I’ll always remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s answer to the question she was frequently asked: “When will there be enough women on the Supreme Court?” If you say this out loud, you can change it with intonation to be pro more-women or against. She had the same response, no matter who was asking, and it generally surprised people.
I mention it in regard to the upcoming election for Nevada City Council. There are five seats on the Council, currently held by four men and one woman. This June, three candidates are running for two open seats. In alphabetical order, they are James Khatami, currently a Planning Commissioner; incumbent Adam Kline, the current Mayor; and Micayla Sortland, a Disability Advocate and newcomer to public office.
Despite my postal address of Nevada City, I live outside the city limits in unincorporated terrain, so I won’t be voting in this election. But, believe me, though I don’t sleep in town I do everything else here. I’m not enfranchised but I have skin in this game.
There’s a lot of talk now about how important it is to strengthen communities so we can retain democracy in this country and vanquish fascism. I’m paying attention. Local participation in government is a crucial feature of this effort.
You couldn’t pay me to run for public office, myself. I’m not calm in the face of conflict, my command over objectivity is slippery at best, and negotiating gives me a migraine. But as a 30-year resident of the County and someone you might know from the radio and all the poetry readings you attend (cough, cough), I’d like to weigh in with an opinion.
I interviewed someone this weekend who is remarkably good at those things (calm, objective, a negotiator), and I’d like to endorse her candidacy for Nevada City Council. Micayla Sortland has been a Disability Advocate for 20 years, which means she works to mediate between big bureaucracies and individuals needing support. It’s a field that doesn’t require a law degree, but a deep understanding of Social Security Disability Law. Micayla spends time in courtrooms, works one-on-one with clients, and gets tangible results. Her skill base lends itself well to the role of council member: she’s experienced at listening closely, digesting information, weighing conflicting points of view, and crafting compromise.
One of her interests fills a gap I’m seeing on the present Council: a focus on the town’s environmental future. Not just modernization of the sewage plant, which in big storms can overflow right into Deer Creek, but protecting all existing outside spaces, developing trail systems beyond the gorgeous and popular Tribute Trail, and renewing public access to Deer Creek itself.
I vote you ask Micayla about her other ideas for Nevada City yourself. Yes, this is her first foray into public service, but she’s gathered good mentors and is delighted to be meeting people to discover their concerns. Her experience checks all the boxes. She’s having fun on the learning curve. I moved here a little late to recognize her as a waitress at South Pine Café, but you might. Or maybe you’ve seen her playing bass in a local band with her local husband. You can find her at micaylanevadacity@gmail.com, and attend the Candidate’s Forum on April 28 at the Rood Center from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.
I brought up Justice Ginsburg’s remarks because I’ve watched some gender-based micro-aggression take place in our City Council chambers. These are reduced when all genders are represented equally. What surprised people about Ginsburg’s answer is that she didn’t suggest parity. She said “when there are nine.” Because a slate of all women, in whatever roles, should be a non-issue, just as it’s been for centuries with a slate of all men.
I’m not recommending Micayla Sortland because she’s a woman. We can all name dreadful female public servants. I think she’s a great choice for City Council and I’d vote for her if I could. The fact that she’s a woman will help, though, with a kind of social friction that gets in the way of clear policy-making and hard work.
Molly Fisk is Inaugural Poet Laureate Emerita of Nevada County. Her historic novel-in-verse, Walking Wheel, comes out April 7th from Red Hen Press.