Jabba the Hat Strikes Back

Roz Rogoff, Editor and Webmaster of the San Ramon Observer, say she doesn't mind being called "Jabba the Hat," by foes. Rogoff opposes a petition to keep San Ramon golf courses zoned parks, which incited the name calling.

San Ramon, CA (PRWEB) August 2, 2006 -- Roz Rogoff, who has been called the "Savant in the Stylish Hat" by friends, and "Jabba the Hat" by foes, takes it all in stride. "It comes with the territory," she said. The lively 63-year old has been writing about San Ramon politics for the last four-and-a-half years in her online San Ramon Newspaper, the San Ramon Observer, http://www.sanramonobserver.org.

The latest flap is over rezoning two local golf courses as part of a major update to the San Ramon Zoning Ordinance. A small group of activists is trying to put a measure on the 2007 ballot to put the zoning back to parks. The City is already taking steps to change the zoning to golf course, which is a better option than the older parks designation.

"This is not only an unnecessary measure; it is wasteful and harmful to the city and the golf courses." Rogoff said in her latest commentary on the Observer. "They are pitching foul balls at residents."

Rogoff has been writing about the Zoning Ordinance Update for more than a year. She recently posted all of her past commentaries, dating back to August of 2005, on the San Ramon Observer's Commentary page, for residents who want to catch up on the issue. Her outspoken opposition to the San Ramon Speaks Out Blog, won her the name, Jabba the Hat, for the hats she wears to all San Ramon City Council Meetings. Rogoff is no lightweight, tipping the scales at 275 lbs.

"I'm not offended by the comparison to the Star Wars villain," Rogoff says. "He was smart and powerful. The bloggers like fantasy role-playing, and rarely use their real names in their messages. So if they want to cast me as a fantasy character, Jabba the Hat fits fine."

Rogoff doesn't always side with the City Council on all issues. "I've been attacked from both sides, because I don't take sides. I look at each issue independently, before taking a position."

Three years ago, Rogoff came close to filing a Brown Act Violation against the City Council for voting on an issue that wasn't on the published agenda. She was featured in an article on accessing public information in the San Ramon Valley Times.

"I'm an educator in real life (Instructor for the University of Phoenix Online). I consider the Observer a means of educating the public on what is happening in San Ramon. Too many people are fooled by one faction or another with a political agenda. My only agenda is to tell the truth."

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