They're Playin' Possum

At a public meeting Thursday night – which was to be a forum on Measure C – “Save our Hospital Committee” Co-Chairs Steve Page and Al Mazza announced that the Yes campaign had been shut down: the office closed, all ads pulled and mailers stopped.

The reason for the shut-down is that a new site for a proposed hospital has been identified among five properties on the west side of Broadway south of Napa/Leveronu Road and negotiations are in progress. There will be a special meeting of the Health Care District Board of Directors next Thursday, April 13 to consider whatever next action is appropriate. Page and Mazza asked their supporters to hold their ballots aside and not to vote in the election. More detailed accounts of the situation will be reported in the press.

At the meeting in the Burlingame Room at the Congregational Church on Spain Street, representatives of the No on C campaign, Bill Boerum, Ned Hill and Bob Edwards urged No supporters to vote and send in their ballots as soon as possible. This election is not over, Measure C is not defeated and the Leveronis’ land is not yet safe from seizure by eminent domain. There are more than three weeks to go and other events may intrude on this apparent victory.

We need to send a clear message with a big vote that eminent domain will not be tolerated and that Sonoma Valley farmland needs to be preserved. Please be sure to vote No. In the coming days we will continue our campaign.

Following next Thursday’s Board meeting, hopefully it will become clear how people can participate in the dialogue to determine what kind of hospital services should be proposed to meet the needs in Sonoma Valley. At least on the surface, it appears that the District may propose a facility which is similar to, if not an exact model of, what it planned for the Leveroni land, but simply on another site.

Stay tuned. And, be sure to vote No.