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Most vintners have long insulated themselves in a no-political zone, PD wine columnist Peg Melnik notes today in her Tasting Room blog.
The reason is simple: say something controversial and it could hurt sales of your wine.
But Dario Sattui is no ordinary vintner. You can get Melnik’s take on Sattui and his wines here.
The St. Helena winemaker ignited an intense debate on the Internet when he criticized firefighters’ pensions and pay in a letter to his local newspaper.
North Bay public safety workers and their supporters used social networking sites last weekend to organize a boycott against his two wineries, V. Sattui and Castello di Amorosa. Many vented their anger on a Facebook page created by the winery for its fans.
The dispute has illustrated how quickly a small local controversy can spread on the Internet. By Tuesday afternoon, more than 3,700 people had joined one of two Facebook sites promoting the boycott. Over the last 44 hours, one person has signed up every 54 seconds as a member of the largest boycott group on Facebook, created by Ukiah firefighter Mike Stewart.
PD Editorial Writer Paul Gullixson urges both sides to back down on their rhetoric. In an editorial published today in The Press Democrat:
“There’s a legitimate discussion to be had here. It’s true that public safety employees put their lives on the line every day in providing a vital public service. But it’s also true that many public agencies have promised these employees retirement benefits that are financially unsustainable. Changes are needed.”
You can read the full editorial here.
— Ted Appel
Watch Sonoma County
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Tim and his Union ilk have greatly overplayed their hand. They should take real good look around cause their world is about to change forever.
You can only steal from and terrorize your employer for so long a eventually you will be replaced.
This is EXACTLY why ambulance services are privatized.
They played with matches and started a fire in their own house. Fools
Second point: Did everything these guys do but during the Vietnam War and was paid $88 a month. Pshaw, duty is duty. Problem with bourgeois, mercenary thinking, i.e., the entitlement mentality.
What can you say, the public unions have been raping California for at least 30 years. This is not new information, but Dario, being Italian, does have courage. I like that.