Sierra Club political committee not active

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Friday, July 03, 2009

Comment

By Tyler York

I refer to the recent letter to the editor by Robert and Regina Hermanek about Lake Luciana (“Lake Luciana decision must not stand,” June 22) that takes issue with the membership of the Napa Sierra Club’s political committee, particularly the participation of county supervisors. I am retired from the Napa Sierra Club executive committee, but I still chair the political committee.

The Napa Sierra Club executive committee prides itself on being members of the Napa community. We talk to many people and we frequently work with various industry and other organizations on numerous matters.

The political committee’s Web page description is out of date. It represents our original thinking when the Web page was first created, more than five years ago, I think. We confess it has not been updated nor corrected to reflect reality since then.

Despite the description on the Web site, the committee does not get together to assess candidates for their environmental positions. Actually, it is the executive committee and sometimes a separate ad hoc committee that looks at candidates. The political committee has been a vehicle for us to keep in touch with important community members, including elected officials or their representatives, the agricultural commissioner and members of the wine industry.

Except for agreeing on a convenient time and place for lunch, we take no action nor do we attempt to agree on anything. In fact, we’ve not met this year. We met only twice last year and possibly just once the year before. The last time we got together for lunch was August 2008. Although Brad Wagenknecht has been able to make one of our lunches more recently, Diane Dillon has not been to a lunch since 2006.

Given that no positions are taken, we do not believe that membership on the committee represents a conflict for anyone. However, in the interest of avoiding even the appearance of a conflict of interest, we are revisiting our membership policy.

Napa is a small county in terms of population and the supervisors serve on various committees. For instance, county supervisors participate in Legislative Action Committee meetings of the Napa Chamber of Commerce, which meets semi-monthly and does take positions on various matters. Participating on local committees is a way for supervisors to stay in touch with the community. I believe that most people would agree that it is important for them to do so. Our understanding is that there is a practice of recusing themselves should there be a vote on an issue that will come before them as a supervisor.

I close with a final note of irony. The Napa Sierra Club executive committee has an overlapping member with the Napa Chamber of Commerce Board. As I said, Napa is a small county. And talking to each other is important.

(York is chair of the Napa Sierra Club political committee.)

13 comment(s)

Jasper wrote on Jul 3, 2009 12:22 AM:

" I am really at a loss to understand the political attacks on Wagenknecht and Dillon for their membership in the Sierra Club. The club represents a lot of Napa County residents, and just as important, it has represented the majority interest of residents in preservation of the natural environment. In my book, if a supervisor is not affiliated in some way with the Sierra Club and not representing their viewpoints he or she is not doing his job.

I am also at a loss to understand why Mr. York would want to make a point that Wagenknecht and Dillon have not really been active in the Club's political activities. What prompts that kind of denial?

I WANT my representatives to be biased, that is to take positions based on their personal research and philosophies. In fact, on the campaign trail, we ask candidates what positions they would take on specific issues. And if they hedge, we are not happy.

So this whole business that a supervisor must not be biased is ridiculous. "

dellasumbrella wrote on Jul 3, 2009 7:29 AM:

" I'm supposing the Sierra Club will always be vilified by some for the work it does to protect the environment, just as politicians are criticized, by those who didn't vote for them, when they carry out the wishes of those who elect them. As the letter states, it is important for local politicians to be involved in local committees, and as Jasper says, our interests are better protected when representatives take positions "based on their personal research and philosophies." Presumably we vote for them to do just that. "

freeport56 wrote on Jul 3, 2009 7:59 AM:

" Maybe if you had a real understanding of the damage done to California by the Sierra Club you would understand.

Cutting off water to agricultural communities, loosing 250,000 jobs to save a fish not indigenous to California is a joke.

Please disband for all our sakes! "

glenroy wrote on Jul 3, 2009 9:30 AM:

" Well it’s not hard to explain…Jasper….it’s not just the Sierra Club.

I agree it is the spervisor who must remain nonbiased.....and it is ridiculous...conflict of interest and ruining the lives of many country residents.

These two supervisors have been paid by various entities….UCD in particular. UCD is and has been for decades active in undermining Lake Berryessa uses in their effort to turn the lake into a canoe-research lake. This ‘collaborative’ effort includes UCD, Dept of Fish and Game, BLM, BOR, Napa County Land Trust, Quail Ridge and our two supervisors who have supported legislation that has been overwhelmingly opposed by the residents…. Things like fishing, camping, water skiing, wake boarding, hunting and basic services….

I was involved in the organization of this ‘collaborative’ effort….virtually everything that was promised the landowners as a condition for allowing research on our lands, things like respect our property, our continued deeded uses, limited trespassing, protecting the pristine open spaces, limited access….virtually everything has been ruined or since destroyed . We have hundreds of noisy inconsiderate and intrusive visitors weekly when we had none….solar panels all over the open space… illegal closing of our deeded uses…now the destruction of the resorts which provided for the year round residents….get it?

These people retired to this life style and it has been ruined with the support of county supervisors.

This ‘collaborative’ effort is the driving force behind the BOR incompetent handling of the lake shore resorts….. "

common sense wrote on Jul 3, 2009 9:46 AM:

" More politicians with their hands in the cookie jar. Gotta love "change". "

sickothis wrote on Jul 3, 2009 9:59 AM:

" Glenroy - you're forgetting it was George Bush's boys that fubared the contracts at Berryessa. Supes didn't have anything to do with it.

Moreover - your rant doesn't even make sense.

I believe that in general the Sierra Club is a good thing. Problem is its local history. There were a couple of very vocal, and very wrong Sierra Club representatives that pretty much destroyed its credibility in Napa County. "

glenroy wrote on Jul 3, 2009 1:57 PM:

" Sicko…. President Bush as absolutely nothing to do with the policies that ruined Lake Berryessa….UCD has paid two of our Supervisors and those Supervisors vote on issues actively supported by UCD….is that not a conflict of interest? Just because liberal Democrat’s do it doesn’t mean the rest of do it or accept the fact that it is being done at our expense….

I helped put this mess together….I was at numerous formation meeting held in Briggs Hall….I have the signed copies of the original management agreement…..and we have been harmed financially as a result.

The Sierra Club is nothing but a Ponzi Scam.....long ago the way was lost. "

cab e-girl wrote on Jul 3, 2009 3:09 PM:

" The Sierra Club lost all credibility when they refused to condemn MTBE in fuels. "

Moegunst wrote on Jul 4, 2009 10:20 AM:

" Robert and Regina Hermanek are brillant! That smart lawyer Keven Teaque didn't know what to do when he lost. The Hermaneks figured it out - just get rid of anyone who votes against Luciana. The developers had to hire a fancier legal team and what did they do? They stole the Hermanek idea! I wonder how much they got paid for that.

Even though the new lawyers are from Walnut Creek I bet they hired plenty of paralegals from Berryessa Estates, so it still means jobs for Pope Valley. "

Wb5218 wrote on Jul 4, 2009 7:16 PM:

" What a bunch of pure, uh garbage! Composte, if you prefer. Let's get this right, the sierra club has "lunches" with County Supervisors, Farm Bureau board members, wine industry elite(winiarski?), and nobody takes a position on any issues.
Really? Would you really name it "The Political Committee" then? That is difficult to believe for an Activist mob.
You call it a small community, I call it inbred.
Let's remember who appointed kunze to the steering committee? Dillon!
Your right----

The website IS out of date, you forgot to put k. Caldwells name on the list of your supervisor "lackies" with the political, uh,
non-political committee.

Nice try though.

NOT convinced here!
Anyone else? "

Wb5218 wrote on Jul 4, 2009 7:18 PM:

" What a great day to celebrate freedom, well except in Napa County.
Thanks sierra club. "

glenroy wrote on Jul 5, 2009 9:07 AM:

" Wb5218.....hear here.... "

wb5218 wrote on Jul 5, 2009 6:06 PM:

" the sierra club is an activist group that lives, breathes, and digs or "plants" controversy to control the natural environment by controlling the habitat.
yes, controlling the habitat by not allowing "non-native" plant or animal in an area to control it from ever changing.
Could there ever be a moment when you would have the politicians in front of you and not take a stance on the issues at hand.
Could there ever be a moment when there isn't some form of preaching from your group?
I agree that the Sups could have recused themselves from votes.
Maybe a good reason to recuse yourself is when the group that you are a part of maybe a political committee of an activist clan who is in front of you with a platform for you or review. Yeah that might just be a very appropriate time to say, I have met with this group to control growth, I am on the political committee and planning in the county future with their guidance. "

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