John Haschak 2.0?

It was disappointing to read that recently declared Third District Supervisor Candidate Buffey Bourasa of Willits has no agenda or plan behind her candidacy. She told the Mendocino Voice: “Change has to come from the community. That’s how we make things different.”

Ms. Bourasa thus joins a long tradition of candidates for local office without the slightest idea about what to do if elected other than sit at the podium, participate in the general blather and vote for what the CEO tells her to vote for.

In January of 2017 when then-Third District Supervisor Tom Woodhouse was made mentally ill by his abortive tenure as a Supervisor and resigned, Willits Spanish teacher John Haschak declared his desire to be appointed to the vacant seat with the usual vacuous remarks. “We need progressive leadership,” said Haschak, whatever he may have meant by “progressive” and “leadership.” “I think I’ll be able to work with people in the Third District and on the board of supervisors so we can get things done and move the county forward.”

During the campaign Haschak claimed that his presence on a Teachers Association budget committee made him “qualified to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing Mendocino County including the emergence of the legal cannabis industry, transportation and infrastructure and advocating for fiscal responsibility.” Haschak also claimed budget expertise because he had “looked at” the Willits schools budget.

As we noted at the time, those were some of the most ridiculous claims we’ve heard a supes candidate make. But what else could he say about his irrelevant experience?

Haschak declared that he “guessed” he had “that work ethic of ‘Just get in there and do it, and hope you make a positive change’.” Piling on the empty rhetoric, Haschak said he wanted to “look at how we can really diversify our economy and entice well-paying sustainable jobs to this area,” and “bring more programs to improve career and technical education into the area,” adding, “It’s all about creating a place that’s sustainable for our economy.”

Haschak boldly declared that he was for “improved infrastructure and county roads.” He was for water. He was for more housing. “It’s looking at what are the roadblocks to creating more housing for people,” Haschak said. “I am not sure what those roadblocks are at this point [sic], but I think it is one of those critical needs for our county.”

Yes, it was a critical need. Still is. But knowing that we need housing doesn’t exactly make someone a good candidate for Supervisor.

Since his election in 2018 Haschak has made a few minor proposals, none of which even got a second from his colleagues, after which he provided very little follow-up. He tried to get the Board to consider increasing the Transient Occupancy Tax a little; no support. He tried to get the Board to give themselves a small token pay cut in recognition of the County’s budget deficit; no support. He engineered the destruction of the County’s trapper program, promising to set up an allegedly more humane County-wide animal control system on the cheap. Nothing was set up other than a website link to a Sonoma County animal rights group which hasn’t done a thing to help people in the unincorporated areas of the County with their animal problems. In eight years of trying to get a second emergency access route into/out of Brooktrails, Haschak today, eight years later, says he is still “working on it.” He likes to take credit for the lack of complaints in the last couple of years about the County’s failed marijuana permit program — now that most growers have given up on the permit application process. Haschak defended the CEO’s ill-advised Veterans Service Office relocation for several months until the Veterans finally pressured the board into undoing it six months later with none of the cost savings that was the original purpose of the stupid move. Haschak voted against the ill-advised (and now being undone) consolidation of the Auditor and Treasurer offices, but only because he didn’t think it had been analyzed enough, not because he thought it was a bad idea. But then when the time came to suspend elected Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector Chamise Cubbison after the DA’s flimsy and ultimately unsupported charges, Haschak went along with his colleagues to suspend her without pay without even allowing her to object or respond.

Like Ms. Bourasa, when he declared his candidacy Haschak had never attended a Board meeting, never uttered a single remark about the Board or other County organizations and their many shortcomings. Never written any letters to the editor about county matters. And he had no specific ideas or projects he wanted to pursue.

Anyone who follows County affairs knows that during his going-on eight years as a Supervisor not only did nothing significant happen in any of the general areas Haschak flab-gabbed about, but Haschak never brought forward any proposals along those lines.

Similarly, we have been unable to find any record of Ms. Bourasa taking a position on any specific issue in Mendo, Willits (a troubled city which may have to turn its law enforcement over to the County’s understaffed Sheriff’s department soon), or elsewhere. Her statements so far have been free of specifics, offering only an earnest resume of her mostly irrelevant personal background and a promise to bring “accountability, collaboration and results” to Mendocino County government.

Here, from her fledging campaign facebook page, is her statement about why she’s running for Supervisor:

“I recently shared why I’m running for District 3 Supervisor in Mendocino County—my roots here, my experience in county government, and my commitment to community-driven leadership.

What I want you to know now is this: this campaign isn’t about me—it’s about us.

It’s about local families, farmers, ranchers, small businesses, and diverse communities who want a county that is proactive.

It’s about safe communities supported by both strong public safety and prevention.

It’s about open, transparent government that listens before acting and centers your voice at the decision-making table.

And it’s about real partnership with Tribal governments built on respect and shared responsibility.

I’m listening. I’m showing up. And I’m building a campaign that reflects the voices of District 3.

Here’s how you can be part of it:

• Volunteer to help reach neighbors and host conversations.
• Donate if you’re able.

Every conversation, every hour volunteered, and every contribution helps move this work forward.

I’m grateful to walk this path with you—and I look forward to hearing what matters most to you.

I’m Buffey Wright Bourassa, and I’m running to be your District 3 Supervisor.”

Ms. Bourasa certainly checks a lot of demographic boxes and can rattle off the usual political buzzwords that will probably be more than enough for a lot of people to support her. But judging by her predictably insubstantial statements so far, Ms. Bourasa (who seems like a nice, person, competent at her job in the “restorative justice” arena), Mendo is likely to have nothing more than a female version of Haschak as its next Third District Supervisor.