February 20, 2019 — Congressman Jared Huffman and Assemblyman Jim Wood spoke to a full house at a town hall in Ukiah on February 19. Audience members asked wide-ranging questions about health care, the environment, education and the economy. One woman asked if it would be possible to abolish the electoral college, and one man wanted to know if the government was prepared to deal with the implications of artificial intelligence. Huffman spoke for several minutes about his idea for the two-basin solution to the long-running controversy about the Potter Valley Water Project, and two attendees brought up immigration difficulties. One was a business owner who relies on a visa program to hire employees, and another was a skilled worker from India who has not been able to get a green card for ten years and must renew his visa periodically.
Huffman started off by listing a few of his efforts at protecting the environment, and Wood said he views newly elected Governor Gavin Newsom as a partner in furthering health care and housing. Everyone sang happy birthday to Huffman, who turned 55 this week, and then the citizenry spoke.
This web version includes a lightly edited recording of the entire event, in two 45-minute increments.