Aug 2026
"There is no art which one government sooner learns of another than that of draining money from the pockets of the people." Adam Smith
In Memoriam
--- Lindsey Graham (1955 – 2026) Republican Senator from South Carolina. Former Air Force lawyer, member of Air Force Reserve. Elected to Senate in 2002.
--- Sam Neill (1947 – 2026) Actor and winner of three Golden Globes. Star of "Jurassic Park.
--- Pat Oliphant (1935 – 2026) Cartoonist who specialized in skewering Presidents.
--- David Hirsch (1944 – 2026) Pioneering wine grower on the extreme Sonoma Coast.
--- John Stockwell (1937 – 2026)Author of "In Search of Enemies" tell-all book on the CIA.
--- Ann Blythe (1928 – 2026) Actress and Singer from 1940's and the 1950's.
Change coming to the Graton Rancheria
The Graton Rancheria in Rohnert Park was at one point obscure and relatively poor. Greg Sarris became the leader and he led the group into financial and political power. Sarris, age 74, revealed on July 16th that he is planning to step down. He has stated that he will focus on his writing.
Sarris's tenure as tribal chair began in 1992 when he was an assistant English professor at UCLA. He led the push to gain federal recognition. Congress passed the Graton Rancheria Restoration Act in December 2000. That legislation led the way for the 2008 acquisition of 254 acres of land formerly inside the city of Rohnert Park. Graton Resort & Casino is now Sonoma County's largest private employer.
"If you are not prepared to use force to defend civilization, then be prepared to accept Thomas Sowell
Sonoma County Health Officer
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the appointment of a new health officer. Dr. Mia Shim has two decades of public health executive experience and is also an internal medicine physician. She most recently was the interim health officer and chief public health medical officer in Seattle and King County, Washington.
The health officer serves as the chief medical officer and top health policy official for the county and is granted authority from the state to declare public health orders and impose penalties for noncompliance.
Shim's county salary is $351,888. She also qualifies for $10,000 for relocation allowance and a $25,000 hiring incentive. For fiscal year 2026-2027 supervisors set aside $524,894 in salary and benefits funding for the health officer position.
Water Battle
"Water, water everywhere and how the boards did shrink. Water, water everywhere and nor any drop to drink." Samuel Taylor Coleridge The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
The water battle continues. The issue about Potter Valley and the dam that sends water into the Russian River is not solved. The city of Cloverdale has authorized Council member Andres Marquez to represent Cloverdale in meetings related to a new proposed entity, the Alexander Valley Water District. The City Council voted 4 to 0 to allow Marquez to attend meetings related to the proposed formation of the water district in his official capacity. City officials intend Marquez's participation to help shape Cloverdale's position before key decisions that are expected to be made later in the summer.
The proposed Alexander Valley Water District would create a new landowner governed water district covering much of the Alexander Valley groundwater basin near Cloverdale and Healdsburg.
Creation of the district would position Alexander Valley landowners for formal participation in regional water governance discussions as the North Coast prepares for changes that are tied to PG&E's Potter Valley Project.
Cloverdale is not included within the proposed boundaries of the proposed district but decisions made by the body could have serious implications for the future of the city's water. The proposed district spans more than 28,000 acres and encompasses the stem of the Russian River and its vicinity from 1.5 miles south of the Mendocino County line down to the outskirts of Healdsburg. Cloverdale wants to have a voice.
Can We Trust Technology Completely?
The modern world of technology has made some people place all of their faith in that technology and not seem to worry about the possibility of something going wrong. This issue is now highlighted with the issue of AT&T landlines. AT&T is continuing efforts to end its obligation to provide basic phone service especially landlines across large parts of California. AT&T's position is that the state's regulatory system which requires reliable voice connection to anyone in its service areas is outdated. The company's position is that increased resources are needed to maintain landline infrastructure. A shrinking number of people are needing the service.
On June 29, AT&T's petition to the Federal Communications Commission was approved which would end the company's responsibility to provide service. This is in spite of the order by the State of California that AT&T must continue to provide service. The FCC approval does not allow AT&T to disconnect customers. It does keep alive the company's effort to get federal regulators to override California rules. There are numerous legal hurdles that AT&T must go through to be able to end service.
This battle is far from over. Residents in outlying areas are very concerned that lengthy power outages can occur during a storm or other natural event. AT&T has pledged that people without reliable connectivity won't lose their landlines. This pledge is viewed with skepticism because they believe that AT&T's pledge may not match reality.
SRJC SHOULD REWORK ITS BOND PROPOSAL BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.
While bonds are now (for the past 25 years) a key part of the annual operations of many junior colleges, the new proposal from SRJC is the wrong one:
1. The bond is way too big. It will cost property tax payers $1.8 billion, the largest amount in Sonoma County history. The new bond is more than double the size of the prior bond: $830 vs. $410 million.
2. Tax payers will pay way too much interest. Interest costs on the proposed bond is $1.12 per dollar borrowed, compared to 34¢ per dollar borrowed the current bond, Measure H. That's three times the amount of interest.
3. The new bond puts SRJC in "dire straits" in 2040. That is, all the new bond money will have been spent, but the SRJC board will be effectively prevented from any new bond proposals for the 15 to 20 years after that.
4. The current board thinks it has "all the answers" through 2059. It will spend the money over the next 15 years, but block significant changes for the following 20 years. (In contrast, the 2014 bond allows the current board to seek new funds for today's newly-identified needs. In 2014, it was not possible to understand the changes to education between 2014 and 2026 with the fires, COVID-19, distance learning [Zoom] and Artificial Intelligence [AI]. What will change before 2059?)
5. The 2014 bond was based on a plan for 20,300 Full Time Equivalent Students (FTES). Those hundreds of millions of dollars were spent toward that goal. Now (2026), SRJC is working toward a goal of 15,000 FTES. SRJC enrollment is just above one-half of its historical peak level.
6. For more than a year, SRJC has been talking about its "$1.75 billion list" of needed capital projects. Yet, when asked for the list, what it provides is short $1.2 billion! Either the "$1.75 billion list" has never existed or SRJC is withholding it from the public.
7. SRJC needs to develop a real facilities plan. There are board discussions about new campus sites in northern Sonoma County and in the Sonoma Valley – at the same time there are discussions about closing some of the current five sites.
8. The SRJC board has refused to discuss the terms of the bond – its size, its repayment period, its costs to taxpayers – and openly debate various options.
9. SRJC has not shown that it can effectively complete projects. For example, the key emergency exit stairway on the Burbank Auditorium renovation is over two feet narrower than shown on the plans. Yet, SRJC refuses to address the error.
10. SRJC has not shown that it can effectively manage facilities. For example, SRJC had a water leak at it main administrative building. Rather than properly handle the problem, SRJC installed a set of 14+ year old fire hoses to provide potable water. SRJC lied about the certifications of these hoses and did not properly install, flush and sanitize the hoses. SRJC then replaced the hoses with new hoses that it also falsely claimed were certified. Again, SRJC says it has no records related to the engineering design, installation, flushing and sanitization of the new, unsafe hoses.
11. SRJC has shown a complete disregard for basic safety requirements. For example, SRJC claims that Safety Data Sheets (SDS) are available to employees, students and the public safety as required by law. Yet, SDS are frequently missing and they are only provided on an after-the-fact, at SRJC's convenience basis.
SRJC CAN REVISE ITS BOND PROPOSAL IF IT ACTS NOW! Michael Van der Porten
In the words of Ronald Reagan: "The nine most terrifying words in the English language: "I'm from the government and I'm here to help."
Elections, Elections, Elections!
There will be numerous local elections in November. Here is a list of the various openings.
Cloverdale: Three at-large seats on the City Council will be on the ballot. This is the last time the election will be at large. At the next election, the district will transition to district-based elections.
Cotati: Two at-large seats for the City Council will be on the ballot.
Healdsburg: Voters in Districts 2 and 4 will be voting for City Council members.
Petaluma: Voters in District 1, 2, and 3 will be voting for City Council members and the mayoral seat will be on the ballot.
Rohnert Park: Voters in District 2 and District 5 will be voting for City Council members.
Santa Rosa: Voters in Districts 2, 4 and 6 will be voting for City Council members.
Sebastopol: Three at-large seats on the City Council will be on the ballot.
Sonoma: Voters in District 1, 3 and 5 will be voting for City Council members.
Windsor: A new mayor who will serve in an at-large two year post is on the ballot. Voters in District 1 and 4 will elect members who will serve a four year term.
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Election Results
We recently had a primary election in California. Let's remember; America, the land of the free
and the home of the brave. Apparently, not in Sonoma County. The voter turnout for all persons regardless of party was 54%. That means that 46% of registered voters did not think their vote mattered. Well, if you don't vote, your vote does not matter. With that kind of response, it will not be difficult for our basic rights to be demolished. If the people do not vote, there is no way that citizens can maintain their government and their rights.
"The right to vote is the crown jewel of American liberties and we will not see its luster diminished." Ronald Reagan
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