Letter to Editor: Former Assemblywoman, Supervisor Says District 3 Needs Bill Dodd As State Senator

DAVIS, CA – The following letter to editor was submitted from Helen M. Thomson on the upcoming election for the California District 3 Senate seat:

Dear Editor,

I have known Bill Dodd during the years he has served as a Napa County Supervisor and as a California State Assemblyman and I offer these reasons to consider joining me in voting for him for the California State Senate: his experience, his attitude and his values.

Bill has the kind of experience our region needs representing us in Sacramento. Nothing beats a good listener, able to listen and learn from the people and from the local elected officials. Finding common solutions, with civility to colleagues across party lines, to the myriad of problems that plague our state is one of our biggest challenges! Bill has been doing just that, as a Supervisor and as an Assembly Member.

Being a small business owner has given him insight into the issues that small businesses face, including the ability to provide a living wage and health insurance for employees. Experiences listening to constituents respectfully and carefully searching for the opportunity to propose a consensus has given him the skills to bring people together. He has been successful in finding compromises to tough problems that most everyone can accept.

Bill’s bedrock values guide his decisions and actions—values like treating everyone as equal under the law. Bill took up the fight for gender pay equity and protecting vulnerable frail elderly from fraud and abuse while others talked about it.

He is well known in Napa for spearheading fast assistance to residents and business owners after natural disasters like the South Napa Earthquake which destroyed the downtown or the terrible Fires which destroyed so many people’s homes. Bill was there himself, on site, giving his own personal comfort, encouragement and support to those who were so devastated. And I know he will bring that same concern, thinking and acting to the solutions for the Delta/Sacramento River environment as he successfully brought to the restoration of the Napa river.

His ability to get things done has brought people together from across this large Senate District in support of his Senate campaign for the seat now being vacated by Retiring Senator, Lois Wolk. (Whose shoes will be hard to fill!)

I hope you will join me in voting for Bill Dodd for California State Senate.

Sincerely, Helen M. Thomson

Yolo County Supervisor, 1986-96, 2002-2010 (Ret.)

California State Assembly Member, 1996-2002 (Ret.)

--Patch file photo