Josh Myers doing the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer

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Mother makes son very proud

The following appeared in the Sonoma County Press Democrat, who is running for 5th district supervisor and is my dear old mom. Not often does a son get the chance to recognize how proud he is of his mother, so I'll take the opportunity:

Letters to the Editor

Support Furch

EDITOR: Fifth District voters would make a big mistake if they allow Rue Furch, candidate for Sonoma County supervisor, to be defined by the recent dust-up over delinquent property tax payments. Indeed, the whole county would lose if she is not elected.

Press Democrat, you’ve done your duty in reporting on this, but who is going to report on all of the countless ways that Rue has given her time to help protect this county? While others are “looking out for No. 1,” Rue has been looking out for Sonoma County’s future.

It is rare to find someone so intelligent, warm and cheerful who also works tirelessly in the difficult world of balancing public-private matters in a fair and forward-thinking way. Your editorial suggests that Rue’s integrity would be challenged by receiving a loan whose funds originally came from a local developer. If you had investigated further, you would have learned that the source was unknown to her until the last moment, and that she will refinance that loan so as to not have the appearance, let alone the reality, of a conflict of interest.

In the interest of protecting our water supply, our farming community and Sonoma County’s character, please support Rue Furch for supervisor.

ANNE E. SEELEY

Santa Rosa

Incomplete story

EDITOR: Your editorial regarding the late payment of taxes by Rue Furch failed to note the principal reason Furch lacked the income level necessary to pay her taxes timely. If you added up the enormous number of hours she has spent working, unpaid, on the full range of public policy issues that have faced the Fifth District and the county as a whole over the past 20 years, you would find that there is way too little time left for paid work.

There are very few among us who have devoted so much time so unselfishly to the public’s business, who also are so consistently constructive in their approach to public policy questions. Had she ever chosen to capitalize on her encyclopedic knowledge, or her extensive network of influential friends, she could quite easily have generated plenty of income for paying taxes. Instead, she has been instrumental in bridging the differences that constantly challenge policymakers, without ever using those bridges for her own personal benefit.

The county will be truly fortunate if the Fifth District selects her as Sonoma County supervisor.

ALAN STRACHAN

Santa Rosa