Opinion

Almost one year ago, City Manager Bill Avera reminded the Hollister City Council during the Dec. 21, 2015 meeting about discussions on medical marijuana, and he provided them with the urgency ordinance adopted several years ago as well as the ordinance adopted by the city that prohibits dispensaries within city limits.

It has been a great privilege to represent the Central Coast in the State Assembly for the past six years. I'm honored that voters put their faith in me three times since 2010 to be there champion in Sacramento.

Until I received a call from the lovely reporter from KION yesterday I had no idea that the city had lost its mind again.

San Benito County diverted $4.8 million of rate-payer funds from the Landfill-Solid Waste enterprise to the General Fund and implemented a crippling agreement with the landfill operator to increase acceptance of out-of-county waste in order to get their hands on the money. In addition to diverting the funds, which the county denies was illegal, its own internal documents reveal that it failed to take adequate actions to protect the landfill capacity, address the environmental concerns or transportation impacts including road maintenance/litter, and failed to obtain a any revenue increase from out-of-county waste, which was the agreement’s original purpose.

Hillary Clinton garnered most of the national popular vote, but Donald Trump was elected because he won the majority of electoral votes. Many Californians now say they want the winner determined by popular vote. The presumptive argument is that one-person-one-vote is more democratic (little d). Assuming this idea was not put forward for merely partisan political purposes, it’s worth a look.

I was disgusted after reading the Aug. 17 article in the Free Lance about the city council meeting in which the future of rally was discussed. The fact that the council is once again hem-hawing about whether to move forward with the 70th anniversary rally in 2017 made me angry.

I have a confession to make. I don’t read the Free Lance newspaper very often. As a writer and a business owner in town that may seem shameful, but it may also be the reason that I pass on it.

In response to Marty Richman's guest view: Marijuana Ordinance Should Wait (Sept. 2 Free Lance) I offer this response:

The Hollister City Council has scheduled Sept. 19 for a decision on Hollister’s medical marijuana ordinance, but acting before the upcoming election results doesn’t make sense. The primary reason for waiting is to get the Nov. 8 local vote view on Proposition 64, the closely related proposal for recreational marijuana.

Hollister City Council members considering a proposed medicinal marijuana ordinance should keep in mind that there is no rush to make a final decision. More important, local voters will offer a collective take on recreational pot in November that should ease any political tensions...