By BenIndy, May 24, 2024

A new group of Solano County residents has emerged to oppose the tech billionaire–proposed new city that many believe threatens Solano’s essential character and, ultimately, its future.

California ForNever is a nonpartisan grassroots group described as “a satirically titled group serious about opposing and calling out the lies and misinformation, continually perpetuated by Flannery, aka California Forever, aka “The East Solano Homes, Jobs & Clean Energy Initiative.” Its members have dedicated themselves to rallying residents to reject the development of a new city in Eastern Solano (a project once known as California Forever and now called the East Solano Plan), protecting residents against allegedly misleading claims made by the project’s funders, and safeguarding the county and its locals.

How to Say “No!”

Through its website, California ForNever is urging all Solano residents to fill out a brief form sharing why they are opposed or statements of opposition to California Forever/East Solano Plan; these will be presented to elected officials, including the Solano County Board of Supervisors, when they are considering the proposal.

Some submissions can be seen on a page called “Solano Speaks.” Comments range from specific to general, citing frustration with everything from the Flannery group’s lack of transparency, to the public antics of its leadership and major funders, to failures of local officials to properly disclose financial interest tied to the city’s realization, and more.

“The proposed California Forever project is not for Solano County,” one comment reads. “[…] Their ‘city’ isn’t for us either. It’s for Silicon Valley people.”

California Forever/East Solano Plan CEO Jan Sramek has been lambasted for describing the proposed city’s projected $1 million price tag for a home as a reasonable alternative to Palo Alto’s $4-to-5-million-dollar homes.

“We need economic growth yes,” another comment says, “but we need to invest in our towns and our communities not build a new one. Our Vice Mayor is violating the trust of his people by taking loans from these people in an act of quid pro quo.”

Vacaville’s Vice Mayor Greg Ritchie, who was by many accounts the first Solano public official to endorse the initiative, holds four DBAs (“Doing Business As” or “trade names”) connecting his home loans company to California Forever by name.

Vacaville Vice Mayor positioned himself for personal gain in promoting California Forever

Swag, Signs and Merch Show Fellow Residents the Way

California ForNever is also encouraging residents opposed to the new city to purchase lawn signs and other merchandise to spread the word about the widespread opposition to the proposed development.

Signs come in various sizes and include stakes. California ForNever  has also welcomed special requests for custom-sized signs, or banners, via email (info@californiafornever.org). Tees, stickers, hats, and more are also available at CaliforniaForNever.org/merch.

California ForNever and Solano Together, another group known for its opposition to the initiative, are unaffiliated; Solano Together is a coalition of organizations and groups operating political campaign, while California ForNever is staying out of the politics of the project to position itself as a community resource, providing news, updates, and fact-based information to Solano residents.

For more information and to get involved, visit the California ForNever Group’s website at CaliforniaForNever.org or its Facebook Group.