MORE Election Letters for Sonoma County Races

We're getting down to the wire - and even though many people have already voted - there's still plenty of discussion going around. This batch of letters is about the 5th District Supervisor race between Efren Carillo and Rue Furch (more!) and also about the Sebastopol City Council race.


Dear Community,

Please see the PD story below and tell me, what does having a "low carbon campaign" (no signs spoiling our view, or loads of printed material crammed in your mail box) have to do with my view of accountable development for the North East Area Plan?

Please share your views with a letter to the Editor of the Press Democrat (to paul.gullixson@pressdemocrat.com), Wacco, and any other form of community communication you feel appropriate.

What does "Sustainable Sebastopol" mean to you? Do you think the community group that once existed has been shanghaied for select political/development gain? What would you like that group to be now?

One thing that is clear, I will be elected, or I won't; I'm fine with either outcome; but it is the town itself that will win, or not, depending on what 2 candidates are chosen.

Elected, or not, I will continue to work with the cities in the county, the County of Sonoma, and the community to evolve what sustainability looks like for us.

I will remain committed to work towards legislating an end to the unconstitutional use of force the US is involved in. This is way beyond the obvious ethical and true national security reasons; we need our tax dollars to be used for our own country for all the pressing social and environmental challenges at stake, as well as the practical things like paving our roads.

I won't tell you how to vote; whether it's the 1 or 2 person strategy, or even which candidate. I will just suggest that you don't fall for a false shade of "green", that you probe both your heart and your head and vote for what is in Sebastopol's short and long term best interest.

In peace,
Colleen Fernald
Candidate for Sebastopol City Council
colleenfernald@earthlink.net
707.829.2243



'Bullet' voting could hit council races
By BLEYS W. ROSE
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Published: Thursday, October 23, 2008 at 11:39 a.m.

While slate advertising for like-minded city council candidates is all the rage at the moment, there's another theory called "bullet voting" that advocates say ensures your top choices get into office.

Proponents of voting by "bullet" say casting a ballot for only your top choice means everybody's second choice won't skate in and possibly knock off your pick.

Bullet voting comes into play in multiple candidate fields, including council elections in Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Windsor, Healdsburg and Sebastopol where candidates in the philosophical center stand a good chance of getting elected by virtue of being popular second choices.

Here's how it could work in Sebastopol, where savvy experts are chatting up bullet voting as the only way to make sure their candidates get elected to the two open city council seats:

Jen Thille is viewed as the candidate most in favor of the city's Northeast Area Specific Plan; Guy Wilson as the most opposed and Kathleen Shaffer as somewhere in between. (A fourth candidate, Colleen Fernald, has demonstrated little evidence of financing, yard signs and literature, so she's not been a factor in this calculation.)

If voters inclined toward the northeast plan use both their votes, then Thille and Shaffer are their likely choices. Those opposed to the northeast plan would pick Wilson and Shaffer. Thus, Shaffer seems likely to benefit when voters exercise their right to make choices on the two open seats.

Which leaves Wilson and Thille fighting for second place - unless voters opt to use only one vote for their top choice.

Watch for literature prompting single-candidate, bullet-style voting coming to a city near you.


---------------------------------------


!!VOTE FOR EFREN CARRILLO!!!

Thank God...36 hours to go and one of the nastiest elections in the Fifth District is over.

It's unfortunate the union bosses ($125,000 against Efren) and dark business interests ($55,000 against Rue) hijacked the election from two fine candidates, while stuffing our mailboxes with crap. Of note is neither candidate disavowed the "Independent Expenditure" monies directed at the other. I believe members of each campaign were closely involved with these efforts...there should be laws preventing individuals and organizations from donating $20,000-$120,000 spewing lies and distortions against other candidates.

Whoever wins will not escape my ire with what I feel we need to do working together toward a sustainable future. I believe we are close to a collapse of many of our institutions, and thus far I do not see the courage and resolve needed towards necessary reforms and changes. If I ever run for office again I will probably begin my stump speech with,"...after the collapse this is what we need to do in order to have a phoenix rise from the ashes..." Why is our political discourse so shy and timid to avoid addressing real solutions?

If in my zeal to save the world I have offended any of my friends, please accept my humble apology. If not...c'est la vie...such is life...

Peace and Love to ALL!!
Tom Lynch