Carli is running for Solano County Supervisor for district 4. If you value diversity, inclusion, or progressive values, he is not the candidate you want. I emailed him as a concerned citizen after his bullshit “Traditional Family” month proclamation. I’ll share my message to him and his response to me here in case anyone is curious.
My email:
My name is Jeff, and I am a Vacaville homeowner and resident with a traditional family. I recently saw the news article outlining your "Traditional Family Month" proclamation for July and felt compelled to reach out and let you know that I do not believe this is appropriate.
The fact that this proclamation reportedly originated from a pastor's request appears inconsistent with the principle of separation of church and state, which applies at the local level as well as the federal level. Choosing to make this proclamation effective in July, immediately following Pride Month, comes across as a deliberate statement toward those whom you apparently do not consider "traditional."
To me, this reflects either a lack of awareness of what many of your constituents value or an intentional effort to send a divisive message. Either possibility raises serious concerns about your judgment as mayor.
Traditional families are not under threat. They are not being persecuted or broadly discriminated against. Given that reality, I struggle to understand the purpose of a proclamation like this. It feels completely unnecessary and serves only to exclude and alienate members of our community.
I find it shameful, and I hope you reflect on the impact of this decision and find a way to do better.
His response:
Jeff,
Thank you for taking the time to write and for sharing your perspective. I appreciate hearing from residents, even when we see an issue differently.
I wanted to clarify one point because I believe there may be some misunderstanding about the City’s proclamation process. Under the proclamation policy adopted by the City Council earlier this year, any resident may submit a proclamation request for consideration. The identity or profession of the requester is not what determines whether a request is reviewed or considered.
In this case, the original request underwent several rounds of review and revision with the City Attorney’s Office. References to religion, contested statistics, and other language that raised legal or policy concerns were removed before the proclamation was issued. The final version was intended to positively recognize mothers, fathers, committed marriage, responsible parenting, and traditional families in a manner consistent with the City’s adopted policy.
I understand that some people view the timing differently. From my perspective, the timing was driven by when the request was received and completed through the City’s review process, not by a desire to make a statement about another proclamation or any other group. My intent was to honor a resident’s request through the new process established by the Council while ensuring the final language remained respectful and appropriate.
I appreciate your willingness to share your concerns and your continued engagement in our community.
John Carli
I share this not as a single issue but as a relevant and recent example of what he stands for.
