For the first time in awhile, we actually have a competitive race in the 1^st Supervisor District this year. Our incumbent, Valerie Brown, is facing serious opposition; and the best one is Lawrence Wiesner. I want to urge my fellow citizens, regardless of whether they are Republicans or Democrats, to take this opportunity to replace Valerie Brown with Lawrence Wiesner.

Anyone who has ever had the misfortune of having to seek a permit from the county, or ask for a chance to have his viewpoint heard on an important, local issue, knows that Valerie Brown simply is inaccessible. She is a well paid lobbyist for gaming interests who spends a disproportionate amount of her time somewhere else, rather than listening to her own constituents (unless they happen to be of the handful of multi-millionaire developers for whom she always seems to have time). If it were up to Valerie Brown, there would be a paved freeway going right through the center of our valley and massive development projects in Kenwood. Then, there is her unwillingness seriously to grapple with the growing gang problem. She refuses to acknowledge the largest, and most violent, gang in the area, because it is a Hispanic gang that recruits its membership mostly from illegal immigrants that she is coddling on behalf of her friends in agribusiness. The vineyards get their laborers; but then we taxpayers get to pay the price in terms of increased gang violence, health care costs, and other services. When an illegal immigrant criminal evading the police got into a car accident, supposedly because he could not read the road signs in English, Valerie Brown came up with a typical “solution” to the problem: a proposal to replace all of our road signs with bi-lingual versions. That is not a “solution” at all; it is a sell out. We deserve better than the “vacancy sign” that we now have on the 1^st Supervisor District seat.

As for Lawrence Wiesner, he is committed to being accessible for all of his constituents. He promises to hold regular, open office hours; and he will walk the neighborhoods of the 1^st Supervisor District regularly, just to elicit feedback and suggestions from the rest of us. He is not an entrenched developer with a gripe about Valerie Brown, nor is he a one trick pony environmentalist. He is a good, thoughtful, family man with experience in all walks of life, from military service to running a business; and he wants to bring all of his skills to look out for what is right for the valley. He refuses to take money from special interest groups, even when offered, because he does not want even the appearance of being in the pocket of any one group. Lawrence Wiesner’s motto is “keep the valley green,” and he is going to promote sensible, pragmatic policies that will preserve our quality of life here. I urge you to vote for Lawrence Wiesner for Supervisor on June 3^rd.