Please Start without Facts

"Politics is right in rejecting benevolence to the extent that the latter thoughtlessly sacrifices the future to the present." ---Simone de Beauvoir

"On the other hand, a city council can't possibly be too benevolent to a rich developer--the future be hanged." ---a voter watching a recent council meeting.

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No one can predict the future with certainty, but it seems likely that rapid climate change will lead, in fairly short order, to a major die-off among human beings. The world economy will be badly disrupted. Probably North America will survive better than poorer regions, but planning, even on the Healdsburg level, is going to grow more difficult in the years ahead. The town should prepare for uncertainty.

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The Healdsburg City Council has been asked to consider requiring some short reports on the possible impacts on the community of any new large developments. That would be a modest step, but it is also a symbolic issue in the sense that some people want to prepare for the rapid onslaught of global warming by shrinking government. Let me be blunt: that's unlikely to happen. It's too dumb.

At Monday's city council meeting only council members Jim Wood and Mike McGuire supported looking into whether we should ask experts to gather facts at the start of the planning process. One member opposed the process, one asked for more information, and the mayor looked for a solution most council members could agree to.

The arguments made against gathering facts fell into two categories. (1) We already get all the facts we need, so we shouldn't ask if the process might be improved; and (2) requesting a 30 page report would "add a new layer of government."

I'll tell you what will add a new layer of government: "The road to Bodega Head has gone under water."

The council, led by Mayor Eric Ziedrich, who commented that the system does need improvement, may eventually set up a subcommittee. We should keep trying to get what we need. Remember that the far-right Party of No is less than half the size of the Democrats in Healdsburg. Many centrist Republican voters now support green solutions. We must keep asking our city council to represent the actual voters.

What's coming in the next 50 years is serious business that will need to be addressed without 19th century ideological restrictions. We must start to plan now as best we can. We need council members who can see ahead and cope with developing changes.

Gary Goss