Uncategorized Archives - Sonoma Independent

Big Win for Tiny Homes & Affordable Housing In Santa Rosa SR city council votes to extend 5 year permits on November 14

Posted by Sonya Tafejian - November 10, 2025

Update November 15, 2023: The Santa Rosa City Council voted 5-0 to extend the Temp…

Bad News For Climate: California gets a ‘D’ on Microgrid Policy First “Think Microgrid” scorecard reflects how CA Utilities Commission blocks renewable energy innovation

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - November 22, 2023

It’s official. California is falling behind other states as a climate leader. Earlier this month,…

Open Letter to Citizens’ Climate Lobby – Get REAL! New Solar Family Farm Ballot Initiative Vaults Over Barriers to Rapidly Accelerate Renewable Energy

Posted by Gary Stewart - October 6, 2023

In 2018, I joined the Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) to be part of a grassroots…

Utilities Trying to Kill Small Solar Farms New proposed submetering decision by CPUC on behalf of utility giants would gut solar incentives for property owners

Posted by Sam Haut - September 15, 2023

The Solar Rights Alliance is sounding the alarm bells that a new proposed decision by the powerful…

Trailblazing Program at UC Davis Law & Enviro Science Brings Climate Solutions from Classroom to Legislature Fall 2022 Ecology 290 participatory seminar will train students in organizing & outreach to support the largest solar farm climate mitigation bill in history

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - September 17, 2022

Earlier this year, in response to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes’ urgent…

County Plan to Build Administrative Campus at Sears Site Falls Apart Under Public Pressure Costly project stopped by Supervisors Hopkins and Rabbitt after outcry on Social media, coverage in independent news

Posted by Sonoma Independent Editorial Board - April 19, 2022

After months of pushing the project forward with little input from the public, the plan…

Billion Dollar Boondoggle Plan Could Cripple County Services for Next 30 Years Proposal to move county HQ downtown greenwashed & pushed by supes without public support

Posted by Tim Ryan - February 25, 2022

The Board of Supervisors is set to vote Tuesday on what would be the largest…

Proposed Urgency Ordinance to Protect People Living in Unpermitted Safe Alternative Housing from Government Eviction Grassroots affordable housing rights campaign pressures supervisors to take responsibility for shameful eviction of hundreds of low income renters

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - January 20, 2022

Next Tuesday, January 25, the Board of Supervisors will be meeting to set their legislative…

How Permit Sonoma’s code enforcement prevents safe and affordable housing By forcing 200 low income residents from trailers and tiny homes each year, the county criminalizes the most popular affordable housing option in California

Posted by Sonya Tafejian - January 7, 2022

In the past year, Permit Sonoma, the county’s code enforcement agency, has caused the eviction…

Sonoma Independent Wins Journalism Awards for 6th Straight Year SF Press Club awards our public interest news site five Greater Bay Journalism Awards

Posted by Tim Ryan - October 10, 2021

On October 5, the San Francisco Press Club announced its winners for the 2021 Greater…

Five Lessons InformYourVote.org Learned to Become NYC’s Most Viewed Voter Literacy Resource Social media doesn’t have to undermine democracy. It can help to strengthen it.

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - June 25, 2021

By disrupting a winner-take-all electoral system, ranked choice voting is an important step toward strengthening…

For Corporate Media, It’s ‘Anybody but Sanders or Warren’

Posted by Norman Solomon - December 6, 2019

Anyone who’s been paying attention should get the picture by now. Overall, in subtle and…

New Bella Abzug Play a Timely Antidote to Trump’s Toxic Masculinity Bella Bella describes the political vision of a trailblazer who was a pioneering crusader for racial justice, women, lesbian and gay rights, and an end to the Vietnam war

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - November 2, 2019

Bella Bella, the new off-Broadway play about the indomitable 1970’s congressional titan Bella Abzug, feels timely and…

Richard Power Reverses Opposition & Supports Hospital Sale as “Fair Market Value” Board Votes 4 to 1 to Support YES on Measure A Selling Facility to AAMG for 7-Day Urgent Care, Outpatient Services and Local Jobs

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - February 5, 2019

In a stunning reversal likely to boost the prospects for a continuation of hospital services…

“America 2034: Utopia Rising” an Underground Classic Set in a Trump Dystopia Well-Crafted Contemporary Vision for a Harmonious Future Thriving in West Coast Utopia

Posted by Henry Garcia-Alvarez - January 30, 2019

Well-Crafted Contemporary Vision for a Harmonious Future that Touches the Places We Want to Believe…

Why Sonoma Specialty Hospital is Good for West County New COO Matt Salas on AAMG's Sustainable Model for Urgent Care, Long Term Acute Care, Surgeries, Lab and More

Posted by Matt Salas - January 28, 2019

Sonoma West Medical Center, that arose from the ashes of Palm Drive Hospital, has become…

Investigative Series on Palm Drive Hospital Wins Top SF Area Journalism Awards Independent truth telling challenged deceptive political narrative

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - January 1, 2019

(this article first appeared on April 16, 2016) Last weekend, the SF Peninsula Press Club…

Palm Drive Board Candidate Jim Horn’s Campaign of Deception to Close Our Hospital Candidate Klich-Heartt Joins Effort to Divert Hospital Tax Dollars to West County Health Centers

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - October 28, 2018

(This article first appeared on October 28, 2016) With the election less than two weeks…

Vote Colthurst and Smith if You Want Our Health Care District to Survive: Commentary We the people agree that the public welfare is improved by having a hospital in the community

Posted by Gail Thomas - October 25, 2018

Thoughts on present election for the Palm Drive Health Care District Board election November 6:…

Remember Andy Lopez = Vote John Mutz for Sheriff! / Commentary Historic Opportunity to Transform Policy of Shoot First and Ask Questions Later

Posted by Progressive Sebastopol - May 17, 2018

By Progressive Sebastopol, a group of parents and citizens committed to the public interest and…

Sonoma Independent Wins Top Journalism Award for Political Column on Clinton’s Risky VP Choice Greater Bay Journalism Awards Also Gives This Website Prizes for General Excellence, Leonard Cohen Profile and Sonoma County 2016 Election Coverage

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - April 12, 2018

The San Francisco Peninsula Press Club recently announced the winners of its 40th Annual Greater…

Inequality, Boom and Bust: From Billionaire Capitalism to Equality and Full Unemployment New Book by Renowned Economist Inspired by Bernie Sanders Campaign

Posted by Harvey Sherman - April 6, 2018

The latest book from Professor Howard J. Sherman is written in simple language, while making…

Landmark Case Puts Cancer Risk of Monsanto’s Roundup on Trial For The First Time in US Courtroom, Renowned Health Experts Link Popular Pesticide to Cancer

Posted by Jon Woodhouse - March 14, 2018

The most heavily used chemical weed killer in human history has been declared carcinogenic by…

Sebastopol Women’s Rally Draws Record-Breaking Crowd to Town Square Teens Activated to Defend Their Rights and Protest Trump

Posted by Mikaiya Gude - January 21, 2018

At noon on January 21, 2018, as hundreds of other women’s marches and rallies occurred…

Why Did Press Democrat Run Extortionist Claims Against Hospital on Front Page? Newspaper Editors Refuse to Answer Questions or Run Letters About Journalistic Ethics of Providing Megaphone for Shakedown Lawsuit

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - August 14, 2017

(this article first appeared on August 14, 2016) In one of the worst breaches of…

Stunning New “Water is Life” Video on the Stand at Standing Rock Eight things you can do to support the Standing Rock Sioux in stopping the Dakota Access Pipeline

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - November 13, 2016

This stunning short film explains why more than 300 Native American tribes, the largest gathering…