band of Pomo Indians children gave a brief ceremonial dance.
After the representatives of Boxer and Feinstein said that both senators supported the effort, a representative of the Manchester Pomo’s gave an impassioned request to have the BLM do more to preserve some of their historic tribal areas. Jim Keena, California’s BLM director who said the BLM has an archeologist who specializes in these issues and he promised to put the two together.
Next came a steady stream of environmentalist like the Sierra Club, Audubon Society and the Mendocino Land Trust to name a few. District Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro, talked about the California Coastal Trail which he help champion. Many local civic leaders, civic organizations and county supervisors all spoke of their support for the Monument addition. Both the Mendocino County Tourism Bureau and the local Chamber of Commerce said that the addition would help promote job growth in Mendocino County’s largest business, tourism.
Everyone got a chuckle when a local activist presented Secretary Jewell with a petition supporting the effort with over 800 signatures from Point Arena residents, noting how exceptional that was considering a population of 450. When Mendocino Supervisor Dan Hamburg expressed concern for the oil “fracking” off the California coast, Secretary Jewell said that being a petroleum engineer she knows a lot about oil “fracking” and that there is a lot of dis-information out there. She flatly denied it was happening and said that we need a balanced approach to oil extraction and protecting the environment.
In her summation the secretary got a laugh by referring to the local petition as being “Democracy in action.” She then asked for a show of hands for how many would prefer the Monument designation by a Presidential Proclamation or an Act of Congress. Overwhelmingly, people wanted a Presidential Proclamation but then several shouted, “Anyway we can!”
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Posted by Michael Haran on Sep 26, 2013
Commentary
Healdsburg Tribune 9/26/2013
The response letters in the Healdsburg Tribune’s “Letters to the Editor” to Dave Henderson and my letters criticizing Gary Plass for not endorsing a ban on assault weapons made me realize that although there are many people who agree with our opinion there are also plenty who don’t. It was interesting to see the various views on the same subject. Most of us here in Sonoma County are liberals – mostly center-left but liberals just the same. Although we are technically part of the Bay Area we are still a rather rural community which is traditionally conservative. The divergent opinions have led to a healthy discourse which is one of the things that make our American way of life, as Vladimir Putin put it, “exceptional.”
I was worried when the Democrats won a legislative “super majority” in last year’s state elections. I wondered who’s going to provide the checks to prevent a “tax and spend” stampede that the Democrats are famous for. As it has turned out so far Jerry Brown has held to his word on taxes and the legislature has become more responsible with the state budget. I was also concerned whether the Sonoma County Supervisors, all democrats, could cut spending in response to declining revenues but they seem to be doing so.
Conservatives are traditionally rather ridged on dogma and they tend to be closed minded on issues such as gun control, taxes and social welfare. Since most liberals are free thinkers this rigidity drives most liberals nuts and vice versa with conservatives regarding liberal progressivism. Liberals would prefer to be represented by people who can “chew gum and walk” and think outside the box whereas conservatives want people to govern who uphold traditional values.
Traditionally, Republicans have been fiscally and socially conservative whereas Democrats have been fiscal and social liberals. Since the “Great Recession” started five years ago shrinking revenues have force governing Democrats to be more fiscally conservative. As the saying still goes, “If you want to be a social liberal you better be a fiscal conservative or there won’t be any money for your social programs.”
So while the Democrats have learned to become better at handling the public’s tax dollars and cutting waste the Republicans have become worse at handling social issues. In fact, at the national level, conservative have not only not improved on social issues they have in effect marginalized themselves buy becoming socially mean spirited at a time when millions of people have been trampled by the recession and the slow economic recovery. No one wants to be governed by mean spirited people
However, as Gary pointed out, this is not Washington. Here at the local level, we still need conservative points of view on local issues which Gary provides. Plus what fun would it be if we all thought the same way and what would liberals and conservatives do if we didn’t have an emotional issue to argue about? “Small town dust-ups” as Ray Holly calls them and we have two good ones coming up with the hotel and round-about issues. How many small towns in California, or in the country for that matter, would love to have our local issues and the revenue they bring?
Jane St. Claire’s letter “Community paper” gave me goose bumps. She captured beautifully what the Tribune means to our town and how it captures the pulse of our community. One of the great features of the Trib is that dissenting voices can go back and forth in the Letters to the Editor each week. In the Press Democrat a writer is limited to one letter every ninety days which eliminates any tit-for-tat rebuttals. Granted, the PD is a county paper so they really couldn’t handle all the squabbles but that policy does make one appreciate the Tribune. So bring it on people – Rollie and Kerrie are awaiting our rants.
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