Sonoma County Child Care Sales Tax Aims to Give Raises to Nonprofit Executives Who Protect Child Predators & Silence Victims
Funded by Biden's largest donors, Sonoma County's Measure I seeks to improve the compensation and benefits of child care providers who currently make six-figure incomes
Measure I, Sonoma County Child Care and Children’s Health Initiative and Sales Tax, has officially been added to the ballot for the November 5, 2024 General Election.
The Initiative claims:
The “Sonoma Child Care and Children’s Health Initiative” (“Initiative”) would impose a transactions and use tax at the rate of 0.25% on the sale and use of tangible personal property within the County of Sonoma (“County”), including the incorporated and unincorporated areas. The tax would provide funding for (1) child care, preschool and early childhood education for low- and middle-income children and families in Sonoma County, and (2) the local children’s health care safety net. Proceeds from the tax would be placed in a special fund, designated as the “Sonoma County Child Care and Children’s Health Fund (“Fund”).
After expenses for administration, 60% of the Fund would be available to support early childhood education by increasing the number of low- and middle-income children ages 0-5 with access to child care, preschool and early education services, with priority for homeless, historically underserved communities, or others with high priority needs; improving compensation and benefits for child care providers and early educator employees; and, developing, maintaining, upgrading, and expanding early care and education facilities. The remaining 40% would be dedicated to support the local children’s health and mental health care safety net and accessibility, including expanding specialized staff for perinatal and pediatric specialties and exploring innovative programs that enable pediatric patients and their families to better access community-based, pediatric health care and mental services.
The Initiative designates the First 5 Sonoma County Commission (“Commission”) as the Administering Agency, subject to change by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors.
However, the proposed ordinance states:
(a) Proceeds from the Tax shall be used exclusively to increase access to high-quality child care, preschool, and early education services to benefit low- and middle-income children and families in Sonoma County; to improve wages and compensation for child care providers and early educators who provide those services; to maintain and protect the availability and accessibility of local health and mental health care services that are specific to the unique needs of infants, toddlers and pediatric patients; and to support the efficient administration of Tax proceeds.
(b) Proceeds from the Tax shall be deposited into the County treasury in a special fund entitled the Sonoma County Child Care and Children's Health Fund (the "Fund"). Monies deposited into the Fund, together with any interest that accrues thereon, shall be governed by and subject to the requirements set forth in Section 12-61.
In each year, one hundred percent (100%) of revenue generated by the Tax, after providing for the costs to administer and operate the Tax pursuant to subdivision (e) of this section, together with any interest that accrues thereon, shall be 5 appropriated by the Board of Supervisors for the following purposes and consistent with the Sonoma County Child Care and Children's Health Program Plan and Budget (the "Plan"):
(1) Sixty percent (60%) of the annual revenue shall be allocated to the following:
(A) To increase the number of low- and middle-income children from birth through age five with access to safe, nurturing, affordable, and high-quality child care, preschool, and early education services across the county, with priority for children who (1) are homeless, (2) are from historically underserved communities, or (3) have other high priority needs as designated in the Plan.
(B) To improve the compensation and benefits of child care providers and early educator employees by providing rate increases, workforce development supports and enhancements.
(C) To develop, maintain, upgrade, and expand, as needed, early care and education facilities.
(D) For reasonable expenditures of the Administering Agency for the efficient administration of the Fund, including the obligations imposed by this Ordinance. The Administering Agency may reserve funds received in one or more fiscal years to address anticipated fluctuations in revenue in subsequent fiscal years.
(2) Forty percent (40%) of the annual revenue shall be allocated to the following:
(A) To assure the financial viability of the local children's health and mental health care safety net and its accessibility, including the expansion of specialized staff that provide perinatal, pediatric and pediatric subspecialty screening, assessment, referral and treatment of trauma, complex illnesses and conditions, and other health problems, without regard to insurance status or their ability to pay; and
(B) To explore, pilot and implement innovative programs that enable pediatric patients and their families to better access community-based, pediatric health care and mental health services, including perinatal mental health, and that enhance the effectiveness of such services.
It appears that the ballot initiative is backed by local PAC Our Kids Our Future.
According to the PAC’s website, the Committee’s top funders are: Heising-Simons Action Fund, Tony Crabb and Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria.
Additional top donors include the following individuals and entities:
As referenced from Open Secrets, Tony Crabb & his significant other, owners of Puma Spring Vineyards, donated $2,388,686 to the Biden Administration between 1990-2020.
In January 2024, Mr. Crabb and his spouse hosted first lady Jill Biden at Puma Spring Vineyards, Healdsburg, for a fundraiser to support the reelection campaign of her husband, President Joe Biden.
As cited from The Press Democrat, Our Kids Our Future is a Santa Rosa-based campaign effort that formed in July 2021. They hired Dennis Rosatti, a Sonoma County political consultant to work on the campaign.
Mr. Rosatti and Santa Rosa Councilmember / 2024 CA D2 Assembly Candidate Chris Rogers are long-time colleagues through Sonoma County Conservation Action. Per the organization’s Form 990’s, Mr. Rogers has served as the Executive Director to the organization alongside Mr. Rosatti.
According to the 2022 Form 990 for the Conservation Action Fund for Education, Mr. Rosatti was the Executive Director of the Fund while Mr. Rogers served as a Board Director.
The Conservation Action has been utilized to lobby for measures and endorse Democratic political candidates under the guise of ‘environmentalism’. Oddly, they recently disabled their entire website.
According to a 2023 Press Democrat article: ‘the Sonoma County child care tax campaign filed a suit seeking election law exception. The campaign has been hamstrung after election officials discovered a high number of signatures turned in for its ballot bid last year were likely fraudulent, according to the county.
In a lawsuit filed in Sonoma County Superior Court, the Our Kids Our Future campaign requested the court allow them 27 days to collect voter signatures and recoup the irregular ones invalidated by the county Registrar of Voters in July.’
The discovery prevented the campaign from qualifying in time for the November 2022 election. Campaign organizers have since sued Total Signers, the contractor it hired to help collect the signatures, arguing that an internal investigation traced the bad signatures back to the contractor.
In their new suit, campaign organizers contend the original collection period should be reopened because they believe the fraudulent signatures came from an outside firm and interfered with the will of Sonoma County voters.
The County of Sonoma recommends the following childcare providers as resources on their website:
Community Child Care Council (4C’s) Provides referrals to licensed childcare providers for all Sonoma County families and supports access to quality childcare for low income families.
Children and Family Circle (CFC) Is a state-funded, private non-profit agency providing free or low-cost child care and support services to infants and toddlers from low-income families.
Sonoma County Child Care Association Assisting parents and caregivers by providing qualified, professional child care referrals.
River to Coast Child Care Services Childcare support for West County residents.
Boys and Girls Clubs offer high-quality after-school care and enrichment in partnership with local school districts.
North Bay Children's Center Ensuring that all children have access to critical early learning experiences. Programs for infants, toddlers, pre-school and before and after school.
Head Start and Early Head Start Serving children (prenatal to 5 years old) from low income families with high quality home and community-center based programs.
MyChild Care Plan is a partnership of child care resource and referral agencies across California. They offer an easy to search directory and a glossary of child care programs, philosophies, and terms.
The Sonoma Valley & Sonoma-Marin Boys & Girls Club have been named as the defendants in an ongoing lawsuit which claims the Club covered up Paul ‘Dwayne’ Kilgore, the former athletic director’s child sex assault for years.
Per the Sonoma Index-Tribune:
“The August lawsuit seeks damages related to 11 complaints dating back to 2006, including negligence, gender violence, sex slavery and torture. It includes allegations against 100 former club employees, at both the Sonoma Valley and Petaluma Boys & Girls Club, the latter of which closed in 2017 and re-opened under the Boys & Girls Club of Sonoma-Marin, which is also named in the suit.
Victims, parents, employees and community members alerted club officials to Kilgore’s inappropriate behaviors multiple times, as detailed in the suit, but he was allowed to continue working with children unrestricted.”
Several internal whistleblowers from the local Boys and Girls Clubs have informed me of their desire to unionize as they express frustration with low wages. Meanwhile, the 2023 Form 990 for the Sonoma-Marin Boys & Girls Club showcases impressive salaries for top executives.
CEO Jennifer Weiss was paid a salary of $374,914 with $114,062 in additional compensation from the organization and related organizations. The total amount paid to Ms. Weiss from the ‘nonprofit’ was $488,976 for the year.
Ms. Weiss’ spouse, Jason Weiss is simultaneously employed as the Vice President of Youth Impact with an annual salary of $157,039. Combined, the couple receives over $657k per year.
Because the Initiative designates the First 5 Sonoma County Commission (“Commission”) as the Administering Agency, subject to change by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, this presents a conflict of interest.
2026 Senate Candidate & current Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore is a First 5 Commissioner while simultaneously serving as a Sonoma County Board Supervisor.
Supervisor Gore has been under investigation with the State’s Fair Political Practices Commission (case #2022-00357) since May 2022 for questionable financial conflicts of interest and omissions on his statement of economic interest. Oversight under his leadership and associated network of corrupt colleagues raises red flags.
He and I ran into each other at an event yesterday. He has repeatedly utilized his power in the community to attempt to silence me and smear my name. As a private citizen, he has repeatedly shown me that he cannot be trusted. I confronted him directly to inquire about the lies from he and his spouse.
*Double click on the video below to watch our conversation.
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How much money has been attributed in legal fees paid out by the Boys & Girls Club to silence victims in an ongoing sexual assault case? Do you appreciate this usage of your taxpayer monies? If not, I encourage you to vote no on Measure I, Sonoma County Child Care and Children’s Health Initiative and Sales Tax.
“Greedy people try to get rich quick but don’t realize they’re headed for poverty.”
-Proverbs 28:22
The answer to "How much money has been attributed in legal fees paid out by the Boys & Girls Club to silence victims in an ongoing sexual assault case?" is one million dollars in donations from the public and Chuck Williams of Williams-Sonoma and more than $500,000.00 paid to Child Molestation attorneys from insurance. Some people actually grow up wanting to defend child abuse, rapists, pedophiles, and predators. Who is more awful: the person who does it, the person who hides it, the person who defends it, or the person who pays for it? Thank you for volunteering to protect ALL of our children, Adina. -Laura Ainsworth