Tonight was a very difficult one for me. I felt more stress than when I covered four city blocks of downtown Santa Rosa with cow manure from a broadcast manure spreader 22 years ago. I was invited to address within an hour of each other the Sonoma County Deputy Sheriff's Association and the Service Employee International Union.
Both unions represent a total of 3600 +/- County workers and my mission was to meet them both and try to get their support for my supervisorial campaign. The deputy sheriff's association was a small cordial election committee with good questions...SEIU was a raucus caucus with over 150 members, again with lots of good questions. Why did I feel so stressed? Part of my solution to the budget problems of Sonoma County is calling for an across the board freeze on salaries and benefits in order to protect the jobs of less senior County workers.
I have spent countless hours trying to fathom the County budget and craft a realistic solution to save jobs, programs and services. I believe as a candidate for public office it is incumbent upon me to offer honest solutions. To me the inescapable conclusion going into a recession with declining revenues and increased costs is three fold...
1). We need to freeze salaries and benefits to avoid more cuts in social services and mental health programs.
2). We need to reorient our resources to more proactive and preventive measures rather than reactive solutions.
3). We need to restore cuts to non-profits and volunteer organisations to work with us toward solving problems.
Thank You SEIU and the Deputy Sheriff's Association for being such gracious hosts and letting me explain my positions. There are tough days ahead and I sincerely believe we need to build up our reserves and hold the line to avoid more lay-offs. We desperately need more of the essential services our public servants provide.
You welcomed me and made me feel at home...I like the term "Bedouin hospitality" whereby if one invites someone into their tent they are to be treated as family so as to not dishonor their house. Both groups excelled with warm collegial hospitality and I will be forever grateful to them for that.
There are hard times ahead. We all need the courage to discuss the issues openly and honestly without fear nor recriminations. Tonight was a break through for me where many dark imaginings I've had of proposing realistic solutions proved to be unwarranted. Thank you again to our County workers for allowing me an opportunity to share my thoughts on creating a sustainable future.
L.
Tom Lynch
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Time for Open and Honest Debate on the Issues
A letter in last month's Gazette expressed concern with my call for a "freeze" on County salaries and benefits. An honorable, hard working member of our community doing great work at the County, one of our public servants, said that he was "amazed that the County's money problems are based on the salaries and benefits of County employees. As a County employee I haven’t seen any 10% raises in salaries and benefits." County workers are not the problem. I do not want to reduce but, I do want to reform.
I stated, in the column in question, that while the median household income in Sonoma County has declined by 2% since 2000, there has been an increase of 70% in salaries and benefits for County employees (this from the County Administration themselves). Presently, the average base salary/benefit of County staff is $112,000 per year for all 4,037 full time employees with perhaps 700 earning over $150,000 per year. I met with a department head for four hours yesterday (Mar 5) and she confirmed that and showed how this data is determined. I will post additional information on our website. Of course, I do not fault our public servants for their good work but, going into a recession we need fiscal responsibility.
I want to represent ALL who live in the Fifth District. I have been working with our County employees for 28 years and I feel we are blessed with a very capable, courteous, educated and hard working group that bust their butts working for a rough bunch while making all of our lives better in the process. But, I also believe, in the light of present economic realities with increasing costs and declining revenues, we need to reassess and reallocate our resources. The chickens are coming home to roost and we must not be afraid to debate the issues in an honest and forthright manner.
We are poised to start cannibalizing our less senior workers at the County. There aren't enough increasing property taxes, or cuts in mental health services, or reductions in monies to non-profits to continue increasing the salaries for managers and union alike. The next step to fund continuing increases in salaries and benefits for more senior hires is to lay off younger workers; those whom we will soon need to replace retiring workers. It's kind of like eating your seed corn. Sure the old paradigm holds true; "last one hired, first one fired" but, not while everyone else is getting a raise. To me, laid off workers are a cut in a program or service. I will not support continuing increases in salaries and benefits through the loss of less senior employees.
Sun Tzu wrote 2500 years ago in his treatise The Art Of War, "The acme of all skill is to avoid the battle and win an ally". I want to be a conciliator. I want to find that third way between those opposed and those in favor. For almost thirty years I have been part of leading the way in West County toward a sustainable environment with a viable economy and effective government services. I am not a Lite beer commercial catering to the "lowest common denominator" consumer lest I offend someone. I will tell you what I think and embrace others seeking realistic solutions. Political leaders need to present themselves clearly to the voters. Why do we elect our political leaders if not to solve problems? To solve problems we need to begin an open and honest dialogue without fear or recriminations.
Please join us! Don't let special interests from outside the district or those with "deep pockets" buy this election. Get involved! Study the positions on the issues being presented by the candidates and ask them for specifics. Don't accept bland generalities. Check out our website at: www.TomLynch4Supervisor.com. Support progressive social change.
(p.s. to John Hubiak and anyone: I would be honored to meet you and earn your support. Please call me at 827-3415)
I stated, in the column in question, that while the median household income in Sonoma County has declined by 2% since 2000, there has been an increase of 70% in salaries and benefits for County employees (this from the County Administration themselves). Presently, the average base salary/benefit of County staff is $112,000 per year for all 4,037 full time employees with perhaps 700 earning over $150,000 per year. I met with a department head for four hours yesterday (Mar 5) and she confirmed that and showed how this data is determined. I will post additional information on our website. Of course, I do not fault our public servants for their good work but, going into a recession we need fiscal responsibility.
I want to represent ALL who live in the Fifth District. I have been working with our County employees for 28 years and I feel we are blessed with a very capable, courteous, educated and hard working group that bust their butts working for a rough bunch while making all of our lives better in the process. But, I also believe, in the light of present economic realities with increasing costs and declining revenues, we need to reassess and reallocate our resources. The chickens are coming home to roost and we must not be afraid to debate the issues in an honest and forthright manner.
We are poised to start cannibalizing our less senior workers at the County. There aren't enough increasing property taxes, or cuts in mental health services, or reductions in monies to non-profits to continue increasing the salaries for managers and union alike. The next step to fund continuing increases in salaries and benefits for more senior hires is to lay off younger workers; those whom we will soon need to replace retiring workers. It's kind of like eating your seed corn. Sure the old paradigm holds true; "last one hired, first one fired" but, not while everyone else is getting a raise. To me, laid off workers are a cut in a program or service. I will not support continuing increases in salaries and benefits through the loss of less senior employees.
Sun Tzu wrote 2500 years ago in his treatise The Art Of War, "The acme of all skill is to avoid the battle and win an ally". I want to be a conciliator. I want to find that third way between those opposed and those in favor. For almost thirty years I have been part of leading the way in West County toward a sustainable environment with a viable economy and effective government services. I am not a Lite beer commercial catering to the "lowest common denominator" consumer lest I offend someone. I will tell you what I think and embrace others seeking realistic solutions. Political leaders need to present themselves clearly to the voters. Why do we elect our political leaders if not to solve problems? To solve problems we need to begin an open and honest dialogue without fear or recriminations.
Please join us! Don't let special interests from outside the district or those with "deep pockets" buy this election. Get involved! Study the positions on the issues being presented by the candidates and ask them for specifics. Don't accept bland generalities. Check out our website at: www.TomLynch4Supervisor.com. Support progressive social change.
(p.s. to John Hubiak and anyone: I would be honored to meet you and earn your support. Please call me at 827-3415)
"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone..."
The following was submitted in February to the Press Democrat and for review by a local reporter. Paul Gullixon at the Press Democrat called and we had a nice conversation. He said that they would not put this in as an oped piece as then all other candidates (8) would ask for equal time. A letter to the editor would work with 200-225 words. I was going to send a letter and then got distracted with other more important things...Life! ;0)
Seeing the consequences and repercussions a fellow candidate for Fifth District Supervisor has endured recently regarding unpaid taxes, I too must admit to similar challenges in my past; albeit ten years ago but who’s counting? Anyone who has spent several decades working, living and raising a family in West Sonoma County understands the unique economic challenges that sometimes occur. This applies to current supervisorial candidates and is understood by the voters of the 5th District. Better I share some of my life experiences now in order to attempt to keep the campaign focused on the real issues we face; creating a sustainable future for Sonoma County.
In June of 1996 I opened the first internet café in Sonoma County, the Intern@tional Café in Forestville. In retrospect this was a bad idea that I was totally responsible for. I lost a lot of money and had to ask subcontractors, suppliers, and friends for patience in paying them back. It took me several years to finally work my way out of a very difficult situation while spending countless hours worried about how to avoid bankruptcy and honor my debt to all my local friends and creditors, many of whom I’d known for almost twenty years.
If one were to review my public record at the County from this period of time one could say it looked like Sherman going through Georgia in the Civil War. I had to do bill paying triage and learned much through surviving this ordeal. I have been current on all taxes for years and am willing to show reporters my tax returns, any loan documents they request and my clear unblemished credit report.
In addition to the above I was arrested once for past acts of civil disobedience. In protest to the city of Santa Rosa’s continuing illegal discharges of wastewater in the Russian River, in January of 1986 I covered four city blocks of downtown Santa Rosa with cow manure delivered from a broadcast manure spreader (thus being given the nickname “Manure Man”). I later went back before Christmas in 1986 chained to the seat of a dump truck, dressed up as Santa Claus and dumped 10,000 pounds of coal in a large stocking on the steps of Santa Rosa city hall for which I was arrested for “illegal dumping.” Those days are behind us as Santa Rosa can now proudly claim to have one of the most innovative wastewater systems in the world.
At 50 years old with almost thirty years of local community service and involvement, I have a deep knowledge of how things work and don’t work in Sonoma County, and a broad array of life experiences that will serve the Fifth District as a newly elected Supervisor. I am an environmentalist, a business man, a participant in good works, while serving on numerous boards and committees. I will endeavor to campaign on the issues and ideas of the challenges ahead. Thank you all for your understanding and consideration.
(Tom Lynch is a Guerneville builder and community activist running for Fifth District Supervisor)
Seeing the consequences and repercussions a fellow candidate for Fifth District Supervisor has endured recently regarding unpaid taxes, I too must admit to similar challenges in my past; albeit ten years ago but who’s counting? Anyone who has spent several decades working, living and raising a family in West Sonoma County understands the unique economic challenges that sometimes occur. This applies to current supervisorial candidates and is understood by the voters of the 5th District. Better I share some of my life experiences now in order to attempt to keep the campaign focused on the real issues we face; creating a sustainable future for Sonoma County.
In June of 1996 I opened the first internet café in Sonoma County, the Intern@tional Café in Forestville. In retrospect this was a bad idea that I was totally responsible for. I lost a lot of money and had to ask subcontractors, suppliers, and friends for patience in paying them back. It took me several years to finally work my way out of a very difficult situation while spending countless hours worried about how to avoid bankruptcy and honor my debt to all my local friends and creditors, many of whom I’d known for almost twenty years.
If one were to review my public record at the County from this period of time one could say it looked like Sherman going through Georgia in the Civil War. I had to do bill paying triage and learned much through surviving this ordeal. I have been current on all taxes for years and am willing to show reporters my tax returns, any loan documents they request and my clear unblemished credit report.
In addition to the above I was arrested once for past acts of civil disobedience. In protest to the city of Santa Rosa’s continuing illegal discharges of wastewater in the Russian River, in January of 1986 I covered four city blocks of downtown Santa Rosa with cow manure delivered from a broadcast manure spreader (thus being given the nickname “Manure Man”). I later went back before Christmas in 1986 chained to the seat of a dump truck, dressed up as Santa Claus and dumped 10,000 pounds of coal in a large stocking on the steps of Santa Rosa city hall for which I was arrested for “illegal dumping.” Those days are behind us as Santa Rosa can now proudly claim to have one of the most innovative wastewater systems in the world.
At 50 years old with almost thirty years of local community service and involvement, I have a deep knowledge of how things work and don’t work in Sonoma County, and a broad array of life experiences that will serve the Fifth District as a newly elected Supervisor. I am an environmentalist, a business man, a participant in good works, while serving on numerous boards and committees. I will endeavor to campaign on the issues and ideas of the challenges ahead. Thank you all for your understanding and consideration.
(Tom Lynch is a Guerneville builder and community activist running for Fifth District Supervisor)
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