Staff Report
As election season begins and yard signs for candidates pop up all throughout town, many Benicians may be trying to decide which of the four City Council candidates to vote for. For those trying to get a sense of where the candidates stand on certain issues, the Chamber of Commerce will be providing an opportunity to hear those issues discussed right from the candidates’ mouths.
Once again, the Chamber of Commerce Business Advocacy Committee will be hosting a Candidate’s Night at City Hall. All four council candidates have been invited to answer questions on the issues Benicians are most concerned about these days. Residents and voters will also be able to get a background of those running to serve them. The candidates in the council election are Planning Commission Chair Kari Birdseye, retired carpenter William Emes, Economic Development Board Chair Lionel Largaespada and former Councilmember Christina Strawbridge.
The forum will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12 at the City Hall Council Chambers, located at 250 East L St. Admission is free, and the forum will also be televised locally on Channel 27. For more information, call the Chamber of Commerce office at 745-2120.
The election is Tuesday, Nov. 6.
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“As an emerging industry, we are actively exploring ways that the (Sacramento) Metro Chamber can engage, and support, this sector of the ag industry,”
Our Chamber should be sure to address the cannabis economic frontier underway now. Let’s use this valuable opportunity to get a definitive position on the green elephant in the room. No more time for surveys and studies, it’s on now. “How will you assure this business sector thrives in our community?”
“Do you support Measure E?”
Cannabusiness entrepreneurs are members of Chambers all over the country. They are going to be members of ours as well. You will love the mixers hosted by cannabusiness. Could be some infused wine from Mondavi served.
Here is another savvy Chamber in Sacramento. The photo omits ID of California BCC Chief Lori Ajax.
https://tinyurl.com/y9lyt8ta
Sure. Great. I’m all in. Any tax base is a positive for California at this point.
But be aware! If you are successful … the politicians in Sacramento will tax you out of existence!! They will regulate you to the point you won’t be able to profit. This is California today; tax, regulate, and control.
And many Californians will support the effort to bankrupt you. That is the California Way!
wood B interesting to hear the candidates. A forum venue is OK, I guess, but it’d be nice to have Bob “the Owl” and Thomas Petersen as a panel to ask questions of the candidates instead. Now that’d be lively and probably beat the Giants game in ratings.
Yes it wood B. Thanks for the shout out. It would also be interesting to have Speaker to Vegetables there, replete in his mask a cape.
That wood knot B very entertaining since the Speaker does not deign to mingle with vegetables, only speak to them.
I agree with that. When do we start. thanks for the compliment.
Another hot topic is the fate of the Seeno property. We don’t need to build anything there. The correct answer is to change the zoning to ag and let Seeno grow cannabis to make money in perpetuity, if they so choose. If not, the status quo is fine. We have known advocates for more new homes on the ballot, or expanded commercial. We have enough commercial vacancies as it is downwind of the refinery. Our home values are going straight up because of short supply in the Bay Area.
Stan you are not even close to what is needed in this very fine city. No one wants 900 homes as vice Mayor said would happen ,and even campaigned on it. The land will be developed as possibly as
a mini Del Web, commercial and possibly a car agency selling under one roof only electric and hybrid cars. Also a campus like area all around with ,pathways etc. That is a property that must be developed. Your idea of ag and let Seeno grow cannabis is Loony Tunes. What do you want an over 500 acre property with guards and all fenced in for safety and security. Just what we need a prison like farm.
Bob, Why don’t poor and hungry people just live in agricultural areas where they can go over to an orchard or row crops and just take what they need, is it because the armed guards?
Stupid comment Thomas. Just where have been. Do you believe there is a difference between orchards or row crops and Cannabis growing in an open field. Apparently not. Now watch Thomas come back with another loony tunes comment.
Could you possibly answer a question w/o sounding like a petulant child? How about you go pound sand, you feeble-minded twit.
Thomas I answered that question to Stan in that way because of what Stan wanted to grow on the Seeno property. I hope you understand that an open field over 500 acres of cannabis without security is a big danger to this city. I further made a suggestion on what to do.. It had nothing to do with your comment until you made a very negative comment back to me. You knew I was not talking about orchards or row crops. You just wanted to give a very sarcastic and negative comment back to me. So you got a very honest answer. I also knew you would come back the way you did. I guess I should know by now you are very thin skinned.
Bob,
I don’t think you actually answered my question.
My point was,, people will steal regardless of what the items/products are. However, although that maybe the case for agricultural products/areas, it is not a rampant problem. As an aside, if there were to be a grow operation far off in the hills of Benicia, and there was rampant theft occurring at the grow operation, that would be a problem for the operators, no?. How would it effect you? Or, the quality of life in Benicia.
Security can take many forms (electronic barrier, etc.) I think that jumping to the extremes like an army of prison guards in a prison setting is extreme. Security is not a bad thing.
Again, how is having a grow operation a danger to Benicia. That seems like a scare tactic. Please explain.
“an open field over 500 acres of cannabis” – MedMan does not say anything about this in this thread. . In fact on other threads I recall Stan talking about interior or greenhouse operations.
Finally, no, I’m no more thin skinned than you Bob. Very negative comments (like the one you made) will get negative comment back. I believe you can understand that.
I do hope you can show some integrity and actually think about what I’ve asked, rather than replying in a a reactionary/insulting fashion. We will see.
You are one of just a few posters here I read. The trolls love to attack the idea of a 500 acre grow, but I have previously advocated for several small plots of varied cultivars, either outdoors, or greenhouse. All the people I know on the cultivation side deploy both high tech security as well as low tech canine-based systems.
Some of the cultivators use retired police and military canines and maintain their health with veterinary cannabis as necessary.
Woof!
https://paladink9.com/cannabis-security-dogs/
Who is going to monitor this forum. Will questions only be asked as presented by the audience or will the monitor have a set of questions for all candidates.
We have not heard from two of the candidates about the ISO. A question about the port tax should also be part of the program. So far, I’m only voting for one candidate.
Stan ask any questions you have on Sept 12 at candidates night. You may want to ask your candidate how she will fund the CalPers huge yearly total which ,goes up each year at about over 7 hundred thousand a year and will be about 15 mil by 2031 .
Thomas I answer to exactly what Stan said. He used the term ag and growing. I did not jump to extremes. I never said like a prison.; I said fenced in with guards. Cannabis is a wanted product on the open black market and would be open to thieves. Just who is kidding who. My comment was for ag growing of cannabis and it could be a threat of crime just like if they jumped some ones yard fence and stole the cannabis from a home garden…That is a fact and yes the grower would have the responsibility of the grower for security and it would be a threat to all residence of this fine city if not protected properly. You included.
Same argument could be made to Napa, correct? You can drive right by wineries in which their products are incredibly valuable. Even just the grape plants themselves are unique strains, worth plenty before alcohol production.
No you cannot. Cannabis is in many cases ready to use. Why do folks grow it a home. Big difference.
Ready to use? How so? If it hasn’t been dried/cured it’s immensely ineffective.
how do you know. Black market will have it ready PRONTO
“Hvae it ready”? How do you mean?
Get woke BB
??? I don’t think you understand what “woke” means.
If I do not then you tell me what it means. Do you know?
Depends on which meaning you want to use. T heres the past tense of “wake”. Or there’s “Woke is a slang term that is easing into the mainstream from some varieties of a dialect called African American Vernacular English (sometimes called AAVE). In AAVE, awake is often rendered as woke, as in, “I was sleeping, but now I’m woke.”
It also is used to frequently imply awareness of social issues, particularly those that have to do with racial or social inequality.
Your definition is right out of Wikopedia. Get Woke.
Not Wikipedia actually. merriam-webster, actually. It’s neat you keep using the word. Have you gotten to a Nike store to pick up your Colin Kaepernick merch yet?
Nailed it, B.B.
Yes B B Wikipedia. Go read and get woke. The left the room agent is back.
Another “WTH?” from the “IDK”-guy.
B.B., you are correct.
“and it would be a threat to all residence”. Name the “threat” specifically. Unless a resident is growing in an unsecured area, there is no threat (in this case theft) to anyone else.
If we want revenue, the best return on land usage is development. Housing projects. The team return would far exceed agriculture.
Considering the looming deficits, we should build on Seeno property. Agriculture is a waste. City needs revenue. Either we build or Benicia citizens will need to pay a lot more in taxes.
City farming is not only possible, it is the very definition of the kind of meaningful, sustainable innovation we will need to meet the grand challenges of the 21st century: climate change; population growth; ageing population; urbanization; rising demand for energy, food and water; poverty; and access to healthcare.
Pie in the sky vs. reality.
Climate change, population growth, aging demographics … all theoretical problems seeking a supposed solution. History shows that all these issues will either solve themselves or never materialize. Witness the 1970’s and “Global Cooling” panic, The Population Bomb that was suppose to destroy the world in the 1990’s, Future Shock … 1984 …. all silly conjecture.
The budget disaster for CA is real. Our city coffers will be hit by an additional $10 million annually by 2025. This isn’t pie in the sky … this is real. We must find revenue. The surest way to secure the funds is development.
And it certainly doesn’t involve shutting down Valero!
The amount of detailed information which an individual has at his command and his theoretical elaborations of the same are mutually dependent; they grow in and through each other.
Yah, SO?
What you have said is ignorance is bliss, since ignorance means few chances to elaborate on no data. The other hand is the more you know, the more BS you can invent in your creative interpretations of fact.
Truth will always be truth, regardless of lack of understanding, disbelief or ignorance.
You don’t say!
Whoa. Convoluted simpleton comment. The last refuge of someone who cannot answer logic.
Simple straightforward question … do you believe that private farming or agriculture of the Seeno properties will generate enough revenue to pay for the very real $10 million deficit Benicia is facing to fun the CalPERS expenditures?
If so, please give us quantitative data that private farming revenues will exceed new housing property taxes.
Or are we still dealing with your esoteric, pie in the sky blather?
“Whoa. Convoluted simpleton comment. The last refuge of someone who cannot answer logic.” Nice!!
I never made any comment on how Seeno should be or should not be developed. If you use your superior logic, you’d be able to go through the comments and recognize that, You make the same mistake of making assumptions, and pulling arguments out of thin air, over and over again.
To summarize, the simple truth is your simple straightforward question has nothing to do with how this thread began. It’s been fun. Thanks for playing. LOL!!
Thomas wise move to move on. You are getting slammed and you do not like. So it is a good idea to saddle up and move on.
Bob, your yet another that’s not real sharp when come to comprehension, yet strong on making false inferences.
Please tell me false references.
Woke clearly defined in Wikipedia. I thought you took a leave absence.
Meant “you are” or “you’re”, not “your”.
Also, “comes” and not “come”.
No doubt you are a master
Of
Diversion. Good
Luck
Sir
You too, Matter, you too.
Get woke Thomas.
OK, hundo p.
The threat is to the neighborhood.
The e-mail alert by mayor Patterson today spells out her stance on Fossil Fuel. Very anti fossil fuel which also means anti Does Birdseye support the mayors stance? After all Birdseye and the mayor go door to door on the campaign trail TOGETHER. Time for Birdseye to take a stance on her saying she is not anti any thing except hate and name calling. It does appear she just did not possible tell the truth. A very good question to ask candidate BIRDSEYE. iS SHE ANTIFOSSIL FUEL AND ANTI Valero. SHE WILL ANSWER IT WITH A VERY VAGUE AND NOT TO THE POINT ANSWER. NOT THE TYPE OF COUNCILPERSON THIS CITY NEEDS.
Another hot topic will be water rate relief. The only way to achieve this is with increased revenue. The only increased revenue on the horizon is from cannabusiness fees/taxes and Measure E, which I predict will blow the roof off at eighty-five percent. Everybody wants the money, even the most hardened rejectors. Although there were many calls for “something else”, nothing else is on the radar for increasing revenue. Equally hot, the PERS obligations. Same answer, increased revenue. More revenue increasing ideas welcome because cannabusiness isn’t going anywhere.
Stan/Med Man. Cannabis fees will come from only those that apply for a retail store. Maybe $60,000/$100,000 non refundable from retail applications. As far as other fees go those that apply and get permitted will ,pay the normal fees that apply to the BIP. There will be some additional fees also.. Taxes will come from sales tax 1% and measure C 1%, Measure E will be only be no more than 6% and will probable settle at 3/5 % not the 10% that councilmember Young basis his revenue on.. The taxes from cannabis operation in the BIP has a formula that will apply. The revenue was projected at close 1.5 mil. for all cannabis operations. We will be lucky to get $6/$8 hundred thousand. Is that good, yes. But will only cover the CalPers for that year. Remember it goes up every year on top of what we already pay. Cannabis revenue will never come close in the next ten years to get to 14 mil a year. Stan your stance on cannabis revenue is a dream. The Seeno property must be developed. The longer we wait the deeper trouble this city is in. You already have two councilmembers that stated we are going to have to change our ways. Simple put that means service cuts, out sourcing services. Try maybe Police, Fire, water and sewer and maybe even the Library back to the county. How do like those apples. Does not sound good Stan. Already started with the city Attorney being out sourced/contracted. My only advise to voters is to NOT vote for Birdseye. You get the ring in the nose that is already in place with councilmember Young. Not good for this very fine city. As far as water rates go we are in it up to our ears. Some very in depth research will be needed to float bonds or whatever will reduce the future costs to the residence. Remember those rates go up every year unless frozen by the council. Watch your pocket book and do NOT vote for Birdseye.
This is a very good run. Lets hope all turn out at the Candidates Night on Sept. 12. Lets hope some very good questions are asked about the financial concerns of the city.
Candidate Emes could really put a dent in the tallies for [___________] and {___________} by committing to support the City of Benicia’s Cannabis Program, billed as a “new economic frontier”, as well as declare support for Measure E, the cannabis excise tax. Both will charge the General Fund considerably and are the only major economic initiatives on the table. It will be interesting to watch the uncommitted squirm and tap dance around the question if it is even addressed. Emes could come from the back of the pack and win on the daily double simply by expressing a view consistent with those of over ten thousand Benicia voters that approved legalization. During the hearings, only two citizens expressed that they voted for Prop. 64 but don’t want it regulated in Benicia, medicine or otherwise.
I identify with hard-working pick and shovel types. I like Emes because he is from the trades and has walked his share of top plates, but I will not vote for him unless he commits support for cannabusiness in Benicia. It’s better for youth and better for our future to help this industry prosper. Keep in mind the longevity of petroleum refining in the state is not looking good. The children of today will be planting hemp where petroleum refining used to be to help clean the land.
First of all Stan tell me what candidate came out and was for Cannabis out right. Would that be candidate Birdseye? Remember Stan she was also against cannabis on First Street. Your big priority. So I guess you will not be voting for any candidate for city council. Do you know how many applications for retail sales and what locations made the deadline of Monday 9-10’18? You seem to know so much, tell us.
Having Birdseye and Emes on council would be the quickest way to revisit the ban downtown. “Like sex toy shops” asserted one expert that professed to be knowledgeable about retail operations. Like everything else thrown out to “keep cannabis out of Benicia”, there is no evidence of points of sale being a harbinger of danger, moral decay, or corrupted youth wherever they are located, meritless buffers or not. Evidence is indicating increased real estate values following regulated cannabis activity, as well as enhanced public safety due to all the security and foot traffic. We had two First Street businesses interested in engaging retail ops on First Street but they got the shaft from their fellow businesspersons that raised a stink about making cannabis available on First Street. With Birdseye and Emes in 2019, the council could do a legislative revision of the DMUMP with four fifths majority to open First Street to cannabis retail. Here is another MedMen site in a prime tourist area. Cue Sheryl Crow.
https://medmen.com/stores/los-angeles-west-hollywood/
Well if that is all both of those council candidates have they are over and out. Lionel is your man.