Contacting my office
In response to her recent letter to the editor, I want to thank Ms. Dorothy Story for bringing her matter to my attention. I did receive Ms. Story’s inquiry and I sent her a letter in response this week. I wish I could have responded sooner, but with the volume of mail, calls, and emails I receive from constituents, it does take some time for me to thoughtfully respond to each inquiry I receive.
I urge all members of our community to continue to contact my office with their questions and concerns and I ask for their patience as I work on a helpful response.
Rep. Mike Thompson, California’s 5th District
Bad vote on cannabis
Congratulations to the councilmembers who essentially voted in favor of pot. Those extra tax dollars will provide all kinds of benefits to the city…or so you would think.
Do you want First Street to go from its roots as a den of boozy brothels to become pot smoking hangouts? How many shoppers/tourists want to leisurely walk down First Street through a pot smoke fog?
What good did it do to participate in a survey? Are you going to provide a Benicia policeman/woman outside a dispensary to monitor who purchases cannibas and determine if it is for medicinal or recreational purposes?
It sounds like some councilmembers have dollar signs in their eyes. I agree with Councilmember Mark Hughes that we don’t need to “sell this town’s soul for that money.”
Rose Utterback,
Benicia
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Utterback,
As it stands, Benicia is already quite a “Boozy” destination. To pretend that First Street isn’t filled with public drunkenness regularly would be comically ignorant. Perhaps we should outlaw alcohol, to prevent your slippery slope argument as well?
Plenty of tourists won’t mind, I would imagine. You are free to provide evidence to the contrary, if you have it. Additionally, whether cannabis is sold or not in Benicia has no influence on usage. The city is in no way deciding if it should be allowed to be used. Even if they were to vote against this initiative, are you aware that people would still be fully allowed to use cannabis in the city?
For that matter, what reasons would you wish to tie up the PD standing around a store? I hope you’re aware that, at the start of 2018, anybody of legal age may use cannabis, not just for medicinal use?
If you are going to assert that the town may be “selling its soul”, it should be simple for you to provide plenty of evidence supporting these horrid effects. Otherwise, all it appears is that your objections are due to your feelings, and will hold no standing.
BB I think you just support Rose Utterback comment. “Boozy Destination”.
I most certainly do. Benicians and excessive drinking go hand in hand, when it comes to First Street. The citizens and the city make it quite clear they like it that way.
Rose, I think you might be confused: “to become pot smoking hangouts?”. How do you make the jump from retail sales location in Benicia, to Benicia “becoming a pot smoking hangout”? These are not places like a bars where you go to drink. They are more like a liquor stores. Benicia has plenty of liquor stores, however, you do not have to wade through crowds of drunks to get to the front door. “Are you going to provide a Benicia policeman/woman outside a dispensary to monitor who purchases cannibas and determine if it is for medicinal or recreational purposes?” What would be the purpose of that? As both are legal, it does not really matter. If anything, Rose, you have offered a very fatalistic view point that has no base in reality. Chances are that you won’t notice any significant difference once the retail location arrives.
Where and when is very important. Where; First Street”? If 600 feet from parks is added limits available space. Solano Square? Not if the 600 feet from a park is added . Raleys, no. Already out because of the 600 feet from schools, state rule. It means the whole center. So just where do they go”? Lower Arsenal”? An Artist haven. Maybe. But just watch for the demands that will be put on the city. New paved roads, lighting, parking lots. Now that reduces that to a slim chance. When”? I would say we may see Recreational Cannabis possibly opening in late 2018 if that soon. Many hurdles to jump. I have never had to wade thru crowds of drunks to go into a bar in Benicia. The Boozy wading thru drunks is not true. Yes we can as all city’s have some minor incidents. All handled very well by the owners. If that is the case it is because of special event days where we can all enjoy the Irish music etc. Fun events. The security will be no different than at local bars. All provide by the owner to keep order. If necessary. It works very well. Remember there is also a bar hopper for safety reasons that is available. Very good move. I think the community has spoken. No Cannabis Recreational Stores on First Street. Where will they go”? We shall see. .
Exactly. The people who drink excessively do not create significant influence to the rest of the town. They do not make it a terrible, unsafe, undesirable location, and neither would a cannabis cafe or dispensary
Ultimately, all that the decision will do is decide whether Benicia wants to get money, or give it away. There are already cannabis dispensaries that deliver straight to Benicia. People can just do that and use it freely, no matter the ourcome.
I am glad you mention money by that I assume you mean taxes. At this point I do not believe any member of the Council can tell you how much taxes the city will receive. Only Vice Mayor Young has stated that he is aware of a person/company that says they can do 10 mil in business and contribute 1 mil in taxes., He either is unwilling to provide the pro-forma/business plan or he does not have it or it is very confidential info not for the public. Just say so. Conversations without facts are not important. We shall see what happens. The big ,one will be the Planning Commission recommendations to the council. Will the council ignore the will of the residents which simply means not in my backyard. The state vote for approval means just that approval not where and when. Many of our surrounding city’s have already said no to Retail Recreational Cannabis in their towns. Just what our council does will be very interesting. Will the council follow the will of the people or look for loop holes like the 600 foot state rule from schools which it appears the city will follow. If Vice Mayor Young does not like the regulation he should be talking to the state nit trying to nit pick the regulation which I believe will stand up in court. We are in for a very interesting 2018.