Marin IJ Readers’ Forum for Oct. 13, 2024

Barbara Coler best for Fairfax Town Council seat

I have been blessed to live in the wonderful town of Fairfax since 1985. Over the years I served on various committees and commissions as well as president of our Chamber of Commerce and chair of the Fairfax Festival.

Early on, I learned that to be an effective public servant, one must do a lot of homework before making decisions that often have serious and permanent consequences. This requires many hours of reading and research before each meeting. At the Town Council level, an especially high level of patience and concentration is needed before voting on things like new laws, zoning changes, taxes and spending.

In examining the candidates for Town Council on the Nov. 5 ballot, I looked for people who have shown that they can dedicate the time and personal resources to thoroughly research the issues before them.

When I was president of the Chamber, my most enjoyable task was participating in a monthly brainstorming session with the town manager and Mayor Barbara Coler. To this day, I recall that, after the first 10 minutes of our first meeting, I knew I was talking to an extremely bright and well informed person.

Coler is a thoughtful listener and effective communicator who spends the time to effectively grasp complex issues. This is one of the reasons that she has my vote for reelection. Another is her education and experience as a scientist with various governmental agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency, Bay Area Air Quality board and the state, which give her the perspective to deal with complex issues.

I urge you to reelect Barbara Coler for another term.

— Richard Pedemonte, Fairfax

Bushmaker best for seat on Sausalito City Council

As a neighbor and friend for several decades, I believe Sandra Bushmaker, who is running for a seat on the Sausalito City Council in the November election, is fully qualified to represent the city and its citizens.

Bushmaker is an experienced former council member. She has resided in Sausalito as a homeowner and business owner for many years. As a result, she has long-term experience both as a city official and as a local citizen with the various issues facing and/or involving Sausalito.

Bushmaker is an accomplished negotiator. As such, she is well equipped to represent me and my neighbors as citizens and to represent my city, Sausalito, as my representative to outside civil and legal entities.

— Barbara P. Sutak, Sausalito

Woodside, incumbents good for Sausalito council

On Sept. 27, the League of Women Voters and the Sausalito Woman’s Club hosted a “meet the candidates” event where the five running to be elected to three open seats on the City Council took questions from the audience. It was a standing-room-only crowd.

As the Q&A proceeded, it became apparent that incumbents Melissa Blaustein and Ian Sobieski are well versed in the city’s problems and know what is needed. What also became quickly apparent is how distinctly different Steven Woodside is from the other two challengers (one who argued with the audience and the other who seemed stuck with an old message).

Woodside demonstrated seriousness, calmness, realism, humor, humility and, above all, a respect for working together to solve many of the issues facing the city today, as well as those we must face tomorrow. Sea level rise and wildfire preparation were top of the list.

I strongly support Steven Woodside for Sausalito council. I encourage others to check him out.

— Steve Fabes, Sausalito

Marin supervisors right to support Proposition 35

I was thrilled to read about the Marin County Board of Supervisors choosing to unanimously support Proposition 35 in the November election. Its stance echoes the majority of Californians who support Medi-Cal and want to ensure we have a health-care system that serves the needs of our most vulnerable residents.

More than a fifth of Marin County’s residents and half of the state’s children rely on Medi-Cal for their coverage. Yet it’s a system that has been woefully neglected. Over the past three decades, the state has diverted tens of billions in health-care funding for other purposes. We are seeing the effects of neglect, from the more than 40 hospital closures in the past decade to the troubling trend of maternity wards closing their doors. Proposition 35 would upend this status quo by ensuring that funds from an existing tax on health care go toward their intended purpose — supporting Medi-Cal and our health care.

— Dr. Kim Newell Green, San Francisco