- The Exception That Proves The Rule
- The Quiet Merger
- Public Health First
- Reinterpretation = Expansion
- A Bit Too Hasty
- Let Us Drive
- Fired For Doing The Right Thing
- Guns & Butter
- ‘Moral Issue Of Our Time’
- Something Wrong
- It Could Get Hairy
THE EXCEPTION THAT PROVES THE RULE
Editor,
Just a bit of push back on the generally justifiable criticism of the various advisory boards. My experience with two, the Round Valley Municipal Advisory Council (RVAMAC) and the Mendocino County Library Advisory Board (LAB) has been anything but a bunch of wasted time and BS. The RVAMAC is just about the only regular venue available to those of out here to have a collective conversation with Sheriff Matt Kendall, our third district supervisor John Haschak, and when needed, Howard Dashiell of the Dept. of Transportation, or Emergency Services, or CalTrans, or Animal Control. These regular monthly meetings, partly in person, partly on a telecommunications device, have been valuable and effective.
The LAB a few years ago functioned as much as an oversight committee as an advisory board. After the passage of a sales tax partly earmarked for libraries the LAB reviewed the complex and not particularly transparent inter county agency billings and accounts and determined that the library system was being unfairly and unjustifiably charged by other branches of the county for supposedly amortized equipment and other suspicious entries. The Grand Jury got involved, and sure enough, there was a degree of hanky panky in how the books were balanced. The library system ended up getting some of the money back. This would have never happened without a citizen’s group being part of the oversight with an official advisory role. So it is not all a big waste of time and window dressing.
Lew Chichester
Covelo
THE QUIET MERGER
Editor,
At the December 19 (2023) regular BOS meeting, they tucked in a new job classification for Director of Health Services. It wasn’t pulled so it wasn’t discussed and was passed. Technically that was the first step to give Jenine Miller a raise and move to make her the director of both. In January, she was being referred to as such during the board meetings. They did publicly post for the new position.
What they coulda shoulda done is to interview for the new position which Jenine likely would have been the only applicant. Then they could post it publicly the next meeting and hire her. That would have at least given her a raise for running two departments.
That wouldn’t have dealt with the issue that they are moving behind the scenes without public notification/input on the merging of the two departments.
Adam Gaska
Redwood Valley
PUBLIC HEALTH FIRST
Dear Editor,
The recent report aired May 31, 2024, on KZYX radio station, exposes the poor state of Mendocino County’s health, with high levels of drug overdoses, suicides, lack of access to mental health and general health care including prenatal care.
“Report Sheds Light on Mendocino County’s Health Woes: High Smoking, Firearm Deaths, and Overdoses”
This is nothing new. As the Senior Public Health Analyst, I have been reporting on this for years. However, due to the near constant upheaval in firing Public Health directors and upper-level managers going back to the 2000’s, and the lack of apparent understanding from the Board of Supervisors about how important experienced, trained leadership in Public Health is, our population’s health has steadily declined.
With the appointment of Jenine Miller as Acting Public Health Director, over 30 very experienced staff retired, quit, were fired, or transferred to other departments because they knew she lacked the expertise to run the Public Health department. The old saying, “You don’t know, what you don’t know” comes to mind, and it is my opinion that Miller exhibits a certain hubris in thinking she is qualified to run a “Health Department.” Now the Board of Supervisors are deciding whether to make her the Health Director. Judging by the recent statistics cited in the report, during the time she has been Director of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS), our population’s mental health has seriously declined.
These statistics highlight the need for a trained, experienced Public Health Director. Human Resources reports that despite sending out hundreds of letters, they say they have received no qualified candidates. Why could this be?
In 2022-23, when Human Resources tried to recruit candidates, there were three individuals who were interviewed for the job. But the most qualified among them declined to take the position, after learning about the history of how many Public Health directors, and other top managers, had been fired with literally no warning. Understandably, no one wants to risk tanking their career with an institution that has allowed such capricious behavior.
Combining BHRS and Public Health, as I have said before, may make sense and save money by combining common administrative functions for the two departments. However, if this government is to serve the people in the way it is mandated to, Public Health must be led by someone with the qualifications and the experience. And Public Health must be the umbrella under which BHRS functions. The candidates are out there, but there needs to be real assurance that the Public Health director is not simply “at will” (meaning they can be fired at any time at the whim of their boss), but that they will be afforded the protections in the Civil Services rules like any other employee.
I urge the Board of Supervisors to instruct Human Resources to continue the search for a qualified Public Health Director candidate to oversee a Health Department, if the decision is made to combine Public Health and BHRS.
Respectfully,
Julie Beardsley
Ukiah
REINTERPRETATION = EXPANSION
Editor,
County Cannabis Ordinance “re-interpreted”?
Three weeks ago at a meeting of the County’s General Government Committee (Supervisors Haschak and McGourty), the County’s Cannabis Department told the two Supervisors that the Department and County Counsel had “re-interpreted” certain sections of the County Cannabis Ordinance and the Department would now be allowing a doubling of the size of cultivation areas.
The two Supervisors expressed concern about changing the rules now while the Cannabis Department is finally making headway on processing cultivation applications, and the State is gearing up to issue annual licenses to local growers. Staff responded by saying that they weren’t “changing” anything, just “re-interpreting” the meaning of the ordinance. Furthermore, staff said the report to the Committee was simply informational, and the decision had been made.
Wow! Since when does staff make policy, and then tell the Supervisors what to do? (Who did initiate this “re-interpretation”? It clearly wasn’t the General Government Committee, or the Board of Supervisors. Was it a private citizen with big cannabis dreams and privileged access to County Counsel?)
Less than two years ago, 100 citizen volunteers gathered over 6,000 signatures in only 30 days on petitions saying they did not support expanding cultivation areas beyond the current maximum of 10,000 sq. ft. per parcel. The Supervisors heard that message loud and clear and rescinded a then recently passed cannabis expansion ordinance. They need to act similarly now.
We have asked the Supervisors to tell staff to cease implementing this “re-interpretation” immediately. If any person has applied under this “re-interpretation” the application should be returned along with any fees paid.
We feel confident that this “re-interpretation” violates the language and the intent of the County’s cannabis ordinance. Our confidence is based on a careful reading of the relevant sections of the ordinance, and on the clear intent and understanding of the lawmakers and the public as recorded in numerous meetings, discussions and amendments over the last seven years.
Can an ordinance be changed? Yes, but there must be due process. The issue must be agendized at multiple Supervisors’ meetings where the Supervisors publicly discuss the issue and take comment from the public. In addition, if the proposal might result in unwanted environmental or human impacts, that potential must be fully examined and mitigated.
Join us. Please contact your Supervisor and ask him/her to reject this back-room re-write of the County’s cannabis rules.
Ellen Drell and Kirk Lumpkin, Board Members
Willits Environmental Center
A BIT TOO HASTY
To the Editor:
I feel Tom McFadden wrote a very well written letter to the editor recently about the destruction of the 133 year old Palace Hotel. It seems the decision by the City is a little too casual, particularly since they played a key role in the deterioration of the historic structure over time. They have to be considered complicit in the negligence of the last two owners since they did not enforce their own decisions to make certain changes to the Palace Hotel, or else. During that period, they allowed the time to lapse with no consequences.
How could the City possibly deem the historic building must be torn down without first reviewing a current licensed structural engineering formal assessment? Even the prior structural engineer assessments were seemingly ignored for reasons unknown to the public due to their secrecy. And recently, the City removed the requirement for the current owner to produce an updated structural assessment before they ruled on the action plan for the hotel.
Some of us do feel the City was a bit too hasty in their endorsement to demolish the Palace Hotel, which was made public on May 24. The City and the Palace Hotel owners need to step up.
Special thanks should be given to Mike Geniella, Dennis Crean and Tom McFadden for keeping the tax-paying citizens informed on this important topic.
John Moon
Ukiah
LET US DRIVE
Editor,
Regarding the letter that driving doesn't make sense, and while I agree that public transit is not expensive, especially for seniors, I take offense with everything else in that letter.
Seniors are among the safest drivers. Most of us don't drive drunk, we don't drag race, we don't engage in side shows, we don't speed, we don't drive recklessly. It is the younger generations that are the most dangerous drivers.
What are the safe alternatives to driving in the city?
Muni is often dangerous for seniors. Many of us are frail and can't defend ourselves if we are accosted.
Taxis are great if you use them occasionally, but expensive if used frequently.
Uber and Lyft are out of the question; we don't like being forced to pay for things with phones. We prefer to use actual money, and many of us don't have smartphones.
I am sick of the younger generations constantly trying to force us off the road. I will not stop driving unless I become physically unfit to do so.
Michael Benardo
Vallejo
FIRED FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING
Editor:
Students throughout the world protesting apartheid and genocide in Gaza are rightfully pressuring leaders of universities and President Joe Biden to support a permanent cease-fire and end apartheid. Only a few universities (CSU campuses in Sacramento and San Francisco, UC campuses in Berkeley and Riverside) have negotiated with students regarding divestment issues. I applaud former Sonoma State President Mike Lee’s response to Sonoma State students.
He opened the door to judicious discussion, which we expect should occur in institutions of higher education. Considering that most organizations have remained silent to prevent political backlash, Lee is one who had the fortitude within a politically driven system to open a dialogue with the students he served. In the meantime, Israel’s military continues the bombing in Gaza where hundreds are dying every hour.
The local organizations denouncing Lee’s actions seem to have forgotten what this is all about. All should align with international humanitarian laws even if it means uncomfortable and “risky” conversations, as the real risk is complicity with crimes against humanity. Lee resigned as Sonoma State president knowing the odds were against him. CSU lost a decent man and president. He opened the door, and I thank him.
Gail Y. Seymour
Santa Rosa
GUNS & BUTTER
Editor,
Via their minions, our ruling class is pushing to escalate the US caused and funded war in Ukraine. Ms. Nuland and Mr. Blinken, among others, are urging Ukrainian strikes deeper into Russia. Such an escalation will not end well. Ukraine is running out of soldiers. The result will be a wider war with boots on the ground from other countries. Americans will be there as "advisors."
The genocide of the Palestinians continues thanks to US supplied munitions and funds. Starvation and disease are killing those who flee the bombs. The floating pier is and was a boondoggle. President Biden is content to allow genocide by starvation. A few months more and the Gazans will all be dead. Israeli settlers consistently attack West Bank Palestinians with impunity.
The billions our government provides to Ukraine and Israel to kill other people enriches the ruling class while sucking resources from our country. This is the old guns and butter issue. Tell our government to stop the wars. Let's use our tax money to feed our hungry, house our homeless, and repair our crumbling nation. Do not surrender to the rich elite who profit from war while we peasants die as soldiers, suffer as workers, and are cheated as consumers. Protest! Speak out!
Joan Vivaldo
Novato
‘MORAL ISSUE OF OUR TIME’
Editor:
Award-wining journalist Max Blumenthal recently said, “This Gaza issue is the moral issue of our time, this is the Trail of Tears of our time, this is the Middle Passage of our time.” We need to take heed.
Many of our children, young students and some of their teachers worldwide are taking heed and showing us how to stand up for this moral issue of our time. It is a beautiful thing to behold. They are risking their safety, their careers, their future to teach us what it takes to live in a moral and free world, moral and free for everyone. It is time for all of us, especially those in power, to take heed.
What is happening in Gaza today is a continuation of an ideology that has been going on in Palestine for a hundred years. One people is better, more deserving than another. One people can subjugate, kill, drive out another people and take their land. This is the core of the issue. It is not complicated. There is room for everyone in Palestine/Israel who wants to be there. I pray that all who want to live in Palestine/Israel can be equal and free.
Therese Mughannam-Walrath
Santa Rosa
SOMETHING WRONG
Editor:
Something is wrong with the commentary supporting a climate bond — as endorsed by a number of environmental groups and Gov. Gavin Newsom — with the argument that the climate bond would add additional support, and resource restoration, to other state programs the governor has launched. News: a great portion of Newsom’s climate initiative has been defunded in his new proposed state budget, due to fiscal calamities brought on by the governor himself.
Restoration has become a big business (billions of dollars spent to recover resources). They want you to spend more money to recover resources that should have been protected by their respective responsible agencies. Why pay to recover resources that are not protected? Is that not money down the toilet? Examples: 1973, the Forest Practice Act was approved due to concerns of diminished forest resources. Now, in 2024, our forests are in no better shape. Almost every river or stream in the state is listed as impaired by various pollutants.
Recovering damaged resources is very expensive. We need politicians who will support agency oversight of our resources. Protect it first — before you spend billions.
Alan Levine
Santa Rosa
IT COULD GET HAIRY
Editor:
Democrats are in denial about the likelihood of Donald Trump’s insurrection succeeding this fall. It’s past time for those of us who fear a dictatorship to start thinking about what it would look like and what we can do to fight it.
For starters, another Executive Order 9066 will order the creation of a huge gulag for Americans, especially those of Hispanic origin. The net being cast for undocumented people will have to include American citizens, at least until they can prove they are here legally. There will be a national pregnancy registry to ensure pregnant women don’t seek abortions, which will be illegal anywhere.
Internationally, Ukraine and most of Eastern Europe will become part of Russia. China will take over Taiwan, as well as other far eastern countries. The U.S. will abrogate treaties, erasing international trade (especially with Europe), commerce and tourism between Trump states and Biden states will cease, and the economy will tank.
Think this will just be a short stint of Republicanism, like the administrations of the Bushes and Ronald Reagan? Think again. Once the dictatorship begins, democracy in America will end. For good. Look up Project 2025 and Agenda47. Let’s start planning for a counter insurgency while we still can. Next year that will be illegal.
Walt Frazer
Graton
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