Pulse of the public

XAVIER BECERRA NEEDS TO CHANGE MY MIND Editor: Xavier Becerra is heading into the general election as the Democratic nominee for governor. I followed this race closely. The closer I looked, the less confident I became.

His donor list reads like a directory of California’s affordability crisis. Chevron, insurance companies, dialysis providers, Meta, Uber, PG&E-industries with enormous financial stakes in who governs this state.

On single-payer healthcare, Becerra stated he supported it at the state level, then reversed course, blaming the federal administration. That excuse doesn’t hold. A governor taking office in 2027 has enough time to start the process. The reversal came around the time the California Medical Association endorsed him.

Then there were the KTLA interviews. Every other candidate was engaged. Becerra questioned whether it was a profile piece or a gotcha piece. We need a governor who fights, not one who sidesteps.

I will vote yes on the wealth tax, which Becerra opposes. On the governor’s line, I plan to leave it blank or explore a write-in. He could change that-but he needs to be specific. Healthcare costs, utility rates and high rents are destroying people’s quality of life here-and they are controlled in large part by the same industries funding his campaign. That conflict doesn’t go away with a strongly worded speech. - Leslie Intriago, Sonoma A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW INTO A DYSFUNCTIONAL SCHOOL BOARD Editor: If anyone in the Sonoma Valley is not concerned about what is happening right now with the Sonoma Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees, then I believe they are not paying attention.

Part of leadership involves supporting and protecting our most vulnerable students, and the rainbow pride flag controversy has opened a Pandora’s box, facilitated by board President David Bell and what I believe is a violation of policy when he had the flag taken down. But his unilateral decision offers us a window into a board unwilling to hold him or others accountable.

The Thursday, June 18, meeting showed that others on this board, like Trustee Catarina Landry, are complicit with Mr. Bell’s actions and beliefs.

I was present for that long, fourhour SVUSD board meeting and what a wake-up call it was.

After following the (board’s) trials and tribulations of the past seven years, I was glad to be there in person and validate what I had believed to be the case in recent times: this school board, as a whole, is not prepared to serve Sonoma Valley schools, parents, students, or the community in the way that is desperately needed.

This is a strong statement, and my conclusion is not based on how the night ended. Changes in leadership are greatly needed to bring more wisdom, experience, and intelligence to lead these schools.

In my 30-year career, I have consulted with many boards throughout the U.S., including school boards, and it is clear there is a disconnect and lack of preparation here.

Though each of the trustees cares in their own way, and I am sure finds an endless stream of work to do, this Valley needs much better.Inmycritique,Iam speaking in large part to the lack of energy and dynamics, along with a lack of follow through. Only small aspects of teamwork are evident, and the correspondence is off.

I give three of the trustees a vote of confidence: Anne Ching, Gerardo Guzman, and Jason Lehman, for the good attitude and care shown in their correspondence.

It is interesting to note that in my previous emails to the board, only Jason Lehman has responded to one. The superintendent, Jason Sutter, has also responded and been cordial.

As one of only two members of the public who sat through the entire June 18 meeting, I observed the following:

·Did the board understand the differences between the large grants that fund the schools, or many of the other important financial statistics? No, not well.

·Did Did the the board seem · prepared to question, assess, and approve the important budgets that were approved on a 5-0 vote? No, there were only a few challeng- ing questions for the new finance professional and others presenting, all of whom were very knowledgeable.

·Did Did the the board seem · concerned about millions of dollars in unappropriated funds, or have prior knowledge that the food service department was a million dollars over budget last year? No, most decisions included unclear action items that were kicked down the road.

· One surprise occurred when the new finance consultant/bookkeeper announced that before she was hired to work on the books five weeks ago, the books had not been touched for months. So the latest turmoil around school closings, layoffs, and important decisions may have been taking place when the books had not been managed at all? This was not clear.

When it came to the discussion on the problems concerning the rainbow pride flag, the mood immediately changed.

David Bell forced the conversation, and it devolved into a shocking array of personal opinions, mixed with what I viewed as unfounded accusations toward LGBTQ+ students by Bell and Landry.

Listening to the dialogue, it was one insensitive comment after another from Bell, and repeated arguments I found unpersuasive from Landry.

These two said they wanted to just fly the flag in June each year, a month during which students are partly out of school. The others were hesitant to embrace any real solution but did express compassion for LGBTQ+ students.

In the end, the board kicked the issue down the road again by narrowing the (flag policy options) they will vote on in the future. They have had six months to assess and consider this issue with plenty of data and commentary. It was obvious they put this agenda item last to speed it through-a true win for President Bell, who was eager to get it off the docket.

I was not aware before attending that I could not bring up an agenda topic during public comment at the end.

I tried to speak and simply asked for 30 seconds due to the long night. As a constituent from Area 4, Mr. Bell’s voting area, I was instantly blocked and talked over by Mr. Bell, who insisted that I state a topic. I tried to introduce myself to no avail, then brought up a topic that was not on the agenda: “Mr. Bell Taking Down the Flag.” He then continued to keep me from speaking, eventually shutting it down altogether, with others on the board having no objection. A willing participant for four hours, but shut down in 10 seconds; symbolic of my premise that this is generally an out-of-touch and dysfunctional board.

We owe it to the young people to right this ship, and I will do all in my power to do just that.

A recall may be coming for Mr. Bell, and I will continue to hold the board’s feet to the fire until real leadership, censure when needed, and accountability happens for the Valley’s students.

As I expressed in my email to the board, I believe each of our souls is on a search for identity. The young souls in our midst are on a very important journey, and need our support more than ever, or unnecessary suffering will continue. - James Foreman, Sonoma DON’T LET POLLUTERS OFF THE HOOK Editor: The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing dangerous rollbacks to coal ash protections that would endanger the health of communities across the country. Coal ash, the toxic waste produced from burning coal, contains arsenic, mercury, lead and other hazardous pollutants that are linked to cancer and serious illness.

For decades, utilities dumped this waste into unlined ponds and landfills, allowing it to leak into drinking water. Strong federal safeguards put in place in 2015 and expanded in 2024 finally began holding polluters accountable. Now, those protections are being dismantled, exempting hundreds of toxic dump sites and allowing companies to delay or avoid cleanup altogether.

This is a direct threat to public health. Industry data already shows that groundwater at most coal plant sites is contaminated above federal safety standards. Weakening these rules only ensures more pollution, more illness, and more communities left to deal with the consequences.

The EPA’s job is to protect people, not corporate polluters. We must speak out and demand that these safeguards remain in place. Our health, our water, and our future depend on it. - Luci Ungar, Sonoma BEST FUN ON A WARM EVENING Editor: So, my husband and I had been talking about getting out and going to a baseball game.

We knew that the Stompers season had started. We checked the very helpful GAME NOTES on the Stompers webpage for a sense of the season.

Not exactly an explosive start, but remember, many of these players may have played this game since elementary school, just NOT together. These players come from schools all over California, a few are attending Santa Rosa Junior College, still others are from the Midwest and the South.

They are freshmen, some sophomores and a few older, who share the love of the game but didn’t share a team jersey before coming to Sonoma.

Of course, we went and had a great time. We saw some good plays, overall good baseball, defense and pitching.

The field was much improved from prior seasons. There is wine-tasting rotating among local vineyards, Sonoma Springs has a small truck selling the special Stompers Lager, Stompers merch has expanded and could be seen in the bleachers. Two special-seating areas are available adjacent to the leftfield line.

And, Jacobs listened to the fans and expanded its menu adding fish tacos, salads, and more chicken. The dogs were still there and still great!

Prices are fair and the lines are shorter than in prior years. We will be back in the bleachers as soon as the Stompers return home.

We hope to see more of our neighbors in the stands and visitors enjoying this very special feature of summertime in the Valley of the Moon. - Joanne M. Brown, Sonoma