The taxpayers’ checkbook
July 1 is the start of a new fiscal year for local governments. This is when the county, cities and schools start spending new tax money based on recently approved 2016-2017 budgets. All these budgets tend to launch with the same conclusions: there is never enough tax revenue; there are too many unmet needs; employee and pension costs keep going up; and everything could be solved if we only agreed to raise new taxes and vote for more long term debt bonds.
Humanity First: To Health
It’s hard to imagine what public health would look like around here without the Healthcare Foundation of Northern Sonoma County.
Flashbacks for Sept. 11, 2025
In the Healdsburg Tribune 100 years ago: "The thinking man or woman, the young man or woman who would like to improve his vision, his ideas concerning living, and who would welcome suggestions which are all too rare in this jazz age of frothy nothings, cannot help but be benefitted and learn to have a more wholesome regard for life and its ideals...."
Commentary: Profiles in pusillanimity
Monday’s Healdsburg City Council meeting agenda was long, and by far the most consequential item on the agenda was the last item: deciding how to move forward with Mayor Leah Gold’s soon-to-be-vacant council seat. Three options were on the table: to leave the seat vacant until a special election could be held; to make a short-term appointment to the seat, which would then be permanently filled by special election; or to appoint someone to the seat’s full remaining term of around two years. What resulted was a travesty of bureaucratic proportions.
Commentary: 20 things I’ve learned while sheltering at home
I’ve been home for about 10 days, minus a few “essential” moments at work. I haven’t minded, honestly, because I’m an introvert Gen X’er who likes being at home. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t learned a few things in the last week.
1) I’m...
Medicare and margaritas — Bring on the black balloons
Two friends turned 65 and threw themselves a Medicare Birthday
Newsroom Notebook: Hi, Windsor
Hello, Windsor Times readers. I’m happy to meet you, but we’ve met before, haven’t we?
Arts & Entertainment
‘Angels’ lands at Raven Performing Arts
:Every Sunday matinee we do a post-show discussion with the audience, so they get a chance to make comments and ask questions of the actors. We saw there were a lot of people who were quite moved and quite touched by the play. So the opening weekend could not have gone better, as far as I’m concerned," said director Steven David Martin.


















