Jim R. Wattenburger - 2nd / J. David Colfax - 5th / Kendall
Smith - 4th/ John Pinches - 3rd / Michael Delbar - 1st
No vote: Michael Delbar - 1st - Jim R. Wattenburger - 2nd
by Richard Johnson
At a public meeting on August 21, 2007, the Mendocino County
supervisors chose vastly increased densities for several of nine study areas in
the draft Environmental Impact Report for the Ukiah Valley Area Plan. This
single decision invites developers the world over to come pick over the bones of
what was once a pristine and self sustaining rural community.
Those bones consist of "raw land," several river
systems including one designated Wild and Scenic, the gravel, and our
irreplaceable coast. Gone are the forests and the fish, sacrificed in the name
of jobs and corporate profits.
Lured on by a chimera of sales tax revenue, the illusion of
prosperity from population growth, spurred by the growing gap between demand for
services and the revenue to pay for those services, infused with a blind loyalty
for property rights and a belief in the solidarity of capitalists everywhere,
our supervisors scatter our remaining assets on the ground like pearls before
swine.
And the swine are here. Developers Diversified Realty Trust
which owns the former Masonite property earns about $40 million tax free profits
each year on $800 million revenue. The UVAP will provide it up to 1.3 million
square feet of retail space to market to its worldwide client base. That is the
equivalent of 35 city blocks, more retail than currently used in boundaries of
Ukiah city.
In the winter of 2005-6, public outrage over the Ryder Homes
proposal for 800 high-end residential units in the field east of Masonite
sparked a successful push by community groups for a revision of the UVAP. Today,
the UVAP includes the 800 units of Ryder Homes, as well as 1,200 Creekbridge
Homes units in the grape vinyards across the highway to the west known as Lovers
Lane. And inappropriate growth is being encouraged and permitted in seven other
areas of the valley as well. The plan has become the vehicle for the growth it
was supposed to regulate.
And that's just Ukiah Valley. Elsewhere, developers are
sharpening their pencils to launch new projects from Indian Casinos to asphalt
plants to coastal tourist palaces as the doors to unrestrained growth swing wide
open.
The CLOWNS OF ESTABLISHMENT represent moneyed interests, and the
network of self serving bureaucrats who treat county government as their own
farm where they are to enjoy lifetime employment. Having shredded all attempts
at reform, rebuked all who have sought equity, flaunted their power to lavish
favors on their friends in Big Business, they heap up their own salaries, grasp
at whatever lucrative perks they can accumulate and laugh at any measure
designed to bring them under control. There are no "liberals" or
"conservatives" here, only BOSses.
What can we do?
The last two decades of environmental effort here has been
fruitless because we have failed to take power at the electoral level. All
attempts at negotiation, compromise, all litigation, all the symbolic ballot
initiatives we have passed amount to nothing. Elected officials treat us as
politically irrelevant and stomp on our issues with impunity.
Prior to the UVAP, those issues included scuttling the
grading ordinance, screwing the county workers, stonewalling the county
attorneys, lavishing themselves with a pay increase and travel bonuses, failing
to build affordable housing or plan for a new jail, violating Measure G, failing
to consider the Impeach Cheney resolution, and shredding the Energy Task Force
report.
Our most critical objective is to turn all five current
supervisors out of office and replace them with environmentalists who are
responsive to those who elected them and accountable for voting in conformance
with our values.
In the past, we have elected liberals to office and they turn
conservative, or just plain weird.
The solution is a new model of how community activists can
elect candidates with integrity and keep them true to their ideals: the Voters'
Union.
How is the Voters' Union Different?
The voters' union is proactive, not passive. Instead of
waiting to see "who's running" and then asking if they're "good
or bad," we form a voters' union, write a contract ("platform")
and find a candidate and run their campaign.
There is one Voters' Union Committee for each race, each
seat. If multiple committees organize in different districts, they will be
autonomous, but work in coordination according to these principles.
Because the Voters' Union targets only voters with our
ideals, and registers new ones, our candidates won't have to hide their
principles, but openly run on them.
Because the Voters' Union candidates will appeal to and
motivate currently unregistered, inactive environmentalists to participate in
elections, it's possible our candidates could run in the June primary in all
three open districts no matter who else is running or not running against
incumbents. And it would be the wise decision to run in as many districts as
possible.
Our objective is to defeat entrenched incumbents by
increasing the total vote count so their support base falls to less than 50%,
forcing them into a November runoff.
What is the Voters Union Committee:
From 7-20 people (depending on the size of the jurisdiction)
who pledge to:
Do political work;
Raise funds;
Identify supporters and register new voters;
Send out mailers;
Get Out the Vote
The skills required to perform these tasks are within the
experience of any community activist, and can be easily taught. It's not
that difficult. Democrats do it all the time.
Is this a Green Party project?
No, the Voters Union Movement is nonpartisan. If it works,
perhaps the Green Party will take credit. If it fails, you can blame the Green
Party.
The Green Party's resources, as
well as information from ten years of past campaigns, will be used to elect
environmentalists to the Mendocino County board of supervisors.
What about Ukiah City Council;
Two seats are up next June on the Ukiah City Council. There
is no reason why the Voters Union model cannot work there as well. In that case
there will be one committee because the seats are "at large,"
involving the entire city. Their candidates will be a slate.
In 2006, a slate of three liberals: McCowen, Thomas and
Baldwin were elected saying their opponents planned an "right wing
extremist" takeover of city government. It is difficult to see how that
would have changed how the council has voted since then!
What are the Qualifications to be on a Voters Union Committee?
You do not have to be a "heavy hitter," a
"recognized leader" or a "big shot." Just be willing to do
what's needed to make the changes we all want to see.
Are you sufficiently capable of focused, sustained,
productive, goal directed work for months at a time? Or do you become confused,
discouraged, overwhelmed and alienated? Are you going to shy away from those who
have been branded "loose cannons" and "troublemakers," even
"radicals?"
What is Required of a Candidate?
The beauties of this model are:
Candidates do not have to be charismatic or people
of learning or leisure.
They do not even have to have their own money;
They do not have to hide their principles or appeal
to "the middle of the road." In fact, there is no such place in
Mendocino County.
They have to have full time to devote to the
campaign and to serving in office.
They must be capable of understanding legal and
planning issues as well as learn government procedures.
They must go to every conceivable meeting that bears on
the post they seek.
The candidate must respect the Platform and observe it as
a sacred contract with the voters.
The candidate if elected will nominate and promote
members of the Voters' Union Committee to citizen boards and commissions in
order to train new prospective candidates.
What if the Candidate betrays the Platform once in office?
They will not serve a subsequent term.
What will be required of me as a Voters Union Committee member?
Five to seven months of focused energy between now and June,
2008. Two to five hours of work or meetings per week. Financial contributions
depending on resources.
What are the rewards?
The satisfaction of experiencing community politics that
works. Changing the politics of Mendocino County. Realizing our vision of
sustainability. Showing the rest of America an example.
How do I learn more?
See www.mendocinocountry.com, or call 468-1009. Toll free at
800-464-0559.
Come to a meeting on Sunday, September 16 at 2pm at the
MENDOCINO COUNTRY newspaper office, 203 N. State Street in Ukiah. If the meeting
overflows, we will move to the Washington Mutual Community Room at Gobbi and
South State.
PLEASE RSVP by email or phone to attend this meeting.
POWER CONCEDES NOTHING WITHOUT STRUGGLE.
DARE TO STRUGGLE, DARE TO WIN!
www.stopcancer.com/revelations.htm
Real
I.D. Act signed by Pres. Bush - The right to buy and sell.
Martical Law Exercise 10/15 though 20 West Coast (Pacific)
Dear Fellow Environmentalist
The Eco Events have been updated on
www.mendocinocountry.com. We have had over 1,075
visitors now. This message reaches just under
1,000 readers. More updates will be posted in the
next few days and the paper edition will be
printed this week. Thanks to all who subscribed
for $20 a year. See below for the address. A good
investment in your consciousness.
9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
SMART GROWTH DEBUNKS RECALL RUMOR IN JOURNAL
The following news advisory was
published Sunday evening by Smart Growth
Coalition Ukiah. Below it is the KC Meadows' Blog
entry which is the subject of the advisory.
First of all, it is highly unethical and
unusual for an established community newspaper --
the only local daily -- to print sensation,
especially about public figures and important
organizations like SMGCU without checking their
truth. For KC to do so shows a basic lack of
respect for this organization which has been the
only mass based organization to address the
planning questions in Ukiah Valley we are all so
concerned about.
This is nothing short of a public
relations disaster for both organizations.
Secondly, that the rumor would include an
appearance by John McCowen to support such a
recall effort is highly indicative that it
originated not on the left but the right. Again,
McCowen has repeatedly refused to announce such a
candidacy even though it is widely expected. AND
knowing him well, he is much wiser than to get
involved with a risky venture like a recall
campaign that could easily spoil his chances of
winning the second district seat by creating
sympathy for Wattenburger. His style of
campaigning includes absolutely no hint of
confrontation, but does feature a lot of
coalition building. If he does run, and I hope he
does, he will pull a lot of conservative support
directly from Wattenburger's base.
With that as my clue, I would venture
that this rumor originated with Jim Wattenburger
himself who I suspect has ghost written some of
KC's stuff in the past, especially about
marijuana. It has his style.
Jim has distinguished himself by paranoid
statements on live radio talking about how the
crazies on the left are out to get him in some
physical way, apparently in order to generate
some sympathetic response in the public mind.
Instead, these statements themselves have raised
questions about Jim's mental stability and
fitness for office on that score.
I want to take this occasion while
speaking in defense of Smart Growth to say it
appears to be absolutely the case that this
organization has taken no actions or postions on
next year's elections. That's despite the fact
that electoral action has been recommended and
demanded over and over and over by its
membership. It's only logical.
What I can tell you is that other groups,
completely new formations which I encourged to
emerge, are taking action: writing platforms,
gathering support, looking for money. It is our
hope to secure the defeat of not only Jim
Wattenburger in 2008, but first district
supervisor Michael Delbar as well. For more
information on these exciting -- and true --
movements, contact me at the address below.
And for those who are contemplating
recall, the deadline for petitions to be turned
in for the February presidential primary is
October 15. In my mind, it's counterproductive.
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
SMART GROWTH STATEMENT
On the front page of the Ukiah Daily Journal on
Sunday, October 7, and in K.C. Meadows' blog, it
is incorrectly reported that the Ukiah Valley
Smart Growth Coalition is holding a meeting at
the Broiler Restaurant "to discuss launching a
recall effort against Ukiah Supervisor Jim
Wattenburger."
We have no idea where K.C. Meadows got this
incorrect information. There is no Coalition
meeting scheduled for the Broiler Restaurant.
The Coalition isn't involved in any recall
against Jim Wattenburger, and we know of no such
recall effort. Even if a recall effort
was practical, it would be a very questionable
action since Jim already faces a primary election
in June.
As you know, what the Coalition has done is to
send an Open Letter to Jim Wattenburger asking
him to reverse his August 21 vote designating
certain General Plan amendments as his "preferred
alternative." The Coalition hasn't taken any
actions or positions regarding next year's
Supervisor elections. Our Open Letter speaks
for itself and is posted at
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=gddkjfcab.0.mbdrjfcab.aokxgtbab.78&ts=S0287&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ukiahsmartgrowth.org%2Fhtml%2FopenLetter2.html>http://www.ukiahsmartgrowth.org/html/openLetter2.html
999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
In KC Meadows' Blog online at
http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com//ci_7112347?IADID=Search-www.ukiahdailyjournal.com-www.ukiahdailyjournal.com
Posted Sunday
I hear that there's a meeting scheduled next week
at the Broiler restaurant among the Ukiah Valley
Smart Growth people to discuss launching a recall
effort against Ukiah Supervisor Jim Wattenburger.
They're mad at him because they believe he will
be the swing vote in favor of the new mall at the
Masonite site. I understand City Councilman John
McCowen - who is involved with the UVSG group and
widely believed to be ready to run against
Wattenburger for a supervisor seat - will be on
hand. It would certainly be vastly easier for him
to push a recall effort and get his name on the
ballot to replace Wattenburger in the recall,
than to have to raise funds and run in the
primary and then possibly in a general election.
Or maybe the group is just putting this word out
around town to scare Wattenburger into voting
against the mall when the time comes.
--
RICHARD JOHNSON, 203 N. State Street, Ukiah
P.O. BOX 533, TALMAGE, CA 95481
(707) 468-1009 phone and fax; 800-464-0559www.mendocinocountry.com
MENDOCINO COUNTRY NEWSPAPERS
Dear Fellow Environmentalist:
There is a new article, even in the last hour.
Sorry abpout the bad URL. If you are a link clicker, click on this:
http://www.mendocinocountry.com/independent/portal_independent.html
Well I just got back from a wonderful
couple hours at 501 Low Gap Road, and it was
enough to give you hyperplexia. There was the
usual scrap among rug rats on the board about
whose water project gets an extra $20 grand
instead of whose conservation study.
It was the first day for the new CEO,
"Tom" Mitchell who stepped in with masterful
aplomb and told them to stop beating on Roland
Stanford and let him straighten everything out.
Wattenburger and Pinches threw their magic
markers up into the air with glee, while
Supervisor Smith who had been trying to corral
the dogies all afternoon burried her chin in one
hand with dispair.
Then they retired to a nearby conference
room for a reception for the new CEO who is tall,
handsome, golf course tanned, impeccably dressed
and drenched with corporate cultural charisma
soon to captivate the professional class in local
government. The room was full of department
heads, flunkies and wanna bees trying to catch a
few glimpses from the new phenom. John Mayfield
and his Employers Council enterage seemed to take
up the middle of the room.
Mitchell will now be picking the members
of the Blue Ribbon panel to review the supe
salaries.
Retiring Al Beltami, king of corruption
for 25 years in county government was so giddy at
being relieved of duty, he pinched my elbow. I
murmered if someone threw a bomb in, the whole
thing would have to start again. He looked at me
very pointedly and then laughed. Don't give
anyone any ideas, he chimed.
Just last week, I told him I wanted to be
named to the committee to review the supervisor
pay raises. I told him I would be the token
Communist. It made his day.
--
RICHARD JOHNSON, 203 N. State Street, Ukiah
P.O. BOX 533, TALMAGE, CA 95481
(707) 468-1009 phone and fax; 800-464-0559www.mendocinocountry.com
MENDOCINO COUNTRY NEWSPAPERS
Issue: Despite much discussion and study,
BOS failed to enact a grading ordinance to protect streams and creeks from silt
and wastes at construction site.
Platform: Protecting our waterways must be given
high priority.
Conditions
at County Jail:
Issue: Conditions at the woefully inadequate and
overcrowded county jail on Low Gap Road are inhumane and continue to
deteriorate.
Platform: A modern jail facility must be top
priority. The wisdom of relocating the county Hall of Justice to this new site
would be very costly and should not be used as an excuse to further delay
building a new jail. A recent death of an ill inmate as a result of inadequate
medical monitoring at the jail points up the urgency of action.
Affordable
Housing:
Issue: Low Cost housing has been required by State
law since 2004. The County has been out of compliance for years. A total of 1390
units are required in the unincorporated areas and 244 in the City of Ukiah. The
Court has the power to declare a moratorium on the issuance on new permits for
residential building. While agreement was reached that the County would
designation 50 acres for affordable housing by July 2007, but this has not been
accomplished. Low cost housing has been not included in the County General Plan
or in the UVAP. A hearing was set for September 7, 2007 but has been delayed.
The BOS seems to feel that the provision of affordable housing should be left to
future developers in exchange for reduction in the permitting coats. This
piecemeal approach does not respond to present housing needs and avoids the
countys responsibilities to the labor force it depends upon for harvesting of
its grapes and other high value crops.
Platform: Demand that affordable housing be included
in the General Plan and action taken now to move the process along. We cannot
allow low and moderate-income families to continue to live in substandard
dwellings.
Divert Eel River Water to Willits and Ukiah
Issue: Pinches has introduced a plan to transport
Eel River water by pipeline and tunnel to Willits and north Ukiah to be used in
new residential developments. The costs are estimated to be several hundred
million dollars.
Platform: Do not waste county money studying
grandiose water projects such as this unless they are assured funding by the
real estate developers that would benefit from this expanded water usage.
The
Energy Task Force Report
Issue: A ten-person team of citizens was appointed
by the BOS in 2006 to prepare a 20-year plan forecasting energy usage, energy
economics and recommending adjustments in our way of life to accommodate major
increases in the cost and availability of fossil fuels. The BOS advised their
Planning Team to consider only low cost solutions that were consistent with
market forces and not to include any sweeping changes. Consequently, the
recommendations now incorporated in UVAP and the General Plan for the County are
of limited value and in most cases mere stopgap measures that fail to plan for
the future.
Platform: These recommendations deserve serious
public debate and the exposure of the Supervisors positions on the key
recommendations
Enactment of Major Salary Increase for the BOS
Issue: The BOS granted themselves a $20,000 per year
increase in salaries without advance public notice and without independent
review by the Grand Jury or other independent body. In the face of public
outcry, the BOS revised the salary increase to eliminate its tie-in to those of
Municipal Judge and now are planning to have an independent review made.
Platform: While there may be justification for
increasing BOS salaries, it is unethical for them to grant themselves such
emoluments without prior outside review.
Travel Expenses for the BOS
Issue: Fictitious travel expense reports have become
the norm. No backup data is required and expenses are reimbursed without review.
Platform: All out-of-pocket expenses by Supervisors
must be justified and proven.
The Unexplained Dismissal of the County Executive
Issue The abrupt firing of CEO John Ball within a
month of his having received an excellent performance review has never been
explained to the public. The timing of his dismissal, several weeks after the
start of his third year with the county has cost us $179,000 in salary and
benefits for a year when he is no longer serving and has forced the county to
employ a temporary replacement CEO in the interim at high cost and limited
value.
Platform: The BOS must face up to this question, and
explain the motivation for their actions to an astonished public.
Rezoning the Masonite Site to Mixed Use for a Mega Mall
Issue: The BOS has rezoned this 300-acre site from
Industrial Use to Mixed Use (commercial and single/multi-family residential)
despite considerable public outcry. The new owner of the land, DDR plans a 500
to 700,000 square foot mega-mall on 60 acres of the site and has received
expressions of interest from Target and Gottschalks for Big-Box type store.
Platform: The BOS must move quickly to reverse the
trend towards relocating retail businesses away from Ukiah town center. Planning
studies show that the Ukiah Valley needs no more than 250,000 square feet of new
commercial space over the next several decades and commercially zoned land is
already available for this purpose. Further encroachment by Big Box emporiums
will take business away from responsible local businesses.
Attracting New Manufacturing to Ukiah Valley
Issue: No serious efforts have been made to attract
new manufacturing enterprises to Ukiah Valley. We have a considerable population
of the unemployed and the seasonally employed who live near to the poverty line.
Platform: With careful planning and marketing, we
can attract enterprises that meet local needs, are respectful of our
environmental concerns, and provide employment and social benefits. Such
manufacturers would reduce our present reliance upon manufactured goods and
foodstuffs that are trucked hundreds of miles at high fuel costs that are
reflected in the [prices we must pay in our markets and stores.
Richard Johnson <richard@mendocinocountry.com> wrote:
HOW TO DEVELOP A PLATFORM
A political platform has 2 parts, the whereas and the resolved.
The first is the problem statement. The
second presents the solutions. They can be
general policies or specific programs or
positions the candidate is to take.
I would expect that our committees would
adopt platforms which state the set of problems
we discussed. Starting from the most recent that
would be:
Blowing the General Plan update,
Burying the Energy Task Force Report;
Dos Rios Diversion
Jail Inmate Death cause by Bad Conditions
UVAP EIR
Impeach Cheney Resolution
Measure G Violations
Energy Task Force Report
Mental Health Cutbacks
Affordable Housing
Supervisor Wages and Travel Scandal
County Worker Health Plan Canceled
Grading Ordinance
County Workers
County Attorneys
DA Election
Delbar e-mails
CEO Fiasco
Impacts from Restructuring County Deparmtnets
--
RICHARD JOHNSON, 203 N. State Street, Ukiah
P.O. BOX 533, TALMAGE, CA 95481
(707) 468-1009 phone and fax; 800-464-0559www.mendocinocountry.com
MENDOCINO COUNTRY NEWSPAPERS
Be a better Globetrotter.
<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=48254/*http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/_ylc=X3oDMTI5MGx2aThyBF9TAzIxMTU1MDAzNTIEX3MDMzk2NTQ1MTAzBHNlYwNCQUJwaWxsYXJfTklfMzYwBHNsawNQcm9kdWN0X3F1ZXN0aW9uX3BhZ2U-?link=list&sid=396545469>Get
better travel answers from someone who knows.
Yahoo! Answers - Check it out.
--
RICHARD JOHNSON, 203 N. State Street, Ukiah
P.O. BOX 533, TALMAGE, CA 95481
(707) 468-1009 phone and fax; 800-464-0559www.mendocinocountry.com
MENDOCINO COUNTRY NEWSPAPERS
Dear Fellow Conspirators
Here are the 2004 results in the first and second districts
FIRST DISTRICT PRIMARY GENERAL
Irma Turner 1170 23.12%
Joe Louis Wildman 1431 28.28% 3238 45.3%
Mike Delbar 2451 48.43% 3884 54.34% 646 vote difference
SECOND DISTRICT
Richard Shoemaker 1767 41.32% 3108 49.75%
Jim Wattenburger 1977 46.23%
3113 49.83% five vote difference
Phil Baldwin 515 12.04% 26 write in votes
In both elections, there were 2 challengers and
the incumbent had to stand again in the general.
In both elections substantially more voters went
to the polls because it was a presidential
election, as it will be next year.
POLITICS 101;
In the absence of a major scandal, it is
axiomatic that the incumbent will defeat any
single challenger with the momentum of a
conservative electorate which abhors making blind
decisions that have the potential of bringing
chaos into their lives. If the last four years
did not bring them anything bad from their
supervisor, they are likely to pick him again.
Only when there are two or more
challengers, one of which brings in new primary
voters sufficient to dilute the challenger's
customary support base can the incumbent be
forced to stand again in the general.
In the general election, IF there are
significant numbers of voters who did not vote in
the primary and who are inclined to support the
challenger who got the second highest number of
votes in the primary, AND if that challenger can
bring on the support of those who voted for the
third candidate, AND if they employ superior get
out the vote practices, THEN the incumbent can be
defeated.
In the examples above, Delbar and
Shoemaker were incumbents, Wildman and
Wattenburger were the second highest vote getting
challengers, and Turner and Baldwin played
spoilers. Wattenburger was lucky there was
resentment against Shoemaker for various reasons.
Look how write ins exceeded the difference
between them.
In the first district, Wildman simply did
not implement GOTV practices he knew he needed to
employ in order to win. Emotional malaise caught
up with him in the final stage of the campaign. A
more engaged and empowered campaign committee
might have made the difference. In addition, Joe
Louis simply brought up no real issues to
challenge Delbar, and passed up using the one
that might have had traction: the push poll.
--
RICHARD JOHNSON, 203 N. State Street, Ukiah
P.O. BOX 533, TALMAGE, CA 95481
(707) 468-1009 phone and fax; 800-464-0559www.mendocinocountry.com
MENDOCINO COUNTRY NEWSPAPERS
... time comes. -- RICHARDJOHNSON,
203 N. State Street, Ukiah P.O. BOX 533, TALMAGE, CA 95481 (707)
468-1009 phone and fax; 800-464-0559 www.mendocinocountry ...
... comment and editing. Please add whatever you wish - make it in
bold type so that I can differentiate. I need help on some of RichardJohnson's issues at the bottom that I have little
knowledge about. Send your comments this week so I may incorporate them
into next week ...
... Seasonal Rhythms through Festival and Ceremony by Heinberg, Richard,
Publisher: Theosophical Publishing House, 1993 ISBN: 0835606937 ...
Hutter, ISBN: not available 57) Celebrating the Great Mother by Johnson,
Ciat and Maura D. Shaw, Publisher: not available, ISBN: 08928155907 ...
Info received today from RichardJohnson.
We need to get the previous 3 or 4 elections as well so we ... poll. --
????????????????????????????????????????????????? RICHARDJOHNSON, 203 N. State Street, Ukiah P.O. BOX 533,
TALMAGE, CA 95481 ...
... and there it is. We can also look up 2000 election in which
Delbar only had one opponent. Thanks Richard, God
bless, Wayne Graham RichardJohnson
<richard@mendocinocountry.com> wrote: HOW TO
DEVELOP A PLATFORM A political platform has 2 parts, the whereas and the
resolved ...
... 7:03 PM Subject: Re: Voters Union District #1 ` Hi All, Thanks
for the notes Jim. I received an email today from RichardJohnson about wanting a report of the happenings at our
1st meeting. What do y'all suggest? Do you prefer that we not send ...
... for the notes Jim. I received an email today from RichardJohnson about wanting a report of the happenings at our
1st ... RICHARDJOHNSON, 203 N. State
Street, Ukiah P.O. BOX 533, TALMAGE ...
... reference to Voters Union. Voting Patterns and Turnout Wayne
Graham (463-0262) to go through the voting records in RichardJohnson's office We need to know percent turnout in
last 12 years elections - as a percent of registered voters and as a ...
... strong and honest and attractive. But then perhaps I am wrong in
saying what my experience has been.....I phoned RichardJohnson and he asked me to write him. I would ask Richard
to have others on this email list to make some comments about these ...
Hi Everyone, Hopefully, y'all received an email from RichardJohnson yesterday about the upcoming voters' union
meeting ... Especially please comment on whether or not to invite Richard
to our first meeting. I hope you will invite a few more ...
... let a little cat out of bag the My movie tour will have korey johnson
and john haremza and dave jordan in the back office and a 3 ... tomorrow
night, September 18 th to find out. Join Eddie Stone and Richard
Alianiello on a special conference call to announce the Top ...
For one night only, the number of Mendocino County supervisors was
ceremonially increased by six while eliminating the votes of two of its five
districts.
In what could be the only chance for some of those assembled in front of
the Ukiah City Council chambers to be addressed as supervisors, the 11
candidates vying for the three positions in contention in the June primary
participated in a mock board meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
The candidate forum was well attended and was co-sponsored by the
Employers Council of Mendocino County, the Greater Ukiah Chamber of Commerce
and the North Coast Builders Exchange.
As audience members entered the chambers they were issued a pair of cards
identical to those given to each candidate.
Dolly Brown - 1st District Candidate
The cards were used by those gathered to express their feelings about a trio
of issues including Measure B, land use and tax sharing.
After each motion was posed, the candidates had a chance to hold up
either the "oppose" card with a red cartoon down-turned thumb
pictured or the green "support" thumbs up card. The candidates
then each had a chance to explain their views before audience members were
allowed to display their opinions.
Kathy Lehner, moderator and Mendocino College president, said the event
was unlike other candidate forums.
"I will be serving as board chair for this meeting, which will
remind me why I'm the moderator and not a supervisor," she said before
introducing the first item up for discussion, Measure B.
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Brown, 1st District candidate, said she believed in the healing qualities of
cannabis, but that the voter approved initiative surrounding it had failed.
"I do have compassion for the use of medical marijuana, however I
feel Measure G has not worked for this county," she said after holding
up her "support" card. "It is a public health and safety
issue."
Michael Delbar, current 1st District supervisor, said he voted for the
measure because of his concern over the widespread commercial growing
Jimmy Rickel - 1st District Candidate
operations.
"It's a very difficult widespread issue," he said. "It's
not a medical marijuana issue. That access is there, and this ordinance does
nothing to prohibit that."
Dolly Brown, another 1st District candidate, said the number of
nonviolent drug offenders crowding the county's jail was a drain on its
resources.
"I don't smoke pot, but I'm a problem solver, and Measure B is not a
solution," she said.
John McCowen, 2nd District candidate, said the original intent of the
ballot initiative had been subverted.
"I think we're all aware of how Measure G has turned out," he
said. "Measure G has turned out to be an invitation to the nation to
grow here commercially. Measure B is a very reasonable response to
that."
When asked,
Ukiah Sativa Morrison - 1st District Candidate
around 75 percent of the audience held up their green signs in support of
the measure.
Lehner then moved the conversation to whether or not zoning changes
should be made by the county as needed.
"I think that it is unnecessary at this time," said Ukiah
Sativa Morrison, 1st District candidate, favoring a hemp recycling plant
using the current industrial zoning at the former Masonite property.
"Our land is sacred. We need to make the most of it. We don't have to
bring in these jobs from somewhere else."
Ross Mayfield Jr., 2nd District candidate, said he wanted the option to
change the zoning to suit the area's ever-altering demands.
"As needed," he said, emphasizing a phrase from the question
posed by Lehner. "Change is required
mike delbar - 1st District Candidate
in zoning. Change is a part of life. We need jobs in our economy. We need to
be able to make those changes."
Estelle Palley Clifton, another 2nd District candidate, said the need for
rezoning was not apparent.
"That soil is gold," she said. "Currently we do not need
to rezone our agriculture. The motion was phrased as needed and has been
shown as not being needed. There is no need at this time."
At around this point, the meeting was temporarily halted when it was
announced that a "red Firebird" was illegally parked and was about
to be towed. Jimmy Rickel, 1st District candidate, then jumped from his seat
and walked briskly toward the exit, keys in hand.
Before moving to the topic of sales tax sharing, audience members made it
known they were more divided on the idea of zoning changes, with just over
two-thirds of the crowd giving the prospect the red card.
"I support the conceptual idea of revenue sharing," said Rickel
upon his return.
Audience members made the proceedings a sea of green as they held high
their support of the idea of sales tax revenue sharing.
After retiring the cards, the candidates were asked to give their
opinions on the current government budget crisis.
"We've got very few people trying to feed this big machine,"
said Jim Mulheren, 2nd District candidate, referring to the sparse
population of the county. "The private businesses people are also
suffering. Everything is going up. We're all sharing the pain."
Paula Deeter, 4th District candidate, said she would try to deal with the
financial constraints by clearing up redundancies wherever possible.
"I think what we need to do is look at administration and management
positions," she said. "We need to see if there are any jobs that
could be combined."
Kendall Smith, 4th District supervisor, said she was proud of the
progress the board had made during her tenure with concern to how the county
spent its money.
"This is going to be an extremely challenging year," she said.
"I think that we have made some excellent progress on the board in
reference to budget transparency. In the past, supervisors were not aware of
what the true debt is."
Rob Burgess can be reached at udjrb@pacific.net.
Paula Deeter and Kendall Smith, both running for 4th District
supervisor.