.
Feedback

Susan Adams Wants to Heal the House

With a Ph.D. in healthcare, Marin Supervisor hopes her nursing experience will help her in her run for Congress.

“It’s a testament to our staff that we didn’t bring out angry people from one of the affected districts.” Marin County Board of Supervisor’s President Susan Adams is quick to share credit over a largely angst-free, late-July vote to approve various Marin County-wide districting adjustments.

With only 10 people and four supervisors in the Civic Center board chambers, Adams’s adjourns the meeting to laud the county for a redistricting plan so non-controversial, she observes, “that not a single person testified in the open hearing.”

“How different from the state and national governments,” Adams muses as she heads for her Civic Center office. Part of the advantage she notes, is Marin’s “special status” as a “wonderful, low-debt, high-bond-rating county.”

This more or less unique economic status, Adams affirms, helps free Marin from the party politics responsible for what she calls “America’s current political bad-patch.”

It is a proposition that Adams will be testing as in California’s 6th Congressional District. One thing is certain, if anyone can bring a healer's touch to a dysfunctional political system, it is Adams, a healthcare professional with a master’s degree in nursing, a 1998 Ph.D., and a dissertation addressing the care of pregnant women and new mothers addicted to crack cocaine. Her healthcare-related political mantra is simple and powerful: “Healthy Planet, Healthy People.”

It was in part because of what she saw as the failing American healthcare system that led Adams to get into politics in the first place, winning a seat on the Marin County Board of Supervisors in 2002. “I jumped in,” she recalls, “because nobody else was talking about healthcare,” which she identifies as “the number one reason for bankruptcy in the U.S.”

Adams remains sharply critical of the national healthcare system. It is, she contends, “the most expensive system in the world,” for which “we spend twice as much money and don’t live nearly as long as other industrialized nations.”

Since her election, Adams played a major role in such health-related projects as the county’s new in San Rafael’s Canal neighborhood, the creation of bicycle routes and bike parking areas, organic gardens in county schools and other advanced health and welfare-related schemes.

More than bringing a healthcare focus to elected office, however, Adams singles out her ability to bring Marinites together in a wide variety of legislative realms. Among these is her work gaining community buy-in to reopen San Rafael’s . Adams dug deep, taking a course in mining operations in order to build her knowledge base. This deeper understanding enabled Adams to find a solution satisfactory both to residents and quarry operators.

“I’ve been able to help reach agreements at a local level,” she says of her “persistence and ability to work both sides of an issue” while on the board. It is an ability to help achieve compromise that, she believes she “can translate to Washington, D.C.”

First, of course, Adams must win what will be a very tough and expensive race against Assemblyman Jared Huffman, activist Norman Solomon and other potential candidates including former Petaluma Mayor Pam Torliot, Sonoma County Supervisor Shirlee Zane and others. It is also a race in which the two top vote-getters, regardless of party, will have to go through a subsequent run-off. This new twist has the potential to change the race’s calculus in a number of unpredictable ways.  

Adams’s response will be a campaign geography that seeks to make her the home team.

"I’m the only candidate with such deep roots,” Adams contends about her upbringing as a fifth-generation San Franciscan, Lowell High School graduate, as well as member of a fourth-generation California ranching clan with a Mendocino County spread near Boonville. She laughingly denies being fluent in “Boont,” the weird, sub-dialect spoken around Boonville and the Anderson Valley.

Adams’s roots have a modern caste. Some of her family members lived and are buried in northern coastal California, including her 24-year-old nephew, Thomas Adams, a California Highway Patrol Officer who was killed in February in a car crash near Eureka.

In general, Adams feels that her resume “will be attractive to people in the north counties” regardless of the shape of the upcoming redistricting. And though Adams’ parents were Republicans, she identifies deeply with the bi-partisan, ‘50s and ‘60s “golden age” under the benign governance of Pat Brown.

Adams also references her brother, Michael, a non-com in the Air Force, who is currently on his sixth deployment overseas. His service has led her to focus on issues such as, Adams notes, “a whole new onslaught of homeless veterans.” It is to these and other vets, she says, “that we owe a debt that includes helping them reintegrate into society.” Adams also seems ready to pick up the anti-war cudgel wielded by Lynn Wolsey, at least to the extent, Adams notes, “that we begin to invest at home, rather than abroad.”

What may be Adams' political “ace-in-the-hole” is her close ties to state healthcare organizations including the California Nurses Association. The CNA is a hugely powerful political force in its own right, representing many of the 2 percent of the California population engaged in healthcare occupations. Anyone who watched the CNA and its labor allies dismantle Republican senate and gubernatorial hopefuls Carly Fiorina and Meg Whitman in the 2010 election understands the importance of having California’s nurses on your side.

Neither the nurses nor statewide labor unions have endorsed for the 6th Congressional District, but it is hard to see how Adams can win without endorsements and a large infusion of cash from her medical and healthcare allies.

Adams is also pitching her campaign towards women, believing that the loss of Woolsey could mean one less seat in the House held by a woman. “We don’t want to lose a woman’s seat,” she says.

Bill Bagley, the legendary former State Assemblyman, lobbyist and Democratic Marin County’s favorite Republican, says that virtually any geographic identifier such as “Marin County Supervisor,” “Sonoma County Assemblyman,” or “Mayor of Petaluma” will automatically lose votes in other geographic areas. Bagley, with tongue slightly in cheek, said he owes his own electoral success to identifying himself on the ballot simply as “Attorney at Law,” at a time, he adds, “when lawyers were still regarded socially as being ahead of used car salesmen.”      

Mark Schoenbaum August 4, 2011 at 08:05 pm
This is the same Susan Adams that campaigned on a platform of opposing the St Vincent's development and then switched her position once she won the election.
She is backed by the unions and I don't see this article as anything more than free political propaganda.
Tina McMillan August 5, 2011 at 01:58 pm
In lieu of free political promotion it would be wonderful to see an article about the candidates that reported their views about specific issues. These get to know you pieces are not helpful. As a woman I find it offensive that Susan Adams thinks I would vote for her based on gender. I am more interested in comparing views on the issues to see where all these candidates stand.
Not happy with BOS August 5, 2011 at 02:11 pm
Susan Adams is living in a dream world and insults the intelligence of every voter in Marin with her statement regarding district boundary changes. Of course there was no one to raise any questions. How can there be when meetings are held during the middle of the day, 10 AM, when most of us have to work for a living and can ill afford (especially in this economy) to attend?
Lee Lull August 5, 2011 at 03:23 pm
Granted a better article would have showcased all of those campaigning for Lynn's seat. But....since I knew the least about Susan, I am thankful for what it did offer.
Lee Lull August 5, 2011 at 03:29 pm
I rather prefer democracy to oligarchy...and unions are democratic. Without unions we would still have child labor and we wouldn't have a 40 hr work week etc. Humans would be exploited terribly as they are in many other countries without unions and laws to protect them. In fact unions are now being decimated in the US by the corporate elite and their henchmen/shills. So we may yet return to the days of the robber barons...except today the corporate elite are richer than most countries and more powerful. It is people and democracy vs transnational corporate elite and oligarchy. Do you really prefer the latter?
Tina McMillan August 5, 2011 at 04:02 pm
It is oversimplified to portray the world as good versus bad whether we are speaking about unions or corporations. I feel divisive and polarized thinking has caused political gridlock in Sacramento and Washington. There are good unions and there are good corporations. We need a system where we deal with corruption where ever it is found. To think that the unions or the corporations are free of corruption is living in a dream. The problem is greed and corruption are part of human nature and we have to work hard to do the right thing.
We still know very little about what Adams thinks about the issues. All the candidates are human. All the candidates are capable of making good and bad choices. An article that focuses on gender, political affiliation and family tree says very little of significance when voting for a person who will be representing our political interests in Washington.
Lee Lull August 5, 2011 at 05:39 pm
It is true that whereever humans are there is great capacity for both good and evil, ignorance and insight, self serving and public serving , hate and love etc etc. Noone was saying that any institution or group of people is all good or all bad.
But unions and giant corporations are very different vehicles, with different reasons for being and different goals and different methods of rule.
Lee Lull August 5, 2011 at 05:40 pm
Unions are predicated upon democratic ideals and principals (members vote for their leaders and their goals) and the major goal is to ascertain good wages and living conditions for the workers. More than anything they gave us a middle class and democracy.
Lee Lull August 5, 2011 at 05:41 pm
Corporations are top down institutions by their nature and structure: oligarchies. They are not democratic institutions and their goals have nothing to do with worker conditions, air quality, or fairness, or safety etc etc....their goal is to make money for their owners and shareholders. PERIOD. When they reach the monopolistic and trans national size they have power that equals and surpasses many countries. When their power is not regulated by governments...over and over through time....they abuse it: they abuse the earth and the people who work for them. They topple governments in their quest for profit. Look at the despoilation of Nigeria today after the Dutch & American OIL companies took advantage of no regulation. Power and wealth subsume democracy every time. Look at what they are doing in WI right now: Massive corporate Koch brothers money is perverting info to voters...telling them to vote (AFTER!) the election....by falsifying election date info. They are trying to stop demcracy. They are also making it difficult for many groups to vote. Decreasing number of voting booths in areas apt to vote democratic, changing the rules to register etc. If you care about democracy you will take note of what is being done to undermine it: there is a war being waged against democracy in the United States...for profit.
Susan Clark August 5, 2011 at 06:02 pm
If you want to see extreme low income housing take off in Marin then she's your gal.
Lee Lull August 5, 2011 at 09:04 pm
A) Why do you say that? What is that statement based upon?
and B) Are you against people other than the ultra rich living in Marin? If so: Who's going to clean your house? Who's going to do your other dirty work? WE the PEOPLE is democracy...not we the rich.
Tina McMillan August 5, 2011 at 09:14 pm
I think your picture of corporations is entirely one sided. Shareholders are people like you and me. Many are government workers who have their pensions invested. These are teachers, fire, police, nurses and other hardworking, union members. Corporations and Unions are not what you describe. There is a circle of financial life where each is dependent on the other. How could we possibly pay the huge defined benefit pensions to the unions without the profits of the corporations?
Tina McMillan August 5, 2011 at 09:23 pm
It is no longer about rich or poor. We are interdependent. People who come to America do so because they have the opportunity to move out of poverty. My father's family came here from Eastern Europe and he was born in the United States while my mother came here from Western Europe as an adult. Both families had been extremely poor. Within one generation they learned the language, worked to send their children to college and graduate school or started small family businesses that grew because of hard work and perseverance. America is still the land of opportunity. I look at my father's family and my mother's family and every single one of them was able to move from poverty to prosperity.
Tina McMillan August 5, 2011 at 09:32 pm
Granny
Fear mongering is such a poor excuse when providing the facts and letting people decide for themselves is a true democracy. Let Richard's article provide the facts about Adams and all the other candidates. Then let the people decide whom to vote for. There has been voter fraud and corruption on both sides of the aisle. Don't put this all on corporations and expect to be taken seriously. It would also help if you would use your real name.
Matt McCarron August 5, 2011 at 10:46 pm
Evidently none of the previous people know Susan at all or have even met her. If you did you would know better. If you look at the others running it is the same old song with no immagination protectint their donor's interests. Susan works hard on issues that mean something to the people who elected her, which is more than I can say about the others (yes, I have met them as well).
Tina McMillan August 6, 2011 at 02:03 am
Matt
Susan Adams is your Supervisor if you are from San Rafael, my district is Novato and so Judy Arnold is my Supervisor. My experience is that Jared Huffman has been responsive to the people that elected him as well as those that may not have. I am sure you have reasons for feeling the same about Susan Adams but so far the articles in the Patch have not addressed the issues so much as glorified the candidates. I would like to have an article that compares each candidate's point of view on specific issues so we can get a look at how they will vote if they are elected. This is the litmus test I am interested in. There are people who may feel that Norman Solomon has an even stronger record than Susan Adams when it comes to protecting the environment and taking a stand against war. It just depends what issues are most important to each voter. I believe the integrity of all the candidates is beyond reproach. So it comes down to issues.
Doris Law Bagley August 6, 2011 at 05:20 pm
Susan has been and is a great Marin Supervisosr. She has what Congress needs some "common sense." I like ( and I hope Susan will supports) the measure that the California Nurses Association is behind that would tax Wall Street on each of their trades. Barbara Boxer went from Marin Supervisor to Concress to the US Senate. Susan Adam you have my support and best wishes.
Mark Schoenbaum August 6, 2011 at 09:52 pm
No Granny, I prefer not to have yet another special interest thinking that their campaign donations and free campaign workers can influence a politician into making sure that they vote the way they want them to when their interests are at stake. This is no democracy, this is anti-democracy. This is the want of the few overridding the needs of the many. This is bribary. Unions served their purpose a hundred years ago. Now they only serve their best interest at the expense of the public. Looks like your opionions are stuck in the early nineteen hundreds as well.
Tea bags for Liberty August 12, 2011 at 12:51 am
She is a poor choice. no understanding of the deficits and pension issues!
Aubrey Wade September 25, 2011 at 01:43 am
What drivel some of these nasty comments are. Why don't you just ask for a nice table that lists all the candidates, and quotes them on their positions on issues? Why imagine or criticize without hard data?
I'm a nurse with a similar background to Susan, so I'm naturally biased ~ almost all nurses begin with a strong sense of desire to help in any way, and pair that with ethics as their primary value. That's why we win that silly contest every year for "most ethical profession". Why not find any way possible to ameliorate the tawdry mess that is greedy politics and posturing of those desperately clinging to an imagined power stance? Nurses think of others before themselves, usually. I've observed Susan Adams functioning that way for 7 years, in many situations. I'll bet all my nurse friends, union or not, will be delighted to think we might actually get our voice heard when Lynn Woolsey's gone. Please vote for Susan!

Newsletter & Alerts

Get the best stories each day and important breaking news

Subscribe

Not from San Rafael Patch? Find your Local Patch »

Note Article
Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Withdraw the Civic Center Priority Development Area
Ciel Niesen-Love June 15, 2013 at 07:41 pm
I, for one, am glad they're finally doing this. I have watched for years as Marin has ignored theRead More population growth that has affected us all. Not wanting to put in a commuter train, until the traffic lining the freeway is backed up into another county in the morning, is just one example of this. Then we have the fact that most of the children that my husband and I went to school with in Terra Linda have had to move to other counties because we can't find affordable housing in this one. To top it all off, it seems that the ones who have blocked us from making the smaller additions throughout the county have been people directly involved in the real estate industry, or just local home owners so worried about the value of their homes going down, that they fail to see the larger picture. So here we are, about to make a stride in alleviating the problem, and instead of rallying to make our communities better, we're trying to make it more difficult for the people who live and grew up here to still remain close to their families, not to mention the disabled adults and large elderly population in this county that are in need of this, as well. Some of the teacher's who work in this district have to commute in that traffic every morning, because they can't afford to live in this county, either. It's a sad commentary on where our priorities are when we can't support each other as a community.
John Parulis June 17, 2013 at 11:44 am
Ciel......we're talking big box freeway developments that will add tremendous traffic, schooling andRead More tax burdens to our community. Your ideas about population growth in Marin are off.
Ciel Niesen-Love June 17, 2013 at 02:49 pm
I know the population in Marin is 1% per year, but why do you think that is? People are livingRead More longer and our children are the healthiest in the country. I'll tell you why. It's because the children grow up and move out of the county, because it's not affordable. Here is an example of my latest thoughts on the matter: As the member of a Native American tribe, I have to say that I really resent being told where I should be able to live by an immigrant such as Richard Hall. I believe that roots are important and even if the growth rate has been 1%, it's only because most of the people who have grown up here can not afford to live here and move away. The elderly who make up a large percent of the population here are living longer due to medical advances and who do you suppose will take care of them? People such as myself and for not nearly enough money to live here. So what do you propose? You think that I should move to the East Bay or the North Bay and commute? Well, due to the lack of transportation support, that sound so lovely, let me tell you. Also, the children in Marin are the healthiest in the country according to a recent article I've read. Lower children death rates and such, so who is supposed to teach them and provide care for them and for not enough money to live here? Well, many teachers and care providers that I know that have to commute or live multiple roommates. You have successfully produced a community that only grows 1% per year. Congratulations. Through your grassroots efforts of blocking housing and transportation for years and claiming they don't live up to your standards, meanwhile not providing any pushes for what you might actually feel is smarter you have shut out your county's own children and hard working patriots. So, we can work for minimum wage taking care of your elderly, your children, your precious houses and cars, but God forbid, our children go to school with yours, or that you might actually have to bump into us at the supermarket and say "hi". This is the attitude which had prevailed here and I and many other people I talk to in my neighborhood and that I've grown up with are sick of it. Also, I'd like to point out that we all work hard, and the opportunity to work has been at the help of all of the people in our communities who have helped rear us. Teachers, nurses, doctors, firemen, policeman, babysitters, and many more. Just because some jobs like teaching or care giving don't provide with as much money, doesn't make them less important. In fact, my grandma used to tell me it "God's work". It takes a village to raise your children and it took a village to raise you all.