SERVICE BEFORE POLITICS
Democracy, the very fiber on which our nation was built, is a fragile experiment, and it requires us all to participate in it to make it flourish and thrive. The upcoming District 4 supervisor race also reminds us that public confidence and trust are necessary and important for our democracy to flourish. Each institution has a role in protecting it, and we take that responsibility at Community Bridges seriously.
Following the announcement that Tony Nunez, our Marketing & Communications Director, would run for supervisor, we worked internally to establish clear guardrails to ensure we continue to honor our longstanding commitment to neutrality among candidates and that no agency assets, materials, time, or support are used in ways that could compromise that trust.
We believe it is important to be transparent about this step because public-serving and public-facing organizations must hold themselves to a high standard, especially when an employee seeks elected office. These safeguards are designed not only to protect our organization, but also to protect the integrity of the community’s electoral process and the confidence residents place in community institutions such as Community Bridges.
We admire all candidates willing to serve, including Elias Gonzales and incumbent Supervisor Felipe Hernandez with his decades of public service, and we wish each of them well. Our mission, however, extends beyond any election cycle or political party. People who rely on our services need ongoing support, commitment to collaboration, consistency, fairness, and stability every day, regardless of any election outcomes. As a non-profit institution, we are legally required to remain separate from all campaign activities related to individual candidates. We will continue to work with all of our elected officials across the political and social spectrum to help ensure that we fulfill our mission and continue working on the shared goals of supporting all residents across the Central Coast.
Raymon Cancino | Chief Executive Officer, Community Bridges
ENDLESS WAR
Trump says it’s “more fun to sink ships” than to capture them. Hegseth referred to the sinking of an Iranian warship as a “quiet death”. The President of the United States says it’s “fun” to sink ships and let people have a “quiet death”.
What kind of people are these? These are words of madmen, war criminals, who are killing people in the name of America.
Sam Earnshaw | Watsonville
ONLINE COMMENTS
REMEMBERING THE BILL RANEY AND THE NICKELODEON
In many ways the Nick was the soul of downtown, along with the bookstores.I have many fond memories of a rainy matinee in an uncrowded theater…
Dave McClellan | GoodTimes.sc
MORE ON THE NICKELODEON
May Bill rest in peace knowing he had an amazing impact on the city he loved, Santa Cruz. I missed the first ten years of the Nick while living in another college town called Ann Arbor or A Squared. The Nick helped bridge the gap. I knew Bill and Nancy as members of the local , over-thirty coed soccer team in Happy Valley. They also helped significantly documenting the history of of the neighboring Happy Valley School for the 150 Sesquicentennial Celebration in 2014 that brought more than 400 alumni, parents, teachers and students together. Bill will be missed.
George Purnell | GoodTimes.sc
