Pubdate: Thu, 26 May 2016
Source: Chico Enterprise-Record (CA)
Copyright: 2016 Chico Enterprise-Record
Contact:  http://www.chicoer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/861
Note: Letters from newspaper's circulation area receive publishing priority
Author: Jessica MacKenzie

SUPERVISORS' MEASURE G A WASTE OF TAXPAYER MONEY

On Jan. 12, Butte County supervisors considered a request from 
development services to add a single sentence to our Right to Farm 
ordinance, a sentence that would specifically exclude cannabis 
farmers from its protections.

Here's the problem. Our Right to Farm ordinance offers protection for 
agricultural operations only when "such operation complies with the 
requirements of all federal, state and county statutes ..." So, 
cannabis farmers are already excluded.

At their Jan. 25 meeting, despite public comments against the 
redundancy, the board voted to approve. Four weeks after that, 
despite protesting signatures from over 13,000 voters, and in a move 
that Candace Grubbs' staff report said would cost between $30,000 and 
$40,000, the board chose to place it on the ballot.

Director of Development Services Tim Snellings agreed that the 
existing wording of the Right to Farm ordinance does exclude 
marijuana, but added: "Whenever possible, we want to be as clear as we can."

So, we taxpayers get to spend between $30,000 and $40,000 to add one 
inconsequential sentence, just for "clarity." Today, cannabis farmers 
are excluded from the protections of the Right to Farm. The day after 
the election - whether Measure G passes or fails - they will still be excluded.

Where is the common sense in this? How is this good government? How 
does this benefit anyone? And why should we meet such fiscal 
foolishness with anything other than disapproval. We should not. It 
deserves a resounding vote of no on Measure G.

- - Jessica MacKenzie, Chico
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom