Monday's Letters to the Editor

<p class="bold allcaps">Children's amendment</p> <p>EDITOR: I was a little taken aback when I looked at and read the headline for the 1st District supervisorial forum hosted by the California Parenting Institute (“Taxing ideas for kids' services,” Thursday). I was in the room and took interest in the children's amendment, one of several topics of discussion. After the meeting concluded, I did my own research on the amendment. San Francisco voters passed Measure J in 1991 and reauthorized it in 2000 with 74 percent of the vote. </p><p>The children's amendment provides a safety net for kids without any new taxes or bureaucracy. The system generates revenue by setting aside a small percentage of existing property taxes (three cents on every $100 of assessed value). So when I saw the headline, I scratched my head. The article is slightly misleading in that it states that several candidates voiced support for a new parcel tax.</p><p>Supervisorial candidate John Sawyer said he was “100 percent committed to the idea” of the children's amendment, not a parcel tax. It seems that Sawyer, and possibly others, had their statements used out of context.</p><p>RYAN RABELLINO</p><p>Santa Rosa</p><h3>For Cuclis</h3> <p>EDITOR: I have lived in the Sonoma Valley approximately 41 years, born and raised. It is interesting I have never heard of the guy Valerie Brown endorsed for 1st District county supervisor (“Brown backs Bramfitt for seat,” Tuesday). I asked several other long-time Sonoma Valley residents/friends and got the same reaction — never heard of him.</p><p>I served on the city of Sonoma's Planning Commission with Gina Cuclis, who is well known and well respected in the Sonoma Valley for her decades of community leadership. Visit her campaign website and you'll see numerous names of prominent Sonoma Valley residents endorsing her, including several former mayors of Sonoma and a business owner respected by people in the wine industry, Rick Miron of Trilogy Glass.</p><p>There is no candidate more trusted by the people of Sonoma Valley to represent us than Gina Cuclis.</p><p>BENNETT MARTIN</p><p>Sonoma</p><h3>Sharing the trails</h3> <p>EDITOR: I don't normally feel an eerie sense of déjà vu when reading The Press Democrat. But I found myself wondering if Chris Coursey invaded my brain before writing his “Sharing the trails” blog.</p><p>No, I'm not accusing Coursey of plagiarism or some sort of science fiction foul play. I'm touting him for being right on in his call and for making common-sense suggestions for how we can all get along out there.</p><p>The crash that injured Odessa O'Brien Schexnaydre (“Collision injures fitness coach,” Feb. 8) could become another opportunity for the public to point fingers, pitting one type of trail user against another. Rather than seizing this unfortunate incident as an opportunity to place blame on those cyclists, those runners, those dog walkers, those kids, let's do as Coursey suggests and each commit to making an extra effort to pay attention out there.</p><p>A little team work goes a long way: Be aware of your surroundings (no headphones), stay to the right of the trail unless you're passing (call out in a friendly way first), and forgive people when they get a tad distracted — it's pretty out there, after all.</p><p>Trails are for us all to use and enjoy, and it's so much more enjoyable when we're nice to one another and cooperate in the process.</p><p>SANDRA LUPIEN</p><p>Outreach director, Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition</p><h3>Women's health</h3> <p>EDITOR: Greg De Gennaro (“Secular attacks,” Letters, Feb. 12) said he doesn't understand what contraception and abortion have to do with women's health. I suggest he read “The Pill, John Rock, and the Church — the Biography of a Revolution” by Loretta McLaughlin.</p><p>Dr. John Rock, called the Father of the Pill, was a Roman Catholic and father of a large family. In his practice, he had seen too many women die in childbirth or suffer from ill health while struggling to raise large families. He viewed obtaining approval of the pill from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as his job to preserve the family and the family of man.</p><p>As to abortion, let's not forget the lessons learned from Prohibition and encourage the return of back-alley abortion mills.</p><p>HELEN GILSTRAP</p><p>Rohnert Park</p>