< 14 Sun endorsements! board fails to make headway with a hospital bond measure between now and the next election, though, challengers should consider lining up again. We endorse Larry Bedard, Jennifer Reinks and James Clever.
SAUSALITO CITY COUNCIL
ATTENTION: Distressed Property Owners! Understand all possible options. Call for a confidential free of charge consultation.
Marlene Donoho 9[hj_Ä[Z I^ehj IWb[ WdZ <eh[Ybeikh[ If[Y_Wb_ij
(415) 250-5090 marlene@coldwellbanker.com DRE#01156445
16 PACIFIC SUN OCTOBER 8 - OCTOBER 14, 2010
Three candidates are vying for two seats on the Sausalito City Council—incumbent candidates Jonathan Leone, president of a startup company, and Herb Weiner, a retired businessman, are facing a challenge from attorney and Sausalito Planning Commission member Joan Cox. In his four years since first running, Leone has tried to assume a leadership role on the council—he’s Sausalito’s representative on the Marin Energy Authority board, and has been a vocal proponent of green issues and protecting Sausalito’s working waterfront; it was also Leone who initially persuaded the council to publicly disclose information regarding the council’s failed bid for pricey waterfront property in 2009. (It’s unfortunate he was unable to persuade the council to purchase Marin Clean Energy for the city, despite the council’s vote to join the Marin Energy Authority. Leone says it sends the wrong message; we agree.) Herb Weiner reminds us of a local politician from the olden days—he’s friendly, folksy and a good ambassador for the city. If we put a baby in front of him, we’re pretty sure he’d kiss it. He’s also pleasantly surprised us with several of his forwardthinking votes—notably, he was one of only two councilmembers (Leone was the other) to vote to purchase energy from MCE. Joan Cox finds common ground with some of the council’s recent positions— she thinks enforcing the ban on franchise businesses on the waterfront that kept the popular Peet’s Coffee off Bridgeway was the right thing to do, and she supports the council’s decision not to purchase energy for the city from the MEA. She feels transparency is lacking on the current council and says, “Sausalito needs leadership that prioritizes the needs of residents.” Sausalito is a town that is doing relatively well financially and recently celebrated a very smooth, and under-budget, construction of new public safety facilities. The current council seems well balanced with a variety of personalities and opinions; we think it would be a mistake to upset that balance at this time. We endorse Jonathan Leone and Herb Weiner.
MEASURE A There are a lot of kids in the Ross Valley, that we know. The school district has seen an increase of 200 students over the past four years alone—and more are likely on the way. But is the pitter-patter of all those extra little feet worth $41 million? That’s the size of the bond measure the Ross Valley School District is hoping will win approval from 55 percent of the voters through Measure A. What that equates to in dollars to Ross Valley property owners is about $29.50 per $100,000 of
property value—which means the median annual tax comes out at $120.29. The district would put your $120.29 toward making room for all the Ross Valley rugrats—replacing old portables with permanent classrooms, repairing equipment, purchasing new computers, freeing up rooms for art, music, aftercare, etc. None of the money goes toward administrators’ salaries, Measure A proponents say. The district suffered something of a public-relations fiasco earlier this year when it considered reopening the old Deer Park School, which is situated in a picturesque neighborhood that would be lousy for school-time parking and traffic, and if reopened would result in the ousting of the well-liked Fairfax-San Anselmo Children’s Center. Backlash from angry neighbors was loud and the district backed off of the plan. There’s a chance that if Measure A fails, the Deer Park School could be back on the table—at least that’s the insinuation one gets by the district not deciding upon the renewal of the Children’s Center’s lease until after the election. Lingering hard feelings over the Deer Park proposal aside, Ross Valley voters and school district officials should all be able to agree on one thing—all those darn kids need decent classrooms, computers and art and music programs. We recommend a YES vote on Measure A.
MEASURE B The Transportation Authority of Marin is asking voters to give the thumbs-up to a $10 vehicle-registration fee to go toward road repairs, crossing guards and other auto-related necessities. The fee would result in about $2 million a year—40 percent of which would go to maintaining streets and roads; 35 percent on improving transit for seniors and people with disabilities; and 25 percent to programs that reduce pollution (i.e., get folks to drive less). This is the kind of fee we like—funds from the drivers who use the roads that go back into the roads for use by the drivers. Plus, it’s only 10 bucks a year. We recommend YES on Measure B.
MEASURE F There are plenty of reasons to vote “no” on the city of Novato’s plea for a half-cent sales-tax hike from the current 9 cents on the dollar to 9.5. To begin with, sales taxes are regressive taxes—meaning they’re harder on lower income folks whose weekly spending on necessities is a larger percentage of their income than the higher earners in the community. Novato’s got a sizable share of Marin’s financially strapped families, and they would be most pinched by this. But an even larger issue at hand is the city of Novato itself. The city spent like a drunken sailor on shore leave when times were good during the Naughty Nineties—overstaffing in certain departments, overpaying for nonessential services, spending millions on the Grant Avenue improvement project that has thus far underwhelmed in its goal of revitalizing the downtown. Chains such as Starbucks, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s have moved into town, while locally owned businesses like Massimo’s Coffee and Apple Market couldn’t