I hope the voters of Lake County think hard about local and state measures. Measures O and P are part of the continuing clash between pot growers and the people of Lake County. The fact is, California did not “legalize” marijuana, but instead exercised the state”s reserved powers to not punish certain marijuana offenses under state law when a physician has recommended its use to treat a serious medical condition.
The Board of Supervisors understands this and after years of debate, discussions, legal interpretations and public meetings finally developed Measure N, placing sensible requirements on medical marijuana cultivation. N was drafted for the best interest and protection of all residents of Lake County, as well as qualified patients and their caregivers, and is why voters approved it in June. Medical marijuana is not about profit, was never the intent. N protects this. O and P are about illegal distribution, sales and profit and nothing else. Tom Guthrie”s letter in Wednesday”s Bee addressing the 260,000 marijuana plants law enforcement has eradicated this year, which would service four times the population of Lake County, shows the proliferation for non-medical use. When proponents talk about some future time when it may become legal, you know their whole argument is not about Medical marijuana patient needs!
Now Measure S for the “Save The Lake” sales tax takes on similar characteristics. Being defeated twice before by the voters, the BOS have taken some of the lessons out of the marijuana advocates playbook: Take the past failed measures, make vague changes and put it back on the ballot. Now sell it as a “Do or Die” proposition that if not passed will lead to the total collapse of Lake County economy and destruction of the lake.
Terry Knight”s “The Outdoorsman” wrote a fair review of the lake and addressed the lake algae as natural and won”t go away, which most all biologist understand. Stating “Measure S definitely needed to keep lake healthy” is pointless when in fact it is healthy! We just don”t like how healthy it is. Most of Measure S doom and gloom of course is about the Quagga mussel getting into Clearlake, and a real problem when it happens. But no one pushing the measure disagrees that we will eventually get them regardless of their controls. And for the algae and weeds they admit are mostly natural occurrences and the measure only tries to mitigate the effects. Much of the source of nutrients come from state and federal lands that we expected to address with a tax.
Measure S funding will address the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers Basin Plan and the Lake County Clean Water Program. Reading these it”s clear that funding and staffing are a major issue. But funding addresses many issues. Lets take just one like City of Clearlake”s drainage and road and conditions, This is a source of runoff into the lake that is a concern in the above programs. Clearlake has not yet been able to pass taxes to address these issues, but Measure S scope can allow for this. Measure S can also allow for funding of road repair (anywhere in the county), drainage system, law enforcement, code enforcement, purchase of lands, inspection points, quarantine facilities and legal defense cost. It”s foolish not to believe that more personnel will not be needed. The county payroll will go up, and in 10 years we will have a bigger county government, new programs in place and crying about where will money come from to support them.
Measure S only addresses expenditure for the first two years and it is unclear after that. It specifies “continuous funding” but this is only a 10 year tax. I don”t always agree with Philip Murphy but his “Top 10 Measure S myths” that appeared in the Record-Bee October 24 has a lot of merits. Selling Measure S brought to mind Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi comments saying “we have to pass the (health care) bill so you can find out what is in it.” Talking to friends and many business leaders, I have asked how they may vote on this tax. Most say if it helps the lake it”s worth it. I ask if they have read the entire measure, the programs it is addressing, and what the issues are. Most all say no. Well that”s how it goes as this is how most of the voting public is on issues. So my position is if you don”t know about a particular measure, why would you vote for it?
Bottom line is with all Lake County measures on the ballot, as well as state measures, vote NO! NO new TAX, NO new Fees, NO new slush funds for future waste. NO!
Armand Pauly, Kelseyville
