4/24/13 -- Vallejo PD nab suspected North Vallejo Little League shooter. Press release HERE

4/24/13 -- New Farmers' Market in Vallejo

 Omega Certified Farmers' Market    

Continentals of Omega Boys and Girls Club to hold Farmers' Market on Wednesdays at the Boys and Girls Club: 1 Positive Place -- Vallejo CA 94590 -- Starting TONIGHT 4/24/13 from 3-7 PM and every Wednesday through 10/30/13. INFO: contact Wendy Jones 707-643-1728 -- This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

www.omegaboysandgirlsclub.com              

Community Forum Fairgrounds Redevelopment Project (Solano360)
With more than $90 million in public funds at stake, a development agreement that commits up to 97% of sales tax revenue to the project, and major changes being made to the General Plan, this is a vital issue to Vallejo residents.
Come learn about financial, environmental and community impacts---and make your voice heard. Together we can make a difference.
When:  Thursday, April 25, 7--9 pm    Where:  Dance Unlimited, 510 Georgia St, Vallejo  
10 minutes, Welcome and Introduction, Doug Darling of Friends of Lake Chabot
20 minutes, Overview of Project Finances, Dan Levin
20 minutes, Environmental Issues, Anthony Adams
question and answer and discussion period to follow
Can't make it?  Please show up at Monday's Planning Commission Meeting
(4/29) at City Hall.  Bring a friend. Speak out or just be there to support
your friends and neighbors.

The Attitude Has to GO

4/24/13

By Jim Davis

 The council has extended the moratorium on cannabis dispensaries.  What does this mean in practical terms?  Not much, other than the inability of patients to get their cannabis and the loss of more revenue to the city.  The city’s fantasy about dispensaries disappearing into thin air is not likely to materialize.  The whole state voted to allow them.  The whole city voted to tax them.  Our recalcitrant leaders will have to accept those facts sooner or later.  Sooner would be better. 

Seventeen years after the state approved the sale of medical cannabis (1996), the city is still unable to write regulations governing these businesses.  The city is collecting taxes from them, but it persists with its “illegal” arguments, more a moral feeling than a legal analysis.  The term “city” for our purposes means the city attorney, city manager, and every council member--nary a dissenter among them.  This crew has tried everything but regulation, taking the position from the beginning that dispensaries are “illegal”—arguing that dispensaries are not permitted in Vallejo, notwithstanding state law, because we don’t list them in our ordinance; seeking injunctions against the dispensaries (which was very expensive and time consuming, as dispensaries continued to grow like mushrooms, without the slightest regulation—the crew was afraid that if they regulated dispensaries they would be admitting that they are legal); and subverting justice by pretending that the operators are criminals, arresting them, putting them in jail, requiring them to pay bail and thousands of dollars in attorney fees, and taking all their stuff—cannabis products, cash, computers, and records.  All of the prosecutions were dismissed or dropped, because they were based on the crew’s misguided notion of morality, not law; so much for the city’s sterling legal team.  The “illegal” crew seems determined to do anything to deny the city revenue from these dispensaries.

The crew’s claim that it is too complicated to regulate is misguided, despite the tempest of litigation in this area.  The law says plainly that the people have a right to sell and buy this stuff.  The law is plain and simple; indeed, so plain and simple no one knows how to do it (the law doesn’t spell it out, although a subsequent law did spell out more and the Attorney General added her own thoughts).  How dispensaries should be operated can be worked out if the city hires a “drug czar,” a member of the city manager’s office who helps these businesses operate responsibly, with active inspections and citations if necessary, thus contributing to the health, safety, and welfare of the community (not to mention complying with the law).  Will the city be sued if it issues a regulation?  Sure.  It will be sued even if the crew spends the next decade writing a regulation.  The trick is to make the cannabis users pay for both the regulation and any ensuing litigation, not us.

The attitude has to go.

Note: All opinions expressed in the "Primal Scream" column are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the Vallejo Independent Bulletin

Comments

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Anonymous   |April.25.2013 Really, Jim. Your suggestion is for the city to hire a "drug czar?"

Anonymous   |April.25.2013 Come on... a 45 day moratorium? Some cities have said no completely, or placed 1 or 2 year moratoriums, if that is what the city actually wants to do. There are liability issues to the City, Jim. The Feds are actually working to close them down --- not legal on the federal side. And the selling is for medicinal purposes which is not always who is buying or the business selling. It's the "hush/hush/ wink- wink" I've got anxiety or stress so need my pot. We don't have enough sick people to warrant 20 dispensaries. There are issues, but I question the 45 days and why now?.

Video for the Forum   |April.25.2013 re: Community Forum Fairgrounds Redevelopment Project (Solano360) Is it possible to record a video for tonight's forum? I will be there, I can watch the machine but I do not have a video camera.

wharf rat   |April.25.2013 how about the over 200 churches that pay no taxes at least the pot market kicked in $340,000 a portion of which should be set aside for Senior programs imo

Jim Davis   |April.25.2013 Dear Your Fact Is Wrong: No, I did not attend the council meeting. I called the government Wednesday morning and was advised that the moratorium had "been extended." The spokesman would not disclose his name because he was not authorized to speak for the government. Whether the moratorium was extended or brand new does not make a lot of difference. Thank you for the site to the council meeting. I listened to most of the moratorium discussion, but it stopped working before the vote. Council member Brown made her position clear: She does not want to ban dispensaries, she wants them regulated, and that is why she voted for the moratorium. She's gutsy, but a little late. We're getting a moratorium so the city can write a regulation limiting the number, location, and operation of the dispensaries. Jeez, the law was passed seventeen years ago and we've ignored it blatantly, turning this regulatory matter into a pretend crime. Now they are going to regulate. Duh! And the rest of the council still doesn't get it. Hats off to city attorney Quintans; she made the most intelligent statement of the evening: "We've learned there are risks in approving dispensaries and risks in prohibiting dispensaries." She didn't observe that one of those risks brings us money and the other does not. The moratorium is inconsequential. The city doesn't need more time to write a regulation; it needs more gumption and determination. And it needs to stop calling dispensaries "illegal." They set six months as the time needed to write a regulation. That's excessive, but better than nothing. Xerox the Oakland regulation, change the names, and issue it next week. This has gone beyond ridiculous. Thank you all for your input. Love, Jim

Anonymous   |April.25.2013 There are over 150 alcohol outlets in Vallejo.

Mr :)   |April.25.2013 "30 dispensaries? That's probably more than the number of drug stores in town." Closing down the larger dispensaries is the cause. If the city allowed the large dispensaries to prosper they would have put the smaller less well run places out of business. So a myriad of small poorly financed crummy businesses selling MMJ is currently public policy. The larger MMDs would also have attracted a better clientele with more money to spend elsewhere, while they were in town. "the city has collected over $340,000 in taxes from medical marijuana so far." I wonder how much in protection money the illegal trade pays? Probably more than $350k.

Anonymous   |April.25.2013 how many alcohol sellers do we have in vallejo how many alcohol sellers do we have in vallejo?

Poppy   |April.25.2013 @WR, did you miss the fact that the council didnt let staff let the No. Vallejo senior meals die? They proposed to let it quietly go away and give that $15,000 to the other programs. But to the obvious consternation of the dour man from housing, the council set that $15,000 aside and told staff to figure out how to feed these people. I agree with you, they deserve it! Thank you council. @Jim, come on dude, watch the meeting before spouting off like this. It makes you look idiotic and spreads misinformation. @Firebug, agreed! Now tell Hannigan to do her damn job and represent us.

Too many dispensaries   |April.25.2013 30 dispensaries? That's probably more than the number of drug stores in town. I'd love to know how many of the "medical" prescriptions are for a bonafide medical need. I suspect the majority of the scripts are based on a very loose interpretation of "medical need." To be fair, I'm not in favor of marijuana, and especially not this middle path of semi-legal. Either do the work to study it and legalize it altogether (plus regulate & tax it), or ban it. At any rate, 30 dispensaries for a city of our size is too many. The city is right to try to constrain them, but I do wonder why they don't just follow the up-county cities and ban the dispensaries.

wharf rat   |April.24.2013 Jim WADR you have missed the the whole enchilada ! The Senior Nutrition/feeding program at north vallejo died a silent death , for lack of $ 15,000 per year . This was probably one of the most cost effective Public programs in history. All the PEOPLE who enjoyed the hot food and the Fellowship are now home bound ! .These People are Our Mothers and Fathers the ones that raised Us and built this Country , built the War machine that defeated tyrants and never whimpered about the conditions imposed upon them . My Grandmother died with Nazi shrapnel in Her Body and My Mother still lives with the Nightmares of the Bomb impacts tossing them around like rag dolls in their bomb shelter .. what is so pathetic is the wholesale , coldness expressed by the holders of the purse , the very ones who have profited from the contributions of the many before them .. While City projects go to above 200 % over budget while sucking up over 30 % of budget for routine projects , the concept of outsourcing looms over any other possible options .. to check this Cabal .. $ 15,000 to feed the north area Seniors "per Year" when Police Officers receive over $ 225,000 per year with 100 % medical , and CAMP rakes in huge base pay with elusive "other" payments .. THESE SENIORS HAVE PAYED FOR THIS WHOLE THING by paying their taxes for decades , along with the inflated services that we all pay , with no break for the single household Seniors who must "buy" a 35 gallon garbage wheeler , even though they have only a small Garbage bag every two weeks ... CORRUPTION OR MOB MANAGEMENT !! definitions mean s**t ... OUTCOMES RULE THE TIME IS NOW FOR THE PEOPLE TO TAKE BACK THEIR DESTINEY....We own our garbage until it is placed in a "COMPANY" container .... Otherwise it is our property , for all those that produce small amounts of refuse , you have the legal right to contract with a responsible party to manage your waste. Cov thinks that their franchise crap excludes our ownership of our garbage when in fact when 80 % of it will be re-cycled , it becomes a commodity !!! with no re-payment to the ones that contributed to the Gross material ... The Garbage ripoff must stop ,,, Seniors must unite ..

Your fact is wrong   |April.24.2013 re: moratorium on cannabis dispensaries Jim, Did you just write this up from the sound of it? Obviously, you were not at the meeting. I was not at the meeting either but I watched it on the internet. It is still not too late for you to watch it too. The video is available at: http://ci.vallejo.ca.us/cms/one.aspx?objectId=22200

Firebug   |April.24.2013 Speaking of facilities that contribute to increasing crime.....why not a moratorium on parole centers.

Anonymous   |April.24.2013 Vallejo MUST ban MMDs period. Benicia, Fairfield, Suisun City, Vacaville, Dixon and Rio Vista ALL have banned MMDs. Why is Vallejo on the stupid???

Anonymous   |April.24.2013 This whole fiasco points to the inevitable truth that the legal dispenseries were cutting into the VPD's racketeering profits as wink-wink participant in illegal drug dealing and prostitution. Why else would they go after the legal business people and continue to turn a blind eye to the open illegal drug dealing and protitution on every corner? The VPD didn't get their cut of the profits.

jorge e   |April.24.2013 I agree its time to regulate the dispensaries we have been asking for this since day 1 and the only reason they are taking this position is becouse they failed to prosecute us however they succefully got us to loss hundreds of thousands of dollars in litigation,bail,and loss of products employess were on unemployment,patients cultivators were never reinburst Dispensaries are NOT ILLEGAL THEY ARE VERY LEGAL if they were elegal there would not be thousands all over california and the city knows it there is a political agenda on trying to get these buisness out but thats not going to happen and hopefully the patients get involved more in politics in the city and chose the right representitives or participate in elections themselves theres a race coming up and hopefully we get reps that really represent there constituents

Anonymous   |April.24.2013 Well, your facts are wrong once again, Jim. There was no moratorium, so they didn't extend it last night. And the moratorium won't prevent patients from getting their medical marijuana. The moratorium does not close down the 11 (10? Can't remember what they said) operating dispensaries. It also won't revoke the licenses of the 30 dispensaries who are paying taxes. I think the staff person said the city has collected over $340,000 in taxes from medical marijuana so far. Not every council member is against the dispensaries. Osby and Hermie have made it clear they want them banned and closed (I wonder if Osby was involved in getting Nichelini to do the raids?). The other council members (excluding Malgapo, who has yet to declare his position) have supported medical marijuana dispensaries, but with regulation limiting their locations and the numbers of them. I think the old city attorney was the one throwing up his hands and saying the city couldn't regulate it. Now the city seems to be finally taking action, and this resident is happy about it. 11 dispensaries in Vallejo is too many, and 30 is just ridiculous. It's time to regulate.

AnnoyII   |April.24.2013 How dispensaries should be operated can be worked out if the city hires a

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