Mendocino's Measure B Paper Trail
The Ukiah Daily Journal follows the money of Mendocino County's Measure B players. Doesn't look good for the opponents with their biggest contribution coming from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. You'd think there'd be more local financial support for the opposition if they're going to beat Measure B..
posted by Fred Mangels @ 1:56 PM
12 comments
12 Comments:
Good find, Fred! Very interesting.
Thanks. I'd like to know a bit more about the folks supporting it, just out of curiosity. For instance: Are they well known local right wingers, or what? I'd like to try and place the names in a Humboldt type context.
A little disclaimer here, also, if I haven't made it clear before:
I'm very sympathetic to Measure B and might well vote for it if it were a Humboldt issue. That's despite the fact I'd like to see marijuana decriminalized and thus let people grow all they want.
I just got back from San Francisco a few hours ago. Driving through Mendocino County, I saw maybe 3 Yes On B signs (I forget the exact words used). I didn't see any signs opposing B.
As an aside, the original post was made under some pressure. It was my first chance to use the new wifi available to patients at UCSF Medical Center.
I could connect with the UCSF network when we first arrived, but the login page wouldn't show up and I got some error message. I tried some other networks that showed up and ended up connecting with Meraki(?), or whatever the name of that private outfit that's trying to wifi the entire San Francisco area's name is.
Managed to check my e-mail but something was making things run really slow, so I gave up.
I tried connecting again at a location on ground level and couldn't log in on any network.
We went back up to the fifth floor again and same thing. I was about to give up.
We finally got placed in an exam room and I tried one last time, figuring it could be a while before the doctor shows up and I had nothing else to do. Connected to UCSF network and logged in real fast. I guess the transmitter must be in the center of the floor so outer areas don't get good coverage.
So I started that post and the doctor shows up right away- a rarity, I must say. I'm in her chair so I have to move the laptop, and myself, to the exam table. I'm trying to type while, at the same time, trying to follow the discussion.
To make matters worse, the laptop seems to have some strange shortcuts built in to it and, every time I made certain typos, the cursor would shift to the prior sentence and I'd start typing in the wrong place and then have to fix it.
A real fiasco, but kinda fun. Made the doctor visit go real quick.
How was the drive, fred?
Pretty much the same as always. Anticipated some weather problems, but they never happened.
No Travelogue this time, at least no post devoted to that. But a few comments:
Couldn't stay at the Cathedral Hill in SF. We were told they were doing remodeling. We ended up staying at the Novato Day's Inn (probably worth a post in itself, if only because we saw no deer. They're usually all over the place). It was chilly and windy there.
It was either the Day's Inn or the Native Daughter's of the Golden West home in SF. Day's Inn was actually cheaper this time as, when I called to make the reservation, the gal told me she'd give me the "corporate rate" of $62.00 for two people. Heck, that's cheaper than Native Daughters, considering we got a free breakfast and didn't have to worry about parking as we do at Native Daughters. Native Daughters raised their rates recently where it would have cost us $60.00. I figured we either broke even, or came out slightly ahead.
For you Taco Bell lovers, the one in Willits is having some construction done. Joy Finley mentioned it to me earlier on. I was concerned as we often eat there. Dining room is closed, but drive thru is still open.
We actually stopped there on our way back today. Figured everything was open from the signs we saw outside saying "YES, We're Open". Parked in their south parking lot and walked around to the north side of the place to go inside. Sign on that door said only drive in was open.
So, we had to walk around back to the truck and drive back around to the drive in.
Cheapest gas is that "Gas Club" place on the west side of 101 between Petaluma and Novato. It was like $3.69 a gallon. That beats the Willits Safeway, but we bought at Willits for $3.85(?). I have no idea what it takes to join the Gas Club.
Everywhere was cold, if not uncomfortably cold and windy. Both days. Was watching the weather guys on the SF TV stations. They said we might have a real warm weekend coming up. Don't remember if it was the next one or the one after that, but I think it was the one next month.
I agree, Fred. Marijuana should be decriminalized by the Federal government.
Seems like Measure B would be stirring up more opposition money, doesn't it? I mean, given the fact that so-called medical marijuana is such a big business there in Mendo & so many people from doctors to high school kids are engaged in growing & selling dope. Maybe it's because the dope merchants know they outnumber their opposition & don't think it's necessary to waste their time & money on something they seem pretty damned certain won't pass?
As for the B supporters being "well known local right-wingers", I don't know. Never heard of any of them except Duane Wells who is retired now but was the Mendo Co. Tax Assessor for many years. Don't know his political leanings. The one that caught my attention, though, was Phillip Dow. Dow? As in Dow Chemical? Some of his fellow donors seem to be engaged in some other form of agriculture. Do we have something new to be worried about?
Yes, I would of thought the opponents would be putting up quite the fight. They had the money and organization to pass Measure G in the first place.
Like I said earlier, I only saw three pro- B signs while driving through Mendo yesterday, and no NO signs- at least none I noticed- maybe it's not that big of an issue for most.
That said, just from reading the Press- Democrat and Ukiah Daily Journal every day, I get the impression this is a big issue, at least with some people.
We need to keep in mind it is still early so we shouldn't expect to see too many signs yet. At least I think this will be voted on in November. At least two debates on the issue have taken place recently, though.
Measure B probably is a very big deal amongst the more conservative population in the southern part of Mendocino County. Will be interesting to see how it goes.
The UDJ article you reference in this post says the election is scheduled for June 3.
Ouch! You out read me. That hurts, but thanks for the heads up.
Do you live in Mendocino, Robin?
Now that I'm thinking about it, I think I'll ask the Mendocino Co. LP Chair how he'll be voting on Measure B. I'm guessing he'll vote NO, but who knows?
I was right. The Mendocino Chair is opposing it but LPers down there are split on the issue. I told him I'm one that might vote for it, if I lived there.
No, I don't live in Mendocino Co. anymore, Fred. I grew up there (50years!)& moved away a little over a year ago.
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