Letter to the Editor

I am supporting Jim Provenza for re-election to the Yolo County Board of Supervisors. I served with Jim on the Board and also worked with him when I was a member of the California Assembly.

Jim served as counsel to the California Senate Judiciary Committee and chief counsel to the California Assembly Public Safety Committee. He was later the legislative counsel at the California State Capitol for the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.

While working at the capitol, Jim was responsible for numerous bills expanding protection for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, including California’s stalking law and the legislation permitting a court to remove guns from those who commit domestic assaults. He also drafted and was instrumental in the enactment of California’s current hate crime law.

As a member of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, Jim is a compassionate leader who works to assure that essential services, such as mental health, suicide prevention, and the Yolo Food Bank, receive the funding needed to protect our most vulnerable residents. By using tobacco settlement funds and obtaining outside funding, he has been able to do this with a balanced budget and no increase in taxes.

I was particularly impressed by Jim’s ability as chair of First 5 Yolo to obtain millions of dollars in state funding for Yolo’s early childhood prevention and intervention programs. These efforts will significantly improve the lives of our at-risk children.

Jim works hard to the meet needs of all of his constituents; rich, poor and in-between. He always does his homework and is prepared, listens

to all viewpoints and is fair and civil to all those who appear before the Board.  

Please join me in supporting Jim Provenza for re-election to the Board of Supervisors on March 3.

Helen Thomson

Throughout his years as a county supervisor, Jim Provenza has been a staunch advocate for at-risk children and an ally to community organizations that support families in crisis. Supervisor Provenza has championed progressive policies and programs that focus on providing vital services to keep children safe and struggling families intact and growing stronger. As a volunteer and advocate for our County’s youngest, most vulnerable children and their families, I’ve seen firsthand the tremendous impact Jim’s efforts have had in our community. That’s why I’m offering my wholehearted endorsement in Jim's bid to be re-elected as our Yolo County Supervisor, District 4. Please join me in supporting him.

Jane M. Eadie

To the Editor,

Jim Provenza’s work for children and the elderly has touched us personally.  As a school board member, Jim was diligent in supporting the needs of all children.  He showed a special sensitivity to children in the Achievement Gap and special needs children.

Interested as we are in senior issues, we have been impressed with his efforts to establish support programs for the elderly. 

We have always been supportive of Jim due to his demonstrated leadership style encompassing integrity, responsiveness, reliability, compassion for others, and responsiveness.        

We have learned that Jim can be trusted to make decisions that benefit our community.  We support Jim Provenza in his re-election campaign for Yolo County Supervisor.

Laurie & Bob Rollins

While I agree with the statement made in The Davis Enterprise “Our View” from January 31, 2020, that “We doubt that there is any district in the state that has anyone as qualified as the three candidates who are running for District 4” of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, I am not taking the advice of the all-male Enterprise Editorial Board and am instead voting for Linda Deos. We need diversity, and especially a woman’s voice, on our currently all-male Yolo County Board of Supervisors—and everywhere else in our society as well.

The Enterprise cites “experience” in the elected position as a reason for their support, but that argument effectively limits newcomers from bringing their diverse perspectives to serving our community. I, for one, do not want to wait for all the males to retire or die before bringing in new, diverse perspectives to help solve our significant societal problems. If not change/diversity now, then when? If not via District 4 voters, then how?

Please join me in voting for the highly qualified woman running for Yolo County Board of Supervisors: Linda Deos.

Robert Darragh
Davis

Big money in our little election

By Colin Walsh

On Thursday, February 20, the Vanguard Blog again ran an attack on Jim Provenza, trying to link him to an Independent Expenditure group that has run ads supporting him. By doing this Greenwald again seems to want to link Provenza to the controversial Yolo County DA. But let’s look a little deeper.

Greenwald to his credit did reach out to the Provenza campaign and Greenwald confirmed the campaign had no knowledge of the Independent Expenditure Committee Safe Neighborhoods Coalition.

Greenwald states the independent group “has put forward ads primarily on Facebook—though they have yet to file an independent expenditure report, so it is difficult to know how much they have spent.” Then the Vanguard goes on to say, “Independent expenditures must be reported if they exceed $1000.”  And that “By one count, ‘There have been at least ten separate ads. No idea how much they cost.’” That all makes it sound like the group is exerting a considerable effort on behalf of Provenza.

This is disingenuous and intellectually dishonest reporting. Greenwald publishes his attack after campaign finance reporting was due and what do you know, they did file a report – they filed on February 15, 2020 and again on the 20th. Worse, it was not their first filing. They filed on November 5, 2019 as well. All indications are this independent expenditure committee is operating legally and has made all appropriate filings. Greenwald's accusations are demonstrably false.

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