The tell in this tale is the longevity of these bands (“Playing Tribute,” July 10, 2019). If it did not pay, the players would not stay. The sad thing is that tribute bands, and cover bands, have been shouldering aside original music more and more for at least the past decade. While way back in the day cover bands were the norm, the ’60s and ’70s set us on a more creative path. Too bad the good ride is over, and we are sliding down the slippery slope to nothing new.
Via Bohemian.com
Community
Supported
Reporting
Terrific idea (“Crowdfunded Journalism,” June 3, 2019). You might want to limit the size of an individual’s contribution so there is no undue influence.
Via Bohemian.com
Kudos to
Lawmakers
Assembly Bill 392 just passed the California Assembly and Senate and the 5,200-member-strong Sonoma County Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union would like to express its appreciation to legislators Mark McGuire, Jim Wood, Marc Levine and Bill Dodd for their “aye” votes.
The bill’s premise is simple: it updates California’s use-of-force laws to make sure that police officers avoid using deadly force at every possible opportunity, privileging de-escalation measures and other steps. Police should never take a human life when they have alternatives. Right now, police officers in California can use deadly force and kill someone even when they have other options. In 2017 alone, police officers killed 172 Californians, 37 percent higher than the national average. This policy is in force elsewhere and has led to a decline in serious use of force without any negative impact on officer or public safety.
Together with the recently introduced law on Transparency in Police Records, AB 392, this signals a long-needed improvement in our state’s protection of civil rights and liberties.
ACLU of Sonoma County
Clear the Way
“I’m not gonna use words like ‘concerned,'” supervisor James Gore said in the Press Democrat on July 10. “I’m actually pissed that more people aren’t doing more. … If you get burnt, and you are not clearing your land, you can’t call yourself a victim on the other side of it.”
Possibly the supervisors can show concern for the decades of build-up of easily ignited vegetation along all of the unincorporated county roads. The roads used to act as fire breaks. Now the brush along the roads are tinder waiting for ignition to happen. Possibly the county can perform the work they are responsible for—cleaning the ditches and clearing the brush on their land and right-of-ways. Maybe they can start fining public works for their lack of brush removal and the build-up of ladder fuel under the power lines.
Cazadero
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