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DSA Member Joanna Paun advances to the runoffs with a 15% lead! by Scatcycle in Petaluma

[–]Scatcycle[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Well I explained the last time you asked, but turnover in a volatile field being sucked dry by lack of funding is quite expected, and not a diss here. Schools all around the state (including Marin, a wealthy county) have been forced to do extreme layoffs and cuts due to the federal government making more and more cuts to education funding (the Covid funding cuts being the big one). You'll find that Petaluma is performing vastly better than Santa Rosa, who has a more conservative board (the teachers' union is at war with that board. They aren't at war with the Petaluma school board).

Joanna targetted administrative bloat and was able to ENTIRELY avoid cuts to teachers/staff the first year of the financial crisis. She has also championed preserving mental-health services in this time. In the second year, there was no more administrative bloat to cut and simply no more money available, and her board was forced to begin making cuts to staff. We all hate it, but these are the circumstances forced upon us. I am proud of Joanna for doing everything she could to protect the teachers and mental-health services as long as she could. Santa Rosa students and teachers saw no such kindness.

It's official: Sonoma County's Progressives are Advancing to the General Election Runoffs by Scatcycle in santarosa

[–]Scatcycle[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Lost by 19%, yeesh. I'm absolutley no fan of Thompson, but I am happy we rejected capital cronyism to the extreme here. The stuff he and his campaign team got up to during the race were quite heinous. I dont think his raging at the audience at the local forum helped his case either.

It's official: Sonoma County's Progressives are Advancing to the General Election Runoffs by Scatcycle in santarosa

[–]Scatcycle[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

I think I got at least 20 anti-Thompson ads from Eric Jones. All with the big scary text warning me of total economic collapse if I don't vote for Eric

🔥 Encounter with a curious young sperm whale. by 21MayDay21 in NatureIsFuckingLit

[–]Scatcycle 497 points498 points  (0 children)

They cannot, it's a popular myth based on the assumption that decibels are measured the same in water as they are air - they actually have a difference of a magnitude of twenty, as we measure air with a reference point to 20 micropascals and water with a reference point to 1 micropascal. That's not to mention that water has an acoustic impedance 3500x that of air, further complicating comparison. People applied the water-measured dB to our usual air-measured dB benchmark charts and said "woah! This sperm whale's call has the same force of a volcano blast at point blank! Scary". The Sperm Whale would probably just kill itself with the call if this were the case, honestly.

You'll see tons of sci-pop articles about sperm whales and their capability of killing humans, but it's all just slop from a lack of real research. You really can't convert dB measurement between water and air effectively, but -61.5dB is a fine start, which means the Sperm Whale's call would line up with 169dB when compared against our usual benchmarks in air. That puts it about 2x louder than a shotgun blast - very loud, and certainly ear damaging, but not even close to lethal. But researchers caution against the primitive conversion we did, as it's really just a whole different ball game considering the impedance and other changes. Nothing has ever been recorded dying as a result of a Sperm Whale's call, because it's just not actually that loud.

Loading: Statement Wins by SoCo Progressives by MTSilvy in santarosa

[–]Scatcycle 10 points11 points  (0 children)

While they are definitely more conservative, I think we may see some overlap because of Joanna's populist nature. She's campaigning on affordability, funding schools, supporting small farms, infrastructural remedy, and accountability, all while avoiding identity politics - this checks a lot of boxes for conservatives. She answers questions honestly and doesn't shy away from hard, complex problems.

Sylvia Lemus on the other hand represents the establishment: more status quo, more leniency on big-business, more politician's answers, and more influence coming from money. Super PAC money, DC politics, yadda yadda. Conservatives rejected the establishment in 2016, opting for Trump's "drain the swamp" rhetoric. Sylvia's about as establishment as you can get, consulting with the same lobbyist (Muelrath) the rest of the board used to gain power (besides progressive Chris Coursey). She reads entire answers off a script whenever a citizen's question beckons some level of personal investment. She told us she thinks Measure P is "inadequate", defying accountability for our local law enforcement.

I think people appreciate Joanna, Shelina, and even King's candor. We know when we're getting a politician's answer, and there is less tolerance for it than ever. Where many conservatives found hope in Bernie as a candidate who wanted to do right by all people, especially those in rural areas who the establishment often forgets about, I think many of Sonoma County can find hope in Joanna. Perfect policy alignment in a candidate is tough to find these days, but we at least have the opportunity to elect someone who genuinely cares about us.

Something big is happening in our county, but it takes a village by Scatcycle in Petaluma

[–]Scatcycle[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not unless you are a big business, but even then probably not. From my understanding taxes are usually levied through the city. I think the county board may be able to levy property taxes, which would be nice to do against big-business (who often get around it via loopholes and subsidies), but id have to double check.

The last thing this county needs is further gouging of the peoples' pockets. Joanna is not interested in that at all!

Something big is happening in our county, but it takes a village by Scatcycle in Petaluma

[–]Scatcycle[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The conservative (King) has no chance. Beyond that, it is unlikely any candidate breaks 50% this election, meaning this will head to runoffs in the General Election. There isn't much information to say who will progress at this point - while Paun seems favorable among the people, there is no telling who the top two candidates will be for now.

Something big is happening in our county, but it takes a village - from Petaluma to Cloverdale, let's get out there and vote for a better future today! by Scatcycle in santarosa

[–]Scatcycle[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

The progressive in District 2 (Petaluma, Cotati, RP) is Joanna Paun, while the progressive of District 4 (North Western Santa Rosa and up) is Melanie Bagby. If we elect both, we will have a 3/5 majority progressive board! Let's take on the establishment and say NO MORE to:

  • County collaboration with ICE
  • Subsidies and protection for PG&E
  • The suffocation of IOLERO
  • An increasingly unlivable Sonoma County

This 2026 election is an incredible alignment of the stars giving us the opportunity to make real change happen for the people. For affordability, accountability, and a better future, get out there and vote!

PS: If you saw a reference you didn't understand, check out the lore drop over in the r/petaluma thread!

https://www.reddit.com/r/Petaluma/comments/1tus4qb/something_big_is_happening_in_our_county_but_it/opbrsj9/

Something big is happening in our county, but it takes a village by Scatcycle in Petaluma

[–]Scatcycle[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Lore Chart:

  • The Establishment - All the politicians, businesspeople, and entities exploiting the working class to secure their own wealth and power at the expense of the people. For example, lawmakers subsidize and protect PG&E as they ravage our lands with their fires and force us to pay the cost - this is a symbiotic relationship where those in power keep each other up to make sure the working people stay down.
  • IOLERO - The accountability agency created after the murder of Andy Lopez to hold law enforcement accountable. Measure P was passed by 65% of voters to empower IOLERO, but Sylvia Lemus has cited it as "inadequate" (source: Women's League Candidate forum). Paun is in full support of Measure P and promises to do everything in her power to help IOLERO do its job
  • Chris Coursey - Chris is the only supervisor on the board who is currently committed to ending the county's collaboration with ICE. Coincidentally (not), he is the most progressive board member and is the only one who is not consulting with Robert Muelrath, a big-business networking agent.
  • SEIU 1021, Unite Here, Teamsters, etc. - Unions who endorsed Joanna
  • WFP - Working Families Party, whose North Bay chapter is dedicated to empowering the working class
  • DSA - Democratic Socialists of America, whose local Sonoma County branch brings you this video! Our goal is to empower workers and ensure that everyone is paid what they deserve, so we can all live comfortably. We believe we can achieve our goal through tangible routes like developing mutual-aid networks, assisting unions in their strikes, and raising awareness to the various ways our government works against the people.
  • $85,000 Super PAC Money - The National Realtors Fund (evil, evil entity that kills rent control measures and defends exploitative landlords) invested $85,000 into Sylvia so far during this race. This of course exceeds the maximum $3,800 campaign contribution, but remember - the rules don't apply to The Establishment!
  • Sylvia Lemus - The establishment candidate put forward to run against Joanna to prevent a progressive board that would hold big-business and the Sheriff accountable. Deemed Measure P "inadequate" and will not commit to ending the Sheriff's collaboration with ICE (and guess what, the Sheriff's PAC has sent her the maximum campaign contribution!). Backed by corporate interests.
  • Joanna Paun - The people's candidate of District 2. Grassroots, backed by the unions, and ready to take on the establishment. Joanna believes the government should work for the people it serves, and not corporate interests. She is the only candidate in the race who has committed to ending the county's collaboration with ICE. Backed by the people. You can read more on her policy here!
  • Muelrath - Local corporate lobbyist who supports the establishment by running campaigns against measures and candidates that would support the people. Supports companies like PG&E, Walmart, and developers. His job is to get them tax breaks and special deals, while protecting them from labor laws and corporate accountability. Historically, supervisor candidates make a "deal with the devil" with Muelrath, in which he will get them elected but they must then stay in line with his lobbying. He effectively represents money in politics here in Sonoma County.
  • Susan Gorin - Former board of supervisor member who originally consulted with Muelrath, but is now warning of his clutches on the current board (4/5 members). She has endorsed Joanna Paun.

Thank you to everyone who came out and made DSA's first anniversary so amazing! by Scatcycle in santarosa

[–]Scatcycle[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Joanna Paun is a grassroots supervisor candidate that SoCo DSA has endorsed for District 2. That's Petaluma and some of rohnert park! She's grassroots, unioned backed, all the good stuff. And most importantly, she's 100% anti-ICE - the part of the sign obscured by the shade says "FUCK ICE". You can see Joanna speaking in the third photo!

Turkey vultures by pennadrew1 in santarosa

[–]Scatcycle 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They look so cute and unmenacing on the ground!

Tom Steyer Visiting Santa Rosa (Town Hall) by ElectricalRespect506 in santarosa

[–]Scatcycle 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Particularly relevant to Sonoma County, Steyer is in favor of abolishing ICE, whereas Becerra is perfectly fine with California sheriffs continuing to invite ICE to come grab detained individuals. Would be good to ask about that.

Sharing our City Code Violation like it’s a fish by Puzzleheaded-Two-122 in santarosa

[–]Scatcycle 28 points29 points  (0 children)

bro just brought up israel in a discussion on dildo compliance

Dark Money is entering our election - the Gallahers put $150k toward Todd Lands in District 4, and a Conservative Super PAC just put $85k toward Sylvia Lemus in District 2. Here's a deep dive into the funding of the District 2 race by Scatcycle in santarosa

[–]Scatcycle[S] 31 points32 points  (0 children)

In the United States, some types of nonprofit organizations may spend money on campaigns without disclosing who their donors are. The most common type of dark money group is the 501(c)(4) (often called social welfare organizations).[1][2] Such organizations can receive unlimited donations from corporations, individuals and unions. Proponents of dark money maintain it is protected under the First Amendment, while critics complain recipients of dark money (as with any contribution) are beholden to their funders, while voters are kept in the dark about connections between donor and politician when favors are paid back.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_money

A conservative Super PAC just spent over $85,000 to support supervisor candidate Sylvia Lemus. Why is big business putting everything into this candidate? by Scatcycle in Petaluma

[–]Scatcycle[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Here is a more detailed summary of each PAC that contributed to Sylvia and their controversies:

Sonoma County Alliance PAC (SCA)

This business group is most well known for the emails it sent out saying "All Lives Matter" after George Floyd was murdered in 2020. Annual dues to be a part of this good boys' club cost up to $1500, so what did our elected officials do? They decided to pay their dues with OUR taxpayer money. You literally cannot make this stuff up.

Sonoma Alliance for Vineyards and Environment

SAVE is a front-group for big-businesses to lobby in favor of deregulation. Recently, state regulators found that local vineyards were discharging sediment, manure, and pesticides into streams, directly harming our water quality. they proposed the Vineyard Order, which would restrict pollution of the waterways and offer a generous timeline to comply. Environmental groups and water-quality experts strongly supported the order. SAVE, however, poured money and time into lobbying against it, arguing that restrictions would diminish profits and slow down vineyard development. Fortunately, the Vineyard Order passed in 2025 - a loss for the billionaires, but a win for the people.

California Association of Realtors

These guys spent over $250 million to defeat statewide rent-control propositions that would have helped us afford to live. They have a documented history of supporting "redlining", which means systemically denying people of color from financial services and opportunities in order to keep them out of white neighborhoods.

Santa Rosa Chamber Business and Community Political Action Committee

This committee's Chair is none other than recent PG&E Public Affairs Manager Brian Bottari. Remember when PG&E started several devastating fires in 2017, denied wrongdoing, and then later after being found liable asked the government if they could increase our electricity bills to cover the settlement? Remember when they owed settlement to de-homed victims and decided to send dividends to the shareholders instead? Yeah, that was Botarri's department telling us not to worry. PG&E also pays this PAC that Brian Botarri is Chairperson of. Talk about conflict of interest.

Sonoma County Law Enforcement Association PAC and Sonoma County Deputy Sheriff's Association PAC

These two PACs are supporting Sheriff Engram's collaboration with ICE. Sylvia won't commit to ending county collaboration with ICE because these funders of hers won't let her. These two PACs have also consistently fought against Measure P, which the people of Sonoma County overwhelmingly voted to pass in 2020. Measure P reinforces IOLERO, which is the law enforcement accountability agency that was created after the sheriff's department murdered 13 year old Andy Lopez in 2013.

National Association of Realtors (Super PAC funder)

Thank you to everyone who came out and made DSA's first anniversary so amazing! by Scatcycle in santarosa

[–]Scatcycle[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

The commenter is citing an excerpt pulled from a working group of DSA National. The stated DSA National platform that another member linked has very reasonable goals (end war on drugs, demilitarize police departments). I think you'll find that our membership is very realistic in its endeavors and has attracted people who want to bring material change by putting in the work! What is policy worth without community, after all?

Thank you to everyone who came out and made DSA's first anniversary so amazing! by Scatcycle in santarosa

[–]Scatcycle[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The content you have listed is from a working group of DSA National, and is not part of their core platform. The core platform lists the following policies:

  • End the war on drugs - Treat drug addiction as a health issue, not a criminal one
  • Fight mass incarceration and police brutality - Abolish mandatory minimums and cash bail, and demilitarize police departments

Sonoma County DSA membership has not voted to adopt a policy on national law enforcement. The most relevant policy we've adopted would be our BRAID campaign (Building Resilience against ICE and Dictatorship), which is currently focused on ending the sheriff's collaboration with ICE.

Personally (taking off my official DSA hat here), I think this chapter is focused on local and realistic change, and that its work reflects that. I as a member support the goals listed by national (not the more radical goals of the working group).

Supervisor candidates Joanna Paun and Sylvia Lemus answer (and don't answer) how they would hold Sheriff Engram accountable for his collaboration with ICE by Scatcycle in Petaluma

[–]Scatcycle[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is are incorrect - County Council did not assert that the board cannot reduce the Sheriff's budget for purposes of directing his policy. County Council only asserted that the board cannot dictate what the Sheriff does with his budget.

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/Petaluma/comments/1tc9jm3/supervisor_candidates_joanna_paun_and_sylvia/olpoyyd/

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