Bill Hocker | Nov 1, 2015

Sean Scully, editor of the Napa Valley Register, has penned an editorial on optimism, The absence of gloom, in which, after lamenting the sad state of the world, is buoyed by the can-do presentation on transportation issues made to the Napa Valley Vintners by Dir. Morrison, Calistoga mayor Chris Canning, and a UC Davis transportation expert.

George Caloyannidis responded to Mr. Scully:

"I read your excellent article twice and I need to think about it a lot before I can respond in a constructive way. But here is an article which you probably are already aware of which shows how insurmountable the obstacles to optimism are.

Vision 2050 is trying to give voice to the people who lack any constituency (though this is exactly who the BOS is supposed to represent), but despite its efforts such as reaching out to Latinos Unidos, it has had little sustained success in reaching out to this underclass which drives the wine industry economy. It is interesting to note that in the article below, there is no mention that the 10.5 million "grants" by which the Ortiz Plaza development is being financed, is really a subsidy paid for by the general public for the benefit of the wine industry which is swimming in money.

While this study addresses the conditions in Sonoma County, we need to recognize that we don't have the luxury of a 175,000 population city of Santa Rosa in the Napa Valley where farm workers can find some form of housing as bad as it is. For us here, Santa Rosa is called Vallejo, Fairfield and Vacaville resulting in a 25% commuter traffic gridlock. Try driving south at 5:30 am from St. Helena to Hwy 80 on 29. You will be blinded by the uninterrupted string of lights driving north (and south at the end of the working day).

Thank you again for the thought provoking article."

Mr. Caloyannidis' most recent dissection of transportation issues is here:
Girard traffic analysis

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