Election 2008 - Sonoma County & the Nation- LETTERS

Thank you for your comments - I will post them as they come in. This is an exciting time in all our lives for many reasons. We won some, we lost some - but the bottom line is we have a lot of work to do to heal our nation and bring our country closer to the values that established our government: Freedom and Justice for All. As the saying goes: be part of the solution.

I'll post new comments from the top down from here out - thanks for checking in!

Apparently we're still on hold for the 5th District Supervisor race - so when I know, I'll post the results.

Thank You!

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Newsflash!!! Santa Rosa! Sebastopol! The Scooter Lady is flying an American flag on her Yamaha! Could it be the election????

Love , Cecile Lusby

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Whoopee! Now I can dust off The Flag and hang it up proudly once again.
Yours in euphoria, Joyce

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Dear V,
Frankly with Barack Obama as President I am so elated that even the Prop 8 is not frightening -- now we don't have to fear about the Supreme Court for at least 4 years -- hopefully 8 -- and that, will ultimately be the way to make sure we all have equal rights...

I have received emails from my family all over the world with congratulations -- and mostly they are conservative -- but they are all elated about the US and the world's future now....

Oh, and California high speed rail -- about bloody time...

David ;)

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Dear Vesta:

I am disgusted now that Prop 8 did not pass. I want to encourage the gay community to not be so polite next time and bring up the fact that the in all the Bibles of the homophobic church people, that it states that "adulterers and fornicators do not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)." Also, in the Hebrew scriptures, those horny heterosexual busted in the act were stoned to death. Let us all create a new proposition and reinstate the Biblical stoning law for all the hypocritical church people that are shacking up-living in sin, having heterosexual sex before they are married, cheating on spouses, after years of having sex with family members who then resort to raping women, having sex with children and animals.

I mention the above crimes against humanity because I know of so many King Henry VIII inspired Protestant religions that "do not consider such atrocities as cheating on their spouses so that their partners do not have scriptural backing to get a divorce and get away from them." Especially "if their victims did not scream bloody murder with a gun pointed at their head in the middle of nowhere & had two to three witnesses to the act. (2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19) The same turn the other cheek to the pervert rule applies if more than one victim has been attacked by the same garden variety fruitcake, and statistically a Protestant Caucasian and heterosexual male. This makes their houses of worship a safe haven for sex offenders yet demonizes their victims. These are scriptures that we are told "are inspired of God" that were most likely written by horny old goats that could empathize with such swine to let them get away with it. I think an intelligent higher power would be insulted to have such low class laws be slanderously written in stone by imperfect men and have to take the blame for them.

Heterosexual "loose conduct" as Christians like to call it, cheapens their relationship with their creator and their marriage is not sacred in the eyes of God (Hebrews 13:4). I know my hypocritical horny Christian neighbors married and divorced a few times with several sets of kids will disagree with me as they say "what gay people do in the bedroom is unorthodox." They have taken a Sharpie and blacked out where it says next to homosexuals which they have highlighted in bright yellow, "Do not be misled...neither fornicators and adulterers will inherit the kingdom of God." Sorry Christians...you are on the same playing field as regards to "sin" as homosexuals. One sin is not greater than the other. Now back to that proposition, let's get the stoning of heterosexuals on the ballot next time. Who knows, maybe it can be made into one of those tacky American reality shows! I think that would be a big hit with a never ending supply of cast members! (humor)

I am a heterosexual woman that is sick of the hypocritical application of the scriptures that only benefits the majority of the population. Nine times of ten, homosexuals have nothing to do with heterosexual divorce or bringing down the scared institution of it. I think that "rafter" scripture should apply here since there is much husband and wife swapping and perversions in so called "Christian" churches among the heterosexuals in the congregation that account for about 95% of the moral atrophy in our society. Thanks for hearing me gripe!

Sincerely glad Obama won,

Rachele Ketchem
Sebastopol

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MY NEW MANTRA IS IF BARAK CAN DO IT THEN I WILL KEEP GOING TOO - Sandra

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Submitted by Carole and Big Man:

An Open Letter to Barack Obama - By Alice Walker (Nov. 5, 2008)
Today at
8:44am | Nov. 5, 2008

http://www.theroot.com/id/48726

Dear Brother Obama,

You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the black people of the Southern United States. You think you know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year after year,
decade after decade, century after century, only to be struck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almost more than the heart can bear. And yet, this observation is not intended to burden you, for you are of a different time, and, indeed, because of all the relay
runners before you, North America is a different place. It is really only to say: Well done. We knew, through all the generations, that you were with us, in us, the best of the spirit of Africa and of the Americas. Knowing this, that you would actually appear, someday, was part of our
strength. Seeing you take your rightful place, based solely on your wisdom, stamina and character, is a balm for the weary warriors of hope, previously only sung about.

I would advise you to remember that you did not create the disaster that the world is experiencing, and you alone are not responsible for bringing the world back to balance. A primary responsibility that you do have, however, is to cultivate happiness in your own life. To make a schedule that permits sufficient time of rest and play with your gorgeous wife and
lovely daughters. And so on. One gathers that your family is large. We are used to seeing men in the White House soon become juiceless and as white-haired as the building; we notice their wives and children looking strained and stressed. They soon have smiles so lacking in joy that they remind us of scissors. This is no way to lead. Nor does your family deserve this fate. One way of thinking about all this is: It is so bad now that there is no excuse not to relax. From your happy, relaxed state, you can model real success, which is all that so many people in the world
really want. They may buy endless cars and houses and furs and gobble up all the attention and space they can manage, or barely manage, but this is because it is not yet clear to them that success is truly an inside job. That it is within the reach of almost everyone.

I would further advise you not to take on other people's enemies. Most damage that others do to us is out of fear, humiliation and pain. Those feelings occur in all of us, not just in those of us who profess a certain religious or racial devotion. We must learn actually not to have
enemies, but only confused adversaries who are ourselves in disguise. It is understood by all that you are commander in chief of the United States and are sworn to protect our beloved country; this we understand, completely. However, as my mother used to say, quoting a Bible with which
I often fought, "hate the sin, but love the sinner." There must be no more crushing of whole communities, no more torture, no more dehumanizing as a means of ruling a people's spirit. This has already happened to people of color, poor people, women, children. We see where this leads, where it has led.

A good model of how to "work with the enemy" internally is presented by the Dalai Lama, in his endless caretaking of his soul as he confronts the Chinese government that invaded Tibet. Because, finally, it is the soul that must be preserved, if one is to remain a credible leader. All else might be lost; but when the soul dies, the connection to earth, to peoples, to animals, to rivers, to mountain ranges, purple and majestic, also dies. And your smile, with which we watch you do gracious battle with unjust characterizations, distortions and lies, is that expression of healthy self-worth, spirit and soul, that, kept happy and free and relaxed, can find an answering smile in all of us, lighting our way, and brightening the world.

We are the ones we have been waiting for.

In Peace and Joy,
Alice Walker

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Obama's campaign, and its success, reminds me of how the Republican party laid claim to the American flag after 911. Democrats everywhere were saying “it's our flag, too!” Now whites are looking at Obama and saying - he's our white man, too. The beauty of this man - beyond his incredible intelligence, his calm demeanor and everything else exceptional about him - is that he is multi-racial. He IS the American melting pot. We can ALL claim to be in his blood - his blood in ours. We are all ONE! - Vesta

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PROFESSORS AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
- POLITICAL, CULTURAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUES


DR. DON ROMESBURG, a historian and professor of Women's and Gender Studies, is available for discussion of political and cultural issues regarding same-sex marriage. Dr. Romesburg is currently teaching an entire undergraduate course framed around the social, economic, political and cultural issues related to same-sex marriage.

He is doing research on the relationship between political discourses about marriage equality and LGBT civil rights and cultural representations of queer youth. Romesburg has also lectured on issues of race and gender in the battle over Proposition 8.

Romesburg is one of the many same-sex couples married in San Francisco in 2004 and again in California after the state's Supreme Court ruling earlier this year. He lives with his husband and daughter in San Francisco.

Office: 707.664.2474
Cell: 415.850.8580
Email: romesbur@sonoma.edu



DR. JULIE SHULMAN, Assistant Professor of Counseilng and a licensed psychologist, is available for discussion regarding the mental health of individuals in same-sex couples.

She can comment on the challenges and stressors of people in same-sex relationships, and she can specificaly address the experiences of marriage legislation and marriage access among people who are in same-sex relationships, including those in legal marriages and domestic partnerships.

Dr. Shulman teaches master's students training to be professional counselors, specilalizing in women and sexual minorities. She has presented her research at regional and national conferences.on the mental health of lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals as well as the psychological experiences among people in same-sex couples.

Office: 707.644.3395
Email: julie.shulman@sonoma.edu

Read article »

Election 2008 - Sonoma County & the Nation

Well - one thing about the Obama-Biden ticket is that they want to build peace and prosperity from the bottom up. Trickle down economics never did work. So now we have a chance to see if bottom up not only creates a better economic climate for us all, but that having our basic needs on top of the priority list will create the comfort we all seek, and that translates to less anger - which translates to less violence. If all goes well, this will spread across the planet. Comfortable people are rarely angry enough to kill others. Motivated by ambition rather than anger. What a concept!

Now let's see how that translates to California politics - then to Sonoma County...


NATION - all of us who were optimistic that the Obama-Biden team could make it all the way to the White House have been proven correct. Manifesting the name President Barrack Obama worked - how very California! Congratulations to every person who volunteered to help make this happen. Now we have even more volunteering to do to make our agenda reality over the next decade. This is a team effort that will take years to accomplish.

There are plenty of opportunities. Please refer to the Volunteer section of my newspaper where every month there are ways you can become involved in our community and make changes happen every day toward a better world.

STATE - I'll keep checking the results until they are final and make any changes I see coming our way.

My high hopes for Equality & Justice for All - and I do mean all - from chickens in cages to lovers in churches and teenage girls with embryos developing in their bellies - have been dashed. This election is a bi-polar moment in history. Many of us feel elation and depression all at once.

On a county level - as you can see below - we seem to be on the same page. So we are safe at home. How very fine for us. On a state level - we have a lot of work to do. I believe our national constitution is about that wonderful concept of freedom of choice and equality and justice for all. How many times do we need to repeat the phrase to get people to understand that THIS is what our country stands for. You can't label people as exception to those rules. Our work is cut out for us as the saying goes. We need to challenge Prop 8 supporters on a Constituitional level.

SONOMA COUNTY - The corner of Hwy 116 and Hwy 12 in downtown Sebastopol has always been a place where people let their opinions be known with placards and waves to cars driving by. Some support Our Troops, others oppose war & violence. On election eve it was Efren vs. Rue, Prop 8 yes and no, Prop 2 yes - I saw no No. Kathleen Shaffer and her husband inspiring voters to support Kathleen.

What happens best of all at these gatherings is that opposing forces have a chance to spend time with each other. Communication is the key to changing minds. Let's keep talking. But as I like to say - it's not “I'm right - you're wrong” that works. We need to respect other's opinions and simplye xpress our own without making the other person wrong. They will listen if we approach subjects that way. Dialogue - not monologue.

You are always welcome to add your opinions. That's what this newspaper is all about. Whether on the web or in print - let me know what's on your minds at vesta@sonic.net.

Sonoma County Consolidated General Election
This is how WE voted - not that state or the nation - November 4, 2008

Election Results as of 11/05/2008 at 9:30pm

President and Vice President
Completed Precincts: 453 of 453
Displayed as Vote Count then Percentage (hard to translate this into this format)
Obama/Biden, Dem 144,399-73.5%
McCain/Palin, Rep 47,184-24.0%
Nader/Gonzalez, PF 1,633-0.8%
Barr/Root, Lib 1,065-0.5%
McKinney/Clemente, Grn 707-0.4%
Keyes/Drake, AIP 692-0.4%
Write-in candidate(s) 674-0.3%


U S Representative 1st District
Completed Precincts: 87 of 87
Vote Count-Percentage
Mike Thompson, Dem 20,581-68.6%
Zane Starkewolf, Rep 7,123-23.8%
Carol Wolman, Grn 2,237-7.5%
Write-in candidate(s) 46-0.2%


U S Representative 6th District
Completed Precincts: 366 of 366
Vote Count-Percentage
Lynn Woolsey, Dem 113,296-70.6%
Mike Halliwell, Rep 39,976-24.9%
Joel R Smolen, Lib 6,986-4.4%
Write-in candidate(s) 241-0.2%


State Senator 3rd District
Completed Precincts: 158 of 158
Vote Count-Percentage
Mark Leno, Dem 48,272 -1.2%
Sashi McEntee, Rep 19,475-28.7%
Write-in candidate(s) 94-0.1%


Member of Assembly 1st District
Completed Precincts: 133 of 133
Vote Count-Percentage
Wesley Chesbro, Dem 37,048-74.3%
Jim Pell, Rep 12,718-25.5%
Write-in candidate(s) 103-0.2%


Member of Assembly 6th District
Completed Precincts: 161 of 161
Vote Count-Percentage
Jared Huffman, Dem 46,362-66.0%
Paul Lavery, Rep 18,397-26.2%
Timothy J Hannan, Lib 5,221-7.4%
Write-in candidate(s) 237-0.3%


Member of Assembly 7th District
Completed Precincts: 159 of 159
Vote Count-Percentage
Noreen Evans, Dem 48,513-73.2%
Doris Gentry, Rep 17,629-26.6%
Write-in candidate(s) 99-0.1%


Sonoma County Board of Education Area 1
Completed Precincts: 78 of 78
Vote Count-Percentage
Alex Bantis 12,149-50.0%
John A Musilli 12,080-49.7%
Write-in candidate(s) 85-0.3%


So Co Jr College Dist Santa Rosa Area
Vote For: 2
Completed Precincts: 157 of 157
Vote Count-Percentage
Richard W Call 36,369 -40.3%
Keith Woods 26,945-29.8%
Don Edgar 26,729-29.6%
Write-in candidate(s) 257-0.3%


Calistoga Joint Unified School District
Vote For: 3
Completed Precincts: 3 of 3
Vote Count Percentage
Mary Burke Montez 137-28.4%
Marty Hunt 102-21.2%
Paul Schlieder 93-19.3%
Marco DiGiulio 86-17.8%
Michael Feiner 64-13.3%
Write-in candidate(s) 0-0.0%


Cloverdale Unified School District
Vote For: 3
Completed Precincts: 8 of 8
Vote Count-Percentage
Karen J Scalabrini 2,513-29.0%
Dianna MacDonald 2,414-27.9%
Dick Johnson 1,965-22.7%
Daniel L Bunting 1,764-20.4%
Write-in candidate(s) 6-0.1%


Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District
Vote For: 2
Completed Precincts: 35 of 35
Vote Count-Percentage
Ed Gilardi 8,762-35.5%
Karyn Pulley 8,091-32.7%
Marc Orloff 7,776-31.5%
Write-in candidate(s) 86-0.3%


Windsor Unified School District
Vote For: 2
Completed Precincts: 31 of 31
Vote Count-Percentage
George R Valenzuela 5,575-38.3%
Ted Seche 5,091-35.0%
Shari Kirichenko-Egan 3,876-26.6%
Write-in candidate(s) 23-0.2%


Bellevue Union School District
Vote For: 2
Completed Precincts: 21 of 21
Vote Count-Percentage
Debra A Mills 2,03- 36.2%
Yvonne L Kennedy 1,790-31.9%
Katherine Holden 1,766-31.5%
Write-in candidate(s) 23-0.4%


Forestville Union School District
Vote For: 2
Completed Precincts: 8 of 8
Vote Count-Percentage
Jean Bullard 1,634-37.4%
Ron Abler 1,372-31.4%
Guy Eck 1,348-30.9%
Write-in candidate(s) 15-0.3%


Liberty School District
Vote For: 2
Completed Precincts: 2 of 2
Vote Count-Percentage
Geraldine T Johnston 578-43.6%
Ronald K Evenich 533-40.2%
Albert J Romano 209-15.8%
Write-in candidate(s) 5-0.4%


County Supervisor 1st District
Completed Precincts: 119 of 119
Vote Count Percentage
Valerie K Brown 20,891-51.2%
Will Pier 19,786-48.5%
Write-in candidate(s) 130-0.3%


County Supervisor 3rd District
Completed Precincts: 71 of 71
Vote Count Percentage
Shirlee Zane 17,318-55.3%
Sharon Wright 13,83- 44.2%
Write-in candidate(s) 166-0.5%


County Supervisor 5th District
Completed Precincts: 91 of 91
Vote Count-Percentage
Efren Carrillo 17,395-50.8%
Rue Furch 16,725-48.8%
Write-in candidate(s) 132-0.4%


Member, City Council Santa Rosa F/T
Vote For: 4
Completed Precincts: 107 of 107
Vote Count Percentage
Gary Wysocky 25,211 13.7%
John Sawyer 24,613 13.4%
Ernesto Olivares 22,990 12.5%
Marsha Vas Dupre 20,608 11.2%
Lee Pierce 19,266 10.5%
Don Taylor 18,383 10.0%
Michael Allen 16,406 8.9%
Bobbi Hoff 13,675 7.4%
Carol Dean 12,265 6.7%
Eddie Alvarez 6,468 3.5%
Hans Dippel 4,222 2.3%
Write-in candidate(s) 192 0.1%


Member, City Council Santa Rosa S/T
Completed Precincts: 107 of 107
Vote Count Percentage
Jane Bender 23,042 45.7%
Judy Kennedy 10,719 21.3%
David Rosas 9,659 19.2%
Lawrence R Wiesner 6,781 13.5%
Write-in candidate(s) 192 0.4%


Member, City Council Cloverdale F/T
Vote For: 2
Completed Precincts: 5 of 5
Vote Count Percentage
Mary Ann Brigham 2,033 39.1%
Augustine Gus Wolter 1,641 31.6%
Luciano Toninato 1,513 29.1%
Write-in candidate(s) 6 0.1%


Member, City Council Cloverdale S/T
Completed Precincts: 5 of 5
Vote Count Percentage
Jessalee Raymond 2,497 98.0%
Write-in candidate(s) 50 2.0%


City Clerk Cloverdale
Completed Precincts: 5 of 5
Vote Count Percentage
Michele P Winterbottom 2,523 98.8%
Write-in candidate(s) 31 1.2%


Member, City Council Cotati
Vote For: 3
Completed Precincts: 5 of 5
Vote Count Percentage
Janet Orchard 1,385 20.1%
Robert Coleman 1,363 19.7%
Mike Kurvers 1,153 16.7%
George Barich 1,129 16.4%
Susan Harvey 1,089 15.8%
Eric Kirchmann 773 11.2%
Write-in candidate(s) 10 0.1%


Member, City Council Healdsburg
Vote For: 3
Completed Precincts: 8 of 8
Vote Count Percentage
Mike Mc Guire 3,939 35.7%
Tom Chambers 2,673 24.2%
Gary W Plass 2,571 23.3%
Tony Pastene 1,842 16.7%
Write-in candidate(s) 10 0.1%


Member, City Council Petaluma
Vote For: 3
Completed Precincts: 38 of 38
Vote Count Percentage
David Glass 12,850 22.4%
Mike Healy 10,608 18.5%
Tiffany Renee 9,972 17.4%
Karen Nau 9,326 16.3%
Samantha Freitas 7,928 13.8%
Spence F Burton 6,521 11.4%
Write-in candidate(s) 49 0.1%


Member, City Council Rohnert Park
Vote For: 3
Completed Precincts: 28 of 28
Vote Count Percentage
Gina Belforte 5,870 17.2%
Jake Mackenzie 5,248 15.4%
Joseph T Callinan 5,242 15.4%
John Borba 5,085 14.9%
Tim Smith 4,533 13.3%
Vicki Vidak-Martinez 4,085 12.0%
Dawna Gallagher 3,923 11.5%
Write-in candidate(s) 62 0.2%


Member, City Council Sebastopol
Vote For: 2
Completed Precincts: 6 of 6
Vote Count Percentage
Guy Wilson 2,091 35.5%
Kathleen Shaffer 2,089 35.5%
JenThille 1,341 22.8%
Colleen Fernald 355 6.0%
Write-in candidate(s) 10 0.2%


Member, Town Council Windsor
Vote For: 2
Completed Precincts: 22 of 22
Vote Count Percentage
Debora Fudge 5,719 36.8%
Cheryl Scholar 4,188 27.0%
Julie Adamson 2,804 18.1%
Leroy Dysart 2,796 18.0%
Write-in candidate(s) 19 0.1%


Rincon Valley Fire Protection Dist
Vote For: 3
Completed Precincts: 59 of 59
Vote Count Percentage
Patricia P Waldow 5,491 28.7%
Darrel J Mead 5,486 28.6%
James M Bouler 4,796 25.0%
John Hamann 3,361 17.5%
Write-in candidate(s) 31 0.2%


Valley of the Moon Fire Protection Dist
Vote For: 3
Completed Precincts: 18 of 18
Vote Count Percentage
Dawn Mittleman 4,459 29.6%
William Norton 4,340 28.8%
Ray Brunton 3,974 26.4%
Elissa Wadleigh 2,251 14.9%
Write-in candidate(s) 36 0.2%


Windsor Fire Protection Dist
Vote For: 3
Completed Precincts: 26 of 26
Vote Count Percentage
Victor Pozzi 4,402 23.3%
John D Nelson 4,109 21.8%
Adam Joseph Brolan 3,834 20.3%
Richard Olufs 3,751 19.9%
Myron Steele 2,768 14.7%
Write-in candidate(s) 27 0.1%


Petaluma Health Care District
Vote For: 3
Completed Precincts: 62 of 62
Vote Count Percentage
Fran Adams 13,876 22.1%
Stephen Steady 12,205 19.5%
Robert Ostroff 10,605 16.9%
Liz Close 9,712 15.5%
Robert C Hill 8,267 13.2%
Gerald S Besses 8,006 12.8%
Write-in candidate(s) 77 0.1%


Sonoma Valley Health Care District
Vote For: 3
Completed Precincts: 42 of 42
Vote Count Percentage
Peter Hohorst 8,275 30.4%
Madolyn Agrimonti 6,428 23.6%
Bill Boerum 6,341 23.3%
Bill Gurry 6,124 22.5%
Write-in candidate(s) 77 0.3%


PROP 1A - Safe, Reliable Passenger Train Bond Act
Completed Precincts: 453 of 453
Vote Count Percentage
Yes 120,662 63.9%
No 68,229 36.1%


PROP 2 - Standards For Confining Farm Animals
Completed Precincts: 453 of 453
Vote Count Percentage
Yes 120,231 63.2%
No 70,157 36.8%


PROP 3 - Children's Hospital Bond Act
Completed Precincts: 453 of 453
Vote Count Percentage
Yes 88,335 47.9%
No 96,168 52.1%


PROP 4 - Waiting Period Term Minor's Pregnancy
Completed Precincts: 453 of 453
Vote Count Percentage
Yes 63,319 33.5%
No 125,953 66.5%


PROP 5 - Nonviolent Drug Offenses. Sentencing
Completed Precincts: 453 of 453
Vote Count Percentage
Yes 81,365 43.6%
No 105,440 56.4%


PROP 6 - Funds For Law Enforcement. Penalties
Completed Precincts: 453 of 453
Vote Count Percentage
Yes 41,247 22.6%
No 141,195 77.4%


PROP 7 - Renewable Energy Generation
Completed Precincts: 453 of 453
Vote Count Percentage
Yes 60,001 32.1%
No 126,916 67.9%


PROP 8 - Eliminate Right of Same-Sex Couples
Completed Precincts: 453 of 453
Vote Count Percentage
Yes 65,898 33.9%
No 128,466 66.1%


PROP 9 -Criminal Justice Victims' Rights. Parole
Completed Precincts: 453 of 453
Vote Count Percentage
Yes 82,392 45.8%
No 97,400 54.2%


PROP 10 - Alternative Fuel Vehicles. Bonds
Completed Precincts: 453 of 453
Vote Count Percentage
Yes 62,726 34.4%
No 119,858 65.6%


PROP 11 - Redistricting Constitutional Amendment
Completed Precincts: 453 of 453
Vote Count Percentage
Yes 92,428 53.0%
No 81,975 47.0%


PROP 12 - Veterans' Bond Act of 2008
Completed Precincts: 453 of 453
Vote Count Percentage
Yes 118,808 66.0%
No 61,319 34.0%


Measure J - Bellevue Union School Dist. Bonds
Completed Precincts: 21 of 21
Vote Count Percentage
Bonds Yes 2,892 68.8%
Bonds No 1,312 31.2%


Measure K - Petaluma Reduce Wastewater Rates
Completed Precincts: 38 of 38
Vote Count Percentage
Yes 10,519 45.8%
No 12,468 54.2%


Measure L - Rohnert Park Reduce Sewer Rates
Completed Precincts: 28 of 28
Vote Count Percentage
Yes 7,269 52.9%
No 6,485 47.1%


Measure M - Sebastopol Utility Users Tax
Completed Precincts: 6 of 6
Vote Count Percentage
Yes 2,155 59.4%
No 1,471 40.6%


Measure N - Windsor Transient Occupancy Tax
Completed Precincts: 22 of 22
Vote Count Percentage
Yes 6,827 70.2%
No 2,896 29.8%


Measure O - Gold Ridge Fire District Parcel Tax
Completed Precincts: 21 of 21
Vote Count Percentage
Yes 5,814 75.7%
No 1,867 24.3%


Measure P - Sonoma Vly Health Care Dist Bond
Completed Precincts: 42 of 42
Vote Count Percentage
Bonds Yes 13,021 80.8%
Bonds No 3,093 19.2%


Measure Q - SMART Rail Quarter Cent Sales Tax
Completed Precincts: 453 of 453
Vote Count Percentage
Yes 138,624 73.5%
No 50,047 26.5%


Registration and Turnout Total
Completed Precincts: 453 of 453
Reg/Turnout Percentage
Total Registered Voters 248,122
Precinct Registration 248,122
Precinct Ballots Cast 87,167 35.1%
Absentee Ballots Cast 110,657 44.6%
Total Ballots Cast 197,824 79.7%

For more information and updates:
http://www.sonoma-county.org/regvoter/elections/Results/results.asp

Read article »

Voter Guide to Water Issues

Here's a look at the stands of presidential candidates on water issues.
- Jane Nielson, Water Coalition, Sebastopol

Obama vs. McCain: Progressive Voter Guide to Water Issues

See how Obama and McCain compare on eight water issues from privatization to pollution.

Download this Voter Guide as a .PDF, plus connecting links at:
http://www.alternet.org/water/102091?page=entire

Water is our most important resource and is necessary to sustain life on this planet. Currently we face a water crisis that encompasses water quantity, quality and infrastructure. More and more states are finding they are running short on drinking water, with an estimated 36 states facing scarcity in the next 10 years. This shortfall has been coupled by a 66 percent drop in federal funding in the last 15 years to help states protect their water. As a result, private companies are swooping in to buy public water systems, threatening the democratic control of water and causing rates to increase and services to diminish.

Despite these vast problems, water issues have largely been absent from the public debate and have barely been mentioned by either the Obama or the McCain campaigns. While their energy policies are hotly debated, little is known about where the candidates stand on protecting clean water and what they will do to face a water crisis in the United States and abroad.

We've checked their voting records, and the Obama campaign responded to our inquiries on his water policies. But there are still significant gaps in what the public needs to know about how these candidates are planning to help protect our most important resource. Below is a primer to get your feet wet, as we continue to press both the Obama and McCain camps for more answers.

1. SCARCITY

Thirty-six U.S. states are facing water stress and scarcity in the coming decade, with Western states such as California, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada already experiencing water stress. Last year, the southeast, including the Atlanta area, nearly ran out of drinking water completely.
* Solution: We need to cut down on our consumption of water and employ conservation practices in our homes as well as in industry and agriculture. We need public education about conservation practices, incentives for reducing consumption and increasing efficiency, and new regulations for agriculture and industry. We also need regulations to protect against the pollution and overpumping of groundwater.

* Obama's position: Obama says he believes we need to take preparatory measures to ensureour water supplies are used efficiently and equitably. He supports the development of a national water conservation strategy, in coordination with states and municipalities. He plans to create policies to encourage communities to develop voluntary water banks, wastewater treatment and other market-based measures. He will also work to improve technology for water conservation and efficiency, and remove institutional barriers to increase cooperation and collaboration among federal, state and private organizations. Obama wants to help farmers deploy water conservation measures, including irrigation techniques that save energy and water and small reservoirs that farmers can use to capture rainfall.

* McCain's position: While in Congress, McCain cast 10 votes against clean water, which also were against drinking water protection and enforcement, controlling microbes in water, and money for water pollution control.

* Learn more: OAEC's WATER Institute, Pacific Institute, Global Water Policy Project

2. POLLUTION

Our waterways are being polluted by industrial, agricultural and domestic runoff, as well as sewage overflows and untreated waste.
* Solution: Support community right-to-know legislation that warns people when sewage is dumped into waterways. Begin work with governments, developers and homeowners to implement new storm water management techniques, natural water treatment systems, and protection of wetlands to reduce pollutants and protect watersheds.

* Obama's position: Obama introduced legislation to provide $37.5 million over five years for drinking water systems to upgrade their monitoring and security efforts. He voted yes on an amendment that would include $900 million over six years to manage flooding and pollution caused by runoff from roads and highways.

* McCain's position: While in Congress, McCain supported delaying funds for leaking underground storage tanks and allowing municipalities to set their own standards for toxic waste.

* Learn more: American Rivers, OEAC'S WATER Institute, Riverkeeper


3. PRIVATIZATION

Municipal water supplies are being targeted by for-profit companies for privatization because federal funding to help support public water systems has fallen drastically in the last few decades. Unfortunately, privatization of public water has been disastrous: Studies show that under privatization, rates go up and services go down. Private companies that care only about their bottom line are also more interested in having people use more water, instead of conserving, which is clearly problematic as areas run short on water.
* Solution: We need a clean water trust fund that is a dedicated source of money from the federal government to protect safe drinking water.
* Obama's position: Obama's campaign says he will "work with Congress, governors and clean water experts across the nation to determine the best way to protect our water." But he has not taken a position on a federal trust for clean water.

* McCain's position: McCain has taken no known position on the issue.

* Learn more: Food and Water Watch, Corporate Accountability International, Polaris Institute


4. BOTTLED WATER

Growing bottled water consumption is causing environmental harm from the production and shipping of, as well as the waste from, plastic bottles. Two of the leading companies pushing their bottled water, which is really repackaged tap water, are Coke and Pepsi. Other companies, like Nestle, are mining groundwater and spring water from rural communities for bottled water, causing ecological damage.
* Solution: Stop drinking bottled water at home and on the go. Work to end bottled water contracts for cities, restaurants and businesses and at events. Support the rights of communities to prevent bottled water companies from mining rural groundwater and spring water sources.
* Obama's position: Many mayors have canceled their cities' bottled water contracts to promote public water systems and save taxpayer money. Obama "defers to municipalities' and states' authority to determine the best policy for local governments" but has not offered any endorsement of canceling bottled water contracts nor proposed any plan to do so at the federal level.

* McCain's position: McCain has taken no known position on the issue.

* Learn more: Food and Water Watch, Corporate Accountability International, Polaris Institute


5. RIGHT TO WATER

There is a growing global struggle between those who see water as a commodity and those who see water as a part of the public trust to be shared by everyone.
* Solution: Support a United Nations treaty that recognizes the right to water internationally and to have water declared a human right so that it cannot be bought and sold for profit.
* Obama's position: Obama believes access to clean, fresh water for all must be a critical priority for international development organizations and national governments, and for U.S. overseas assistance policy, but he has not stated whether he would support a UN treaty to ensure clean water for everyone.
* McCain's position: McCain has taken no known position on the issue.

* Learn more: Blue Planet Project, Right to Water, Food and Water Watch

6. CLEAN WATER

The Clean Water Act of 1977 was amended in 1992 to allow the "fills" from mountaintop removal (MTR) mining to be dumped onto waterways, burying them with debris and chemicals, contaminating drinking water and destroying watersheds.

* Solution: Support the passage of the Clean Water Protection Act, HR2169, to protect our waters and end MTR mining, which is devastating communities and watersheds in Appalachia.
* Obama's position: Obama says he will support and sign into law legislation that effectively restores the historical scope of the Clean Water Act and advances environmental protection, community values and public health objectives. But Obama is in favor of so-called "clean coal" and other clean technologies that would continue destructive coal mining practices like MTR.
* McCain's position: McCain has no known position on this legislation but supports furthering coal production, including "clean coal" and coal gasification, which would mean more MTR mining in Appalachia.

* Learn more: Appalachian Voices, Coal River Mountain Watch, ILoveMountains.org


7. CLIMATE CHANGE

Global warming is closely linked with the world's water crisis. Increasing temperatures and changing precipitation patterns are melting glaciers, decreasing snowpack and resulting in less water in streams and rivers that feed drinking water sources and freshwater species.
* Solution: Support the passage of a comprehensive bill on climate change to cut emissions 80 percent by 2050, and push for the United States to actively engage with the international community on solutions.

* Obama's position: Obama supports an 80 percent reduction below 1990 levels by 2050. Obama voted yes on an amendment to the Water Resources Development Act reauthorization bill that would require the Army Corps of Engineers to consider the long- and short-term effects of global climate change and to use the best available modern climate science in planning water projects.
* McCain's position: McCain supports a 60 percent reduction below 1990 levels by 2050. McCain did not show up to vote for an amendment to the Water Resources Development Act reauthorization bill that would require the Army Corps of Engineers to consider the long- and short-term effects of global climate change and to use the best available modern climate science in planning water projects.

* Learn more: 1Sky, 350.org, Rainforest Action Network


8. OCEANS

The health of our oceans is threatened by a number of factors. There is an increase in oxygen-free "dead zones," where runoff from fertilizers, industrial agriculture and fossil fuels is killing huge swaths of sea life. Poor fisheries management has resulted in one-quarter of fish stocks being overfished; another 50 percent are fished to full capacity. And our oceans have become a dumping ground: A "plastic soup" of waste floating in the Pacific Ocean is twice the size of the continental United States and growing.

* Solution: We need to reduce and more efficiently use fertilizer, prevent human and animal waste from entering rivers, replant vegetation on riverbanks and restore wetlands. We also need to reduce nitrogen emissions from vehicles and factories, develop alternative energy sources not based on fossil fuels, and ensure that the National Marines Fisheries Service and other regional councils comply with federal laws protecting marine species.

* Obama's position: Obama voted for an amendment that would include $900 million for flood management and pollution caused by runoff from roads.

* McCain's position: McCain has taken no known position on the issue.

* Learn more: Pew Charitable Trusts, Ocean Conservancy, Oceana

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Politics: the Will to Serve Others

Brave People Run for Public Office

Whether we're talking about the Presidential campaign or the fight for a seat on the Board of Supervisors of Sonoma County, we're looking at, learning about, and judging individuals who have a desire to serve our community. That fact gets lost as we examine every detail of their lives. When you get a mailer full of venom on a candidate, does it make you feel impelled to run for office in the future? Or does it make you feel vulnerable - that your life could never hold up to that level of examination.

Probably the latter…

As I watch John McCain and Sarah Palin rip Barrack Obama apart for the people he spends time with - for his middle name that he did not choose, for imagined horrors that have no basis in truth, I try to imagine surviving those kind of personal assaults. How strong does an individual need to be - how confident - to brush those comments aside and face voters with the truth of who he is and why he wants to serve our county?

Serve our Country.

For some, it is justified to believe that people run for office because they seek power. It seems like an overwhelming level of responsibility just for power, but to each his/her own. There is power in leadership. In fact, not just the power of the person holding the office - but also the power of the people who helped him/her get there. Not everyone has the personality to sit through meetings - learn complex subjects, etc. They turn to others for advice. It's the advice-givers who have the power of influence.

But to serve - that I can understand. When people are motivated by their belief that they can do something to make the world a better place, they take on the responsibility of implementing their ideas just to accomplish their goals. These people tend to listen to their own counsel more. It is their personal goals that they focus upon, and those goals are often established through a value system. When they seek advice, they look to people with similar value systems so they can feel secure that the advice fits well with their goals.

I imagine power-seekers seek advice from other power seekers for the same reason - shared goals. But with those shared goals comes shared power. People seeking power often will do so at the expense of others, so sharing power can be risky.

People seeking to make the world a better place tend to be more willing to share, to be considerate of others in the process of accomplishing their goals. Their goals are not self-serving - they are goals to serve others. Very different from power seekers.

When looking in-depth at candidates, I tend to look at their value systems so I can determine if they are seeking office to serve others or to serve their need for power. It's not clear in black and white. That's why we often look to who are the people the candidate spends time with, where do they get their funding, etc. If a candidate has a long voting record, has held office or some public position in the past, we can also look to their record to see the path from which they come. That helps a lot.

Nationally, we can see that John McCain has taken a path and had a long record that shifts to serve his immediate needs, that he has been sited for poor judgment (the Keating Five trials), that he changes his mind to serve his political ambitions, that he is a self-described Maverick who bucks the system when he feels it will serve his goals, that he tends to shoot from the hip in making decisions, etc. He has a long record of experience and voting that we can look at.

Barrack Obama is much younger, but he also has a long record of choices he has made during his 47 years. His choices have been to serve, and to educate himself on how he can serve better. His theory on creating peace and prosperity by helping people at the bottom live more comfortable lives is based on visits around the world, volunteering in communities and working with world leaders who share his goals for peace. Hungry people are angry people. Comfortable people are peaceful people. Money does not trickle down from the wealthy to the poor. Comfort builds up from the bottom. Building foundations that are strong makes for better buildings. It's a metaphor that works across life. So I can look at Obama's life and see that I admire his motivation.

Locally for my Sonoma County district (5th), I see a young man vs. an older woman. It's easy to see that the older woman has spent many years serving her community as a volunteer and environmental activist. She studies hard and makes decisions based upon information. She's not a politician, she's a person who has served one step short of the panel that makes the final decisions. Her goal is to take her knowlege and experience and be part of that final decision-making process. As politics rips her personal life apart, she is vulnerable to attacks because she's a caring person. The attacks are personal because that's where she is weak. Her strengths have always been professional. I can relate to a person who lets her personal life suffer in order to accomplish professional goals.

The young man is so young, he simply doesn't have a record to examine. His life is so short, any personal short-coming can easily be explained away by youth. It takes years to settle into life. So where is vulnerable, is the company he keeps and the people who financially support him. These are choices he has made, so they become valid reflections on who this young man is. There's so little information, it's the company he keeps that has become the source for identifying who is this young man? That's unfortunate because the man himself gets lost in the proccess. Much like the older woman's personal life ends up identifying who she iswhen it's her professional life we need to examine.

What we learn from this is that if we really are to judge a person on their goals and value systems, we need to spend time with them, learn who they are and basically ignore poltical propaganda. Not easy. These people don't have time to become close friends with every voter.

So how do we learn who they are? We can only listen to the words they speak and write. We have to ignore what others say about them and go with what we observe oursleves. Is this a good person? Does this person live their lives to serve others or to accomplish personal goals of power? Does this person feel good to me? Does this person reflect my goals? Are the priorities of this person ones I can respect and trust?

When we mark our ballots we are passing judgement on every person we choose. We put our faith in his/her aiblity to serve our needs - to make decisions based upon study and information, not to serve peronal goals.

In the case of president - I find it easy to vote for the Obama/Biden ticket because I see two people whose lives have been lived to serve others. I see them seek advice from others who also live to serve.

In Sonoma County 5th District, I find it easy to choose the older woman, Rue Furch, because I have watched her serve our county selflessly for many years. I have watched her study and make decisions that have no peronsl benefit to her, but that benefit others and our environment. Her opponemt, Efren Carillio is young enough that I can wait to watch him as he grows into his life. He will be interesting to watch bcause he is intelligent and ambtious. He won't fade away. We'll have opportunities to vote for him in the future. Right now I want someone who knows for herself, what is good for our county - our home. I trust her with my home. That's the bottom line.

I trust Obama and Biden with my beloved country and my values. I trust Rue Furch with making decisions that will serve our community. I trust people who are so motivated to serve us that they are willing to run through the horrible gauntlet that is poltics. Very sad. I wonder how many good people just don't have the strength to takes this path to a job?

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VOTING 2008

Beyond Gender, Race, and Ethnic Origin

I published my opinions on candidates and issues in the October 16th edition of the West County Gazette because people ask me my opinion - then tell me I actually have influence on readers. OK, the if I do - here foes. Here's how I'm voting on issues I have studied so far. I still have a long way to go on the propositions of which I am short on knowledge. So much to learn. So important to vote intelligently. Our world is in flux an that's a very good thing.

VOTING 2008
Beyond Gender, Race, and Ethnic Origin
By Vesta Copestakes

My Voter’s Pamphlet and mail-in ballot sit on my kitchen table, waiting for me to make intelligent decisions – yes or no. In some cases it’s quite obvious to me because I tend to vote with my value system. In others, I need to know more and delve into the text, read the pros and cons, and if I feel qualified to make a sound decision, I mark my ballot. If I feel too ignorant on any subject, I leave it blank.

I won’t vote by gender for a woman just because I’m female and she’s female. She needs to be intelligent, calm, thoughtful, considerate and knowledgeable about the position for which she is running.

I won’t vote for a black or oriental or Indian person just because I want to see more faces among my government officials in charge who truly represent our population. It’s my preference, but that person is more than a person of color or race, s/he is the person I trust with decisions over matters that I know nothing.

I won’t vote for an ethic minority or gay/lesbian person for the same reasons as females and race. Yes, I’d love to see people who have suffered under the prejudices of white male rule come forward and represent their communities. But whoever is running needs to earn my respect and stand above me and the rest of us as qualified for the position.

That means I can’t make easy decisions – like I’ll vote for her or him just to even out the gender/race/ethnic, etc. balance in our government. Over time, I am seeing that balance come about. Some things just take many years to accomplish and I’m a patient person. An unqualified person who fails or blunders does no one any good.

My Ballot – so far:

President/Vice president – Obama/Biden. This is an easy choice for me. These are two very intelligent and strong individuals who remain calm in the face of drama, who take the time to think things through carefully and who have my basic values in their hearts. I watch them with awe and respect. That’s what I want in the leaders of my country. People far superior to me.

U.S. Representative - Lynn Woolsey. If nothing else I admire her right-thinking around the Iraq war and her persistence in working toward goals I find commendable. There have been instances when I don’t agree with her, but what else is new. The majority of the time I feel well-represented by a person who gets things done.

Farm Animals – I’ve never been able to cage an animal. This is a heart issue for me – not an economic one. If I were that animal, how would I feel confined to a small space. Miserable and helpless. No being deserves to feel that way and we as humans have no right to do that to innocents.

Parental Notification – this is so wrong it hurts. It makes girls victims once more. Boys run free, girls pay the price. Many girls cannot talk freely with their parents. They will run away, find illegal abortions, hurt themselves – you name it. So many girls will pay too high a price if this passes.

Non-Violent Offenders – this is economically as well as socially important. People fall victim under the influence of drugs and alcohol and make mistakes. These are not violent people. They are people who need help. Throwing them in jail costs way too much money and does them – and society no good.

Matrimony for Same-Sex Couples – of course. What right have we to tell people who love each other that they can’t have the same benefits of marriage as the rest of us. How very wrong to deny them both the legal and emotional bonds of matrimony. This is a discrimination law and is not to be tolerated.

5th District Supervisor – this is my district and like so many – I find Efren Carillo a very nice man, but I’m voting for Rue Furch. I have watched her for years at Planning Commission meetings and seen how her phenomenal knowledge about the infinite details on subjects have allowed her to educate her opponents, and therefore change their minds with information. Too many officials vote without these details. She consistently amazes me and has my support.

3rd District Supervisor – not my district but I am supporting Shirlee Zane. In many ways this is a vote against Sharon Wright. She is far more pro-growth than I see as healthy for this county. I’ve watched her for decades and she has never reflected my values.

SMART Train – this is a long-term benefit project and some times we just have to think that far into the future. I want to see this work. I come from the East Coast where trains like this are a matter of life and have been for many decades. It’s time we had one here. Once we have it, people will use it. It’s simply a smart alternative to commuting by car.

I have more studying to do before I fill out my ballot. But I can tell you that spending money is not high on my list. Why am I even telling you my opinion? Because people tell me I have influence, and it’s time to use it. I love my home, my country and my environment – and yes – they are all mine to take care of in ways that I consider prudent. Readers know my favorite phrase – we are all in this together. It is our mutual responsibility to VOTE wisely and with our hearts as well as our minds. Thanks for reading.

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Budget Bailout & Your Credit

It’s not Just about Wall Street How the Housing Slump Affected Your Credit

By Jim Maresca

Wall Street bail out? As usual, the mainstream media is over simplifying and distorting. This article is also a bit of an oversimplification, but I hope will increase understanding for those who are confused about what is happening in the credit markets.


Here’s how our system works. Banks borrow money from depositors and pay them an interest rate. The banks show these deposits on their financial statements as a LIABILITY.

Banks also lend money to borrowers at an interest rate higher than what they pay to depositors. (That is how they make their money.) Such loans show up on the banks’ financial statements as ASSETS.

To keep the banking system sound, banks are required by the agencies that regulate them to keep assets in appropriate proportion to liabilities and to have primary and secondary sources of repayment. In the case of a home mortgage, the primary source of repayment is the income of the homeowner and the secondary source of repayment is the sale of the mortgaged home, which is the underlying asset serving as collateral.

What has happened in the sub-prime mortgage market is that home buyers were allowed to qualify for mortgages without having to adequately document income. In many cases, these unqualified buyers were induced into their mortgages with initial payments that seemed affordable because they not only did not decrease the principal but did not even cover all the interest. So the total money owed thereby increased every month . The unspoken assumption in the market was that real estate price would only go up, so there was no real risk since the home could always be sold to pay off the loan.

As previously unqualified buyers entered the market and increased demand, the home building industry responded with increased supply.

Then two phenomena began to happen at the same, creating a kind of “financial perfect storm”. First, home prices, which had been rising at an obviously unsustainable rate, began to level and fall. At the same time, the initial rates on the mortgages began to re-set to rates that would pay full interest and fully amortize the principal. That meant monthly payments often doubled or even tripled. When homeowners went to refinance, they found that their loans, which had increased due to the negative amortization of the initial low rates, were now higher than the value of their homes. The disastrous result? They could no longer qualify for a loan, could not sell the home for enough to pay off their loans, and found themselves headed for foreclosure.

Now back to the banks. As long as payments are being made, the loans are carried on the banks’ books at their full value. However, when the loans becomes “non-performing”, they have to be revalued on the banks’ financial statements at the value of the underlying asset, the so-called “mark to market”. Since home prices had dropped the new valuations reduced the banks’ assets.

When the assets (loans) are no longer enough to support the liabilities (deposits) the banks have to increase their cash by either selling stock or borrowing money from other banks. If they are unable to do either, they have to begin calling in their least secured loans such as lines of credit they give to businesses. Those businesses, unable to secure financing, pull their cash out of banks to meet their expenses, thus aggravating the problem still further.

But it gets even more complicated than that. Investment banks developed something called Credit Default Swaps (CDS). They are a kind of insurance in which mortgages are bundled and, in return for regular “insurance” payments, a seller takes on the obligation to buy any defaulted mortgage in the bundle at its full value.

As foreclosed houses entered the market, prices continued to fall, banks continued to have to mark down their assets, meaning they can no longer continue lending. If they had sold CDS’s the problem was even worse as the banks had to buy defaulted mortgages and add those to their books. The books end up out of balance and the bank is not allowed to continue lending. If banks can’t lend, they can’t make money, so the banks become unable to meet their expenses. At that point the regulators come in and either take over the bank (as with Lehman Brothers) or find a solvent bank to buy the insolvent bank (as with Wachovia).

Here’s how this mess trickles down to hurt individuals. Assume you are a home buyer looking for a mortgage or a student looking for a student loan or a small manufacturer needing to buy materials to fill an order that will be paid for when you deliver you product. If no bank is able to lend to you, you’re adversely affected. Even though you did nothing wrong, it’s as if you had no credit at all. The ripple affects us all in the long run. If the unavailability of credit continues for a significant period of time, the whole economy begins to slow down and businesses begin to lay off employees. Then we go into deep recession or depression.

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REAL Change in Campaign '08

I pulled this essay off a national news web site because I think it has value for many readers. Seth Freeman is a professor of conflict management at New York University's Stern School of Business and Columbia Business School. He's asking us to ‘‘Stop hating the other party.’’ - V

Real change in campaign '08: Stop hating the other party.

By Seth Freeman

As angry and politically active as I am this presidential election, I'm starting to notice a problem as I fight for my side: The more engaged I am and the more the polls seesaw, the more I find I have an ugly desire to see the worst in the other side. The technical term for this condition is hate.

Maybe you've had a bit of the same problem?

Try this experiment: Imagine that last week you read a report that the candidate you oppose did something truly awful – assaulted someone, took a bribe – something like that. The polls swing toward your side. Then, today, you learn it's untrue – the candidate is innocent. How do you feel? Disappointed? I think I know the feeling. It's a bad sign.

Here's why: Hate has the annoying tendency to turn into hypocrisy. I laugh with glee when my side catches the other's lies and follies. To a point, that's healthy and cathartic.

But you don't hear me laughing when the other side returns the favor. Then I discount the point and quietly fume at the attack itself. Don't they understand our side is the good one?

And so it goes: They smear us; we uncover the truth about them. They have corrupt contributors; we're creating a badly needed war chest. Their moral difficulties are untenable; ours, if any, are excusable.

Hate also kills thinking. In 2004, my wife and I did a simple exercise with some of our liberal and conservative friends.

We asked each to imagine seeing their side from the other's perspective. "We're not asking you to agree with them," we said, "we're just asking if you can understand them."

Though our friends were educated, compassionate, and capable of great empathy, they found our request impossible. "I can't," they said. "Maybe I should, but I can't. They're just crazy – or evil." Perhaps you felt that way recently as you watched one of the conventions. "Who are those people?"

Why do politics alienate us? It's true we are more polarized now than we once were, but there never was an idyllic age when politics was kind and gentle. It has always been prone to verbal viciousness, and I think I know one reason why: Physical violence is a no-no.

Politics is a field of battle where bloodshed is discouraged, but much is allowed. At its best, politics can ennoble us; more often, it makes us smaller, and there's nothing new about that. In the 1800 presidential campaign, Thomas Jefferson paid a journalist to publish claims his opponent and friend, John Adams, was deranged.

An inconvenient truth of the political heart is that it's prone to bring out in us the very things we say we hate about the other side. "We have met the enemy," said Pogo, "and he is us." That's true even if we say we want hope and change, and it's true even if we say we believe in loving our enemies.

In warning about hatred, am I buying in to naive rhetoric about ending partisan politics? Insisting that, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all?" Hardly.

A Far Side cartoon captures the danger of mere niceness well: "Although skilled with their pillow arsenal, the Wimpodites were favorite targets of Viking attacks." What then?

Fight hard and well. My wife and I discovered something odd about politics recently: Good political activism – as opposed to sitting around stewing with rage – gave us a measure of peace. If our side won, we rejoiced, knowing we'd helped a little; if it lost, we mourned without bitterness, while acquaintances who'd sat on the sidelines stewed.

I've also learned something recently from Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps: anger can be fuel. I plan to be active this season. And I aim to win.

But can I fight hard without damaging my heart, my relationships, or the country I claim to love?

Borrowing from two astute politicians, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Abraham Lincoln, I'm looking for ways to want good things for the other side, see the good in them, and genuinely see the force of their arguments.

Easy to say, hard to do, but I'm trying. I don't think that means I have to give up my favorite comedians; it does mean checking facts. (Factcheck.org, anyone?)

Even more, it means watching out for the times when I'm savoring bad reports about the other side, thinking, "now we've got you, you @#$&!"

Think of it as a kind of counterinsurgency. Or a response to another, more serious, inconvenient truth.

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Perspective on Politics & Economy

A reader checks in with tongue-in-cheek comments on the current financial crisis in our country. Sometimes it helps to look disaster in the face with a smile. - V

Dear American:

I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with
a transfer of funds of great magnitude.

I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has had crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 800 billion dollars US. If you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most profitable to you.

I am working with Mr. Phil Gram, lobbyist for UBS, who will be my replacement as Ministry of the Treasury in January. As a Senator, you may know him as the leader of the American banking deregulation movement in the 1990s. This transactin is 100% safe.

This is a matter of great urgency. We need a blank check. We need the funds as quickly as possible. We cannot directly transfer these funds in the names of our close friends because we are constantly under surveillance. My family lawyer advised me that I should look for a reliable and trustworthy person who will act as a next of kin so the funds can be transferred.

Please reply with all of your bank account, IRA and college fund account numbers and those of your children and grandchildren to wallstreetbailout@treasury.gov so that we may transfer your commission for this transaction. After I receive that information, I will respond with detailed information about safeguards that will be used to protect the funds.

Yours Faithfully Minister of Treasury Paulson

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McCain: A flustered rookie

I've read Geogre F. Will's columns for many years and have admired his rational thinking in the face of what I consider irrational Conservatives. In Will's McCain: A flustered rookie 9-23-08 column, he pointed out the volatile nature of McCain. It's what scares me about him. Even at the mature age of 72, he has yet to show evidence of thinking before he acts. If there is one characteristic with which I tie him to Bush, it is the shoot-from-the-hip decision making process. He doesn't seem to take the time to examine a situation in depth before he makes a statement of opinion. This can also be evidenced in his choice of a running mate. How little he seems to have known about Sarah Palin before choosing her as his successor to the presidency. McCain's health and age will surely put Palin in the White House and McCain's impulsive decision to seek a dynamic woman who can win him the highest office of our nation, puts us at risk for his political ambitions. As quickly as McCain smeared Chris Cox, he attacks opponents. Do we really want a president who doesn't stop to think before he speaks…and acts? - Vesta

The full text of Will's column is below. I am passing this on to readers because George F. Will is an intelligent Conservative whom I admire.


McCain: A flustered rookie

By GEORGE F. WILL
WASHINGTON POST

Published: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at 7:21 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at 9:09 a.m.
"The queen had only one way of settling all difficulties, great or small. 'Off with his head!' she said without even looking around." -- "Alice's Adventures in wonderland"

Under the pressure of the financial crisis, one presidential candidate is behaving like a flustered rookie playing in a league too high. It is not Barack Obama.

Channeling his inner Queen of Hearts, John McCain furiously, and apparently without even looking around at facts, said Chris Cox, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, should be decapitated. This childish reflex provoked the Wall Street Journal to editorialize that "McCain untethered" -- disconnected from knowledge and principle -- had made a "false and deeply unfair" attack on Cox that was "unpresidential" and demonstrated that McCain "doesn't understand what's happening on Wall Street any better than Barack Obama does."

To read the Journal's details about the depths of McCain's shallowness on the subject of Cox's chairmanship, see "McCain's Scapegoat" (Friday, Page A22). Then consider McCain's characteristic accusation that Cox "has betrayed the public's trust."

Perhaps an old antagonism is involved in McCain's fact-free slander. His most conspicuous economic adviser is Douglas Holtz-Eakin, who previously headed the Congressional Budget Office.

There he was an impediment to conservatives, including then-Congressman Cox, who as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee persistently tried and generally failed to enlist CBO support for "dynamic scoring" that would estimate the economic growth effects of proposed tax cuts.

In any case, McCain's smear -- that Cox "betrayed the public's trust" -- is a harbinger of a McCain presidency. For McCain, politics is always operatic, pitting people who agree with him against those who are "corrupt" or "betray the public's trust," two categories that seem to be exhaustive -- there are no other people. McCain's Manichaean worldview drove him to his signature legislative achievement, the McCain-Feingold law's restrictions on campaigning. Today, his campaign is creatively finding interstices in laws intended to restrict campaign giving and spending. (For details, see the Wednesday Washington Post, Page A4; and the Saturday New York Times, Page One.) By a Gresham's Law of political discourse, McCain's Queen of Hearts intervention in the opaque financial crisis overshadowed a solid conservative complaint from the Republican Study Committee, chaired by Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, the RSC decried the improvised torrent of bailouts as a "dangerous and unmistakable precedent for the federal government both to be looked to and indeed relied upon to save private sector companies from the consequences of their poor economic decisions." This letter, listing just $650 billion of the perhaps more than $1 trillion in new federal exposures to risk, was sent while McCain's campaign, characteristically substituting vehemence for coherence, was airing an ad warning that Obama favors "massive government, billions in spending increases."

The political left always aims to expand the permeation of economic life by politics. Today, the efficient means to that end is government control of capital. So, is not McCain's party now conducting the most leftist administration in American history? The New Deal never acted so precipitously on such a scale. Treasury Secretary Paulson, asked about conservative complaints that his rescue program amounts to socialism, said, essentially: This is not socialism, this is necessary. That non sequitur might be politically necessary, but remember that government control of capital is government control of capitalism.

Does McCain have qualms about this, or only quarrels? On "60 Minutes" Sunday evening, McCain, saying "this may sound a little unusual," said that he would like to replace Cox with Andrew Cuomo, the Democratic attorney general of New York who is the son of former Gov. Mario Cuomo. McCain explained that Cuomo has "respect" and "prestige" and could "lend some bipartisanship." Conservatives have been warned.

Conservatives who insist that electing McCain is crucial usually start, and increasingly end, by saying he would make excellent judicial selections. But the more one sees of his impulsive, intensely personal reactions to people and events, the less confidence one has that he would select judges by calm reflection and clear principles, having neither patience nor aptitude for either.

It is arguable that, because of his inexperience, Obama is not ready for the presidency. It is arguable that McCain, because of his boiling moralism and bottomless reservoir of certitudes, is not suited to the presidency. Unreadiness can be corrected, although perhaps at great cost, by experience. Can a dismaying temperament be fixed?

© George F. Will is a columnist for the Washington Post. E-mail him at georgewill@washpost.com.

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Obama & Biden vs. McCain & Palin

Another contribution - please read and contribute yours to vesta@sonic.net - Thank you!

Sliming Sarah Palin, and our shadow

Much is being shared about Sarah Palin that disturbs me - and the tone and some content of what is being shared reminds me of the days, months and years of the Bill Clinton impeachment hunt (masterfully illustrated in a fine movie called "The Hunting of the President" which paints the scene of how the recent American discourse went from adolescent to primal, from conversation about ideas to fundamentalism and rage, on both sides of the culture war.)

And now, a good part of what is being bandied about regarding Governor Palin is proving to simply be untrue. Worse, as Dr. Deepak Chopra writes this week, we are chasing after our own shadow, distracted once again from reality.

I believe that the hope and change of the Barack Obama movement is about the best of the American people, about our basic goodness, as we say in Shambhala. But as we buddhists also say, "Good at the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end." In this case, we do not ascend to or create on this spot, in this time, a shining city of fairness, truth and justice by engaging in hate, aggression and projection. The means reflect the end, not justify them. Or, as Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche writes in "Ruling Your World", planting an apple seed will not yield an orange tree - truly, we reap what we sow.

So....for example....Sarah Palin did not ban books in Alaska; she apparently didn't like what she found in the public library and questioned the librarian on a "What if...?" basis, but both librarian and books remained in the library. This and other issues about Palin's past are verifiable at FactCheck.org and will no doubt continue to be updated as time marches on towards Election Day and beyond.

But what about our shadow? Here's what Deepak Chopra has to say:

"Sometimes politics has the uncanny effect of mirroring the national psyche even when nobody intended to do that. This is perfectly illustrated by the rousing effect that Gov. Sarah Palin had on the Republican convention in Minneapolis this week....She is the reverse of Barack Obama, in essence his shadow, deriding his idealism and exhorting people to obey their worst impulses. In psychological terms the shadow is that part of the psyche that hides out of sight, countering our aspirations, virtue, and vision with qualities we are ashamed to face: anger, fear, revenge, violence, selfishness, and suspicion of "the other." For millions of Americans, Obama triggers those feelings, but they don't want to express them. He is calling for us to reach for our higher selves, and frankly, that stirs up hidden reactions of an unsavory kind."

At this stage, public opinion polls are stating that McCain-Palin are ahead and Obama-Biden behind. Polls don't tell the whole story - not new voters' stories or how the actual November 4th vote will go, as well as any number of variables, such as global climate disruption's (in other words, Mother Earth's opinion) affect on voter turnout. And besides, it's the electoral college, remember? Yes, that's still around, we all thought it went away after the last stolen election(s).

If you feel as I do that Barack Obama should be our next president, YOU need to do something, friend: make a financial contribution (www.barackobama.com), invest your time, talk with your undecided or turned-off friends, make a difference. Waking up from these past nightmarish eight years requires some effort, a lot of faith and yes, work.

Barack can't wave his hand and make the sun come back up. Only we, individuals, communities and a society, can recognize the shadows and repel them with our voices and our exertion. And that's a good thing, for us.

Peace,
Marc Hussein Matheson
San Rafael, CA

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Obama & Biden vs. McCain & Palin

The essay below is in response to my invitation for readers to submit their perspective on our national race for President & Vice President of the United States. Please send essays to vesta@sonic.net - Thanks so much! - V

Write the Headline NOW!

Dear Everyone,
I am truly inspired by Barack Obama and believe now is the time to come together as a country to elect a leader with integrity and intelligence. Today I thought about what I could do personally to get Barack elected and go about it in a completely positive way that anyone could easily do.
Here's what I came up with. We could each write the headline that comes out the day he wins and put it up in a place we look at every single day.

OBAMA WINS IN LANDSLIDE!!

OBAMA ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

HOPE AND INSPIRATION MOVE BACK INTO WHITE HOUSE WITH NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT

BARACK OBAMA BARACK OBAMA, THE YES WE CAN PRESIDENT

I know this works!! When Jeff and I sold our house in a very tough market we did all the prep we possibly could and also put a picture of the house up on the wall (in our new house) with the address and "sold" written across it. We sold it the very first day it was on the market!! We also sold a condo in 3 weeks using the same technique in a similar tough market where 4 other units had been for sale for at least 2 months.

Share this with anyone at all!
Talk about grassroots!
If millions of us are picturing this happening, it will!

Terry Loveton

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Obama & Biden vs. McCain & Palin

The essay below is in response to my invitation for readers to submit their perspective on our national race for President & Vice President of the United States. Please send essays to vesta@sonic.net - Thanks so much! - V

Registered to Vote...at 59

I am 59 years old and have never voted. That statement shocks a lot of people. After all, I am a business owner, father of 3 and pay my bills and taxes before they’re due….but I’ve never been willing to participate in democracy. It all started with my Grandmother.

My Grandmother Edna was a force to be reckoned with. She was a staunch Republican, a Daughter of the American Revolution, successful business woman and unquestionably the head of our family. Growing up, I spent a good deal of time with my Grandmother; I think she saw me as her torch bearer. At age 15 she upped the agenda substantially by opening up the books on her life and views; I was advised to pay close attention.

Among the many things conveyed was her view on politics. “I do not wish to seem negative or contrary, my dear, but democracy is the opiate of the masses. If you wish to have a true effect on this world, it will not occur because of your vote. The decisions that govern our world are made by people of money, privilege and power and if you wish to have any sway, you will have to become one of them.” Well, that got my attention.

And looking around the world, I had to admit, she had a point. And so I refused to participate for the next 40 years; 59 years old and never voted….until now. For the first time in my life, I have heard a voice that caught my attention and didn’t fuel my jaded opinion of American politics. For the first time in my life, I am eager to place my one vote against self serving traditional politics. For the first time in my life, I registered to vote to help elect Barack Obama. Maybe, just maybe, if enough of us come out from our long isolation, the tide can be turned.
- Alan Joseph, Santa Rosa, CA

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Obama & Biden vs. McCain & Palin

I invite all readers to submit their perspectives on our national race for President & Vice President of the United States. This Blog has no word limits like the print edition of the West County Gazette. Please submit your essays to vesta@sonic.net. I will publish all that come my way, whether I agree or not. The only limitation I place is on fowl language and violence or what I consider to be overly negative concepts. (Submissions for print need to be 700 words or less.) Below is my opening essay. Thanks for reading. - Vesta


Qualifications I Want to See in Our Leaders

By Vesta Copestakes

It comes as no surprise to West County Gazette readers that my bent is Liberal and therefore I am a Democrat. Some of my friends are Green Party, Libertarians or Independents, and I can see the point from a philosophical perspective, but not when it comes down to the reality of voting. We’ll never get leaders who believe in freedom and equality for every man, woman and child, respect for our environment, and economic balance of any kind as long as we split the Progressive/Liberal vote and hand over leadership positions to Conservatives. This has nothing to do with philosophy and everything to do with counting votes.

I am a woman and therefore many people assumed I was a Hillary Clinton supporter. Hillary is not the first female to run for a top Democratic office. Geraldine Ferraro ran for Vice President with Walter Mondale in 1984. Her career focus in the senate was equality for women, specifically for wages, pensions and retirement plans because women were being increasingly responsible for raising families with income inferior to men. Ferraro was not only female, she was a Catholic, Italian American. At the time, those were considered three strikes against her. Beyond her gender, we Liberal females supported her efforts on our behalf. We lived then, and still live now, on wages inferior to our male counterparts. Single mothers everywhere know the imbalance that still exists 24 years later. Geraldine recently worked on Hillary’s campaign.

Although I admire Hillary Clinton, she was not my choice. On top of my list is my desire to have a peacemaker as our president, and Hillary presented herself as a fighter. She voted for the invasion of Iraq and my philosophy is that we use weapons and war as our last choice, and use conversation and debate as our entrance to problem-solving – no matter what the subject. War always involves killing innocent people, destroying families, communities, nations, hearts and minds through generations impacted by loss and emotional pain. I don’t want to see another aggressive fighter leading our country no matter what gender.

When John McCain chose Sarah Palin as his running mate, he did so to lure female voters. He chose an aggressive, young woman to invigorate his party and those concerned about his age and health. After all, he is 72, has had serious bouts with cancer, and the stress of being president will take its toll on his life. Chances are good that his running mate will take his place. Women wanting to see a female in the top office of our country will likely get the chance if the McCain/Palin ticket wins in November.

Sarah Palin is not my kind of female. A self-proclaimed “Pit Bull with lipstick” who staunchly believes that killing animals while hunting and people through war is OK, but not aborting fetuses in the case of rape and incest, shows me an imbalance of concern for life. These young women who have been violently abused have to suffer for the life of the child in their womb, and the citizens of our planet have to suffer for the decisions of their leaders. This is not pro-life in my mind. Sarah Palin has other short-comings that deem her insufficiently prepared to lead our country. Time will bring these to the surface more and more.

John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin makes me question his ability to make good, sound decisions. The information he based his decision upon was superficial. It’s similar to internet dating. He met a woman on the internet, saw her picture and deemed her beautiful, read her profile and liked what she said. From that moment on he decided that this was the woman he would marry and with whom he would create a family. Most of these impulsive relationships fall apart in the light of day. But in John McCain’s case, he decided to tie the knot right then and there. He stated “I had a gut feeling she was the right person.” And George Bush had “a gut feeling” that invading Iraq was the right decision. I don’t want a leader who makes important decisions on gut feelings.

And when it comes down to it, I don’t want a leader I can relate to as a person with whom I drink beer or shots of alcohol. And although I admire community leaders on the PTA, etc., that doesn’t make them qualified to lead my country and make decisions that impact millions, even billions of people. I don’t want one of us. I want an exceptional person. I want to see a leader I admire, respect, and am even intimidated by his/her intelligence.

Analytical intelligence, level headed thinking, emotional balance and consideration for others are at the top of my list of what a leader should have as qualifications. I want someone who reads voraciously, who gathers information across a full spectrum of facts, figures, perspectives and opinions before coming to conclusions. I want a leader with a calm center in his/her heart and mind. I want to see a grounded individual who is not excitable and impulsive. I also want to see compassion and love in the face of the person leading my country.

When I see the team of Obama/Biden, I see the qualifications I am looking for. They are both fair, considered individuals who I can admire on many levels for many reasons. I don’t care that they are both male. I don’t care that Obama is bi-racial. What I do care about is that they both demonstrate characteristics that give me faith they can lead our country out of the hole we have dug ourselves into – economically, socially and politically. I want to see these people lead our country into a future I can feel confident will respect the lives of our planet and every living being on it. That kind of respect for all life is how I define pro-life.

Please vote in the November election. Vote for peace on our planet, respect for the lives of every living being and an environmental policy based on science and fact. We can’t afford to make important