Lynch wrong on many levels

Editor, Index-Tribune:

The recent “editorial” called “Love and hate in Sonoma” strikes me as wrong on so many levels that I feel compelled to write.

First of all, Mr. Lynch has decided that he doesn’t know enough about the City Council candidates to make an endorsement, although he did read, with interest, the recent article in his own newspaper about their backgrounds and positions on the issues.

Although that may be the extent of his personal civic knowledge and involvement, it’s not right for the editorial function of this newspaper to become merely “Bill’s Musings. ”Get someone that can do the job!

On a more dangerous level, the economic vs. governmental regulatory message that it perpetrates is merely a rehash of the Anti B talking points. Mr. Lynch is entitled to his personal opinion and so are his corporate owners, but with Mr. Bollings’ departure will there be no pretense of objectivity?

And finally, his economic argument is just wrong. If there will be any “vacant store fronts” or “dead retail blocks” downtown, it won’t be because independent retailers don’t want to compete.

It will be because over 45 percent of the commercial retail space around the Plaza is owned by four families who pretty much get to dictate what the highest bidder must pay, and these days the highest bidder is a tasting room used as an advertising “lost leader.”

These few owners are mostly out-of-towners who got the land through inheritance, and they have enough resources to let the whole place be vacant for as long as they want until they get what they consider to be their price.

Yes Bill, small town retailing is in trouble but not because of too much “regulation.”

David Oster

Sonoma