Political Knob-Hangers Delivered to Wrong House

Somebody distributing doorknob-hangers for the Protect Sonoma group, opposed to the Hotel Limitation Initiative, accidentally left a canvas bag full of the 17” full-color hangers on a fence in front of a Sonoma house yesterday.

Oops. Wrong house.

Ned Forrest, a local architect and supporter of Preserving Sonoma’s efforts to ban new hotels over 25 rooms until the city’s hotel occupancy rate reaches 80%, lives in the historic adobe near the corner of 2nd St. E. and East Spain St.  He found the bag hanging from his fence at about 6 p.m. yesterday evening.

“I was really surprised,” said Forrest. “It’s not surprising they’re doing knob-hangers, it was just that I found a whole bag of them in front of my house!”

Also in the bag were business cards from various organizations, including a representative of the Graton Rancheria Resort and Casino. Evidence suggests the bag belonged a union member in Burlingame, and Forrest attempted to reach him this morning but as of noon has not yet heard back.

Forrest also contacted Larry Barnett, chair of the Preserving  Sonoma Committee, and they agreed that the bag and its contents should be conveyed  to the proper organization.

"Of course, we looked at the door hanger," said Barnett, "and we've discovered a big mistake. It says that a 'key fact' is that our Hotel Limitation Measure 'contains a clause that doesn't allow for more hotel rooms unless the hotel occupancy rate exceeds an  80% average in the prior calendar year...'

“Of course that's not at all true,” said Barnett. “Looks like they will have to reprint these door-hangers after correcting a huge error like that."  

Preserving Sonoma has been gathering signatures to place a measure on the ballot limiting new hotels to 25 rooms until Sonoma's annual occupancy rate reaches 80%. 

“I guess if I don’t hear from anyone else, I’ll give the bag to Nancy Simpson,” said Forrest, referring to the chair of the Protect Sonoma group opposed to the Hotel Limitation Initiative.

“We all know each other, that’s the crazy thing,” continued Forrest. “One of the things I’m working on with the initiative process is to have a debate with dignity, to try to be really civil and not make it personal.”

Preserving Sonoma is in the process of reviewing over 1,500 signatures they gathered in their petition drive, and verifying them against the official voter registration list. Barnett said they expect  to turn them in by the week of July 1.

Just over 1,000 valid signatures are needed to qualify for a special election in Sonoma, with roughly 6,750 registered voters. "I expect about 5,000 people will vote in a special  election, and that means 2,501 to win," Barnett noted.

But, referring to the slick door-hangers that turned up yesterday, Barnett added, “Our opponents are prepared to spend a bundle confusing voters to defeat our effort,  and we won't do that. We respect the voters and are confident in the wisdom and  goodness of the citizens of Sonoma."    

A call to the campaign organization believed responsible for the mailers has also not been returned as yet.

“It’s interesting how it’s playing out,” said Forrest. "We have to learn how to do this thing civilly."