Coalitions nothing new in county politics

Criticism that the Accountable Development Coalition uses its web of relationships to pull the strings of elected leaders and appointed officials to bolster its influence and causes is not new.

While those assertions come largely from Sonoma County's business and development community, similar objections have been voiced for decades by labor and environmental groups against the business-backed Sonoma County Alliance.

Its 300 members include some of the county's largest employers and businesses, as well as agricultural interests and labor unions.

The Alliance has had members of its various groups sitting in positions of authority -- councils, boards and commissions -- throughout Sonoma County.

The last three executive directors for the Alliance were council members during part of the time they worked for the group. They include former Santa Rosa council members Sharon Wright and Mike Martini, and former Healdsburg councilwoman Lisa Schaffner, who is the organization's current director.

"It's a good analogy," said Rohnert Park Councilman Jake Mackenzie, a former Alliance member who won its endorsement for re-election last year but whose politics are more in line with causes pushed by the ADC.

"They both have the same goals, to support people they believe would be helpful to advancing their interests," he said.

The major difference is how they operate.

Schaffner said the Alliance is mainly an informational and educational organization that takes a broad-brush approach to advocating business and economic development policies.

"We don't take positions on specific projects and we don't try to squash projects," she said.

The Alliance also has a political action arm that endorses and financially supports candidates running for local offices.

Accountable Development Coalition chairman Michael Allen said his group is policy driven, focusing on wage, pro-union, low-income housing and green building issues.

The ADC also plays a lobbying role that has seen it successfully oppose Lowe's proposed project in Santa Rosa and win support from the Petaluma's City Council to require developers of large commercial projects to file community impact reports detailing the wages they pay and the impact they might have on competing businesses.

While Allen said the ADC does not endorse or contribute to candidates for office, its sister organization, the Coalition for a Better Sonoma County, does.

Many of the same groups belong to both organizations. The Coalition for a Better Sonoma County was co-founded by Assemblywoman Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa, and Guy Conner, husband of state Sen. Pat Wiggins, D-Santa Rosa. Allen is the former chairman of the group and currently serves as a district director for Wiggins.

Santa Rosa Planning Commissioner Scott Bartley, who has clashed with ADC members Allen and Nick Caston, who are both members of the planning commission, sees little difference between the two sides.

"Progressives, regressives or whatever, each side does the same stuff when they get in power," he said.

You can reach Staff Writer

Mike McCoy at 521-5276 or mike.mccoy@pressdemocrat.com.