Last week, Sara Wan was dressed down by John Burton in a letter that was leaked to the press. Her offense? Getting elected Chair of the powerful California Coastal Commission by her fellow commissioners.
The previous Vice Chair, Mary K. Shallenberger, thought she deserved the position. Unfortunately, a majority of her fellow commissioners did not feel the same way. They rarely do. Moving from Vice Chair to Chair on the Coastal Commission is not a common occurrence. It fact, it has happened only twice in the last 11 years. Pat Kruer moved from Vice Chair to Chair in 2007 and Bonnie Neely moved from Vice Chair to Chair in 2009.
Sara Wan's election to Chair of the Coastal Commission has brought out the worst in both her foes and her friends. Her foes can be expected to publicly scratch their anti-Sara itch at every opportunity. But even some environmentalists and friends have joined the fray. Whether they want to seize a coveted seat on the Coastal Commission or are guided by an envy of Sara Wan's success and influence is anyone's guess. However, it is irrefutable that they're attacking someone who has served their interests on the Coastal Commission better than anyone else.
Sara Wan did not want to become Chair of the Coastal Commission because it would limit her ability to appeal projects or amend conditions for approving projects. She wanted her friend Mary Shallenberger to become Chair. But, even with Sara Wan's support, Ms. Shallenberger lacked the votes to become Chair. It is both misguided and unfair to blame Ms. Wan for that state of affairs.
Her fellow commissioners elected Sara Wan for several good reasons. One was to push back a serious pro-development contender, namely Dr. Wm. Burke. Another was to keep someone knowledgeable of the Coastal Act as Chair. But with an Executive Director in poor health and 8 commissioners facing re-appointment, experience and continuity were clearly on the mind of those that elected Sara Wan as Chair.
Sara Wan does not deserve the anger directed at her by Mary K. Shallenberger. She did not deserve the "dressing down" by Chairman John Burton of the California Democrat Party. And she certainly doesn't deserve the attacks on her motives and integrity from her friends and colleagues that should know better.
She deserves a fair shake in the press. She deserves a phone call from her friends that have abandoned her. But most of all, Sara Wan deserves re-appointment to the California Coastal Commission.
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10 comments:
Nicely put. The overeaction to Sara Wan's election to chair is senseless to me. Shallenberger didn't have the votes. How is that Sara Wan's fault? John Burton should be ashamed of the letter he wrote and leaked. We need Wan's experience on the Coastal Commission. She needs to be reappointed.
We have observed Sara Wan's keen application of Coastal Act policy during numerous Coastal Commission Hearings from 2003 -2010. Her depth of knowledge and quick recall of past rulings regarding development along the California Coast cannot be surpassed by any of the other Coastal Commissioners, past or present. This skill is essential, especially now when Peter Douglas, Executor Director, is recovering from health issues. We need experienced, knowledgable leaders with superior critical thinking skills like Sara Wan possesses serving on the Coastal Commission. Vonne Barnes
I don't always agree with the Coastal Commission, and it has cost me a bit of grief in my life, but I am so very grateful that Sara is here. She is devoted to protecting everything that will preserve the beauty of the coast of California for the generations to come. This is the time to do that. Before it's gone, and no one remembers what was lost.
Gail Hamilton
http://documents.latimes.com/john-burton-letter-to-sarah-wan/
Ah, the Burton letter, which is long on diatribe and short on facts.
Thanks for providing the link.
http://www.slideshare.net/SavetheCoast/gibson-coalition-letter011311
From: John Burton
Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2011 3:42 PM
To: 'fragibson@comcast.net'
Subject: Your "Need for Unity" Email
I received your email regarding Mary Shallenberger and Sara Wan and how Sara was being attacked by developers. As the individual who raised the question about Sara’s integrity, either you don’t follow environmental activities as well as you think you do, or you would know that my record is absolutely unblemished on environmental issues. I have created a fairly enviable record, much of which happened while I was President Pro Tempore of the State Senate and as a result of the work by Mary Shallenberger.
I do not understand why my friend Bill Burke engineered the vote to elect Sara the Chairman, but it was his prerogative. According to some in the environmental community and Commissioners whom I trust, the voting record that you put out was somewhat bogus. It appears to me, in the words of Shakespeare “thou protested too much.” To reiterate, if it was not for Mary Shallenberger, Sara Wan would not have been appointed to the Coastal Commission during the terms when I had the appointing power, not because developers were against her, but because many citizen witnesses had complained about her arrogance and rudeness as a member of the Commission. Mary convinced me that Sara is a person of great experience and integrity. She is still a person of great experience. Her integrity can be left to the historians.
I like your call for unity on the Coastal Commission. It is interesting you called for unity by trashing Mary Shallenberger as opposed to addressing the process.
Reading your information, it appears that Sara is the only environmentalist in the whole state interested in protecting the coast. I didn’t know that was the case. I know there are hundreds of thousands of them. My initial communication was about her integrity.
John
The Anonymous post of February 4, 2011 12:56 AM links to a letter from Surfrider Foundation,
California Coastkeeper Alliance, League for Coastal Protection, California Coastal Protection Network and the former director of the Sierra Club’s California Coastal Campaign. That "niggling coalition" represents a short list of Sara's "frienemies" that either covet her seat on the Coastal Commission or envy her success and influence (or both).
It is abundantly clear from Fran Gibson's "call for unity" email that the 2010 Pro Coast Voting Record is not final and has not been signed off by the usual sponsoring groups.
The "niggling coalition" didn't challenge any of the facts Fran Gibson offered in defense of Sara Wan. Nor did they acknowledge Fran Gibson is well qualified to compile a draft 2010 CCC Conservation Voting Chart and that they would rely heavily on her input in creating such a chart. (She has attended most of the 2010 CCC meetings to speak out on numerous projects, has kept detailed notes on commissioner statements and has compiled commissioner votes.)
Instead, they complained about how that draft could damage their fragile credibility.
As Fran Gibson clearly stated in her email, she "thought it useful to provide some baseline for 2010..." Any reasonable person would agree.
The Anonymous post of February 4, 2011 1:06 AM includes an email from John Burton accusing Fran Gibson of "trashing" Mary Shallenberger instead of addressing the process.
That accusation is just as baseless as his assertion that Mary was "screwed" out of the Commission Chair by Sara Wan.
The main thrust of Fran Gibson's "call for unity" email was to describe the process of electing a Commission Chair and to provide some historical perspective. And, it was done in a manner the highlighted Mary Shallenberger's aspirations and an understanding of the reasons for her disappointed at failing to be elected Commission Chair.
Mr. Burton's writings on this issue make supporters of Prop. 142 look very wise.
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