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.                
                
            COMMENTARY: No gravel villains, please
                    On Sept. 10, in Forestville we had a town hall meeting regarding                
                
            Commentary: The problem with Calpers
                    CALPERS is the pseudo government agency set up to manage the defined benefit retirement program for government employees.  Their charter is to collect retirement contributions, invest these contributions to maximize return and provide defined benefits to the actual retiree.  CALPERS is controlled by and largely for the benefit of the legislature and government employees.                  
                
            Arts & Entertainment
DÃa de Muertos celebrates 9th year in the Plaza
                Despite the weekend’s rain, Corazón Healdsburg’s ninth annual DÃa de Muertos celebration brought around 2,500 community members into the heart of downtown Healdsburg for a vibrant and heartfelt tribute to loved ones who passed during the past year.            
            
        










