Santa Rosa City Council recs

Santa Rosa voters can improve our city council by voting for a set of leaders who are independent of development industry influence, and who have the political will to enforce policies already on the books that has been missing in recent city decisions.

Susan Gorin, Veronica Jacobi and Caroline Banuelos have been endorsed by Concerned Citizens for Santa Rosa. We are a 20-year-old community interest organization whose members work to ensure that whole community interests are represented in city planning and policy-making. Business interests are already well represented by a majority of the council, and a balance is needed in coming years when city decisions on development policy must respond to the needs of the widest spectrum of our population.

Susan Gorin, Veronica Jacobi and Caroline Banuelos represent that balance, and they deserve your votes on Election Day.

Anne E. Seeley, Co-Chair, Concerned Citizens for Santa Rosa

Yes on Guardino

Recently I ran into an acquaintance outside of North Light Bookstore from my days as a soccer/baseball mom. She inquired about my John Guardino bumper stickers. Why was I not supporting the incumbents, she wondered. Weren't they OK? I stood in the sun for a minute to compose my thoughts.

To me, the city council is like a symphony and a few new instruments can sometimes make all the difference. If you don't give them a try, you won't know what a great sound you can have?

For me, John's education in science brings a few new notes to the score and his life experience adds a subtle nuance that can broaden the entire Wednesday evening performance. As first chair violin players Pat and Lisa have performed well but I want to hear something special like a bass or a cello ? something different. I believe John has special talents and can bring an exciting new dimension to our city council. We're a multifaceted city and we should have richly complex music on our council. That is why John is music to my ears and I will vote for John Guardino on Nov. 7.

Linell Hardy, Cotati

Online voter recs rec

I just filled out my absentee ballot, and I was greatly helped by knowing what various organizations that I respect recommend for each proposition. Sixteen major statewide groups from progressive to conservative, including the Democratic, Green, Libertarian and Republican parties, various unions, the Sierra Club and the Farm Bureaus have their recommendations neatly listed on one chart, which can be seen and printed out at the website ElectionInfo.org

As a liberal, I saw that most of the left-of-center groups recommend "yes" votes for all propositions except these four, which get "no"s: 83, 85, 88 and 90.

I highly urge concerned citizens to check out the Ballot Propositions Recommendation chart. It helps! Tell your friends, since informed voters make better choices for all of us.

Sharon Hansen, Albion

Yes on Bowen

Debra Bowen is the only candidate for Secretary of State who is expressive on the subject of fraudulent elections. The Secretary of State office has newly become very pivotal because it is the elected office which controls the state electoral process, and contracts with private voting machine companies. As in Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004, mass manipulations are slated to take place in California to turn this into a swing state which happens to swing uncharacteristically. As Bush will say, "How could anyone have predicted this?"

Awake ye California dreamers, and at least get out of your fog to vote Debra Bowen as Secretary of State. She's been a state senator for years and before that a grass roots organizer from southern California.

T. S. Siegel, Santa Rosa

Stingingly smart

The proposed North Bay commuter train, SMART, sounds like a sane and pleasant alternative to the below song's portrayal of our own modern rush hour hell on Highway 101, unless the lemmings are committed to going over the cliff en masse in one fashion or another.

"Another working day has ended, / only the rush hour Hell to face. / Packed like lemmings into shiny metal boxes, / contestants in a suicidal race...."

From the song "Synchronicity II," The Police, lyrics by Sting.

Keith Bramstedt, San Anselmo

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