Opinion

Like the vast majority of Californians, especially those on the Central Coast, I view the threat to our planet from climate change as an over-arching, existential issue. That’s why I strongly support the proposal currently before the Hollister City Council for Hollister to band together with all of the jurisdictions in San Benito, Monterey and Santa Cruz counties as the Monterey Bay Community Power Joint Powers Authority.

It is heartbreaking to see so many San Benito County families suffering from the floods that recently wreaked havoc on the northern part of this community, near Lovers Lane and close to where San Felipe Road meets Shore Road.

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.