Editorial

In December, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved a $15 per hour living-wage ordinance. The legislation will increase wages for approximately 1,200 workers employed by the county and large county contractors — including park aids, animal care, security, janitorial, landscape, mental health, recycling and other low-wage workers.

Today in Healdsburg, too many locals can no longer afford a place to live. The promise of the American Dream remains elusive for all but the few, in a system that seems rigged toward the top.

There is a grassroots movement afoot in Sonoma County to join our neighbors to the north and south in creating a Coastal GMO Free Zone.

I worked at the Healdsburg Library for over 25 years before I retired last year. Something I always wanted to try with the library was to bring world class literary talent to Healdsburg.

First off, Happy New Year. I hope you were able to enjoy some well-deserved time with loved ones over the holidays.

As a first year County Supervisor, I often tell people that “I am so full of purpose I might pop.” I love my job … and I don’t take a bit of it for granted. Some people ask me how I deal with the negative aspects of being a local elected official – the accusations, the blame and the demands to fix everything under the sun.

Lack of water availability for our state’s farmers due to the drought is creating unprecedented challenges for winegrowers and all growers across the state. The recently finalized trade pact, the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) will make the future of farming in our state even more uncertain.

Body oppression is defined as being treated less well because of something about your body (size, color, age, gender expression, disability).

Readers owe a debt of gratitude to the Board of Directors of the Healdsburg Tourism Improvement District (HTID). We have rarely seen a letter that provided, word for word, greater entertainment value than the board’s response to a letter suggesting that transient tax money should now be reallocated from tourism promotion to low-income housing. We encourage readers to dig through their old papers, or go to the Tribune online, to again enjoy with us this amazing missive.

The North Coast is undeniably crab-country. Our traditionally cold coastal waters have been perfect for producing some of our nation's healthiest crab harvests.