It's Time to Act, Locals!

#51, September 20, 2000

This is a call to action, to you who share my concerns for our community and our planet.

I was among the citizens that participated in the recent council candidate review meetings. Like others at the meetings, including the four council members, I failed to think of how our actions might be perceived by non-participants, and, worse yet, how that perception would be used by our political opponents. We handed them a fabulous distraction from the real issues in this campaign. It was a mistake, and I'm genuinely sorry for the impact it's having on some heroic public servants.

But I'm not ashamed of what happened in those meetings or any follow-up conversations. Some participants, including Pam Torliatt, simply wanted a closer look at these new candidates. I and other veterans of the Lafferty campaign wanted to avoid having a ballot with too many "progressive" candidates, which might result in the election of Mike O'Brien and Bryant Moynihan. Examine their public statements and actions on issues like the Magnolia Hill forest, Rainier, Lafferty, and Amendment 11. These two promise a return to the policies that favor the influential few (e.g. forest and flood plain developers, reclusive land "barons") at the expense of everyone else, policies that ignore the most basic needs (e.g. water) of generations yet unborn. Bad news for Petaluma, I'm sorry to say.

The candidates we interviewed were friends and colleagues. Certainly none of them were "lured" or "browbeaten." After the meetings, all of these candidates remained free to weigh the pros and cons of continuing their candidacy, and make their choice. This is the essence of democracy, not its abrogation.

The Brown Act doesn't outlaw all private meetings involving a Council Majority. It doesn't outlaw their participation in a discussion of which candidates are most likely to get elected and advance the cause of economic and ecological sustainability. It does outlaw them from deciding how they will handle potential Council agenda items like the General Plan, but anyone who was there will swear nothing even remotely like this took place.

So why the big brouhaha? Look who's talking-- perennial critics of the current council majority, people like former council member Jack Balshaw and former council candidate John Mills. For years they've been trying to pin the hypocrisy charge against the people who promised and delivered more open government. For example, last year, they alleged the council majority tried to cover up a fish biologist's draft report on Lafferty. The recent Sonoma County Grand Jury report (July 2000, page 28) found "no concealment was apparent", and concluded: "the entire study, review, and response process has been open and well-publicized."

They're resurrecting the "bully" charges against Matt Maguire, pointing to his prosecution for assault in an argument with some illegal campaigners two years ago. Even after months of bad publicity, a local jury took all of 45 minutes to acquit him of all charges.

This is an attempt to create guilt by allegation. It doesn't work in court, but it's effective late in a political campaign. And it's aimed at Pam Torliatt.

Pam is the only incumbent running for re-election. She's one of those "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington" politicians-- sincere, compassionate, honest to a fault, incredibly hard-working, open minded but not empty headed. And courageous. She wasn't faking emotion when, after reviewing overwhelming evidence that Rainier was a floodplain development scheme masquerading as traffic relief, she told the Council audience she was withdrawing her support from the project. When Amendment 11 was revealed as a blank check for unsustainable water policies, she wasn't afraid to challenge the power of the SCWA and its web of water mining interests. She's willing to stick her neck out on behalf of the citizens of Petaluma, for today and generations to come. Now her neck's at risk.

With my last 50 columns, I've tried to inspire you to think global, and help create a more peaceful, healthy, and prosperous world. Now it's time to act local, and help re-elect Pam Torliatt for City Council. Call her campaign office at 763-6825. Today.